Creative Space for Wanderers
Read 3 John The last of the short letters from John includes simple reminders to help us improve as ministers of the Gospel. This short narrative seems to be a very personal letter written to John’s friend, Gaius. John begins with words of encouragement and appreciation for the way Gaius is leading the church. This …
Read 2 John The book of Second John contains a mere 13 verses as labeled by those who divided the Bible neatly for us around 500 years ago. This short epistle manages to expose some controversy for some in the church these days. I’m not going to try to stir the pot intentionally. Instead, I …
Read 1 John 5:13-21 Imagine for a moment that you are a pastor to pastors spread across the country. Over the course of 30 or 40 years, you’ve helped plant churches (in today’s vernacular) all over the place, and you’re trying to communicate across great distances — with no internet! From what we read in …
Read 1 John 4:1-6 Today we get to listen to Pastor John as he speaks to his struggling church about something they shouldn’t be fighting about: the incarnation of Jesus Christ. The passage provides a clear we versus they framework along with details that we should view with great emphasis. I’ve talked about how important …
Continue reading “1John: Jesus in the Flesh is a Huge Barrier”
Read 1 John 2:18-27 In a world with many shades of gray, remember one thing which is clear: belief in Jesus or not. There is no in between. There is no gray. We are either with Jesus, or we stand against Him. While this sounds harsh to those who prefer an all-inclusive vacation resort where anything …
Read John 20:30-31 Just before the last chapter, and just after Jesus appeared to Mary and the disciples, John pressed pause to remind us why he was inspired to tell the stories presented in the Fourth Gospel. These two simple verses are very significant in my mind. Jesus performed many other signs in the presence …
Read John 18:28-19:16 I’m writing this post the day after International Holocaust Remembrance Day 2019. Honestly, I didn’t know there was such an event, but I am certainly moved to remember the atrocities committed against our Jewish brothers, sisters, moms, and dads. They weren’t killed by some supernatural phenomena, each person was corralled and killed by …
Read John 18:15-27 John provides a brief glimpse into the details of Jesus’ interrogation by Annas surrounded by Peter’s failure. As we read this section, it’s interesting to note the contrast painted by John. Peter lies. Jesus tells the truth. Lies, truth, lies. As we watch Peter keep warm with the late night party, there …
Continue reading “John: Jesus Questioned by the High Priest and Peter’s Denials”
Read John 18:1-14 Chapters 18 and 19 of John’s gospel rather briefly cover the events of Jesus’s arrest, mock trial by Jewish leaders, interaction with Pontius Pilate, crucifixion, death, and burial. We begin with John’s version of the events surrounding His arrest. It’s pretty different from the Synoptics. I Am He In typical fashion, Jesus neither …
Read John 17:20-26 And then this happened. Jesus, the Son of God, the great I Am, prays that we would all be in unity with Him. He who was with God at the beginning, who ministered with these men, lets them know His heartfelt desire to be one with us all. Jesus prays for us. I …