I am the Resurrection and the Life

Jeff Gordon
John 11:1-53

Jesus responds to the death of his good friend Lazarus. He comforts Martha in a time of deep distress by reminding her of who he is and the eternal life he offers. He is deeply upset and weeps with the people around him. Then he demonstrates his divine power by raising Lazarus from the dead.

Hanukkah, The Messiah and a Great Gift

Jeff Gordon
John 10:22-42

Jesus reveals the Jews' unbelief. They ask him to tell them plainly if he is the Messiah and then threaten to stone him for claiming to be God. The Messiah the Jews were (and still are) looking for is not the suffering servant that Jesus was during his first coming. Instead, they expected a conquering king messiah. Jesus offers salvation for all who believe in him as a sacrifice for their sins.

I am the Good Shepherd

Jeff Gordon
John 10:1-21

God gave us Jesus as a shepherd to protect and provide for us. We have all strayed away like sheep but Jesus knows each of us personally. Jesus also calls us to serve his sheep with our lives. Since Jesus provides for our security perfectly, we can give out to others as well.

The Transfiguration

Ryan Lowery
Luke 9:20-36

At the transfiguration, Moses and Elijah appear as Jesus' glory is revealed by God to some of his disciples. This proves that Jesus is the chosen Messiah and the culmination of God's plan. While Jesus has no equal, and is the ultimate king, he also dies willingly to save his subjects.

New Life in Christ

Scott Risley
1 Peter 3:17-4:6

Believers should be prepared to suffer. Noah suffered and sacrificed a great deal in his life. His rescue came at a significant cost; Christ's rescue of humanity came at an even greater cost. Christ's suffering is the supreme example for us and is also the reason why we can live different lives. Christ suffered so we can have new life.

Who Do You Say I Am?

Ryan Lowery
Isaiah 52:13-54:1

Jesus turns the attention of his disciples to a crucial question: who is Jesus? Christ puts himself over and above a prophet or a good teacher. Instead, Jesus fulfills many Old Testament prophecies to prove that he is the Christ. Every person has a choice to be saved, and then to entrust their lives to Jesus by becoming his disciple.\r\n\r\n

Living Water

Jeff Gordon
John 7:14-44

Jesus teaches at the Festival of Tabernacles where people have different responses to who he claims to be. He claims to be the Son of God and the source of living water. Anyone can have their thirst quenched by believing in him and receiving the Holy Spirit. Those who do this can respond with courage rather than fear because they are motivated out of love and concern for those who have not yet believed.

Jesus Fulfills the Feast of Booths

Gary DeLashmutt
John 7:1-43

Jesus' identity and message can be hard to swallow; controversy and conflict over him is caused not by the amount of evidence but by unwillingness to accept God's leadership. At a festival he stands up and proclaims that he is the festival's fulfillment and the true river of spiritual life. There is a difference between drinking once and receiving the spirit forever and drinking regularly to be full of God's love, which can done by serving and loving in a Christian community.

Jesus Feeds 5000+ People

Gary DeLashmutt
John 6:1-68

Jesus multiplies food provided by a small boy to feed thousands of people, illustrating that if we make ourselves available he will nourish us spiritually and meet the world's needs. Jesus claims he is the bread of life who can give eternal life to any who believe in him and accept his gift. The reactions of the crowd and the disciples to Jesus' teaching show that as followers of Jesus we often have selfish expectations. Our spiritual life and closeness with Jesus hinge on whether we accept these hard teachings or not.