The Work of God
John 5:1-18
After Jesus heals a Roman official’s son, he returns to Jerusalem for a feast. Another healing takes place and the conditions teach us new things. As we work our way through this gospel, we are trying to see and understand Jesus for this purpose:

These are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. (John 20:31)

Signs and Wonders and Faith
John 4:43-54

Jesus finishes his journey through Samaria and returns to Galilee. He is welcomed, but perhaps not for the right reasons. Just as the Father seeks those who will worship Him in spirit and in truth, so Jesus seeks those who will trust in His grace and truth and find beauty and delight in His glory.

Accomplishing the Will of God
John 4:27-42
This passage concludes the encounter Jesus had with a woman of Samaria where he teaches about true worship. His disciples return and the townspeople come to see Jesus. It becomes a teaching opportunity about accomplishing the will of God.

True Worship
John 4:1-30
Jesus travels through Samaria, the region between Judea and Galilee to the north. Samaritans were a mixed race of Jew and Gentile and were despised by the Jews. Many Samaritans worshiped the true God, but had their own tradition of the scriptures and their holy place of worship on Mt. Gerizim. Jesus’ encounter with a woman of Samaria teaches us about worship.

Path

During Advent, we have looked at the timing and conditions God prepared so the world could receive our Lord and Savior. We reflected on God’s great purposes in salvation. We considered how these events were announced at that time and what it is that we now proclaim. We found wonder in the presence of Christ and what it means for us. Today we look at the path Jesus took and how He invites us to travel it with him.

Purpose

Advent is a time of spiritual preparation for celebrating the birth of Christ. Last week we looked at the timing and conditions God prepared so the world could receive our Lord and Savior. This week we reflect on God’s great purpose in:

Preparation

Advent is a time of spiritual preparation as we anticipate celebrating the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. There is a very real sense that all of life is preparation for knowing, loving and serving God for now and all of eternity. Over the course of time, God had been preparing the earth to receive her King. We only know a small portion of His sovereign care and guidance. We look today at only a small portion of that.

Overflowing Thanksgiving

2 Corinthians 9:6-15

Stewardship is really about how we use all of the resources God has entrusted to us: time, education, training, mental and physical abilities, money and possessions. This is one of the most quoted passages about monetary giving, mostly because it so directly fits that context.

Exalting Jesus

John 3:22-36

Many people had come to John the Baptist to be baptized and to seek to follow God. It was confusing for some when Jesus came on the scene and became the new focal point. John only saw his own ministry as pointing to Jesus and exalting Him.

The Love of God

John 3:16-21

This passages contains perhaps the best known and most often memorized verse in the Bible. Some have described John 3:16 as the gospel in miniature. Though it can easily stand on its own, we will see that the context adds greater clarity and further insights into God’s amazing grace and sovereign glory.