Exploring God's Colossal Promises
Did you know that sheep are evangelists? How do sheep witness? In “A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23,” author Phillip Keller explains how sheep inform lost sheep they encounter that their Shepherd is Good and worth following.
Fishing is fun when a knowledgeable angler teaches you how. Jesus promised to be our Fishing Guide and Instructor when He recruited His disciples: “Come, follow me. And I will teach you to fish for people.” The video “Fishing Is Fun shares what Jesus has taught me over the years. You don’t need to watch it all in one sitting. When you’ve learned something useful, try it out in the coming days. Come back later for more fishing advice.
When Psalm 100 says we are the sheep of God’s pasture, and Jesus says I am the Good Shepherd, is that a poetic metaphor? Or does it described a life-changing reality? The answer is found in John 10.
In 2013 while driving home from a thrilling evangelism conference, the Holy Spirit downloaded to me a new tune. As David says: “He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God” (Psalm 40:3a NIV). Singing this song encourages me to trust Jesus as He takes me on fishing trips with Him. I pray it will do the same for you.
Miracles are messy and controversial. In John 9, after Jesus heals a blind beggar, the poor guy gets into hot water with the Religion Police. Will we avoid miracles, or will we seek what Jesus is doing today without concern that His miracles will rock the boat?
When Jesus invites us to walk with Him, it’s not for a stroll in the park but a march of endurance. Yet He promises we “will never walk in darkness,” and “the truth will set us free.” (John 8:12 & 32) Jesus teaches us how to find the strength for the journey in John 8.
When faced with ethical choices, some people ask: “What would Jesus do?” But when Jesus was in such circumstances, what question did He ask? In John 8:1-11, the enemies of Jesus drag before Him a woman caught in the act of adultery. Hefting rocks, they throw a hard question at Jesus, “Moses said to stone this disgraceful woman. But what do you say, Jesus?” In John 8:28-29 Jesus says that He does nothing without the initiative of God the Father. So, in this ethical dilemma, what does the Father show Jesus to say and do?
How accurate is your enemy detector? One positive byproduct of pushback is that we discern who are God’s friends and who are God’s enemies. Who is opposing you right now? On the surface, do they appear to be God’s friends or God’s enemies? Below the surface, which are they? Will we stand up to them or back down? Which did Jesus do?
Jesus said the Holy Spirit would be like rivers of living water flowing from our hearts. This 6-minute video brings you to the riverside where you can ponder what Jesus meant.
Do you have a game plan for your life? Will you follow God’s path or limit yourself to human wisdom? In John 7:1-10, Jesus addresses this issue. No matter the threats and danger, Jesus never backs down. He refuses to be less than who He really is — the Son of God sent to do and say only what the Father shows Him. How about us? Which game plan will we seek to follow?
Are you a Christian or a disciple? Is there a difference? Discipleship is Relationship! Discipleship is Rabbi Jesus walking with us through every event of our lives. Are you all in?
You are invited to be a passenger on a spaceship called Fullness or Fraction in the Gospel of John. Are we headed for outer space? No, we’ll explore inner space, what Psalm 103:1 calls our soul, our inmost being. Inner space is where human beings do business with the Creator of all things. Every sunrise launches us into a new day of trusting God and loving the people we encounter. Lift off is hard to attain when our inner space is weighed down by faulty thoughts, attitudes, and actions. The 10 building blocks of life in Christ which repeatedly appear in John will lift us up and propel us into daily adventures with God.