Growing Gracefully: Infilling
Awake Us Now
Everyone who is a true disciple of the Lord Jesus has the Holy Spirit. But does the Holy Spirit have us? It is one thing to know the Living God and to know Jesus as Savior, but it is another thing to walk in the power of the Holy Spirit on a regular, daily basis!
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Growing Gracefully: Awake
Awake Us Now
God charges His disciples to "be awake" in all times and all situations. We are especially charged to be awake to God's Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20), the reality of spiritual warfare, and the signs of the times.
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Growing Gracefully: Prepared
Awake Us Now
Almost two thousand years ago, John the Baptist called people to repent and prepare for the coming Lord. Today, we are still called to have repentant hearts that receive and extend the forgiveness of the Living God, and to prepare fruit for Him in our lives!
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Growing Gracefully: Holiness
Awake Us Now
Holiness is a gift, offered to us in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. But once God has made us holy, we are then called to pursue holiness in our lives!
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Questions - Week 21: Why Do You Believe He Is Risen?
Awake Us Now
Happy Resurrection Sunday - Christ is risen! He is risen, indeed! Today’s question is “Why do you believe He is risen?” Pastor starts today’s class with a personal testimony in which the Bible changed the direction of his life at the age of 15. Christianity stands or falls on the resurrection of Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:14 “And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.” Pastor shares the Evidence Trail of Jesus’ Resurrection on the bases of writings from believers, unbelievers, recorded data, and old and new studies. The Evidence Trail...
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Kings & Prophets: From Solomon to Jeremiah - Week 14
Awake Us Now
Last week we ended our study time looking at a great king of Judah, Hezekiah. Today we start with one of the worst kings of Judah, Manasseh, Hezekiah’s son. Manasseh reigned from 697-642 B.C. His story is found in 2 Kings 21:1-18 and 2 Chronicles 33:1-20. Manasseh reigned 55 years. He reigned longer than any other king and did more damage than any other king. He did evil in God’s eyes. It is a disgusting and tragic story. He destroys everything good his father had done. King Manasseh ⁃ Apostasy and Idolatry - 2 Chronicles 33:33 ⁃...
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Growing Gracefully: Obedience
Awake Us Now
Growing gracefully in obedience is a response to the salvation God has worked in our lives through Christ Jesus. We are called to walk in obedience as a response to our faith in Jesus. Obedience is not necessary for salvation, but obedience is necessary! Join us as we explore Growing Gracefully in our relationship with Jesus Christ through obedience to Him and His Word. Obedience does not save, but neither is it optional. God desires not simply outward actions, but inner obedience to His Word. Pastor focuses on two important Biblical truths: 1. Obedience does not save - Jesus saves --Grace of...
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Growing Gracefully: Training
Awake Us Now
Despite the most rigorous physical exercise and training regimen, our bodies will age and, eventually, die. But there is a training - training in godliness - that lasts into eternity. The spiritual diet we eat, the spiritual exercise we do and the spiritual training we choose affects our ability to grow graceful as Jesus’ disciples. Training ourselves for godliness has benefits for today, tomorrow and for eternity. Spiritual training is timeless. Train to be godly - Christianity is not a spectator sport. We can’t be a couch potato. We must be in training to be godly. This is training with...
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Growing Gracefully: Contentment
Awake Us Now
Even in the most difficult of times, believers such as the apostle Paul have known contentment, an inner peace, a certainty that God is in control. Because of what Jesus has done for us, we know that, through faith in Him, we will live forever. That certainty brings true contentment!
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Dig Deeper - Week 9: Were Lambs Crucified?
Awake Us Now
Luke 22:7-8 ‘Then came the day of Unleavened Bread on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and make preparations for us to eat the Passover.”” What we know about the Passover during the time of Jesus, is that the Passover meal had to be celebrated in Jerusalem itself. The lambs were killed at the Temple and the priests worked hours and hours to slaughter all the lambs needed for the meals - as many as a quarter million lambs were killed. The people came to the temple to pick up their lambs. This is where Jesus was sending...
info_outlineThe Gospel of John Week 23
Scripture: John 18.
Our story begins with Jesus in the Garden and soldiers, high priests, and Judas come to the garden carrying torches, lanterns and weapons. Jesus goes out to meet them asking, “Who is it you want?” Clearly showing who's in charge. Something we will see Jesus repeat in the next hours.
Jesus is in charge and He’s always been in charge and that is a take home for us in our own lives as well. He’s in charge! He’s the Lord. Jesus knows all that is going to happen to Him. He’s shared that with His disciples, though they will not fully understand until Jesus’ resurrection. He is not blindsided by this group coming to the Garden. This is the reason He came, and this is the purpose for which He has come to carry out His work.
Then Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest, cutting off his right ear. Jesus tells Peter to put his sword away - and Jesus says, Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given Me?” Jesus knows what’s coming and is willing to go through with it all because it is the Father’s desire and the Son always obeys the Father.
Pastor delves into the personality of Peter and how we will see him go from cutting off the ear of this man, to denying he knows Jesus, to going on to become a powerful evangelist. And yet Peter was flawed, we are all flawed individuals. The Lord still used Peter. He transformed Peter and He transforms us and this story is a reminder that Jesus uses us, too.
As we return to our story we know Jesus is in control but He willingly allows His hands to be bound. Jesus is willing to go all the way to the cross for us. He is then taken to Annas, who was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, the high priest that year.
Pastor shares some info on the recent discovery of an ossuary, bone box, belonging to Caiaphas and also some other archeological discoveries including a palatial mansion that may possibly be one of the locations where Jesus was tried. Pastor also reads some fascinating information from Eusebius’ History of the Church and puts together some interesting pieces of historical evidence to help bring light to all that John is telling us.
Now our story moves into Peter’s first denial of knowing Jesus. Followed by Peter’s second and third denial of knowing Jesus. And then we read that at that very moment the rooster crowed. And Peter suddenly remembers what he has done and what Jesus had said.
There is a contentious conversation, verses 19-24, “the high priest questioned Jesus about his disciples and his teaching. “I have spoken openly to the world,” Jesus replied. “I always taught in synagogues or at the temple, where all the Jews come together. I said nothing in secret. Why question me? Ask those who heard me. Surely they know what I said.” When Jesus said this, one of the officials nearby slapped him in the face. “Is this the way you answer the high priest?” he demanded. “If I said something wrong,” Jesus replied, “testify as to what is wrong. But if I spoke the truth, why did you strike me?” Then Annas sent him bound to Caiaphas the high priest.”
From Caiaphas Jesus was taken to the palace of the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate. It is now early morning. Pastor shares the logistics of getting Jesus there and the possible location of the praetorium, the governor’s house. Pastor shares on the map the possible locations of this home.
Jesus is brought before Pilate in verse 29 and Pilate asks what charges are being brought against Jesus, thus opening a court proceeding.
Pastor shares interesting historical information about Jewish executions (stoning to death) and Roman executions (crucifixion), and what they were like. He shares the history of how the Romans, in the early first century, took away from the Jewish high priests and from the Sanhedrin, the right to convict and punish in capital cases and how the Romans demanded that they be the ones to carry that out. So this is why Jesus was crucified, and not stoned.
Pilate then begins his questioning of Jesus and they have an in-depth conversation during which Jesus says, “The reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.” Pilate replies, “What is truth?”
We live in a society where people are still asking that same question. And the answer is still the same. Jesus is Truth. The truth sets us free!
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⁃ The Gospel of John study is part five of five of our Two Year Study of the Gospels.
⁃ The Gospel of John may be one of the most powerful books ever written. Many people have come to faith after reading only this book of the Bible. Scholarly and archeological discoveries in recent decades give us new insight on details in the Gospel of John. We can now understand it as the most Jewish rather than the most “Gentile/Greek” of the Gospels, and when we do that we see many things that we missed before.
Our 2 year study of the gospels is great for large group, small group or home group study and can be started at any time!