Hello, everyone.  We’re grateful for this chance to study God’s word with you.  Last week, we caught a glimpse of the stunning relationship Jesus the Son has with God the Father.  We’re about to see another mind-blowing view of this relationship.  To begin, we see in John 10:22-24 that the conversation between Jesus, the man born blind, his disciples, and some of the Jewish leaders has ended and s...  Read More

Hello, everyone!  We hope you’re enjoying this study of John.  We want to encourage you to consider that Jesus rose from the dead.  He took his life up again just as he claimed he had the authority to do, as we saw last week (John 10:18).  Those who believe in Jesus and place their faith and trust in him have a great hope for the future –eternal life.Further, those who believe this about Jesus hav...  Read More

Hello, everyone.  We miss you.  We are grateful for your prayers.  Continuing our study of John 10, Jesus is about to make an astonishing claim about himself.  But before we look at it, let’s look back briefly at last week’s verse:•And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. -John10:16One floc...  Read More

Hello, everyone.  We hope you will join our study of John.  If you need a Bible, ask for one!Last week, Jesus had some mind-blowing things to say about himself –and us.  He’s not done:•And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. -John10:16We’ve already seen that Jesus is clearly no longer spea...  Read More

Hello, everyone.  We’re beginning to hear rumblings that we might be able to return and worship our great God and Savior Jesus Christ with you in person soon.  Keep praying!  We miss you!Meanwhile, we hope these letters have been encouraging you.  Last week, Jesus, the Good Shepherd, revealed how he was going to fulfill his promise (expressed, among other places, through the prophet Ezekiel) to re...  Read More

Hello, friends!  We hope you’ve decided to join our study.  If you need a Bible, ask for one!Last week, we looked at Jesus’ stunning claim in John 10:11a (“I am the good shepherd”).That was only the first half of that “bombshell” statement.  Look what he says next:•The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.  -John 10:11bIf you’ve been reading in Ezekiel 34, you probably noticed that in ve...  Read More

Hello, everyone!  We miss you.  Looking forward to seeing you… hopefully soon!Last week, Jesus made a “bombshell” of a claim:“I am the good shepherd” (John 10:11a).  He goes on to add an even more stunning claim in that same verse.  But for this week, those five simple words are enough to marvel over.  To begin, we suggested in the last few weeks that you read Ezekiel 34.  If you have, you know th...  Read More

Hello, everyone.  We miss our in-person fellowship with you.  Meanwhile, we hope that you find these letters encouraging.  Be sure to thank the people who make them available.Last week, we read Jesus’ 16th “truly truly” statement:•… Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. -John 10:8aThis is a profound claim that Jesus makes about himself.  To begin, we’ve already seen that Jesus is...  Read More

Hello!  We’re hoping you’ll join our study of the Gospel of John.  We’re beginning John 10 this week.  Last week, we suggested that you read through Ezekiel 34 to prepare for what Jesus is about to say to the people gathered around him in Jerusalem --the same people he was speaking to at the close of chapter 9.  Jesus begins with the 15th “truly truly” statement recorded by John:•“Truly, truly, I ...  Read More

Hello, everyone!  We miss you.  Last week, we saw the man born blind confessing his belief in and worshipping Jesus.  Jesus then says something profound:•“For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind.” -John 9:39Before we begin to consider even a small part of what Jesus is saying here and all that it implies, consider this:  Jesus and ...  Read More

Hello, everyone!  Thank you for studying the gospel of John with us.  If you need a Bible, ask for one!  Last week, we saw Jesus having this profound conversation with the man born blind:•“Do you believe in the Son of Man?” 36 He answered, “And who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?” 37 Jesus said to him, “You have seen him, and it is he who is speaking to you.” 38 He said, “Lord, I believe,” ...  Read More

Thanksgiving Greetings!The Psalmist writes in Psalm 95:1-2 "1 Oh come, let us sing to the LORD! Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation. 2 Let us come before His presence with Thanksgiving; Let us shout joyfully to Him with Psalms."Somehow, we have come to think of Thanksgiving as a “once a year” Holiday, but it's quite clear in the Word that it's much more than that!The idea of Thanksg...  Read More

Hello, everyone.  It’s sad to see that we’ve gone nearly two years without being able to see you and worship with you in person.  Pray, dear friends, that God would open the door so that we might glorify Him together as we are called to do (Hebrews 10:24-25).  We miss you!Last week, the man born blind unleashed an irrefutable, undeniable theological truth about Jesus on the Jewish leaders (John 9:...  Read More

Greetings!  We miss you.  We look forward to when we can return to worship God with you.  We’re continuing our study of John 9 and the heated conversation between the man born blind and the Jewish leaders who ask him to repeat his testimony about how Jesus restored his sight.  During the back-and-forth argument that ensues, the Jewish leaders say something interesting about Jesus:•We know that God...  Read More

Hello, everyone.  We’re continuing our study of John 9.  Last week, we saw the parents of the man born blind cave to the prevailing social pressure to keep silent about Jesus.  That pressure is as real and powerful today as it was back then.  See for yourself.  Strike up a conversation about Jesus in public or with someone you’ve just met and see what happens.  You might be surprised.Continuing ou...  Read More

Hello, everyone!  We’re so grateful you’ve decided to join our study.  Last week, we saw how the Jewish leaders were perplexed by the miracle Jesus worked –he restored sight to the man born blind… on a Sabbath day.  They couldn’t deny that it happened and yet, because it happened on the Sabbath, it was in “violation” of the Sabbath laws.  The problem is that Jesus’ act violated their Sabbath laws…...  Read More

Hello, everyone!  We miss you.  We hope you’re enjoying this long tour through the gospel of John.  If you need a Bible, ask for one!  Last week, we saw the man who was born blind tell his friends and neighbors about what Jesus had done for him (John 9:8-12).  This simple testimony was nevertheless profoundly important because he was openly and plainly bearing witness to a miracle Jesus had done i...  Read More

Hello, everyone!It is fitting that, right after Christmas, we’re studying the account in John’s gospel of a man who received a profound gift from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ...  and he got his eyesight back, too!  We’re in the early verses of John chapter 9 where Jesus has said:•4 We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work. 5 As long as I ...  Read More

Hello, everyone.  Last week, in our study of John 9, we were introduced to the “man born blind” (John 9:1).  His plight brought up the question: “Who sinned?  The man or his parents?” (John 9:3).  The assumption behind the question was that the man must be suffering because of someone’s sin.  The thinking behind the assumption is that our circumstances in life (health, wealth, status) must be conn...  Read More

Hello, everyone.  We are so glad to be studying God’s word with you.  Join in!Last week, at the end of John 8, we saw Jesus slipping away from the crowd that wanted to stone him to death for blasphemy…claiming to be God.  The trouble is:  Jewish law requires that people who claim to be God (and are not actually God) be stoned to death.  Jesus claims to be God –and he truly is God.  So, he’s not ac...  Read More

Hello, everyone!  We’re grateful for this opportunity to study God’s word with you.  If you’re encouraged by these letters, be sure to thank the people who make them available to you.  If you need a Bible, ask for one!  We’re nearing the end of John 8 after studying it for 14 weeks!Last week, we saw Jesus continuing to answer the question: “Who do you think you are?” (John 8:53).  Jesus answers by...  Read More

Hello!  We miss our fellowship with you.  As this time of separation continues to wear on, we pray that God will continue to meet with you.  Indeed, we know that God is both willing and able to meet with any of his people anywhere they are under any circumstances.  We pray that God meets with you today in a powerful way.Last week, Jesus said something stunning to the Jews who claimed to believe in...  Read More

Hello, everyone!  Happy Thanksgiving!  Paul says to be thankful (Colossians 3:15).  And we read elsewhere that one of the things Paul is most thankful for is… other believers!  He says, “I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus,” (1 Corinthians 1:4) and “We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayer...  Read More

Hello, everyone.  We miss you.  We continue to pray that we will be able to come and worship our great God and Savior with you in person soon.  Gratefully, we are assured that those who choose to do so may worship God “in Spirit and in truth” wherever they are (John 4:23-24).  Jesus assures us also that “where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them” (Matthew 18:20).  Friends, ...  Read More