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Welcome to Day 2162 of Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom The Gospel of John – 30 – Abiding – Daily Wisdom Putnam Church Message – 09/11/2022 The Gospel of John – Part 4 Confirmation Of The Word – Abiding   Today we continue our series, the Good News according to John the Apostle. Last week, we saw Jesus teaching the disciples that the way to overcome fear is to allow the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, to fill us and bring peace to our hearts as we read in John 14:27  Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.   Our scripture for today is John 15:1-11, starting on page 1676 in the pew Bible. Jesus teaches us a valuable lesson about Abiding in Him. Follow along as I read. 1“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes[a] so that it will be even more fruitful. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. 5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. 9 “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10 If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. 11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.   After hearing of Jesus’ imminent departure from the world on the eve of His crucifixion, fear gripped the disciples like a steel vice. How could they possibly go on without Jesus? What would come of His kingdom? Was the Lord challenging them to build a kingdom without a king? Not exactly.   First, He promised that His going away played a crucial role in the plan of God to redeem the world and that He would return (John 14:1–15).   Second, He promised He would not leave them to fend for themselves; He would be present within them in the person of the Holy Spirit, whose role is to teach and provide courage (14:16–24).   Third, He promised confidence in the truth of His words and comfort in His continual presence would grow as they...

Welcome to Day 2161 of Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom The Gospel of John – 29 – Overcoming Fear – Daily Wisdom Putnam Church Message – 09/04/2022 The Gospel of John – Part 4 Confirmation Of The Word – Overcoming Fear   Today we continue our series, the Good News according to John the Apostle. Last time we saw how Jesus gently consoled and encouraged the remaining eleven disciples “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. Today we continue the lesson as Jesus teaches the disciples and us, that the way to overcome fear is to allow the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, to fill us and bring peace to our hearts. Our scripture for today is John 14:25-31, starting on page 1676 in the pew Bible. Follow along as I read. 25 “All this I have spoken while still with you. 26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. 28 “You heard me say, ‘I am going away and I am coming back to you.’ If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. 29 I have told you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe. 30 I will not say much more to you, for the prince of this world is coming. He has no hold over me, 31 but he comes so that the world may learn that I love the Father and do exactly what my Father has commanded me. “Come now; let us leave. While fear is a primal response, it is entirely unnatural to humanity as God first created us. The first emotion recorded in the Bible is Genesis 2:25. Now the man and his wife were both naked, but they felt no shame. Adam and Eve enjoyed perfect intimacy with God and one another, uninhibited by sin or the shame it brings. The second emotion named explicitly in Scripture is fear. After trying to conceal his shame, Adam confessed that fear drove him into hiding when his Creator came to confront him in Genesis. 3:10. He replied, “I heard you walking in the garden, so I hid. I was afraid because I was naked.” Fear is a product of the Fall, and we have been trying to cope with it ever since. Fear of heights. Fear of crowds. Fear of being alone. Fear of open spaces. Fear of closed spaces. Fear of germs. Fear of death. I have even read about people having a fear of fear!   Fear can be debilitating. Fear strips the athlete of his prowess, drains creativity from the artist, muddies the leader’s clarity, and drives the soldier deeper into his foxhole. I have seen people literally paralyzed with fear, unable to move a muscle in their grip. More commonly, fear keeps people from becoming everything God created them to be and prevents them from loving one another fully.   Jesus’ announcement of His departure sent the disciples into an emotional tailspin. They couldn’t imagine their future without Jesus, and the prospect of going on alone terrified them … and rightfully so! Likewise, I cannot imagine having to

Welcome to Day 2160 of Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom The Gospel of John – 28 – Tranquil Words for Troubled Hearts – Daily Wisdom Putnam Church Message – 08/14/2022 The Gospel of John – Part 4 Confirmation Of The Word – Tranquil Words For Troubled Hearts   Today we continue our series, the Good News according to John the Apostle. Last week as the Passover meal concluded, Christ reminded the remaining 11 disciples that he would soon be leaving them. With this in mind, He issued them a new command. 34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” The truth was finally setting in with the disciples, who were anxious about their futures. After all, they invested the past three and a half years with Jesus, and now he tells them he is leaving, and they can’t come with him. Their minds with blown, and their hearts were crushed. Our scripture for today is John 14:1-24, starting on page 1675 in the pew Bible. Jesus provides Tranquil Words for Troubled Hearts. Follow along as I read. 1“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God[a]; believe also in me. 2 My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. 4 You know the way to the place where I am going.” 5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” 6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you really know me, you will know[b] my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.” 8 Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.” 9 Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. 11 Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves. 12 Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.

Welcome to Day 2159 of Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom The Gospel of John – 27 – What is Your A.Q. – Daily Wisdom Putnam Church Message – 08/07/2022 The Gospel of John – Part 4 Confirmation Of The Word – Agape: Authentic Love   Today we continue our series, the Good News according to John the Apostle. Last week, we saw Jesus behind closed doors with His disciples as they proceeded with the Passover meal. Jesus abruptly announced that one of them would betray him. He was teaching us lessons of acceptance. How do we accept those who have hurt or betrayed us? While we may not condone another person’s lifestyle because they are not living according to Biblical precepts, we are to show love and acceptance to them, regardless. As I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, it bears repeating. If you claim you love Jesus, then you must also love Judas. After washing Judas’s feet, placing him at the privileged position to His left at the meal, and offering fellowship to Judas by handing him food, we see that Judas’s heart is unchanged. 27As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him, 30he went out, and it was night. Our scripture for today is John 13:18-30, starting on page 1674 in the pew Bible. Behind those closed doors at the Passover meal, Jesus turns to the remaining 11 disciples and teaches them of: Agape: Authentic Love. Follow along as I read. 31 When he (Judas) was gone, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man is glorified and God is glorified in him. 32 If God is glorified in him,[c] God will glorify the Son in himself, and will glorify him at once. 33 “My children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: Where I am going, you cannot come. 34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” 36 Simon Peter asked him, “Lord, where are you going?” Jesus replied, “Where I am going, you cannot follow now, but you will follow later.” 37 Peter asked, “Lord, why can’t I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.” 38 Then Jesus answered, “Will you really lay down your life for me? Very truly I tell you, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times!   In 1970, Francis Schaeffer wrote The Mark of the Christian, a tiny volume with a weighty message. You will not find anything about bumper stickers, fish emblems, lapel crosses, or cleverly marketed bracelets. For that matter, you won’t read a word about biblical doctrine or church membership. Instead, the book is about the one true mark of a Christian: love.  ...

Welcome to Day 2158 of Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom The Gospel of John – 26 – What is Your A.Q. – Daily Wisdom Putnam Church Message – 07/31/2022 The Gospel of John – Part 4 Confirmation Of The Word – What Is Your A.Q. (Acceptance Quotient)   Today we continue our series, the Good News according to John the Apostle. Last week, we joined Jesus behind closed doors with His disciples and saw him take on the role of the lowest servant as He washed His disciple’s feet. 15 I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.   Today, we continue with Jesus behind closed doors with His disciples as they proceed with the Passover meal. Our scripture for today is John 13:18-30, starting on page 1674 in the pew Bible. Follow along as I read today’s passage. 18 “I am not referring to all of you; I know those I have chosen. But this is to fulfill this passage of Scripture: ‘He who shared my bread has turned[a] against me.’[b] 19 “I am telling you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe that I am who I am. 20 Very truly I tell you, whoever accepts anyone I send accepts me; and whoever accepts me accepts the one who sent me.” 21 After he had said this, Jesus was troubled in spirit and testified, “Very truly I tell you, one of you is going to betray me.” 22 His disciples stared at one another, at a loss to know which of them he meant. 23 One of them, the disciple whom Jesus loved, was reclining next to him. 24 Simon Peter motioned to this disciple and said, “Ask him which one he means.” 25 Leaning back against Jesus, he asked him, “Lord, who is it?” 26 Jesus answered, “It is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish.” Then, dipping the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. 27 As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him. So Jesus told him, “What you are about to do, do quickly.” 28 But no one at the meal understood why Jesus said this to him. 29 Since Judas had charge of the money, some thought Jesus was telling him to buy what was needed for the festival, or to give something to the poor. 30 As soon as Judas had taken the bread, he went out. And it was night.   For years, educational systems worldwide subjected students to tests to determine each individual’s I.Q., “Intelligence Quotient.” This quantified each person’s ability to remember facts, think imaginatively, logically organize information, and solve problems. The I.Q....

Welcome to Day 2157 of Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom The Gospel of John – 25 – Humility Personified – Daily Wisdom Putnam Church Message – 07/24/2022 The Gospel of John – Part 4 Confirmation Of The Word – Humility Personified   Today we continue our series, the Good News according to John the Apostle. Last week, we saw Jesus end his public ministry to focus his final three days before the crucifixion with his disciples to prepare them for the pivotal event. Jesus’s hour, His purpose for coming to earth, was nearly here. In 12:24, he declared: I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat is planted in the soil and dies, it remains alone. But its death will produce many new kernels—a plentiful harvest of new lives.   We begin the 4th segment of John’s narrative today. That is Confirmation of the Word, which covers John 13:1 – 17:26. Today, we join Jesus behind closed doors with His disciples and see him take on the role of the lowest servants as He washes His disciple’s feet. Our scripture for today is John 13:1-17, starting on page 1673 in the pew Bible. Follow along as I read today’s passage. 1 It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. 2 The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. 3 Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; 4 so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. 5 After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him. 6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” 7 Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” 8 “No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.” 9 “Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!” 10 Jesus answered, “Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.” 11 For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean. 12 When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. 13 “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. 14 Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. 15 I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you....

Welcome to Day 2156 of Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom The Gospel of John – 24 – Seeking Before Hiding – Daily Wisdom Putnam Church Message – 07/17/2022 The Gospel of John – Part 3 Authentication Of The Word – Seeking Before Hiding   Today we continue our series, the Good News according to John the Apostle. Last week, we saw the religious leaders in Jerusalem come to a breaking point. They were losing control over the Jews, and their important positions with Rome. In Chapter 11:47-48 Then the chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the Sanhedrin. “What are we accomplishing?” they asked. “Here is this man performing many signs. 48 If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our temple and our nation.” We also saw that one of Jesus’s 12 disciples broke down with his greed. After seeing Mary anoint Jesus with $50k of perfume, he was ready to betray his Rabbi, who he had followed for at least three years. Today the tide is turning as we see Jesus entering Jerusalem as King. Our scripture for today is John 12:12-50, starting on page 1671 in the pew Bible. I will read it in sections throughout the message as we have done in other lengthy passages.   —12:12–19— 12 The next day the great crowd that had come for the festival heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. 13 They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, “Hosanna![d]” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”[e] “Blessed is the king of Israel!” 14 Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, as it is written: 15 “Do not be afraid, Daughter Zion; see, your king is coming, seated on a donkey’s colt.”[f] 16 At first his disciples did not understand all this. Only after Jesus was glorified did they realize that these things had been written about him and that these things had been done to him. 17 Now the crowd, that was with him when he called Lazarus from the tomb and raised him from the dead, continued to spread the word. 18 Many people, because they had heard that he had performed this sign, went out to meet him. 19 So the Pharisees said to one another, “See, this is getting us nowhere. Look how the whole world has gone after him!”   John’s narrative suddenly shifts from the fragrant banquet room in Bethany to a bustling street leading into Jerusalem, where thronging worshipers had come in anticipation of the Passover feast. As with other feasts, worshipers wondered if Jesus...

Welcome to Day 2155 of Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom The Gospel of John – 22 – The Breaking Point – Daily Wisdom Putnam Church Message – 07/10/2022 The Gospel of John – Part 3 Authentication Of The Word – The Breaking Point   Today we continue our series, the Good News according to John the Apostle. Last week, we saw Jesus raise Lazarus from the grave after he had been dead for four days. Jesus proclaimed in verses 25-26, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; 26 and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Today our message will be in two related parts. First, we will read John 11:45-57, starting on page 1670 in the pew Bible. I am overlapping the last two verses from last week to tie in the context, then later in the message, we will cover John 12:1-11, so keep your Bibles open and follow along as I read. 45 Therefore many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, believed in him. 46 But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. 47 Then the chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the Sanhedrin. “What are we accomplishing?” they asked. “Here is this man performing many signs. 48 If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our temple and our nation.” 49 Then one of them, named Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, spoke up, “You know nothing at all! 50 You do not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish.” 51 He did not say this on his own, but as high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the Jewish nation, 52 and not only for that nation but also for the scattered children of God, to bring them together and make them one. 53 So from that day on they plotted to take his life. 54 Therefore Jesus no longer moved about publicly among the people of Judea. Instead he withdrew to a region near the wilderness, to a village called Ephraim, where he stayed with his disciples. 55 When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, many went up from the country to Jerusalem for their ceremonial cleansing before the Passover. 56 They kept looking for Jesus, and as they stood in the temple courts they asked one another, “What do you think? Isn’t he coming to the festival at all?” 57 But the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that anyone who found out where Jesus was should report it so that they might arrest him.   Have you experienced or been confronted with a  “moment of truth”—that sweet and terrible instant when the truth about some particular unsavory or unethical matter in your life can no longer be denied, minimized, rationalized, or disguised? There it is, in all its stark, unforgiving glory, demanding a choice. You can continue to bury the truth and then live in manic, strained denial for the rest of your days, or you can submit to that truth and then

Welcome to Day 2154 of Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom The Gospel of John – 22 – Back From Beyond – Daily Wisdom Putnam Church Message – 07/03/2022 The Gospel of John – Part 3 Authentication Of The Word – Back From Beyond   Today we continue our series, the Good News according to John the Apostle. Last week, we saw Jesus as the good shepherd and the living door. Today, our scripture is John 11:1-46, starting on page 1668 in the pew Bible. As with last week, since it is a more extended passage, I will read it as we go through the message, so follow along. We will see in today’s passage that Jesus performs the greatest and most spectacular miracle of his ministry. He raised his friend Lazarus from the dead after he had been dead for four days. This miracle is undoubtedly the final catalyst that leads to His crucifixion.   Death is an inescapable fact of life.   Death is ruthless;/ it frequently comes without warning and strikes without mercy./ Death is unrelenting; it cannot be cheated, bribed, outwitted, overcome, or eluded. /Death is indiscriminate; it takes young and old, poor and rich, sick and healthy, wicked and benevolent./Death is universal; all must ultimately succumb to its darkness.   Death is a harsh reality of life … but it was not always so, and it need not be the end. —11:1–2— Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 (This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair.)    After His last encounter with the religious elite in Jerusalem, Jesus took refuge in the same wilderness that had protected John the Baptizer<-> from their murderous intent. The Lord ministered to John’s disciples there for an unknown length of time (though not more than three months) before traveling to Perea or perhaps Galilee (11:7). We know that Jesus was more than a day’s walk from Bethany, the home of His friends Lazarus, Martha, and Mary, which as just two miles east of Jerusalem.   John’s editorial note about Mary’s anointing of Jesus demonstrates that he assumed his audience was familiar with the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke). John doesn’t tell this story until 12:1–8. (message in two weeks)   —11:3–6— 3 So the sisters sent word to Jesus, “Lord, the one you love is sick.” 4 When he heard this, Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.” 5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 So when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days,    Lazarus was not among the twelve disciples, but the Lord loved him. The man’s sisters sent a messenger to inform Jesus that His friend was near death with a serious illness. However, Jesus purposely delayed His departure, confidently declaring, “This sickness will not end in death.” Depending on how far away Jesus was from Bethany, it is very likely He knew what the disciples did not realize at the time: Lazarus was already dead when he received word. (Bulletin insert of map) Consider a possible order of events:   The...

Welcome to Day 2153 of Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom The Gospel of John – 21 – The Living Door – Daily Wisdom Putnam Church Message – 06/26/2022 The Gospel of John – Part 3 Authentication Of The Word – The Living Door   Today we continue our series, the Good News according to John the Apostle. Last week, we saw Jesus heal a man who was blind from birth. This man not only received physical sight, but more importantly, he received spiritual sight that granted him eternal life, as he proclaimed in verse 38 Then the man said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him. Today, our scripture is John 10:1-42, starting on page 1666 in the pew Bible. As with last week, since it is a more extended passage, I will read it as we go through the message, so follow along. We will see in today’s passage that Jesus is not only the great shepherd, but also The Living Door, which all who receives salvation must pass through.   If a picture is worth a thousand words, then a symbol is worth a thousand messages. Jesus understood the power of a familiar image to unlock the mysteries of heaven. And no sight was more common in first-century Judea than that of a shepherd leading his sheep. With some historical and cultural background, we can learn a great deal from the symbols Jesus used to describe Himself. To the lost sheep of Israel, He was the living door and the good shepherd.   It was common for a shepherd to know his animals individually and call each one by name. A good shepherd never allowed his flock to remain in the field as night fell; thieves and wild animals took advantage of the darkness to steal and kill. If the pasture was close enough to the village, the sheep would be driven from the field to a communal pen, which a designated keeper guarded./ In the morning, shepherds led their sheep out to pasture again. Shepherds frequently drove their flocks into the wilderness during temperate months to find adequate grazing. They always remained with them, camping out under the stars for weeks. Then, as darkness fell each evening, they corralled the flock into a cave or some other natural enclosure and slept at the entrance.   (Bulletin Insert-Read->) To protect their livestock from predators and thieves, shepherds herded their animals into a natural enclosure, such as this cave, and then stretched their bodies across the entrance for a good night’s sleep. Jesus drew on this familiar imagery when He said, “I am the door of the sheep” (John 10:7–9).   Shepherds frequently worked together and even shared the same enclosure during the night. The following morning the flocks could be easily separated simply by calling them in opposite directions. Author H. V. Morton watched this firsthand during his travels in Israel. Early one morning, I saw an extraordinary sight not far from Bethlehem. Two shepherds had spent the night with their flocks in a cave. The sheep were all mixed, and the time had come for the shepherds to go in different directions. One of the shepherds stood far from the sheep and began to call. First one, then another, then four or five animals ran towards him, and so on until he had counted his whole flock. John’s account is unique among the Gospels in that he doesn’t recount any of the Lord’s parables but recalls Jesus’s use of figurative language and extended...