What if the doorway to the kingdom opens not through striving, but through looking up? We walk with Nicodemus into a late-night conversation that reframes everything we thought about earning our way to God. Through vivid images of living water, the cleansing Word, and the wind of the Spirit, we unpack why rebirth is a gift only God can give—and how our part is to stop resisting and trust the One who gives it.

We start where many of us live: thirsty and trying harder. Jesus meets that thirst with himself, promising rivers of living water and revealing how Scripture’s cleansing flows through the Word made flesh. From the well of Samaria to the heart of Israel’s teacher, we connect the Old Testament promise to a New Testament reality: transformation is not self-improvement; it’s the Spirit’s work within. The conversation turns as we explore the shocking sign from Numbers 21: the bronze serpent lifted up in the wilderness. Jesus points to the cross as the true cure, becoming sin for us so that sin would lose its claim. Like heals like; the poison meets the antidote, and the bitten live.

Along the way we press into what “believe” really means in John: not mental nods, but commitment—placing our confidence in Christ because he placed himself on the cross for us. We reflect on salvation over condemnation, the Father’s love for the world, and the hope of a kingdom that looks like Jesus: healing, joy, peace, and life stronger than death. If you’ve been trying to fix yourself, or if faith feels abstract, this conversation brings it home with honesty, Scripture, and a clear path forward.

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Come On Up is the radio ministry of The Mountain Cross in Waynesville North Carolina. To learn more about us please visit: TheMountainCross.com.