Disciples of Jesus bring others to Jesus. We should want nothing more for the people close to us. But it can feel so intimidating or overwhelming to get them to Jesus. Leading people to Jesus can feel a lot more manageable when it happens one small step at a time. When you think of it like this, just about everything you do can move someone just a little closer to Jesus.

John's Gospel tells very personal stories of people who were changed when they met Jesus. These men and women came from very different backgrounds but were all changed in powerful ways when they met Jesus. Every disciple has uniquely encountered Jesus and been changed by Him. Every disciple has a story to tell.

Jesus has a special relationship with the family of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. He learns that Lazarus is sick. From Jesus' perspective, there's no reason to hurry or worry. But from the sisters' perspective, there is great reason for fear and grief. Each sister comes out to Jesus in their grief, and Jesus responds differently to each sister according to what He knows she needs. Their grief becomes an opportunity for them to encounter Jesus in a powerful way. This message teaches that overwhelming grief that finds comfort in Jesus changes a life forever.

Reflection questions:
When have you experienced sorrow and grief in your life?
How did God work to bring you closer to Him through that?

John's Gospel tells very personal stories of people who were changed when they met Jesus. These men and women came from very different backgrounds but were all changed in powerful ways when they met Jesus. This message is about a man who has been blind from birth. Jesus came into his life unexpectedly and is made the center of a debate about the curse of sin. Jesus heals the man. Jesus performs this miracle as a lesson about his power to overcome spiritual darknes--Jesus came into the world to bring light into the darkness and to bring sight to the (spiritually) blind. The theme of this message is anyone can turn from spiritual darkness to Jesus.

Reflection questions:
How have you experienced spiritual darkness apart from Jesus?
How did Jesus work to bring light to your darkness?

John's Gospel tells very personal stories of people who were changed when they met Jesus. These men and women came from very different backgrounds but were all changed in powerful ways when they met Jesus. Every disciple has a story to tell and this story talks about how this broken world had left this woman thirsty in more than one way. Her circumstances are almost certainly a result of the sin of others against her. Searching for security, identity, and love, she bounced from one broken relationship to another, always coming up empty. Jesus bipasses barriers of gender, race, and religion to tell this woman that He alone has what she's searching for. When her thirst is satisfied by Jesus, she tells others to come to find what they need in Him. The theme from this message and the testimony is an empty search for satisfaction that leads someone to Jesus changes a life forever.



Reflection questions:
What were you searching for before you encountered Jesus?
How has He satisfied that thirst?

John's Gospel tells very personal stories of people who were changed when they met Jesus. These men and women came from very different backgrounds but were all changed in powerful ways when they met Jesus. Nicodemus, a religious expert, becomes curious about Jesus. It is risky for him to pursue faith in Jesus, so he comes at night with questions. He is searching for truth and believes Jesus might be the source of it. While Nicodemus doesn't become a disciple at this point, John's Gospel indicates that he kept coming around Jesus and expressed loyalty in the end.

Reflection questions:
When did curiosity drive you to Jesus?
What did you discover about Him that caused you to believe?

John's Gospel tells very personal stories of people who were changed when they met Jesus. These men and women came from very different backgrounds but were all changed in powerful ways when they met Jesus. Every disciple has uniquely encountered Jesus and been changed by Him. Jesus responds to each disciple personally, giving them just what they need. Some were actively searching for the Messiah. For others, Jesus interrupted their lives unexpectedly. As soon as they were convinced about Jesus, people invited someone else to come meet Jesus too. This story introduces the series. The theme of the testimony is that meeting Jesus and choosing to follow Him changes a life forever.

Reflection questions:
When did you first come face to face with Jesus?
What happened to cause you to believe in and follow Him?

We spend more time working (or at-home parenting, in retirement, etc.) than doing any other single thing. It is essential to see this not as separate from our faith, but a critical part of it. In this passage, Paul urges master and slave, boss and employee, to honor Jesus in their roles. This requires humble, selfless sacfrifice that always puts the other first.

Reflection questions:
1.) How should your commitment to Jesus change the way you work?
2.) Who is in a position to see Jesus through you at work?

Fathers should lead toward Jesus in a way that looks like Jesus.

The best marriages will be a picture of the love between Jesus and His church.

Jesus has already won this battle. So, we fight from victory rather than for it. Even though the battle is won, Satan is going to do as much damage as he can with the little time he has left. It is so important for Christians to understand that we should keep fighting for our own freedom, for salvation for others, and for the eternal joy of heaven that awaits.