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Darkness does not win
4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. (John 1:4-5, NIV) I have this text in mind as I read through the life of Bonhoeffer. Currently, I am searching out the opinions of those scholars who believed Bonhoeffer was only “assassin-adjacent,” so to speak, along with those…
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The difficulty is FOLLOWING Jesus
I am re-reading some Dallas Willard books to refresh my spirit right now and one that is a compilation of interviews and shorter articles is my current project: Renewing the Christian Mind, edited by Gary Black, Jr. There is an interview where Dallas is asked:
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Give us shepherds, Lord
I was as swept up on the “leadership” movement as anyone when I was beginning ministry. John Maxwell was my guy. I fell into his mantra of “Everything rises and falls on leadership.”
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Victory isn’t through the sword
John 12:20-36 is our Gospel for the Fifth Sunday in Lent. The hour for Jesus’ suffering is upon him. He could ask to be delivered from this hour, but he knows this is why he came. What lies ahead is necessary and when Jesus is finished, the Father is glorified and the kingdoms of this world will fall. Here is…
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Jesus won’t be king like you want
15 Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself. (Jn. 6:15, NIV)
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The steep cost of following Jesus
From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him. (John 6:66) There has to be a willingness to enter in. There has to be a willingness to follow NOT for my own convenience, or because I understand everything fully. I need to follow BECAUSE HE IS LIFE. I trust him, even if I don’t understand…
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Life Eternal Now
16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. (John 3:16,17) The most well-known verse on the planet. The most misunderstood and…
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The winnowing process of the Kingdom of God
There are two passages of Scripture I came through in my reading this week that describe what I am “seeing” in prayer during this time in our culture and the American Church. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire.…
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The greatest examples we carry
I have reached a place in the Gospel of John that causes me to walk slowly. It’s difficult for me when I think I’m in some sort of time crunch, or in a “check off” mode. But this is holy ground.
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The difficulty of discipleship
John 6 is at once one of my favorite chapters to chew on… and the most frustrating chapter to read. It is the deep call to discipleship and full participation in Christ. This is the place where Jesus drives a crowd AWAY. In our world, that’s utter foolishness. We are so thirsty for big crowds! We celebrate big crowds! And…
Tag: Gospel of John
