Friendliness and Fatherhood
In our worship gatherings on Sunday, we continued our new series “I AM: Facing Uncertain times with an ever-present God”. We’d love to have you join us for this great exploration into the identity of God…a God who can help us weather the storms of this season by being a steadfast anchor for us to cling to!
In John 10, Jesus is back in conversation with the ruling elite, the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem. The way Jesus has taught, loved, and lived seem to threaten their local power, and so they try to discredit Him. During the Feast of Dedication (now called Hanukkah”), they try to pin Jesus down:
John 10:24 “…How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.”
Jesus could see their jealousy, fear, and anger. Yet, He didn’t play along. Instead of calling out their hypocrisy, indicting their corruption, or questioning their parties, Jesus let’s the facts speak for themselves…
John 10:25 “…The works that I do in my Father's name bear witness about me,”
John 10:32 “…I have shown you many good works from the Father…”
The “proof was in the pudding.” Jesus simply referred to the powerful, kind, loving actions He’d taken for others’ benefit. These were evidence of His true identity as the Messiah: the specially chosen King of Israel, sent by God.
Jesus didn’t shy from sharing the truth with His aggressive audience, but still, He shared it gently. This approach would be passed on by one of His followers, Peter, later…
1st Peter 3:15-16 “…you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it. But do this in a gentle and respectful way. Keep your conscience clear. Then if people speak against you, they will be ashamed when they see what a good life you live because you belong to Christ.”
Take a moment to meet with God regarding these thoughts. Remove distractions, sit still, and listen for His voice. Thank God for the ways He has been kind to you.
Then, consider how the powerful deeds Jesus did to benefit others gave credibility to His claims about being one with God the Father.
- Have you been able to point people towards God by doing deeds to benefit others? How so?
- What kinds of kindness could you offer to others this week, so that God gets the glory?
Fatherhood this Week
In our worship gatherings on Sunday, we also talked about what it looks like for God to empower us as fathers to our children. Want more resources for fathers? Join us for a free live webinar on Surviving Fatherhood: Tips for Dads from Dads. It’s this Thursday, June 25th at 7:00pm via Zoom. Join the conversation, submit questions, or listen in by going to neighborhoodchurch.com/dads
Bible Reading Plan for the week
Join us this week as we read more “back-story” leading up to Jesus’ “I AM” claims in the center of the Gospel of John. Grow in God by soaking in these Scriptures this week! Use an easy-to-read printed Bible, or even an audio bible while you exercise or commute! (or explore other Bible reading plans). Enjoy!
- Monday, June 22 John 2:1-12
- Tuesday, June 23 John 2:13-25
- Wednesday, June 24 John 3:1-21
- Thursday, June 25 John 3:22-36
- Friday, June 26 John 4:1-42
Explore, learn, and grow more!
Check out more great resources on our Revive webpages at neighborhoodchurch.com
Learning alongside you,
Kerry Kaufman
