In this passage we come to the last of the seven I am statements. Jesus says, “I am the true Vine.” Jesus uses this illustration to teach his disciples what the only way of bearing fruit comes from. Here are two things to notice....
Amazing grace! How sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me! I once was lost, but now I am found, WAS BLIND, BUT NOW I SEE. In December of 1772 John Newton started to write the song that is so well known, Amazing Grace. I am not aware of every verse that inspired John Newton to write this song, but I do suspect that John 9 could have been used. If it wasn’t, it is still a very fitting line for the chapter we are studying today. Here are some points....
Today we come to one of the celebrations of Israel that holds much significance for us today. Let’s dive in....
Acts is all about the Word of God going forth with power resulting in the expansion of God’s kingdom. Consider the beating heart of the sermon that drew thousands of people into the kingdom the day the church was born....
Keep ReadingWelcome to the book of Acts. Or, to be more accurate, the full title is ‘The Acts of the Apostles.’ This book could just as well be called ‘The Acts of the Holy Spirit' or ‘The Continued Ministry of Jesus.’ Today we will focus on how the apostles chose the replacement for Judas, and how we should go about making decisions in our lives....
Keep ReadingToday we conclude the book of Luke, but we are not concluding the writings of Luke. He is also the author of the book of Acts. The two work together to display the work of Christ in seeking and saving the lost....
Keep ReadingThere are seven times that Jesus spoke from the cross. They are spread across the four gospels as each author takes a slightly different focus of the final hours....
Keep ReadingIn a chapter like this, it becomes quite difficult to determine exactly where to turn our focus. But, for today I have selected the prayer of Jesus in Gethsemane....
Keep ReadingToday we are reading the sermon that Jesus preached that is commonly known as “the Olivet Discourse.” We also find this sermon in Matthew 24 and Mark 13. It is an extended passage about the coming judgment of the Jewish nation as well as the return of Christ. There are only three verses in this discourse that are unique to Luke’s gospel; namely verses 34-36....
Keep ReadingIn recent days my notes have been a bit long. I will be attempting to be deliberately more brief moving forward. Today our focus is going to be on one story tucked in the center of this chapter – verses 11-19. ...
Keep ReadingThere are many occasions in the gospels when people ask Jesus a question. He usually responds with a very rich answer. However, there are occasions when Jesus answers a question with a question. Why does He do that?...
Keep Reading“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” ...
Keep ReadingThe Prodigal Father - I want us to recognize the unchanging, unlimited, unfading, love of God that we see in this parable. But in doing so, I want us to be careful not to project ourselves onto the father character in the story. The point of the story is that He is NOT like us. ...
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