John 16 – Joy?? We Don’t Understand

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John 16 – Joy?? We Don’t Understand

Like Jesus modeled for the disciples, we need to acknowledge and deal with the past and present stresses and traumas in our lives WHILE we look to our future. Often that’s easier said than done... which is why we believe it is so important to be connected with God and each other in our faith community – our church family.

We don’t have to wait until we die to experience the Kingdom of God. Every single moment that we are able to love God, love ourselves, and love others, we make the Kingdom of God real, we make it practical, and we make it personal. This was and is the Good News Jesus and His disciples proclaimed. And this continues to be the Good News for us, for our families, and for our community.

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John 11:1-44 – “Lazarus, come out!”

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John 11:1-44 – “Lazarus, come out!”

“Lazarus, come out!” These may be the most powerful words in the entire Bible. In the previous chapter, Jesus described Himself as the Good Shepard who leads His sheep with His voice, a voice the sheep recognize, trust, and obey. Lazarus heard and responded. This story challenges all of us, myself included, to listen for, to trust, and to obey when God calls us to do something.

God desires to be in relationship with humanity which means including us as key participants in God’s healing, restorative, transformational work in the people and the world around us. Of what tombs and bondages do we need to come out?
Do we need to give up a vice – something that is causing harm to ourselves or others? What is holding you back from being all God created you to be?
Do we need to start doing something that is life-giving to ourselves or others?

Who can we invite to join us as we nervously step out of our tombs, lovingly unwrap each other, and joyfully begin living resurrected lives?

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John 4:1-30, 39-42 – The Woman at the Well: A Community Transformed

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John 4:1-30, 39-42 – The Woman at the Well: A Community Transformed

By shining the light of our faith, we too can offer people the hope and courage they need to face the challenges in their lives.
Know that God’s light is and always has been inside you.
Know that the world needs to hear and see God’s light through you.
Know that everyone can share God’s love in some way, shape, or form.
Every person has a role to play in growing the Kingdom of God.

If you and I genuinely want to be a light of God’s love to others, then we must work to achieve what we want to become. Jesus went out of His way, into potentially hostile territory, just so He could shine some light into people’s lives. Can you and I today go out of our ways and out of our comfort zones to share the Good News of God’s love with others? I think we can. And I think people need and want us to do so.

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John 3:1-17 – Born Again, into a New Life

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John 3:1-17 – Born Again, into a New Life

Share the following with God in prayer this week:

  1. Lord, what do I need to let go of so that you can lift me to higher places. (Imagine dropping weights from a hot air balloon so you can take off. Your journey can’t continue if you don’t let go of what’s holding you back.)

  2. God of new life, delivery me into a new relationship with you.

  3. God of peace, like baby Jesus in the manger, wrap me in Your love so that I have no reason to feel alone or afraid.

I sincerely believe that if you seek a deeper relationship with God, like a good mid-wife, God will guide you and nudge you into new births and new spiritual growth. With God working in us and around us, all of us can be “born again,” born and reborn into the Kingdom of God where we can live, love, and serve bigger and better than ever before.

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Mark 16:1-8 – Jesus has Risen! What’s Next?

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Mark 16:1-8 – Jesus has Risen! What’s Next?

The Good News of Easter is that the rolled stone and the empty tomb tells us that God is at work in our lives doing what we cannot do. God is actively working for us and with us to create new possibilities beyond our imaginations. Rather than worry about possible problems, we can look to our future with joy and hope.
Today, how will we – individually and as a church – respond to the empty tomb, to the risen Jesus? As we strive to follow God’s lead and expand the Kingdom of God within ourselves and throughout our communities, we must ask, what’s next?

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