Scripture:John 7:39-40 “Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him. By this He meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were later to receive….”Observation:Jesus predicts that one day, all who believe in Him would receive the Holy Spirit in such fullness that it would be like water flowing in a stream. Up until then, the Holy Spirit...  Read More

Scripture:John 6:44 “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him.”John 6:65 “No one can come to me unless the Father has enabled him.”Observation:Even though it’s true that each of us either chooses to follow Christ or to reject Him, Scripture also clearly teaches another side to this here. If God hadn’t drawn us to Christ, and if God hadn’t enabled us to believe in Christ, we ne...  Read More

Scripture:John 6:9 “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?”Observation:Whoever this boy was, he was willing to give up his own lunch and give it to Jesus, even though it seemed ridiculous to even offer such a small amount of food in the face of such a huge crowd. The boy could have just kept his lunch to himself, thinking that the ot...  Read More

Scripture:John 5:42 “I know you. I know that you do not have the love of God in your hearts.”Observation:These Jewish people thought of themselves as very religious and godly. They studied the Scriptures (v.39), they followed religious rules to the letter (v.10), they had acquired the praise of other people for being so religious (v.44), they even saw themselves as God’s appointed religious police...  Read More

Scripture:John 4:13-14 Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.Observation:Jesus uses the metaphor of thirst to talk about the inner longing of every human heart. We are born with a sense that there must be more to life than just the ...  Read More

1 John 2:3-6By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments.  The one who says, "I have come to know Him," and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him: he one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as ...  Read More

Scripture:John 3:30 He must become greater; I must become less.Observation:As Jesus’ popularity increased, John’s public popularity decreased. John went from being the biggest attraction around, to losing his followers to Jesus, to landing in prison, and then later he was even killed in a gruesome way. But John was satisfied to fulfill the role God gave him. He didn’t let the fame go to his head, ...  Read More

Scripture:John 3:17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.Observation:The heart of God is to love and to give and to save people. His desire is that all people come to Him and experience the life He gives. He does not desire to condemn people. Instead, He is a generous, merciful God who is willing to go to great lengths to save people.A...  Read More

Scripture:John 2:17 “Zeal for your house will consume me.”Observation:What was it that really stirred up Jesus’ emotions? What was He passionate about? It was His Father’s glory and honor. Jesus was not a wimp. He could be very strong, outspoken, bold and even angry. But His anger wasn’t about His own petty concerns – instead, He reserved it for those times when God’s honor was at stake or when a ...  Read More

Scripture:John 1:27 He is the one who comes after me, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.Observation:John the Baptist is a great example of proper humility. He had the courage to stand up and speak boldly about the need for people to repent. He was a leader, whom many followed. But he knew and accepted the limitations of the role that God had given him. He freely stated that Jesu...  Read More

1 John 1:5-2:2This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.  If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all si...  Read More

Scripture:John 1:4-5 In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.Observation:Again and again in this passage, Jesus is referred to as “the light.” I love how Scripture uses metaphors out of everyday life that anyone can understand. Light has so many qualities that are similar to Jesus. Light makes life possible. It b...  Read More