Today is Tuesday 18th June, and we are continuing our journey through the Book of John, focusing this week on the topic of ‘Truth and Lies.’ Our Bible passage is John 8: 48-59.

REFLECTION:

Bic – the company that manufactures ballpoint pens – was established in 1950. Since then it has sold more than 100 billion pens worldwide, which works out as 57 pens being sold every second. That is enough pens to stretch from the earth to the moon 40 times.

In 2012 the company decided they needed a new product, so they brought out “Bic – For Her.” The outside of the pen was decorated with pink and purple floral patterns, and the adverts described it as being “designed to fit comfortably in a woman’s hand.” Users were promised that this was a “beautifully smooth ball pen designed specifically for women.”

The internet went crazy. Men and women from across the world voiced their offence at the need for ‘a pen for women.’

This marketing nightmare for Bic highlights that we have become a society obsessed with – or perhaps even terrified by – the thought that our words or actions might offend someone. This fear meant that somebody, somewhere, thought that a pink flowery pen would be just the thing to stop women feeling marginalised or ignored in the world of ballpoint pens, as obviously up until this point, they may have felt excluded, discriminated against, or even offended by only having the choice of blue or black biros!!

The fear of causing offence has not only permeated the world, but has also penetrated the church, and is now causing many Christians to feel paralysed about speaking openly about their faith in Jesus. We don’t want to risk offending anyone.

How can the Bible passage for today help us, as we seek to speak the truth about Jesus?

Firstly, we need to remember that Jesus offended people.

Ultimately, people found his claims to be the Messiah so offensive, that they crucified him. We see the forerunner to this in today’s passage. In verse 58, Jesus says he is “I am” – the Old Testament name that God gave himself. Upon hearing this, the Pharisees instantly picked up stones to throw at Jesus.

However, Jesus doesn’t just offend others with statements about himself and who he is; he also offended people as he questioned their own actions and thoughts. In John chapter 8, we see the Pharisees becoming increasingly offended as Jesus challenges their belief that a person’s godliness is based upon lineage – being born into a Jewish family – rather than being a disciple of Christ and listening to and following his Word.

Jesus’ words continue to offend today – they offend our obsession with money, our attitude to those in authority, the way we conduct our relationships with other people, they offend our emotions, our desires and even our wordly fears.

Whenever we look at Jesus, and the things he says and does, we then need to look back at ourselves, and so from today’s passage I’d like to highlight two things that spoke to me, as I was thinking about our fear of causing offence.

The first was verse 55 which says, “If I were to say that I do not know him, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and I keep his word.”

This verse is challenging because I think that many times we shy away from saying “Yes, I know Jesus, he is my Saviour, and I believe the things that he said in the Bible are true.”

Sometimes it feels that if you say you are a Christian, then you’ll be labelled as judgemental, bigoted or out of touch with modern society. We know that most people are fine about Baby Jesus in the crib at Christmas, but we think people will be offended if we talk about the Crucified Jesus on the Cross at Easter. And so, worried that people will be offended by the truth that we speak, we stay silent instead.

Then God drew my attention to verse 50, where Jesus says, “I am not seeking glory for myself”.

When we don’t speak up for Jesus,

Welcome to the STC Sheffield podcast. My name is Helen, and it is lovely to be able to continue our journey through the book of John with you; and especially nice to be following on from my husband Alan. I hope that you can cope with 2 weeks of the Wards!

Over the course of the next 5 days our theme is going to be ‘Truth and Lies.’

REFLECTION:

Today our Bible reading is John Chapter 8 vs31-47, and we are going to be looking at 2 particular verses. I’m reading them from the ESV translation.

The first is verse 31:

“So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, ‘If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

The second is verse 44, in which Jesus describes the Devil by saying, “He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”

In these two verses, our theme for the week is exemplified: Truth and Lies.

However, this is far more than a theme for the week……this is actually a summary of Jesus’ entire life and ministry, it is central to the good news of Christ.

Firstly, on the truth side, we have Jesus. Not just on the side of truth, but the Truth himself.

In the book of John, perhaps more than any other Gospel, we see Jesus presented in this way. Jesus repeatedly explains and describes his purpose and his calling as one of speaking and revealing truth. Flick through the chapters of John and you’ll see just how many times Jesus starts to speak using the phrase ‘Truly, truly’ or ‘Very truly I tell you.’ And in Chapter 14, we read Jesus’ powerful declaration: “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No-one comes to the Father except through me.”

Standing against this, on the lies side, the Devil really does not come across that well. A murderer from the beginning and the father of lies – not really the type of person I would choose to hang around with. But it’s so easy to…..so tempting to……why is that?

Why do we find ourselves listening to the father of lies, when we know that the truth that we find in Jesus will lead us to a place of freedom?

Truth and freedom sound so much better. They are so much better.

And yet, so many of us still live under the shadow of the father of lies. Why?

The answer comes in two parts.

Firstly, it’s because that is where the Devil wants us to stay.

His whole strategy, his plan of attack, is based on lies, and how he can keep individuals enslaved to them, caught in a web of deceit, and blinded to the fact that there could be a different reality, or an alternative way to live, to feel and to be. Cunning as a serpent, the Devil knows that the best lies are those that sound like, and stay close to, the truth. And he is so good at it, because he’s been doing it right from the beginning, in the Garden of Eden. However subtle his lies, they are still deadly – the father of lies is a murderer because he robs people of the life that God intended for them to live.

The second reason why it is hard to overcome the lies of the Devil is because this means we have to face the truth.

We need to admit that we are a slave to sin. We need to be honest about the times we have acted in our own selfish interests, and not put God first; we have to confess those thoughts or beliefs that reflect our worldly desires or insecurities, and not the attitudes and ideals that we see in the life of Jesus. We need to stop living and acting in a way that affirms the lie that happiness and peace are only found when we have a beautiful house, a loving partner, and we fit into a size 8 dress.

Facing the truth can be painful, it can be hard work, and it can make us feel incredibly vulnerable, but ultimately facing the truth leads to freedom.

However,

Good morning and welcome to Friday’s podcast. If you have made it this far, well done! Next week I will be handing on the baton to Helen, so I am sure that another great week of podcasts lies in store.

REFLECTION:

Today we continue with Jesus teaching in the temple courts. Today the Pharisees are trying to catch him out, bringing him a woman caught in adultery. The reading is John 8:1-30 but I am going to focus on v 7, 10 and 11.

Now this is a deadly serious matter. If you were caught in adultery the Old Testament law (the Law given to Moses) stated clearly that the couple should be taken outside the camp and be stoned to death. Here are the Jewish leaders bringing the woman to Jesus for judgement. The Roman occupying army took a dim view of the locals putting anyone to death (that’s why Jesus is taken to Pilate). So will Jesus uphold the law of Moses and come into conflict with Rome, or will he side with Rome and let her go?

Here’s what Jesus says in verse 7,

“Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.”

Does Jesus side with Rome or Moses? Neither! He doesn’t say that sex outside of marriage is OK, but neither does he demand that she pay the penalty for her sin.

He says to the crowd, you want to judge her, first judge yourself! If you have always got it right… go ahead. Put her to death. If not, drop your stones and walk away!

So how about us? Do we ever point the finger? Do we ever accuse others? Are we quick to report others failings, when we ourselves have reason to hide?

Jesus says in Luke 6: 37,

“Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.”

Jesus is big on this not judging others thing. I wonder when we last stumbled down this particular rabbit hole?

You see, we are all expert judges. We operate in a world where there are rules and if people break the rules people need to be punished. Its how the world works and its how we are wired. But when Jesus died on the cross he took all the punishment that is due… all of it… every last tiny weenie drop of punishment that the biggest, baddest, nastiest person deserves, upon himself… and was punished for the lot. He didn’t drop anything, there weren’t one or two things that slipped off of his shoulders. He took EVERYTHING. I think I’ve made my point! As one author writes, “in Christ we are unpunishable” (Danny Silk, Culture of honour). No, it’s not fair… it’s grace.

We live in a culture that LOVES a scandal. We watch the news and we pass judgment, we spend a happy hour scrolling through social media and there will be a headline, there will be an outcry, a comment, a post… and we judge. We all do it, we have grown up in a world which has encouraged us to hone our judgment skills, sharpen our knives, we are ready to judge, ready to condemn… I know I do this… how about you?

How about that colleague at work? He’s a bit rubbish! He doesn’t measure up… That person is really unpleasant… a nasty piece of work! They drink a lot. There they go again, messing up another relationship. That’s no way to talk to a child… they look funny, they’re not very clever, I wouldn’t do it like that …

It goes on, and on and on. We make little judgments, we reject people – but we are ever so nice about it… we would never say anything… we would never be rude. We will just keep our distance, we don’t want to be around people like that. We won’t talk to them… not in a bad way… we just won’t include them.

It’s not very loving is it? It’s not the picture of the kingdom of God that Jesus paints.

Jesus says if we judge… we get judged. If we accuse… we stand accused. But if we forgive we are forgiven; if we extend grace we will receive grace.

We simply need to love! It’s grace, not accusation, that leads to repentance. It’s truth,

Good morning and welcome to Thursday’s podcast. I do hope that you have been able to stay warm and dry over the course of this week.

REFLECTION:

Today we tackle the second half of John chapter 7… verses 35-53. Today I am going to focus on v37-38.

On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink.  Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.”

So, here is the question I want to wrestle with today, “what do you desire?” What are your core motivations, what drives you to do the things that you do?

We long for belonging? To be accepted? To be known and loved?

We long to be free? To be in control, to choose, to make up our own minds?

We long to feel safe? To no longer be afraid? To know comfort from the chaos and the pain?

We long for justice? For wrongs to be put right, for life to be fair and equal?

We long to be significant? To make our mark, to leave a legacy, to make a difference?

So what do you desire? What is your heart longing, what is your deepest need?

Jesus said “let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink.”

“Thirst” here is to desire, to long for, to be aware of lack. If we’ve not had a drink for a few hours we know about it… we feel thirsty.

In the same way if our internal desires are not met they can begin to shout for attention, they can demand action and fulfilment.

How does this work? How does this play out?

Well let’s take a basic human desire – to be loved and accepted. What happens when we have a bad day at work, we’ve upset a colleague, or incurred the wrath of the boss, or feel that we have let someone down? Our basic desire is not met, we feel hurt, we look for ways to satisfy that deficit. We look for ways to fill that gaping hole. So we seek comfort? We might search out good friends? We might withdraw, pull up the drawbridge to protect ourselves from further hurt. We might open the fridge and eat, have a drink or access porn. We might go shopping and buy something shiny and new. But it’s only a quick fix and depending on the quick fix it might be followed by guilt and shame…

Or what about our need to feel safe and secure? If we experience fear financially, relationally, or from people in power what do we do? Do we seek financial gain to guard against an uncertain future? Do we dominate those around us to ensure we are in control and so cannot be harmed? Do we build emotional walls around our hearts to prevent others getting close to us?

Or have we been made to feel worthless and insignificant and as a result become driven, determined to prove others wrong and win at life?

Jesus said,

“Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.”

We all have needs and unmet desires. Jesus invites all of us to come to him and drink. And if we come to him, he will satisfy our deepest longings and desires.

It’s not that these desires disappear so we don’t want safety and security any more. It is that they are satisfied and our thirst is quenched, but rather our safety and security is no longer found in stuff… it’s found in Jesus.

How do we do that?

Well, Jesus says “whoever believes in me” – whoever believes in Jesus, who places their confidence in him. Whoever trusts him… has faith in him… not only will our thirst be quenched but streams of living water will flow from within us…

This isn’t just some intellectual exercise, although filling our heads and our hearts with the promises of God is part of the process, it is a real, genuine, life changing encounter with the promised Holy Spirit.

Have you ever been caught up in wonder, have you ever experienced God’s presence and tears have welled up in your eyes?

Hi and welcome to Wednesday’s podcast. My name is Alan and today it is my great pleasure to be trekking with you through the middle chapters of John’s gospel. Our hope at STC is that the podcasts together with the Grow project will help us to centre our whole lives on Jesus throughout the week.

REFLECTION:

Today’s reading is from John 7:14-34. Today’s focus verses are 16 and 17.

Jesus answered, “My teaching is not my own. It comes from the one who sent me.  Anyone who chooses to do the will of God will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own.

Today I want to ask the question, “who do you listen to, who do you trust?”

We live in a world of Fake News. Donald Trump tweets his version of the truth scores and scores of times a day. And he lambasts any journalists who speaks counter to his version of the ‘facts’, accusing them of spreading fake news. Boris Johnson, a Tory leadership contender, until recently, was faced with a civil action over his false claims made whilst campaigning for Brexit. The internet is awash with opinions and comment. It is easy to get lost not knowing what or who to believe.

So who do we listen to? Who do you trust to tell you the truth?

For the news or current affairs do we turn to the BBC, Sky, Channel 4, The Sun, The Times, Laura Kuenssberg or John Snow?

Or how about parenting, whose advice do we follow? Gina Ford, Annabell Karnell or Super Nanny Jo Ford?

In the Alpha Film Series videos… when we want to talk about science and religion, on the screen is an eminent scientist, because he’s studied… he’s studied an awful lot… his opinion holds weight. When we talk about life transformation, on the screen is an ex-prisoner who knew a thing or two about turning from darkness to light. He’s the expert, his story proves what we are trying to say.

This was also the case in Jesus’ day. Rabbis would quote the great Rabbis and so this would lend weight and authority to their words.

But…

Jesus quoted… no-one… Not a single reference to a scholar or a teacher of the law… Not one.

Who on earth does he think he is?

Jesus answered, “My teaching is not my own. It comes from the one who sent me.

This Jesus is expressing his opinion and claiming that his teaching is from God! And the leaders weren’t convinced by the miracles, the healings, the signs and wonders, they were not enough. So Jesus prove it! Prove that your words are from God.

To which he replied,

Anyone who chooses to do the will of God will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own.

That was the challenge to the Jewish elite, it was the challenge to the rank and file Jews and it is the challenge to us today. Do we want to know God? Then it’s simple: live out Jesus’ teaching. We want to know what God’s will is for us? Then we simply have to put Jesus’ words into practice.

You see, this is what it means to be a disciple… it’s what it meant to be a disciple 2000 years ago and it is what it means to be a disciple today. As an apprentice we learn from Jesus and we follow his example, we trust his words… by carrying out his instructions.

To add weight to my argument I will quote Mahatma Gandhi! He said, “If Christians would really live according to the teaching of Christ, as found in the Bible, all of India would be Christian today.”

If we Christians would really live according to the teaching of Christ, as found in the Bible, all of England would be Christian today. But it will mean that the way we live our lives might change dramatically. Are we all in?

So, two little question for us to ponder today: Which words of Jesus are we consciously trying to put into practice? Which part of the sermon on the mount or which Parable? Let’s name it, let’s ask others to pray and to hold us to account…

And question 2.

Who do we quote to those around us?

Good morning and welcome to another day’s podcast. I hope you survived Monday and are feeling fresh for the day ahead.

REFLECTION:

Today’s reading is John 6:60-7:13. I am going to focus on v 63-64

“The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit and life. Yet there are some of you who do not believe.”

Yesterday we looked at two words – flesh and blood – and we talked about how we are transformed by consuming Jesus, the living word of God, and God’s grace.

I don’t know about you but I am a work in progress. I read my Bible and pray and I try to live a life consistent with what God is speaking to me about – I try to consume him and I believe that Jesus died for me and through his death I have direct access to God – I have an understanding of God’s grace. And yet…

Last night I was tired. I was cooking and it wasn’t going according to plan. I was stressed and tired and I snapped at my wife and my daughter. Not their fault, entirely mine.

And then last week I had a moment in ministry when I experienced a big, personal win, I smashed it out of the park. But deep inside I thought “this is too good to be true” and I was waiting, expecting, almost demanding for the moment that proved that it was a one off, that it was an accident and that I am not worthy to be used by God in that way. In my head I know it’s all about Jesus and his grace and not at all dependent on me but in my heart I can get all mixed up and believe that I’m not good enough and this shouldn’t be happening to me.

Why?

Why do I do the things that I do?

I didn’t sit in the kitchen and decide to be snappy with Helen and Faith. Something in me reacted to the circumstances that I found myself in. I went against my belief about how I should act and react and operated on instinct, autopilot… it was a glimpse of my subconscious erupting to the surface.

I firmly believe that Jesus wants to transform us as the song goes… “from the inside out”

Jesus said, “The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit and life. Yet there are some of you who do not believe.”

And Paul wrote in Romans 8, Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.

Two passages about the Spirit and the flesh…

‘The flesh’ is short hand for our desires and our pre-programmed responses… ‘The flesh’ is doing what I want, when I want, how I want… it’s all about me. It’s the toddler in me that sees a toy across the room and pushes everyone and everything out of the way to get it … It’s mine, I want it.

And, ‘the flesh’ is our pre-programmed, automatic response to what is going on around us. If you have learnt to drive you will know that shift from having to consciously remember to do everything while learning, to that moment when we arrive at our destination not quite sure how we got there because driving has become an automatic response to the world around us. Our flesh has been programmed to the extent that we don’t need to think, we just do it automatically.

The flesh, our desires and our pre-programming, can dictate our actions.

Or we can choose to be led by the spirit.

The truth is that all of us sit somewhere in between. So… today, will our flesh, or the spirit be in the driving seat of our lives?

“The spirit gives life… the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit and life.”

Do we trust our feelings or do we trust the words of Jesus? Or are we on autopilot feeling like we cannot change? Do we do just what we feel like doing, or do we trust that Jesus has the very best for us… Do we see what we want and chase after it with all we have ...

Hello and welcome to Monday’s podcast. My name is Alan, I am on the staff team here at STC and it is my pleasure to take on from Mick, this next stage of the journey through John’s gospel.

REFLECTION:

Today’s reading is from John 6:25-59. I am going to focus on v 53,

Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.”

Sometimes I hate the Bible! Well maybe not ‘hate,’ it’s maybe too strong a word, but the Bible gets under my skin, it upsets me, it causes me stress and discomfort. I don’t know if it is the same for you?

You see, I have a good thing going on. I have a wonderful wife, great kids, a nice home and I’ve got a great job at a great church… all is ticking along nicely, I’m doing ok… and then I go and pick up the Bible and it upsets my flow. I am brought face to face with Jesus. He loves me… oh how he loves me… I know that there’s nothing I can do to earn that love of his. It’s unconditional and enduring. But Jesus has no desire to affirm my brokenness and dysfunction. He wants me to grow, he wants me to mature, he wants me to be the ‘me’ that I was created to be. He wants me to forgive, to keep short accounts, he want me to respond to hurt with love, he wants to change the way I think, what I believe about myself and others, he wants me to be generous and hospitable, to go the extra mile. So when I pick up the Bible I am aware of the gap… The yawning chasm between the life I have now, and the overflowing, abundant, beautiful and vibrant life that Jesus is ever so slowly fashioning in me.

Jesus said… “very truly…” meaning ‘listen up, what comes next is really important’ or ‘get your pens out and write this down.’

“I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.”

So, I hear you say, this is about taking communion right!? This is about the Eucharist, the last supper. When we go to the front of church, get a small square of fresh bread if we are lucky and a sip of strange tasting wine and we get Jesus’ life in us. Job done… move on!

Well… er… not entirely. Don’t get me wrong, the sacraments… baptism, communion and other church traditions are important and have their basis in the Bible but they can all too easily descend into empty religious practices – see years of decline in the church as proof there must be a little more to it!

So if it’s not just about eating bread at the front of church, and we are to eat or devour the flesh of Jesus… how do we do that? How do we consume him?

At the start of John’s gospel he writes, ‘the word became flesh and dwelt among us.’ Elsewhere it’s written, ‘man shall not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’

We eat Jesus’ flesh by consuming the word of God… by picking up our Bibles – the written word, discovering Jesus through its pages – the living word, and eating our fill.

So we read the Bible!?

Well, there is a saying, ‘you are what you eat.’ (If that’s the case, I am curry with rice from somewhere exotic like Vietnam or Thailand and quite spicy!) Somehow, the good stuff from the food that we have eaten since we were tiny babies has been absorbed by our bodies and become bones, organs, muscles and flesh.

But if we simply eat and eat and eat and never move, our muscles don’t develop, we remain weak and will inevitably get fat. If we don’t use our bodies the food we consume, the potential we have, goes to waste.

This was brought home to me when my daughter was little. Her sight is not great but I learnt that our human eyes continue to develop for 6 or 7 years after we are born. There were things we could do to help develop what little sight she was born with. As we use our bodies they grow and develop, they become strong and fit for purpose… our eyes, our muscles, our brains and nervous system… All develop through ...

Hi everyone, it’s Mick here and welcome to Friday’s Podcast. Yes, it’s Friday the weekend beckons and the working week is nearly finished for many. That is, unless you have small children, when unfortunately the working week is never behind you. If you do have small children, let me encourage you today that you are doing a great job, and one day (probably when they are 30) your children will look back and so appreciate it! The nurture of children is a Godly calling! A quick hello at this point to our five grandchildren – Josiah, Anabelle, Abigail, Nathaniel and Ivy … lots of love from Granny and Grandad!

REFLECTION:

All this week we have been considering ‘conversations’ Jesus had with those around him, looking at the truths expressed and reflecting on how we can put those life truths into practice. Today’s Bible reading is John 6:1-24 and our focus memory verse today is v20 – hear this amazing statement from Jesus speaking to his anxious friends: ‘It is I, don’t be afraid.’

There are two famous stories in today’s passage – firstly, Jesus feeding the 5000 and then Jesus walking on water. Both stories contain two challenging conversations Jesus has with his disciples.

Story one: Jesus feeds 5000 people – we’re actually told it’s 5000 men as they only counted men in those days; that’s why Jesus’ inclusion of women in his ministry was so radical! Some scholars believe that the total number fed including women and children was nearer 14,000. That’s a lot of bread and fish! Jesus has this short and to the point conversation with his disciples about how these people are going to be fed – they didn’t know, so Jesus steps in and feeds the hungry people.

Two truths here – first, Jesus knows exactly what he’s doing even if his disciples obviously don’t! That should be a great encouragement to all of us today. Trust Jesus, he knows what he’s doing!

Second, every day make it your aim to be generous – not just in what you have or what you do but in who you are. You can never out-give God!

Second story: this begins at v16. Jesus leaves his disciples to get space to pray – they row across the lake planning to meet him on the other side. A storm blows up and they are frightened – in fact the word used in v19 to described ‘frightened’ gives us the English word ‘phobia’ which translates as ‘terrified’. These people were not just frightened, they were absolutely terrified, ‘scared senseless’ as the Message Bible puts it.

People experience fear in different ways and react to it in different ways; for some it is a mild anxiety which they get over quickly, for others they are so fearful that they literally cannot move. The Bible tells us that ‘God is love‘ (1John 4:8) and that ‘perfect love casts out (banishes) all fear‘ (1John 4:18). Christians believe that Jesus is God so… Jesus casts out all fear; when Jesus comes, fear goes. It’s what happens in this story.

Over this past week we have reflected on some deep conversations Jesus had with different people; this last conversation is incredibly short – in fact it’s just a clear statement he gives to his friends – in their distress he says to them, and to us today, these words: ‘It is I, don’t be afraid’.

As I write this reflection, the D-Day celebrations are being shown on TV. I was listening to one veteran speaking of his absolute fear as he stepped onto that Normandy beach seventy five years ago as a 19 year old soldier. I was deeply moved as I listened to him and especially as he admitted he was absolutely terrified, but he got on with the task before him.

We live in troubling times. Every day seems to bring another challenge. As a nation we are living in great political, social,

Hi everyone, it’s Mick here – welcome to Thursday’s podcast. We hope you are finding our podcasts an encouragement in your daily walk with Jesus. If so, we would love to encourage you to pass them on to friends, family, a colleague – it’s easy through our website or iTunes. Why not post something on Facebook or Instagram – share the podcast blessing and so share the gospel. It’s evangelism 101!

REFLECTION:

We continue with our them this week of ‘conversations’ – reflecting on the interaction Jesus has with various people to see what we can learn about how live out and share our faith. Today’s reading is John 5: 31-47 and our focus or memory verse today is v39: “these are the scriptures that testify about me”.

Today’s reading is a continuation of yesterday, and Jesus is going deeper into his conversation with the Jewish leaders. Who are these ‘Jewish leaders’? The nearest equivalent we have today would be senior church leaders and politicians – the Bishops, MPs and top civil servants of his day. This is a deep and challenging conversation but one which can help us all really understand Jesus. It answers the question “is Jesus really who he says he is?”

You’ve got to imagine yourself now in a court of law, and these Jewish leaders are questioning Jesus, and so he brings forward four witnesses who will support his case that he, Jesus, is God.

The first witness is a person: he refers in verses 31-35 to John the Baptist, who came to testify for Jesus. Since that time, millions and millions of real people can truly say that Jesus is who he says he is, the Son of God. You are listening to this Podcast so are one of them – well done!

The second witness is the work of Jesus: we read this in verse 36 when he talks about the work the Father has given him to do – this testifies “that the Father has sent me”.

The third witness is God himself. Verse 37 reminds us that “the Father who sent me has himself testified concerning me”.

The fourth witness Jesus calls is the Bible. Remember the phrase I used at the beginning of this podcast? “These are the scriptures that testify about me.” The Bible is about Jesus – it’s always points us to him and how we can have a relationship with him. If we don’t see that, then reading it becomes boring and irrelevant; but when we do see this, the scriptures become a manual for how we live our lives and develop our relationship with Jesus.

John in his Gospel often refers to the new life that Jesus brings – eternal life he calls it in v39. The Bible verse that really stirred my life and brought me to Jesus was John 10:10 when Jesus says ‘I have come that you may have life, life in abundance’. What about you? Do you have a Bible verse/passage/story that God used to help you see that Jesus is who says he is?

Jesus is saying in this conversation, look, here is the evidence. Here are the four truths that witness to the fact that I am the Son of God. As we read the rest of the conversation, we see that some people still will not accept this (verses 42-46), but many have, including you so again, well done, you have chosen the right and Godly path in life. Be encouraged – Jesus has this conversation primarily with doubters and sceptics.They challenged him in a big way but he was sure in who he was, that he had been sent to change the world and that many would answer the call to follow him into this new way of life.

So, as you listen to these words hear this truth: do not to worry about what other people think; do not let the doubts of others about God and his Kingdom change your faith in Jesus. We live in a culture today where people are suspicious, even sceptical about faith – but there are still many people, people of peace the Bible calls them, who are looking for a new Godly way to live,

Hi it’s Mick here, welcome to today’s podcast. It’s Wednesday, half way through the working week, so well done, you’ve made it this far!

Today we continue our reflections in John’s gospel, looking particularly this week at ‘conversations’ Jesus had and how we can learn from them as we journey with Jesus. Our reading is John 5:16-30, and our focus today is verse 19: Jesus says: “The Son can do nothing by himself; he can only do what he sees his Father doing.”

REFLECTION:

We are still with this ongoing conversation Jesus is having after healing the paralysed man. We now read that the ‘Jewish leaders’ are involved, so in come the ‘big guns’ to challenge Jesus for healing a sick person on the Sabbath, their holy day.

Two things for us to reflect on today: firstly, Jesus is consistent in saying throughout his ministry that it is right to take a ‘Sabbath’, that is, time to be with God and particularly to take a day of rest from our ‘normal’ work – to make space to thank God for his blessings in our lives. However, we are not to be like the Jewish leaders and be daft about this! Jesus makes it clear in Mark’s Gospel (Mark 2:27) that “the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath”. God wants to bless our lives every day, not make extra burdens for us to carry. I do love the way Jesus is always so gracious with people but also so direct and so truthful. He doesn’t hold back and he treats everyone the same – no double standards with Jesus. A good lesson for all of us, especially our politicians!

The second thing in this passage for us to reflect on is this wonderful verse quoted above. “The Son can do nothing by himself; he can only do what he sees his Father doing.” So what does this mean?

Consider this: Jesus did mighty works, miracles, healings, because he was totally committed to and obedient to his Father. Jesus did what God was doing. In other words, he saw where God was at work, and went and joined in! This is a wonderful truth for us to receive today: that we have the same invitation for our lives to simply see where God is at work and join in. As Christians, we have Jesus not only with us but in us: Paul reminds us in Colossians 1:27, “Christ in you, the hope of glory.”

So… in prayer, we have this Godly conversation as we ask “Father, where are you at work today?” If we ask, he will show us! Perhaps it’s a friend in need, a colleague who needs encouraging, a single parent neighbour who needs a babysitter, a family with a new baby who need a meal cooking, standing up for the right thing, speaking out against the bad thing, sharing our faith and our lives with others etc. …. the list goes on. God is at work in those situations wanting to break in and bless, and he’s calling you and me to join in. It really is as simple as that!

Jesus said in v30, ‘I seek not to please myself but him who sent me’. That’s a tough one isn’t it! To live a life seeking to please God by doing his will every day when our selfish human nature is often crying out ‘Hey, what about me!’ It is tough, but not impossible – that’s why we need our daily conversations with Jesus as we read about him and pray to him.

The evidence of a life of faith is a life of doing good to others. The Bible tells us that Jesus ‘went around doing good’ (Acts 10.38). The former President of the USA Barack Obama once said, ‘Don’t wait for good things to happen to you. If you go out and make some good things happen, you will fill the world with hope, you will fill yourself with hope.’ Imagine if we all started to do this: the change in our homes, friendships, neighbourhoods, workplaces would be immense! Let the words of this week’s worship song impact all of us:

All my life You have been faithful

All my life You have been so, so good

With every breath that I am able

I will sing of the goodness of God.

PRAYER:

Heavenly Father,