I know it’s not Christmas…but that scene is just delightful to me! It reminds me of what we’re going to be studying this Sunday, as we read 1 John 2:3-11.

John is going to sniff at the way some people who claim to be Christians live and say “You sit on a throne of lies…you smell like beef and cheese, you don’t smell like Jesus!”

Well…he doesn’t say that exactly – but its close. The way Venus is close to Earth kind of close.

John is providing a means of evaluating the path our life is taking. He does so by posing three false ideas and refuting them.

First, he says if we know him (God), we will keep his commands. What do you think it means to KNOW  God? What commands do you think he’s talking about? Does John 13:34-35 provide any insight on what he may have in view?

This is the big distinction between keeping commands in order to be saved, and keeping commands because we are saved. John doesn’t say “in order to know him you must…”, but rather, “IF you know him, you will…”.  John is providing an evaluation for our lives – if what we say or claim to be has no apparent outworking in our living, there may be a reason to examine if we’ve really ever come into relationship with God.

He can’t be talking about sinless perfection or even doing this well…as we learned from our study last week. I believe he’s talking about an overall direction in life. When we make choices and decisions in life, does God play any part in it at all? If not…John is warning that our pants may be on fire. (get it? Liar, liar, pants….oh never mind)

Then John talks about a commandment that isn’t new, except that it’s new. That could be confusing, but he is most likely referring to how Christ didn’t introduce some new commandment out of thin air, but that the fullness of all of God’s commands are realized in him, and newly expressed in his command that we cited above (John 13).

It all boils down to love. Love one another – we can’t claim to be enlightened by Christ and continue to hate our fellow human being. The two are incompatible. Why do you think that is? How can love be the total fulfillment of God’s commands?

Hope to see you this Sunday!

This Sunday we’re going to be starting a new series – a study of 1 John! We’ll begin by reading the first seven verses.

We’ve just finished up a year-long study of John’s gospel, and it was suggested to me that keeping with the same author may not be a bad idea. I had to agree. We pointed out before that John wrote his gospel many years after the other gospels were written; many years after the actual events. In those years John had traveled from Jerusalem and settled in Ephesus, in Asia Minor. He planted churches and served as an overseer for many of them.

An exact timeline for John’s life is difficult to produce. We only have bits of information passed down through tradition – the Scriptures shed no real light on what he was up to in all those years. We know he was at one time held in exile on the island of Patmos, where he received the revelation which he recorded and we now have as the book of Revelation. Tradition says that after that time was up, he returned to Ephesus and lived out his days there. Scholars are divided as to where to place these letters (1-3rd John) – whether they were written before Revelation or after. It probably doesn’t matter much. He never actually tells his name in this letter – but the earliest testaments we have about them attribute them to John. The writing style is almost identical to the writing of the fourth gospel – so if we attribute that to John, I don’t see why we would argue his authorship of this letter.

John was writing to provide clarity for the various churches. A lot of time had passed from the time of Jesus, and a whole new set of voices was trying to re-direct the momentum of the fledgling church.

John was the last eyewitness – his voice carried the greatest weight. So he lent it to correct some errors that were developing and splitting up the church. Chief among those errors was that of Christian Gnosticism.

We’ll be reading this letter as an encouragement and direction for those who have set out on a journey to find life – real, whole and eternal life.

In v1-2, John makes uses some pointed verbs: heard, seen, touched – in light of the dualism of the Gnostic worldview (all matter is inherently evil, only non-substance/spirit is good), what do you think John is trying to say about Jesus?

V 3-4 highlights the joy that comes from being in fellowship with other travelers on this journey. Why would that be a source of joy?

V5 John declares that God is light. How does light effect you and the world in which you live? How do we apply that as a metaphor for God?

V6-7  are set out as a challenge. What is the most common complaint that you’ve heard people make about the church and Christianity? How does John’s challenge here address that? What do you think “walking in the light” means?

I really hope this will be a beneficial study – hope to see you this Sunday!

Whenever we go through times and circumstances that push us out of our regular patterns in life, as humans, we tend to get uncomfortable. How often I’ve heard people say, as I’ve visited with them in the hospital, “I just want to get back to normal, I’m sick of this place.” It seems to be an ingrained reaction on our part – when life is hard and confusing, we just want to get back to something familiar so we can try and reorient ourselves. It’s a typical response.

We’re going to be reading about Jesus’ disciples doing just that as we finish our study in the Gospel of John this Sunday. We’ll be reading John 21:1-25. Peter and six other disciples don’t quite know what to do with themselves after all of the events that unfolded in Jesus’ execution and then mind-blowing resurrection. They probably had hoped that the skies would rain fire and Rome would fall into the earth…but none of that stuff happened. Instead, life seemed to just go on and Jesus just kept popping up unexpectedly, and I’m sure it all felt really strange. It makes sense to me that they wanted to get back to what they knew how to do, fishing.

However, now that Jesus is on the loose, things done under their own initiative seem to result in frustration. Have you ever experienced that? Have you ever not known what God is up to and so in exasperation just decided to go back to old habits and patterns you had before meeting Christ? What were the results, and what can we learn from that?

Jesus’ interaction with Peter is, to me, one of the most moving scenes in all of the Gospels. Three times Pete denied Jesus behind his back, now three times he’s given the opportunity to express his love to his face. Do you think Jesus is trying to shame Peter, or bring him closure? How could this interaction provide a sense of closure to Peter? What can that tell us about our own failures and Jesus’ intent?

Jesus doesn’t just let Peter say words, he commissions him with a way of demonstrating his love for Christ. How does Jesus indicate a love for him is revealed? Is it something we can do in isolation, and if not, what does that tell us about our Christian priorities?

Jesus finishes his instruction to Peter by commanding him to follow. What does it mean to you to follow Jesus? What does it look like for a 21st Century American Christian? When Peter looks around and sees the DWJL (disciple whom Jesus loved), he tries to bring his story into the mix by way of comparison. But in v22, Jesus nips that in the bud. “What is his story to you? You follow Me!” What can we learn about comparing ourselves to other believers in our attempt to follow Jesus?

I’ve really loved this gospel. I hope it’s not the last time I teach through it – there was so much left unturned.  We barely scratched the surface. With that in mind, I truly hope this isn’t the last time you explore the Gospel of John – go there often, and go looking for Jesus in those words.

See y’all Sundee!

Happy 4th of July everyone! May your grilling go smoothly and your fireworks be loud and obnoxious, as they should be.

This Sunday we’re going to be reading John 20:19-31, which finishes up the chapter. Many believe this was John’s original ending to his gospel, but added chapter 21 later on. In this chapter we’ll be reading about Jesus’ appearance to the rest of the disciples – and we’ll be considering the ramifications of the risen Christ in the midst of his followers.

Jesus shows up in the middle of a locked room. He is obviously present in a new kind of physicality, one that is not hindered by normal obstacles. Think about that locked door and the symbolism of it. What kind of doors do we lock in life…and how effective are they in keeping Jesus out?

The first thing out of Jesus’ mouth is the common greeting: Shalom. It means peace, wholeness, stability of life. John is using this event to convey the meaning of Christ’s presence with us still – and how his presence brings with it wholeness and fullness of life. In what ways have you found stability, wholeness and well being in the presence of Christ?

Jesus commissions his followers to do the same thing he’d been doing. That would be unthinkable if he didn’t follow it up by giving the Holy Spirit to empower us for such a task. How can we start developing habits of following the Holy Spirit’s lead to do good and help the oppressed in this world?

V23 is a stumper. I have heard an opinion on what he’s saying that I’m persuaded by (I’ll share it Sunday) – what do YOU think he’s saying?

The account of Thomas is awesome to me. I love that dude. Do you think Tommy was doubting Jesus, or the testimony of the other disciples? Is there a difference when it comes to the gospel, in your view? How did Jesus interact with Tom: rebuke, anger, irritation, compassion, care…? What was the first thing he said to him? Do you think that Jesus is angered by our questions or honest skepticism?  Do you believe that doubt and sincere searching is debilitating to faith, or can it actually encourage and enhance faith? How does Jesus’ interaction with Thomas inform your view?

Okay…well…again, I’m really looking forward to this passage! I think we’ll have a lot of good stuff to chew on!

Whenever we say things like “I’m in the dark”, we usually mean that we don’t understand something, we’re confused or just don’t have the clarity we need. If we say “I’m going through a dark time”, we mean the circumstances and our emotional response to them are difficult and desolate. Darkness as a metaphor is never a positive image. Darkness is something we seek a solution to, a change from.

The creation account in Genesis begins in the dark: “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth, and the earth was formless and chaotic, and darkness covered the surface of the deep”. God intervened and spoke light, order and life.

All of that went wrong when a man and a woman stood in a garden and rejected God’s rule. As a result, darkness, chaos and death again captivated the scene.

After a long time, there is another garden…a man and a woman are standing there…and a new creation is breaking out of the old. God once again dispels the darkness and shines a hope beyond our wildest dreams into the chaos of a broken world. Creation 2.0 has commenced.

We’re going to be reading John 20:1-18 this Sunday (and yes, I’m finally back in the lineup), the account of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead.

The themes of new creation are all through John’s gospel, and his symbolism is almost heavy-handed in this section. He just really doesn’t want us to miss the point. All that Jesus did and taught was revealing what God is like and what God is up to – and here in his resurrection we see it in full bloom: redemption; new creation….RESURRECTION!

As you read this account, put yourself in the place of Peter and TDWJL (the disciple whom Jesus loved) – how do you think you would have reacted to Mary’s news? What would you think was going on initially?

V9 says Pete and TDWJL returned to their own home (literally, to themselves). What ways do we turn back to ourselves when we go through dark times?

Mary was inconsolable. She was on task: find the corpse of Jesus and get it re-buried. She was so miserable and fixated on that problem that she didn’t even realize the solution to her dilemma was standing right in front of her. What can that tell us about how we perceive our troubles – how should creation 2.0 affect our expectations?

If I asked you who the first evangelist, ambassador, teacher and missionary of the gospel was…who would you say? I know who v 18 says it was.

Hey…I’m really looking forward to this chapter! This should be some really encouraging stuff for us to explore! Hope to see you there!

I love it when I’m able to finish a project. Last winter I worked on a comic book for Voice of the Martyrs. It had a tight deadline and required a lot of long days that ended late at night. When the final page was drawn and colored – the sense of relief, release and satisfaction was immense. There is something wonderful about bringing a mission to it’s proper close. Yet I find it so hard to relate those feelings to what I read about when Jesus brings his project to a close.

This Sunday we’ll be reading John 19:1-30 – it’s the account of Jesus’ crucifixion. It’s not pretty. It’s painful and hurtful and tugs at the heart. There is nothing about it on the surface that indicates victory or success, and yet, at the end of this section Jesus announces “it is finished”.

The question we’ll be asking is: WHAT was finished? Jesus doesn’t say, and neither does John, at least on the surface.

I know that the entire New Testament is fairly dedicated to answering that question, so it’s not as though we are left in the dark. But as far as THIS passage goes, I believe the seeds for the New Testament garden are planted in John’s account.

I’ll give you a hint, and let you parse it out yourself. John identifies the kind of branch they use to offer Jesus sour wine – it’s hyssop. What is significant about that, and how would John use that to interpret what is happening to Jesus?

Jesus tells John (the disciple whom Jesus loved) to look after his mother – to take her in as his own mother – changing the dynamic of their relationship there at the foot of the cross. What could that tell us about what Jesus accomplished on the cross?

Pilate put an inscription above Jesus’ cross which read “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews” – it was written in the three dominant languages of the known world. Pilate meant it as an insult, but what if God conscripted his mockery to make an announcement? How would this multinational/multicultural declaration help us interpret what Jesus finished on the cross?

It’s a long passage again….so again, I’ll try not to make it a boring read.

Hope to see you there!

We are coming up on the final chapters of our study in the Gospel of John, chapter 18:1-40. This Sunday we’ll be reading about Jesus’ arrest and his trial before the Jewish leaders and his first interview with Pilate.

It is a description of a long and grueling night – a night of crisis. Trouble has a way of bringing things out in us – both negative and positive. In this account of a troubled night, we see what a crisis reveals in the hearts of the characters involved. I always think its a good idea to try the various characters on for size, just to see what we can learn about ourselves in the narrative.

On Sunday we’ll be looking at Judas, Peter, the Sanhedrin…and Jesus. We read about betrayal, violence, denial, hypocrisy…but also faithfulness, God’s kingdom and power disguised.

As you try on the characters…what parts of their story can you relate to? What attitudes or actions feel a bit familiar, as you compare them to your own journey in Christ? If we’ve ever found ourselves standing on the wrong side of things (v5), or impulsively trying to fix matters by our own strength (v10, 17), or wanting to get our own way so badly that you violate the very morals we claim as our own (v19-24) – these characters have something to say to us. Now, if we feel convicted by any of this, we don’t want to despair…God is always a God of new beginnings. What are some ways in which we can learn from these examples and begin to develop new habits that conform more closely to God’s intentions?

It will be a dramatic journey this Sunday – hope to see you there!

Have you ever been around someone who volunteers to pray over a meal, and ends up praying on and on over everything but the meal and you wonder just how cold your food can get before you hear the word “amen”? I’ve noticed some people have a proclivity for long prayer. Not that that’s a problem. I’m sure I’ve gone rambling on much longer than I realize when I’ve been asked to pray for someone – sometimes you just get caught up in the moment of appeal.

One of the shortest prayers in the Bible is from Matt  14:30, when Peter was sinking and cried out “Lord, save me!” Short, yet effective.

The longest prayer recorded in the Bible is found in the passage we’ll be reading this Sunday, in John 17:1-26. It has been called “Jesus’ high priestly prayer”…or “the longest prayer” by some. It is considered the longest prayer for two reasons…one, because it’s really long, but it’s also long in it’s scope. It is a prayer that includes you and I, as Jesus forecasts our becoming his followers…so in a real sense, since it has been written and recorded, it is a prayer that has been ongoing until this very day.

The prayer is divided into three movements – Jesus prays for himself, for his disciples, and for all who will believe throughout history. We learn a lot about a person by what they pray for. In this case, we can discern a lot about God’s purposes and the will of Christ for our own lives.

In v1-8 there is a word that is repeated with different variations. What is the word – and what does it tell you about one of God’s priorities? What do you think it means to “glorify” God?

Jesus then prays for his disciples in v9-19. When you were a child, who protected you? As Jesus describes his role in protecting the disciples, and in handing that responsibility directly to the Father…how then should we see ourselves? Who are we to God?

Note also that Jesus didn’t ask the Father to help us escape from this world, but to be protected in it. What ways have you, or even the church in general been tempted to revert to escapism in our actions or in our doctrines? How can we understand our place in this world as it touches God’s intent for us?

He finishes his prayer in v 20-26. There is a plea on our behalf that is repeated three times in this section. How does that inform you of God’s intent for the church worldwide? When we consider the vast amount of differing opinions on doctrine and practice throughout the whole of the church, on what can we all find unity? How can we do our part in advancing this desire of God withing the sphere of our influence?

It’s a wonderful prayer, and worth a lot of attention – I hope it inspires you to dig deeply into these amazing words. See you on Sunday!

Way back when we used to run the Javalooyah Coffee House (don’t mock me…it was the 90’s), we used to provide a venue for the burgeoning punk and hardcore bands, most of whom were Christians. It was pretty common that when when a band would play, midway through their set one of the band members would take the mic and offer a few words about his or her faith. It was always pretty awkward and uncomfortable for everyone involved – but I was always moved and proud of these kids for being brave enough to do that. One night a lanky bass player with Eminem hair color (not from the band pictured above) got up to the mic and started his plea with “If you’ll just come to Jesus and give your life to him, he’ll make all your problems just go away.”

I looked at my coffee mug and wondered if I could throw it with enough accuracy to knock him out and get him away from that microphone. I didn’t though. Obviously I knew he was sincere and was only trying to make his plea for the cause of Christ, but he was representing a fundamentally flawed theology in the process.

I don’t know if it was the whole Charismatic/Word of Faith movement that started this notion, or if its just an extension of basic human desiderata, but too often people operate under the notion that God’s plan for our lives is to eliminate all suffering for us.

Eugene Peterson, in his book Five Smooth Stones for Pastoral Work wrote: “The biblical revelation neither explains nor eliminates suffering. It shows, rather, God entering into the life of suffering humanity, accepting and sharing the suffering. Scripture is not a program from God providing, step by step, for the gradual elimination of suffering in a series of five-year plans. The suffering is THERE, and where the sufferer is, God is.”

This Sunday we’ll be reading John 16:16-33 where Jesus explains that suffering will be part of our experience – but that through him, we can have a coping and stable life in the midst of it.

In v16-22 Jesus uses the image of a mother and childbirth to illustrate one way in which we can remain stable in suffering (which is awesome, since we’ll be reading this on Mothers Day). His point has to do with end results. How can a consideration of the end of the story be a help in stabilizing us during present troubles? Here’s something to ponder: What was the source of the woman’s sorrow in Jesus’ illustration, and what was the source of her joy? Does that tell us anything about the nature and purpose of the hardships we are sometimes faced with?

V23-27 records Jesus for the third time encouraging us to ask for anything in his name. We pointed out that “in his name” isn’t a cosmic credit line but meaning asking according to his plan and purpose. Either way…the invitation to directly communicate is clearly emphasized. How can that play a role in stabilizing our lives during times of trouble?

He concludes this section in v28-33, uttering those famous words “In this world you’ll have tribulation, but take heart; I have overcome the world”. How can knowing that Jesus has run this course and conquered it enable us to stand strong?

Clearly we need to let go of the concept that suffering is somehow an indicator that something is wrong or that God is mad or doesn’t care. Suffering is part of the scene. Lets consider some ways in which we can apply Jesus’ encouragement to our own difficult circumstances – and let’s allow him to shape us in the process!  The songs for this Sunday are posted at Facebook and the Hymnal.  Hope to see you Sunday!