SUMMARY: The familiar parable of the Good Samaritan is subversive. Jesus is overturning the ways that we label and view one another. Instead of giving people value because of their position, nationality, or other factors, he invites us to view one another as human beings. We need one another. And the one who responds in mercy may be the one we least expect.
Summary: In these final days before heading towards his own tomb, Jesus raises his close friend, Lazarus, from the dead. It’s a poignant moment, as Jesus weeps with his friends. They question, as we often do, “Why didn’t you come sooner? Why didn’t you save Lazarus?” In this Scripture, Jesus is avoiding the easy task of saving Lazarus for the difficult task of resurrecting life from destruction. Where do we see this happening in our own lives? How does this impact our faith?
Summary: We are called to follow the Good Shepherd. This is a beautiful picture of being led by someone who loves and knows us. In order to follow, we need to set aside our own need to control and lead. There is safety in following the Shepherd. Wolves are in the field, imitating the Shepherd’s voice and trying to distract and scatter us so that we can be picked off. Our work is to keep our eyes on the Shepherd, know his voice, and do his good work. The work the Shepherd calls us to is to feed and care for the lambs and sheep. The Shepherd will take care of the wolves. We can safely abide.
I Am The Gate In this poetic passage of Scripture, Jesus weaves in and out of several images. He is the Gate, the Gatekeeper, and the Shepherd. This week, we will consider what it means for Jesus to be the Gate. A gate shows us how to enter correctly. A gate keeps people safely inside, but it also keeps people outside. Is Jesus a gate of exclusion? A gate of inclusion? This name is one we are invited to wrestle with, to ponder, and to give deep consideration. How will this name shape us? John 10: 1-10
Sermon Title is "I Am the Light of the World" Scripture is John 8:12-20 Summary: Jesus proclaims that He is the Light of the World. If we follow Jesus, we will never walk in darkness. What does that mean for us when we walk through dark times? Grief, illness, and the traumas of this world still come to us. How does the Light of the World change us as we walk through darkness? And do we impact the darkness as we follow the Jesus? This week we will consider what it means to have the Light of Life in dark times.
Jesus claims his divine status by using the familiar "I AM." He tells people, I Am The Bread of Life, then demonstrates what that means. He provides for the physical needs of over 5000 people, then foils their plans to make him king. He has a greater task than providing for their wants of prosperity. His task is to be the bread that is broken to bring us new life.
When Moses asks God for a name, he is given, "I AM WHO I AM." It is a name that is frustratingly mysterious. God declares all being, all power. God isn't boxed in with any human descriptions. Instead, God identifies with past actions to Israel's ancestors, current actions in the burning bush, and by describing future actions as things that have already happened. God is above and beyond time, space, and dimension. We serve a God who wants to be known and helps us to know them better.
