David became a larger than life hero in Scripture and cultural icon, but that wasn’t always the case.  His story begins in small spaces with an anointing from the Lord, and teaches us important lessons about the anointing that Christ promised us as well.

(I Sam 16:1-13, I Sam 8:5, I Sam 9:2, I Cor 11:1, Prov 24:16, James 4:10, Matt 7:21-23, Gal 5:22-23, John 16:7, I Cor 6:19, Rom 8:11, Eph 1:13)

God knew that we would be unable to save ourselves, and gave us a new path back to Him.  When we embrace Christ, we are freed from managing our own righteousness.

(Jn 14:1-7, Jn 10:6, Jn 10:9, Is 53:6, Rom 3:10, Rom 5:6, Is 7:14, Is 9:6, Micah 5:2, Eph 2:8-9, 2 Tim 1:9, 2 Cor 5:21, Acts 9:1-2, Acts 19:9, Jn 14:8-9)

How do we know when we are abiding in Christ? John 15 beckons us to look at our fruit to understand if we are truly dependent on our creator.

John 15:1-11

Our future glory gives us hope, but does not erase our current pain.  How, as followers of Jesus, do we live with grief and joy at the same time?

(Jn 11:17-44, I Cor 15:14, Jn 14:3, I Jn 4:8, Prov 6:16, Ex 20:5, Zeph 3:17, Gen 6:6, Ps 135:14, Ps 2:4, Heb 4:15, Phil 2:5-11)

When we see others as sheep that are entrusted to us by the Great Shepherd, we align ourselves with the heart of God.  When we see people only as resources, we are no longer seeing with shepherd eyes.

(John 10:11-15, Ps 100:3, Is 53:6, Jer 3:15, Psalm 23:1-4, Jn 15:12-13, I Peter 5:2-4, Ezekiel 34:1-12, Matt 22:36-40, Matt 20:28, Prov 27:6, Matt 9:36-38, Jn 21:15-18)

Matthew 11:28-30

John 15:5-8

Jesus has come as light into the world so that people will not live in darkness. We, then, reflect that light to others.

John 8:12, 9:5, 12:46

This “I AM” statement follows after the miraculous feeding of the 5000 in early John 6.  Jesus knows that stomachs are driving the crowds more than their hearts.  We can connect the manna given to the Israelites in Exodus 16 (as Jesus does in John 6:48).  Even with miracles in our eyes, we can still miss the point.  Our souls have a hunger that resembles our stomach’s, which makes the visceral experience of communion that much more powerful of an image.

John 6:35, 48 / Exodus 16:4

John the Baptist gives us a great primer on the Christian life. To learn who we are, we must learn who we’re not. We aren’t the Messiah, even though we’re often great at pretending we are.

(John 1:19-27, Jn 3:30, Zech 9:9, Jn 12:14, Mal 4:5-6, Deut 18:15, Matt 11:9-11, Is 40:3, Matt 23:4, Matt 16:25, Mark 1:4, Acts 13:24, Eph 4:29, James 3:8, Col 3:17, Rom 12:1)

All authority belongs to Jesus, who then turns around and gives authority to us. What are we supposed to do with this calling on our lives? What does it mean to live as a commissioned follower of Jesus? (Matt 28:16-20, Acts 1:8, Rom 12:1, Jn 13:35, Gal 3:27)