John 3:22-36 “Less is More”

As we move further into the life of Christ, we become Less and Christ becomes More. What is it that steals your attention and allegiance from Christ alone? Sometimes, even the ‘good’ can distract us from what is ‘better’, as was the case for John’s disciples who had a hard time with Jesus overshadowing John. John told them that it was right for Jesus to overshadow him. Is there anything we’re allowing to overshadow Christ? 

John 3:14-21 "Believe"

In this message Jesus, The Teacher from Above, calls us to “Believe”. What is it that we are called to believe? Is it about believing in some historical facts, like Jesus died for my sins? Jesus calls us to the kind of belief in God’s love for us that has a transforming impact on our lives. We are to believe with such an understanding that we could not but otherwise Follow the Way of the Teacher. We always act according to our sincere beliefs and therefore our very lives attest to our true beliefs. 

John 3:1-13 "Rabbi"

Nicodemus, a popular Jewish Rabbi, comes to Jesus at night. After the scene in the Temple it’s probably not safe for him to be seen collaborating with Jesus. There’s a lot of pressure for Nicodemus to reject Jesus as God’s revelation. What pressures do you face when it comes to faith and belief? Do you feel safe to ask sincere questions in your community? Are you following the leading of the Spirit and your conscience or just moving along with the religious crowd? Nicodemus is a lead teacher in Jerusalem, but he doesn’t have most of the answers. Jesus is the ‘Teacher’ who has come from above and this Teacher replaces all the former teachers, just as Jesus replaces the old way of purification and the Temple itself. 

John 2:12-25 "Temple"

In this message we will look at the significance of Jesus’ cleansing of the Temple. We continue to see a ‘replacement’ theme, where Jesus replaces the functions of the Old order with a ‘better’ cleansing and a ‘better’ temple. What used to happen with in Judaism now happens in and through Christ himself. In addition to great theology, Jesus invites us to examine ourselves and our systems to see if we’ve replaced worship with empty forms or even secular values.

John 2:1-11 "Wine"

Jesus unveils the beginning of his ministry with a wedding and an abundance of wine. Old systems have become obsolete as the very best has been saved for last. In this message we’ll look at how Jesus replaces all old religious systems and invites us into a new life as well. 

John 1:35-51 "Seeing & Being Seen"

In this message we’ll experience Jesus’ call to come and experience who he is for ourselves. As we begin to discover Christ for ourselves we begin to realize how he already knows us intimately. In ‘seeing’ we discover we are ‘being seen’. It is in ‘seeing and being seen’ by God that we come to realize our place in and with Him. 

John 1:19-34 "The Lamb of God"

In this section of John, the Baptist is out in the wilderness baptizing with a baptism typically reserved for Gentile converts. He is calling the World to radical conversion as he introduces the One who will do the ultimate converting.