John 11: 25, 26

Feb 4, 2024

Today we will continue this semesters series Questions Jesus Asked which is part of this years theme, Dwelling in Christ. We are discovering that depending upon the person, Jesuss questions were thought to be provocative, restorative, challenging or comforting; however, they were always transformative.

As Jesus continues His quest to teach and display the Kingdom of God, Luke 8 reveals that the Jesus Way is filled with a movement that is breaking down ungodly barriers with a message that is welcoming and motivated by love.

In the midst of overwhelming need and opportunity in our world, we can often feel totally inadequate to offer any response.

As Jesus stood before a crowd well in excess of 5000, He asked His disciples to feed them. When all they could see was the human impossibility of the task, Jesus simply asked, How many loaves do you have? (Mark 6:38)

This question comes to us today as Gods invitation to get involved in addressing the overwhelming need all around us without getting overwhelmed ourselves.

Today we will hear from all ages of our congregation helping us celebrate the coming of the Christ Child. It is no coincidence that as we move through the series of themes for season of Advent, today we are lighting the candle of Joy. Our prayer is that today you will experience his Joy through not just watching but joining in the celebration.

1. Gods Vision for Peace Genesis 1

2. The Mess Weve Made Isaiah 1:2-4

3. God Restores Peace Isaiah 9:6, Isaiah 61:1-3

Galatians 5:1-15

We will continue the series "Dwelling in Freedom" as we draw from Pauls letter to the Galatians.

1. A Threat Or An Opportunity?

- At the end of Genesis, we encounter a Pharaoh who sees a great opportunity in Joseph. (Genesis 41:37-40)

- At the beginning of Exodus, we find a quite different response to strangers: a new Pharaoh grounded in fear. (Exodus 1:8-11)

2. Thinking Biblically About Immigration

God also has specific instructions for His people about how to treat strangers. 3⁄4 Exodus 23:9

- Leviticus 19:33-34

Lessons from the passage Hebrews 11:8-16 - Pilgrims and Strangers

- Their confidence

- Their witness

- Their quest or mission

- Their discernment

3. Implication

The Bible insists on an indissoluble link between ethics and mission. In Genesis 18:18-19, how we live makes a difference to the success of our mission and evangelism.

- Mathew 28

In our summer series, we are looking at the life of David. In 1 Samuel 24, two men are in a dark cavernous cave, but one exits broken and the other victorious. One with honour even more firmly intact and the other in humiliation. The cave at Engedi was one of the main litmus tests of character for David and Saul.

Our character is built by our response to lifes trials, hurts, hopes, dreams. Our responses are based on how we seek to meet three of our basic needs: security, significance, and acceptance. Where and when do we look to God to meet these needs? Where and when do we look to the world and our flesh to instead meet those needs?