SCRIPTURE: John 16 OBSERVATION/APPLICATION: I tell you the truth, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy. [John 16:20] Jesus is warning them about how hard things will get for them. He alludes to His coming crucifixion when they will no longer see Him, and then…
Author: Norm
radical love
SCRIPTURE: John 15 OBSERVATION/APPLICATION: My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. [John 15:12] If someone were to ask me to summarize the message of Jesus, I would point to this verse. This verse stresses God’s radical love for us (how we are forgiven and set free), but also our radical love for…
God with us, us with God!
SCRIPTURE: John 14 OBSERVATION/APPLICATION: Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me. [John 14:11] Jesus is “God with us”; Jesus is also “us with God”. When we look at Jesus, we see God’s heart, God’s truth, God’s love in action. What he values, what He practices, what He…
the full extent of love
SCRIPTURE: John 13 OBSERVATION/APPLICATION: Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love. [John 13:1] Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took…
open or closed minded?
SCRIPTURE: John 12 OBSERVATION/APPLICATION: So the Pharisees said to one another, “See, this is getting us nowhere. Look how the whole world has gone after him!” [John 12:19] This whole chapter is about how people respond to Jesus. Mary believes in Jesus, and offers a huge gift of love to Him; Judas believes in himself and money…
the real proof that He loves me
SCRIPTURE: John 11 OBSERVATION/APPLICATION: “Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.” [John 11:21-22] What a bold statement; even after four days Martha is still convinced that Jesus could raise Lazarus with God’s help. To believe…
what does it mean to follow Christ?
Here is one video answer to the question of the week. What do you think?
question of the week
So here is the question of the week. What does it mean to follow Jesus? (Check out previous questions here)
a shepherd that cares
SCRIPTURE: John 10 OBSERVATION/APPLICATION: I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. I am the good shepherd. The good…
update from Nathan
Our son Nathan is on a one year internship with Urban Promise, a ministry “that exists to proclaim the love of Jesus, and to express it through the spiritual, social and educational development of children, youth and families living in government housing.” He sent me this update recently of what he is up to: Hey…