I John 1: Walking In The Light

Following the Gospel of John, we continue into the other "Johannine" books (works written by the apostle John).  We can easily find many similarities between John's Gospel and his first letter known as I John.

John 21: The Story Goes On

John had to be selective about what to include in his Gospel.  Verse 25 tells us that the whole world would not have room for the volumes that could be written about Jesus.  John uses the last lines of his work to give us one final look at an intimate moment between Jesus and His disciples.

Psalm 5: Two Kinds Of People

There are a lot of "Two Kinds of People In This World" observations.  One of my favorites is - "There are two kinds of people in this world - those who believe there are two kinds of people, and those who don't."

John 20: ...Up From The Grave He Arose!

All the biblical books agree: Jesus bodily rose from the grave.

John 19: Low In The Grave He Lay...

By now you may have noticed that John's Gospel is quite different than the other three.  Matthew, Mark, and Luke are sometimes called the "synoptic" gospels because they see things basically the same way.  Their stories are of Jesus' teachings, particularly His parables, and His miracles.  The Fourth Gospel (as John is sometimes called) stands apart from the others.  There are only a handful of powerful miracles, and long, detailed discourses by Jesus that we do not find in the other three accounts.  Personally, I am very thankful that John came along to include this material that would otherwise be missing because we have it nowhere else.

John 18: Seeking The Truth

What He went through, He went through for me and you.

John 17: The Lord's Prayer

No, not that Lord's Prayer!

John 16: Promises, Promises

Jesus lays some pretty incredible promises on His disciples in this chapter.

Psalm 4: A Comforting Psalm

Maybe it's just me, but my reaction to Psalm 4 is to feel comforted.

John 15: Lovers and Haters

Again and again, Jesus impresses upon His disciples that we are to follow His commands (15:10, 15:14), and that His command is for us to love one another (15:12, 15:17).  In spite of this, we will find that the world hates us.

John 14: Jesus Says Good-bye

Some things that Jesus felt were important enough to include in His final conversation with the disciples:

John 13: The Full Extent Of His Love

What would you do if you had ultimate power?  My list would probably include some noble ambitions - as well as some selfish and petty concerns.  I don't know that I would take time to do what Jesus did - which was to humbly serve His followers.

John 12: The Hour Has Come

We get a real sense in John 12 that events are rapidly coming together now, and that the time has finally arrived for Jesus' ultimate purpose.  Back in John 2, He told Mary, "My time has not yet come" (2:4), and he told his brothers the same thing in John 7:6; now "the hour has come" (12:23).  This is just the tip of the iceberg of the foreshadowing in this chapter.

John 11: Up From The Grave He Arose!

I'm noticing a trend here.  Jesus feeds a crowd of 5000 people with a few loaves.  He states: "I am the bread of life."  He boldly declares, "I am the light of the world."  He proceeds to give sight to a man born blind.  In this chapter, Jesus proclaims, "I am the resurrection and the life," and then raises His friend Lazarus from the grave.

Psalm 3: When the Odds Are Against You

Psalm 3 is short but sweet.  David, on the run for his life after a coup staged by his son Absalom, is calling out to God for deliverance.  David senses that he is outnumbered - "many" are against him, "many" are writing him off as hopeless.  Even "ten thousands" have set themselves against him. 

Yet David maintains his faith in the Lord.  He calls upon God for deliverance, and he even sleeps secure, knowing that he is in God's hands (3:5).  When the odds are against you, may you experience David's peaceful assurance that God has neither forgotten nor forsaken you!

John 10: The Lord Is My (Good) Shepherd

Did you catch all that sheep talk in this chapter?  There are several places in the Bible where the people of God are reckoned as sheep (Psalm 23, Psalm 100:3, Matthew 25:31-46).  I don't know how you feel about the favorability of that comparison, but it seems apt to me!

John 9: Was Blind, But Now I See

Some people just can't help but be critical.  Give them a free trip to Disney World, and they'll complain about the humidity in Orlando.  Take them out for dinner, and they'll get upset about having to wait for a table.  In this chapter, Jesus performs the unheard-of miracle of giving sight to a man born blind, and the Pharisees get all constipated because He did so on the Sabbath.

John 8: Paternity Test

Lots of questions about fatherhood in this chapter! 

John 7: Comings And Goings

Maybe this is just the way my goofy mind works, but I see this as a chapter full of comings and goings.

John 6: Bread Of Life

When Jesus says "Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you," is He talking about Communion?

Psalm 2: Zion's Hill

It's always great to stumble across our church's namesake in scripture!

John 5: Boxing God

Are we prepared to let God be God?

John 4: Thirsty No More

Can you imagine Jesus casually asking you for a drink?  That actually happened to one woman at a well in Samaria.  What happened next changed her life.

John 3: The Key Of Belief

Much could be said about this famous (perhaps the most famous?) chapter in the Bible, but I'd like to share just a few observations:

John 2: The Surprising Messiah

The second chapter of John gives us several moments in which Jesus surprises those around Him.

John 1: Come And See!

Welcome to our 2017 New Testament Reading Plan!

Psalm 1: Be A Tree!

You can choose to be rooted like a tree or blown away like chaff.