The Only Way to God? (John 13:33-14:6)
/Today we conclude our sermon series on the Gospel of John with this question: Is Jesus really the only way to God?
Today we conclude our sermon series on the Gospel of John with this question: Is Jesus really the only way to God?
Our series on the Gospel of John, "Life-Changing Encounters With Jesus," is almost over. Throughout his gospel. John gives us seven "signs" -- miracles performed by Jesus -- that point to the fact that He is the Messiah, the Son of God. But there's also an 8th sign, and it's the most significant and amazing of them all: the resurrection of Jesus.
Because Jesus was raised from the dead, this really is "life-changing" for all of us who believe in Him. Specifically, we receive 3 things: a new body, a new family, and new power.
In John 20:31, John tells us the reason why he wrote this Gospel: "...that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name." What does it mean to have life in Jesus' name? The aim of our fall sermon series is to try to answer that question.
Today we look at the dramatic, moving story of Jesus bringing His dead friend, Lazarus, back to life. How will this story change our view of Jesus? Will we let Him into our hearts, and allow Him to change us?
We welcome Dr. Mark Jennings, Professor of New Testament at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and Head of School and South Shore Christian Academy in Weymouth, MA. May the Lord speak clearly to us through Dr. Jennings' words.
Our fall sermon series, "Life-Changing Encounters With Jesus," is a study of the Gospel of John. We are told explicitly by John why he wrote this book: ..."that you may believe, and by believing, that you may have life in His (Jesus') name" (John 20:31). This week we look at the miracle of Jesus walking on water. What two things do we learn about Jesus from this event, and more importantly, how will it change our lives?
We're taking a break from our fall sermon series on the Gospel of John for one week. Pastor Larry preaches a special sermon on what the Bible teaches about our attitudes and habits when it comes to being good stewards of our resources.
This week’s “Life-Changing Encounter with Jesus” is Jesus feeding thousands from a boy’s lunch. The hope from this encounter is that everyone would recognize him as the Messiah, the Son of God. However the Scripture indicates that they run after him because he provided food when they were hungry. That was quite a trick; let’s see it again! They didn’t get it that he is Lord and God. Careful that you are not using the Lord as your Celestial Caterer or Servant in order to get what you want, instead of serving the living God who wants to be the Lord and Master of your life.
This is the fourth installment of our series on the Gospel of John entitled "Life-Changing Encounters With Jesus." It tells of the third "sign" that John writes about in his gospel in order to demonstrate that Jesus is indeed the Messiah, the Son of God. An encounter with Jesus changed the life of a paralyzed man; could it change ours as well?
This Sunday we have the privilege of welcoming Dr. Sean McDonough, Professor of New Testament at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary to our worship service. The Scripture passage is John 4:43-54, the story of the healing of the official's son. This represents the second sign of the deity of Christ from the Gospel of John. There's an interesting twist to this story that you won't want to miss!
This is the story of the first recorded miracle of Jesus: the changing of water to wine. It is also the first of many "signs" that John records in order to show us that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God. We'll look at two aspects of this event: 1) What was the gift that Jesus brought to the wedding at Cana? 2) What was the cost of that gift?
The new fall series is called “Life-Changing Encounters with Jesus.” Our plan is to bring together the purpose of John’s Gospel with our new mission statement. Both emphasize our life-altering relationship with Jesus and inviting others to join us on this journey.
The end of the journey reveals if it was all worth it. Is the Christian journey worth it? In this Psalm we're invited to bless and serve God, but we'll see that even through our blessing God, He is ultimately blessing us. Blessing God is itself a blessing from God.
It's not easy (after all, we're a bunch of sinners!). But living together in unity under the Lordship of Christ is such a precious thing, we should actively and intentionally pursue it. Lean into it. Go for it!
Do you ever feel guilty because you aren't feeling as passionate about your relationship with God as you think you should? If so, then Psalm 132 will be a great encouragement to you. It will light a fire in your heart as you realize the lengths that God has gone to in order to be with you.
This sermon is called, 'Why Would God Distance Himself from Me?' Why would he do that? To wean you from him. That’s what Psalm 131 (just three verses) indicates. A significant life-changing lesson is in this Psalm. Come and see…
A couple of important questions Psalm 129 can help us answer:
You probably will not be talking soon with your colleagues at work or your fellow classmates about being blessed by fearing the Lord. But the topic of Psalm 128 does present us with the opportunity to look more deeply and at our walk with the Lord. What does it mean to 'be blessed?' And of course how do you fear the Lord who loves you deeply and desires your presence?
Work is a significant part of all of our lives, whether you work in an office, a classroom, a lab, or at home. Does God have anything to say about these many hours we spend working? Yes! Psalm 127 shows us two ways to approach our work: one that produces frustration, stress and anxiety; and one that produces joy and contentment. Let's look at how we can work according to God's design.
We're on week 7 of our Psalms of Ascent series, and Psalm 126 is all about joy. How can we maintain our joy amidst the ups and downs of life? We also recognize that this has also been a difficult week in our nation, with the killings of Alton Sterling, Philando Castile, and five Dallas police officers. We hope this sermon will be an encouragement to you if you feel afraid or discouraged, as well as a time to pray together for justice and unity in our country.
How often have you asked yourself, "Is there anything solid I can base my life upon?" There is enough uncertainty in this life to seriously threaten our sense of security. Just when you were about to give up, along comes Psalm 125 to remind us that if we've put our trust in Jesus, we have the permanence and immovability of a mountain. We're "The Unshakables!"