John 9 – Jesus heals a man born-blind. This man's blindness comes from birth–from sin, but not a particular sin of his parents or himself–but sin, in the eternal sense. It is the blindness that each person has of the selfish will. This is the sin-blindness that Jesus heals. By removing his physical blindness, Jesus directs the man's gaze to the "Light of the World" (John 8). Even so, the healed man still has a choice: to go about accepting the gift and denying the giver, or living honestly out of his healing–crediting the healer who did what he could never do. What follows is a breathtaking example of the "Right Stuff" of the Christian: simple, honest living that does not deny our healing by Jesus, even in the face of social pressure, religious bullying, dejection by family, or when faced with being ostracized from society.

John 8 - Jesus goes to task with the Pharisees, perhaps more harshly than we've ever seen in the book of John so far. Why? Because they believe the most insidious lie of all–that they are worshipping God, Jesus's own Father–when they are in fact worshipping themselves. Jesus seeks to de-center them through truth and grace. A freeing grace that will expose the lies they belief for what they are. They are offended, because the self-lie wants anything but to be exposed. But Jesus will only live at the center of life. He cannot be put on the margins, or he does not exist in the soul at all. He only exists at the Center of the Christian. There is his power, when we are in total need of him. In verses 31-21 Jesus gives four designs for this kind of Jesus-centered living: (1) Making a home in belief in Jesus. (2) Making a home in the Word (Jesus and the Scriptures). (3) Making a home in Discipleship (from others and to others), and (4) Making a home in Grace.

John 7 – In John 7 we witness clamor, confusion and caution surrounding Jesus' person and his claims of divinity. For some, these doubts come from a place of unbelief, for others, a place of belief. Today's teaching will unpack doubt for the Christian: how it is treated in the church, its essential nature as inquiry, its necessary role in Christian formation, and its power for catastrophe if not treated with responsibility.

Revelation 21:1-8 – A great deal of focus is given to the lake of fire and judgement of the lost in Revelation. So much so, that the word "apocalypse" carries with it an image of the end of death and return to beauty, truth, and joy. But the end of the earth and all humanity. John's vision, his Revelation, is not focused nearly so much on this vengeance though, as it is on the worship of the God who is making all things new. Today we challenge our presuppositions of heaven. We ask: how does the image of Heaven, a state of being with no more tears, no more death, change how we live today? Do we spend our lives packing our bags for Heaven as the ultimate escape plan? Do we fear change, and eat up all of the pleasures of now before it all ends? Both actually, are too focused on the self. John, as Jesus taught, sees that a proper understanding of Heaven means we must participate on the creation of Heaven on Earth now, in all of it's imperfections, until Christ returns.

Christmas Eve was structured to include two short teachings, one beginning the liturgy, focused on Genesis 3, which shows the state of mankind as a result of the fall, and looks forward to the meeting of the offspring of Eve (us) meeting the offspring of Mary (Jesus Christ)–the second, Luke 2, which is Luke's telling of the birth of Jesus. Jon connects these two passages, to share the meaning of Christmas, and celebrate the utter mystery of Jesus's birth, in it's awe-inspiring vulnerability, and it's emphatic comfort to us to embrace our own vulnerabilities in the name of Jesus.

Isaiah 9:1-7 - Michael Miller preaches on the Name Isaiah prophesies for the coming messiah for Israel. That he will be a "prince of peace". Biblical peace is primarily a term used for "right relationship", for a peace between. Peace was not possible for Israel though, until one unlikely King, Jesus of Nazareth, would heal our fractured relationship with God himself, by representing us, and being our substitute, to ransom us and redeem our place in relationship with the Father, through his redeeming love.

Isaiah 9:1-7 – The Messiah Isaiah foresaw is going to be a wonderful ruler, full of wisdom, and a mighty warrior king, capable of protecting his people and ensuring military victory, but he also prophesied that he would be an everlasting father. The term father demonstrates not just an emphasis of parts of these previous descriptions, but something new that neither of them hold: it is description of an intimate relationship to a son or a daughter. Today we'll explore how this relationship is evidenced in God's relationship to Jesus, and continued in Jesus' relationship to his church. We are adopted orphans into his peaceful family. This has enormous implications for the way we practice our faith and relate to God in worship, prayer and life.

Isaiah 9:1-7 – A Mighty God could be comforting, or terrifying, depending on your relationship with God. For Isaiah, the prophecy that the Messiah would be a truly Mighty God is worth exploring. We have few worldly evidences of might that are exemplary. Often our "mighty" fall. But unlike King Ahaz (a terrible King) in Isaiah's time, or Herod in Jesus' time, Jesus would bring a new kind of might. A true might, restorative, life giving might. And at Jesus' death on the cross, he would show even the mighty Caesar (the leader of the 'civilized' world), that His might was radically different, and infinitely more significant. It would not bring the Pax Romana (the peace for Rome), but the peace for all humankind.

Isaiah 9:1-7 – We're beginning a series where we will explore the meaning of Advent. The Hebrew Messiah was given four descriptive names by the prophet Isaiah: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. A Wonderful Counselor, in Hebrew terms, was a "Wise Governor", a ruler who would bring justice and flourishing to his nation. Yet when Jesus came, he did not restore a nation, but was denied by the people he came to save and died at the hands of its oppressors. Yet, he was the Messiah. Knowing this, we can learn much about Jesus's concept of "Wise Governance".

John 6:1-71 – Four major elements comprise John's complex message in chapter 6. First, the feeding of a massive crowd, followed by a strange lonely boat ride by the disciples where Jesus surprises by showing up walking on water, followed by an argument in the synagogue by the crowd would had been fed earlier in which Jesus throws down with the message, "You must eat my flesh and drink my blood" and lastly, by a thinning of Jesus' followers. What is John's message in this complex illustration that Jesus is "The Bread of Life"? Pastor Jon will show how Jesus confronts, seeks to convert or transform us, and ultimately consoles us in this profound call from Christ.