Thanksgiving is upon us so we wanted to take time to consider a few of the countless reasons why we should be thankful as Christians. We will turn to Ephesians 1:3-14, the longest sentence in the Bible, where Paul erupts in praise over the saving work of our Triune God. As we consider these theologically rich verses let your hearts rejoice over the lavish grace you have been shown in Jesus.

Who do you believe Jesus to be? The way we answer this question impacts everything else that we believe. Throughout our study of the Gospel of John we have focused on the importance of belief in Jesus, and in John 5 we have we have the chance to hear from Jesus directly as He declares who He is. While many prefer to think of Jesus as a good teacher or religious leader, the claims of Jesus are clear: He declares Himself to be God in flesh. If we believe anything less, we are calling Him a liar or a lunatic.

While many of us love Jesus deeply and know our responsibilities we are hesitant to share the Gospel with others. The Samaritan woman provides a great example of someone who met Jesus, was in awe of Him and could not keep silent. Also, in passage Jesus helps us to see the spiritual realties behind His interactions and calls us to see the world through spiritual eyes.

Peter tells us that Jesus’ willingness to suffer and entrust himself to God sets us an example. We need to apply it to ourselves. Christ who lived a perfect life and suffered and died for us, what makes us think that we’re better than Jesus that we don’t need to suffer. Sometimes it is God's will that we suffer for doing what is right. This is not an easy thing to hear. We need help with this. We need understanding and we need encouragement and hope, if God is going to will that we suffer for doing what is right.

In John 3 we read that God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. The story of the Woman at the Well serves as a great illustration of this truth. In this story we see the lengths that Jesus will go in order to offer salvation. The story of the Woman at the Well should remind us that a great salvation has been offered to great sinners by a great Savior.

Last week we considered possibly the greatest declaration of the offer of salvation in all of Scripture. God, because of His great love, sent His Son to make salvation possible. Now, as we pick up following this great promise, we have the clear reminder that everyone must respond to Jesus. And to not accept the salvation that Jesus offers is to come under condemnation (judgment).

Something that we all have in common is that every one of us has a birth story. Now, some may know a lot about the events around their birth, and others may not know much at all, but everyone of us has a story. We were all born. Without birth we do not have life. Without birth we do not exist. In John 3 we have the chance to hear about the spiritual equivalent to our physical birth