John 3:22-36

“There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him (1:6-7).” 

“Therefore this joy of mine is now complete. He must increase, but I must decrease (29c-30).” 

I. Joy, rooted in Jesus, comes from seeing Him as your Savior!

“And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life (14-15).”  

“Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him (36).” 

II. Joy comes as Jesus sets us free from the need to prove ourselves.

“’I baptize with water, but among you stands one you do not know, even he who comes after me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.” 1:26-28

“The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, ‘Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks before me, because he was before me.’ I myself did not know him, but for this purpose I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel.’ And John bore witness: ‘I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. I myself did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God (1:29-34).” 

“The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples, and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, ‘Behold, the Lamb of God (1:35-36)!’” 

“The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still (Ex. 14:14).”

“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” To which Paul says, “Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong (I Cor. 12:9-10).”

III. The joy of salvation frees us to make much of Jesus! 

“For he whom God has sent utters the words of God, for he gives the Spirit without measure (34).”

Today, Adrianna Steele and Artez Henderson interview DC Member Adrianna Darnell about her experience as a woman in the United States Military.

Scripture: John 3:1-21

Main Idea: In love Christ gave his life so that we could have life in Him

1. Life in Christ begins with a renewed heart (vv.1-8)

Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” (John 3:3)

Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. [6] That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. (John 3:5-6)

Repentance is a discovery of the evil of sin, a mourning that we have committed it, a resolution to forsake it. It is, in fact, a change of mind of a very deep and practical character, which makes the man love what once he hated, and hate what once he loved. (Charles Spurgeon)

2. Life in Christ is accomplished by His Redemptive work  (vv.9-18)

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)

For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. (John 3:17)

3.  Life in Christ motivates us righteous living (vv.19-21)

[19] And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. [20] For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. [21] But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”

Today, Adrianna Steele, Artez Henderson and Jesse Harvey speak with DC Member Dr. Brook Laurent DO about women in medicine.

Jesus Clears the Temple Courts (John 2:13-25 NIV)

13 When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 In the temple courts he found people selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money. 15 So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple courts, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. 16 To those who sold doves he said, “Get these out of here! Stop turning my Father’s house into a market!” 17 His disciples remembered that it is written: “Zeal for your house will consume me.”[a]

18 The Jews then responded to him, “What sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?”

19 Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.”

20 They replied, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?” 21 But the temple he had spoken of was his body. 22 After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said. Then they believed the scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken.

23 Now while he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Festival,many people saw the signs he was performing and believed in his name.[b] 24 But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all people. 25 He did not need any testimony about mankind, for he knew what was in each person.

Main idea #1 – Give Jesus permission to both fill your table and overturn your table

“If Jesus Christ comes into your life, he will, on the one hand, sometimes fill your table with a feast and other times, he will turn your table over and spill everything on the ground.” – Tim Keller

“Destroy this temple and I will raise it“ John 2:19a NIV

"But the temple he had spoken of was his body” John 2:21 NIV

"The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us." John 1:14 NIV

Main idea #2 – The Jesus who disrupts our lives has not hidden who He is

In today's episode, Artez Henderson and Adrianna Steele discuss Memphis History through the eyes of DC members Carlton Weatherby and Sara Lockridge Steckel-Lord.

2 On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee.Jesus’ mother was there, 2 and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. 3 When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no more wine.”

4 “Woman,[a] why do you involve me?” Jesus replied. “My hourhas not yet come.”

5 His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”

6 Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons.[b]

7 Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water”; so they filled them to the brim.

8 Then he told them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.”

They did so, 9 and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside 10 and said, “Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now.”

11 What Jesus did here in Cana of Galilee was the first of the signs through which he revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.

12 After this he went down to Capernaum with his mother and brothers and his disciples. There they stayed for a few days.

In today's episode, Artez Henderson and Adrianna Steele discuss Memphis rich musical culture through DC band member members Cedric Keel & Charlton Johnson.

35 The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples, 36 and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” 37 The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. 38 Jesus turned and saw them following and said to them, “What are you seeking?” And they said to him, “Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are you staying?” 39 He said to them, “Come and you will see.” So they came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day, for it was about the tenth hour.[a] 40 One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus[b] was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. 41 He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means Christ). 42 He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon the son of John. You shall be called Cephas”(which means Peter).

43 The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.” 44 Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter.45 Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”46 Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” 47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!” 48 Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?” Jesus answered him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” 49 Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” 50 Jesus answered him, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” 51 And he said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you,[d] you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”

(John 1:35-51)

Main Idea: Jesus invites us to enjoy the abundant blessings of following Him.

1. The blessing of learning from Him vv.35-39

[38] “What are you seeking?” And they said to him, “Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are you staying?” [39] He said to them, “Come and you will see.”

2. The blessing of bringing others to Him vv.40-46

[40] One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. [41] He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means Christ). John 1:40-41

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[45] Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” [46] Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.”  John 1:45-46

“Take heart; you would not be seeking Me if I had not already found You.” Saint Augustine 

3. The blessing of witnessing His great works vv.47-51

In today's episode, Pastor Richard Rieves, SirGregory Thornton, and Adrianna Steele continue their discussion of Memphis History through the eyes of someone who lived it, DC member Donna Olds White.