Posts with the tag “john”

(Mark 4:35-41 NLT) As evening came, Jesus said to his disciples, "Let's cross to the other side of the lake." [36] So they took Jesus in the boat and started out, leaving the crowds behind (although other boats followed). [37] But soon a fierce storm came up. High waves were breaking into the boat, and it began to fill with water. [38] Jesus was sleeping at the back of the boat with his head on a ...  Read More

(John 6:19-21 NLT) They had rowed three or four miles when suddenly they saw Jesus walking on the water toward the boat. They were terrified, [20] but he called out to them, "Don't be afraid. I am here!" [21] Then they were eager to let him in the boat, and immediately they arrived at their destination!To refresh our memory a bit about the situation the disciples found themselves in, remember it w...  Read More

(John 6:16-21 NLT) That evening Jesus' disciples went down to the shore to wait for him. [17] But as darkness fell and Jesus still hadn't come back, they got into the boat and headed across the lake toward Capernaum. [18] Soon a gale swept down upon them, and the sea grew very rough. [19] They had rowed three or four miles when suddenly they saw Jesus walking on the water toward the boat. They wer...  Read More

(John 6:14-15) When the people saw him do this miraculous sign, they exclaimed, “Surely, he is the Prophet we have been expecting!” When Jesus saw that they were ready to force him to be their king, he slipped away into the hills by himself.This story should have had a better conclusion. No author or screenwriter worth his salt would end this story the way John did. The people were hungry, Jesus f...  Read More

(John 6:10-13) “Tell everyone to sit down,” Jesus said. So they all sat down on the grassy slopes. (The men alone numbered about 5,000.) Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks to God, and distributed them to the people. Afterward he did the same with the fish. And they all ate as much as they wanted. After everyone was full, Jesus told his disciples, “Now gather the leftovers, so that nothing is ...  Read More

(John 6:7-9) Philip replied, “Even if we worked for months, we wouldn’t have enough money to feed them!”Then Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up. “There’s a young boy here with five barley loaves and two fish. But what good is that with this huge crowd?”The truth isn’t always right. That sentence seems silly at first glance but allow me to expand on this idea for a bit. Philip said something t...  Read More

(John 6:4-6) (It was nearly time for the Jewish Passover celebration.) Jesus soon saw a huge crowd of people coming to look for him. Turning to Philip, he asked, “Where can we buy bread to feed all these people?” He was testing Philip, for he already knew what he was going to do.I’ve never liked tests. They scare me. I never feel prepared enough to feel confident that I will do well. And if you se...  Read More

(John 6:1-3) After this, Jesus crossed over to the far side of the Sea of Galilee, also known as the Sea of Tiberias. A huge crowd kept following him wherever he went, because they saw his miraculous signs as he healed the sick. Then Jesus climbed a hill and sat down with his disciples around him.It’s easy to be busy. You know you have never had a hard time finding something to do. In fact, if you...  Read More

SolitudeLuke 5:15-16But despite Jesus' instructions, the report of his power spread even faster, and vast crowds came to hear him preach and to be healed of their diseases. But Jesus often withdrew to the wilderness for prayer.Mark 1:35Before daybreak the next morning, Jesus got up and went out to an isolated place to pray.John 12:36After saying these things, Jesus went away and was hidden from th...  Read More

INTRODUCTIONThe following is a guide to help facilitate discussion between you and the person you’re studying with, or with your Connect Group. Feel free to add, subtract, or change questions to fit the conversation, and pray for the Spirit to lead in all things.LITURGIES: Confession & Forgiveness, Process and Patience, Bold Forgiveness, Forgiveness and ResurrectionOPENING QUESTION(S)What…HEAD & H...  Read More

INTRODUCTIONThe following is a guide to help facilitate discussion between you and the person you’re studying with, or your Connect Group.  Feel free to add, subtract, or change questions to fit the conversation, and pray for the Holy Spirit to lead in all things.OPENING QUESTION(S)When you were a child, what stories or fairytales did you believe to be absolutely true?  HEADRead 2 Kings 5:1-27 tog...  Read More

On Tuesday morning, Jesus and his disciples returned to Jerusalem. They passed the withered fig tree on their way, and Jesus spoke to his companions about the importance of faith.Back at the Temple, religious leaders were upset at Jesus for establishing himself as a spiritual authority. They organized an ambush with the intent to place him under arrest. But Jesus evaded their traps and pronounced ...  Read More

INTRODUCTIONThe following is a guide to help facilitate discussion. Feel free to add or subtract or change questions to fit the conversation, and pray for the Spirit to lead in all things.OPENCan you remember a time as a kid when you’re mom or dad did something for you in public that in retrospect, they did out of love for you, but at the time was horribly embarrassing?HEADRead John 15:13, Galatia...  Read More

John 6:4444 For no one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them to me, and at the last day I will raise them up.What is the drawing power of an authentic relationship? In this text, we see that Jesus is reminding people that even their attraction to him is the work of the Father. We call this prevenient grace, or grace before grace. I have spoken and written about this before. What ...  Read More

John 3:16-1716 “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. 17 God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.From this text, we see that it seems that authentic relationships are twofold; 1) they are sacrificial, and 2) they are non-judgmental. Let's talk ...  Read More

John 17:2323 I am in them and you are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me.This is the idea of intimacy. It is really more than intimacy, it is so close to being almost as one. In theological circles we would say that it is a perichoretic relationship. If you have been around Crosswalk for a while, you...  Read More

John 13:3434 So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other.What does authentic love look like to you? A discipling relationship with God and other people is a relationship where we are honest with one another, we cherish one another, and we speak words of truth over one another and into each other’s lives. Without this kind of hones...  Read More

John 15:1919 The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you.Who do you belong to? Because the text above seems to indicate that if you are one who loves Jesus, then the world can’t be what you belong to. However, this also means that the world doesn’t really understand you either. In f...  Read More

John 8:47Anyone who belongs to God listens gladly to the words of God. But you don’t listen because you don’t belong to God.What does it mean to belong to God?This text seems to note that if you belong to God, you actually listen to the words God says. The text itself is an indictment of those who were accusing Jesus of having a demon possessing him. Jesus wasn’t having it, and reminded them that ...  Read More