Mon, 15 November 2010
READ: John 1:1-18 FIREuSTARTER THINK: John’s Gospel (i.e., his true-life account of the “good news” of Jesus Christ) is unique among the four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John). Among other things, it gives deeper insight into the “mystery” of Jesus as both God and man. As one of Jesus’ twelve original disciples—His personally chosen followers—and a member of what might be called Jesus’ inner circle (along with Peter and James), John describes events from an eyewitness perspective. Since the early days of the church, John’s writing has served as a vital and authoritative statement about “the truth” as it literally came to life in Jesus Christ. (See Introduction to John, p. 1441.)
READ: John 1:19-51 THINK: Do you ever wonder what Jesus’ first followers were like, or what it would have been like to be one of them? Perhaps you’ve wondered if you would have been among those who misunderstood or even rejected Jesus while He was on earth. When reading the Bible, it’s easy to miss the subtle differences between those who were drawn to Jesus and those who were offended by Him. Most who followed Jesus were common people who humbly dared to trust Him without reservation. They didn’t do extraordinary things to attract Jesus’ attention, but showed extraordinary faith simply by taking Him at His Word, responding to Him without hesitation, and eagerly telling others about Him.
READ: John 2:1-25 FIREuSTARTER THINK: The Bible is completely true and trustworthy, yet not everything in it is easy take. The Word contains many tough challenges. But some Biblical accounts are difficult to deal with because they seem out of character. Perhaps they don’t fit our perceptions of God. Certain issues may come across more harsh, or more lenient, than we’d like. Some things are clearly black and white—right or wrong. Others seem to be shades of gray—open to personal inter- pretation and potential misunderstanding. This passage hits a couple unique issues. In one instance, Jesus expresses unbridled anger—for completely justifiable reasons. Then there is Jesus’ first miracle. Not only does turning water into wine for a wedding seem like a less-than-urgent need, it also raises speculation about whether the wine was poten- tially intoxicating. Regardless of whether we understand everything in the Bible, God’s Word is always consistent with His character and purposes, and He will help us understand and relate it to our lives as we sincerely aim to honor Him.
READ: John 3:1-21 THINK: If there is one thing that God aims to convey through the entirety of His Word, it’s the fact that He loves you and want’s to have a personal relationship with you. He even sent His Son, who sacrificed His own life to make that relationship possible. Receiving that relationship is a person’s only hope of reclaiming his or her purpose in life and avoiding the permanent consequences of defying God. Yet, amazingly, most people in the world refuse God’s invitation to eternal life, choosing instead to go their own way down a dead end path of spiritual darkness. But if you confess your sins, accept God’s offer and entrust your life to Jesus, you will find forgiveness, fulfillment and life forever with Him.
READ: John 3:22-36 FIREuSTARTER THINK: It seems that most people try to get more out of life by investing more in themselves. Self-esteem, self-improvement, self-awareness, self-confidence—perhaps all well-intended concepts, but too much of this sort of focus and a person easily becomes self-centered. Of course, you should always strive to do and be your best, but that’s only possible when you focus less on yourself and more on Jesus. It may not make sense in worldly terms, but with God, less is more. When your life becomes less about you and more about Jesus, that’s when you start becoming all you can be—all you were created to be.
READ: John 4:1-26 THINK: What does worship mean to you? Is it a solemn, subdued experience, or an exuberant, exhilarating experience? Does it make you feel awkward, inspired, or nothing at all? The fact is that true worship is not just an experience; it’s a way of life. And true worship is not about you and your feelings; its about God and His worthiness. He deserves honor regardless of your mood or situation. True worship involves more than singing songs, reciting prayers or verbalizing words of praise in a worship service. It involves a lifestyle that truly honors God and brings positive attention to Him. True, godly worship is a heartfelt expression of God’s “worth-ship,” from your spirit to His. It is the appropriate response to God’s powerful presence and matchless character. (See article on Worship, p. 608.)
READ: John 4:27-54 FIREuSTARTER THINK: How are you at getting into conversations about spiritual issues? Can you relate to people who are very dif- ferent from you? Do you willingly talk about the good things God has done in your life? These are some key questions to consider if you hope to influence others to follow Jesus. You don’t have to have an extremely outgoing personality to reach people for Christ, but you must be willing to take the initiative and step outside of your comfort zone. As you trust God, He will guide your words and efforts. He may even use you to influence an entire community for Him.
READ: John 5:1-30 THINK: A lot of people today talk about relating to God, but people cannot relate to God without receiving His Son, Jesus, who is himself God. The Father has entrusted all life, authority and judgment to His Son. If a person does not respond and relate to Jesus as the Forgiver of their sins and Leader of their life, it doesn’t matter what else they think or believe about God. According to His Word, no one can connect with God and experience eternal life apart from Jesus.
READ: John 5:31-47 FIREâ—†STARTER THINK: Who are you trying to impress? Anyone? Everyone? Do you feel the need to gain approval from certain people in order to feel better about yourself and your accomplishments? Consider the fact that what typically impresses people is not at all what impresses God. For this reason, those who seek honor and approval from people will almost certainly not receive honor and approval from God. And His is the only approval that matters.
READ: John 6:1-24 THINK: Do you believe in miracles? If you believe the Bible, it would be tough not to expect extraordinary activ- ity to surround the lives of Jesus’ followers. Yet, when you read the Bible, do you ever wonder why we don’t often experience the same types of miracles today? Are people in less need? Does God not intend to work in the same ways He did when His church first started? Perhaps we have too many things figured out. If God doesn’t act as we expect, we simply follow another one of our options. But with what we know from God’s Word, He may expect us to get more involved in potential miracles. He’s not looking for a lot. He doesn’t expect us to have things figured out. A simple act of faith and dependence on Him may be all He’s waiting for. When we realize just how much God can do with so little, we’ll willingly place in God’s hands whatever we have so we can watch Him do amazing things with it.
READ: John 6:25-59 FIREuSTARTER THINK: What do you do when you’re really hungry? You eat. Even when you’re not hungry you eat because you know it’s necessary—and you probably enjoy it. Apply this reasoning to your spiritual life. If you’re truly hungry, you’ll feed your spirit through time with God in His Word and prayer. If you’re not taking this time on a regular basis, it’s either because you’re not hungry for God, you don’t enjoy time with Him, or you don’t realize how necessary it is for your spiritual life, health and well-being. So indulge your spiritual appetite and see how God’s Word satisfies a hungry soul.
READ: John 7:1-24 FIREuSTARTER THINK: How does it feel to be misunderstood? It can certainly be a frustrating, lonely, helpless and hopeless feeling, particularly if it leads to rejection and hate. Jesus can relate to this feeling. Even those in His own family misunderstood His mission, and the world system in general hated Him without even knowing Him. Certainly, those who are willing to identify with Jesus ought to be sensitive to the pain caused when people misjudge others. Even so, as a follower of Jesus, you must strongly resist the tendency to judge by mere appearances.
READ: John 7:25—8:11 THINK: How dependent are you on God? You may feel that you trust Him and you rely on Him when you face significant difficulties. But in your everyday life do you typically carry on as if you can make it without Him? Consider how completely Jesus depended on His Father for strength, guidance and encouragement. Are you following Jesus’ example so that God fulfills His purposes and impacts the world through your life?
READ: John 8:31-47 THINK: “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” Most people in our society are familiar with that expression in one form or another. It’s one of the countless well-known phrases lifted from the pages of the Bible—though most people haven’t a clue what it really means. These are Jesus’ words, and He’s not just talking about philosophical truth, the idea of truth or freedom from ignorance. He’s talking about the ultimate truth revealed in God’s Word and embodied in the Person of Jesus himself. He is the truth that people must know in order to truly be free.
READ: John 8:48-59 FIREuSTARTER THINK: What is God like? It seems like a lot of people would like to know. But can humans really understand what God is like? People through the centuries have struggled with that question? But the fact is, God has not made it difficult to get a good glimpse of what He’s like and even to relate to Him on a personal level. As you may have considered in your study over the last few days, God has revealed himself clearly through the Person of Jesus Christ, His Son. Jesus is God in the flesh, who came to earth in human form to endure our trials, to fulfill God’s plans, and ultimately to provide the way for us to have an eternal relationship with Him. If you want to know what God is like, look to Jesus through God’s Word and prayer, surrender yourself to His purposes and follow Him.
READ: John 9:1-41 THINK:“How can a loving God allow suffering and evil to continue?”“Why do bad things happen to good people?” “Where is God when tragedy strikes?”These questions represent people’s struggle to reconcile the idea of an all- loving, all-powerful God with all the bad things they see going on around them. But questions like these also show a misunderstanding of what’s normal and what’s exceptional in the world. Because humankind has rebelled against God and chosen their own way over His, sin and evil have taken hold and turned the world upside down and backward from the way God created it. Disorder and destruction have become the norm. The fact that good exists at all—and can even come out of suffering—is proof of God’s love and patience toward a world that continues to defy Him.
READ: John 10:1-21 FIREuSTARTER THINK: People often knock Christians by referring to them as a bunch of blind followers. But in reality, everyone is following or pursuing something—or someone. In a spiritual, but very real sense, people are either following God and His truth, or they’re falling for a lie from the devil. Most voices that people listen to are spreading the lie and lead- ing them blindly down a path toward destruction and death. They’re being robbed of real life and don’t even know it. Wouldn’t you rather endure the insults, while following Jesus on a path leading to ultimate fulfillment and eternal life?
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