Have you ever thought of your self as a slave?  A slave to your passions and desires.  The Bible uses this language often but also talks about the freedom that we can experience through Jesus.  Let’s look together at what Jesus says about this in John 9.

31 To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. 32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” 33 They answered him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?” 34 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. 35 Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

Our freedom from sin according to Jesus comes from embracing the truth and from the freedom that Jesus offers us.  The problem is that while we are free sometimes we still act as though we are slaves to sin.  We are freed slaves who run right back into slavery.   Jesus reminds us in this passage that by holding onto the truth we can be set free.  The truth is that Jesus is better than anything the world can offer us.  Better than pleasure.  Better than success.  Better than wealth or fame.  Jesus is better than everything.  When we hold on to that truth and hold on to Jesus we become truly free.  I pray that we would all rest in our freedom in Jesus today and each day. 

In His Grip,
Pastor Dave

I have always loved the story found in John 8 of the women caught in adultery.  Most Bibles explain that this story is not found in some early Biblical manuscripts.  Perhaps it is a story that was remembered later and certainly it fits the character and nature of Jesus.  Let’s take a look at it together today. 

At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. 3 The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group 4 and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5 In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” 6 They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him. But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. 7 When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8 Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground. 9 At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. 10 Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” 11 “No one, sir,” she said. “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”

Of course one of everyone’s first questions is what did Jesus write in the ground.  The religious leaders who brought the woman were not interested in the law or in justice they simply wanted to test Jesus.  After all where is the man in this situation that she was caught with? Jesus seemingly ignores them and draws or writes in the sand.  When they press the issue He asks those without sin to cast the first stone.  Then He goes right back to writing in the dirt.  I think the point is that He doesn’t ignore her sin He simply extends her grace.  He offers her grace and tells her to go and leave her life of sin.  It’s the same offer He gives to us all.  That’s what Jesus does.  While sin is a serious matter to God, His grace is always bigger than our sin.  Jesus offers us His amazing grace and offers us a better way to live.  A life where we find out satisfaction in Him and not in sin.  I pray that we would all experience God’s amazing grace and live and rest in His offer of freedom from sin. 

In His Grip,
Pastor Dave

Jesus’ public ministry was met with all different kinds of reactions.  Some were amazed and believed.  Many were curious.  Some followed until things got tough.  Some were directly opposed to Him.  Let’s look at some of the different reactions as Jesus goes to the Festival of Tabernacles and teaches.

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. 38 Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” 39 By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.40 On hearing his words, some of the people said, “Surely this man is the Prophet.” 41 Others said, “He is the Messiah.” Still others asked, “How can the Messiah come from Galilee? 42 Does not Scripture say that the Messiah will come from David’s descendants and from Bethlehem, the town where David lived?” 43 Thus the people were divided because of Jesus. 44 Some wanted to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him. 45 Finally the temple guards went back to the chief priests and the Pharisees, who asked them, “Why didn’t you bring him in?”46 “No one ever spoke the way this man does,” the guards replied. 47 “You mean he has deceived you also?” the Pharisees retorted. 48 “Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed in him? 49 No! But this mob that knows nothing of the law—there is a curse on them.” 50 Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus earlier and who was one of their own number, asked, 51 “Does our law condemn a man without first hearing him to find out what he has been doing?” 52 They replied, “Are you from Galilee, too? Look into it, and you will find that a prophet does not come out of Galilee.”

Today people still have a variety of reactions to Jesus.  Some appreciate His teaching but aren’t willing to follow Him.  Others just think He was an interesting historical figure.  Others reject Him completely.  As followers of Jesus we are called to embrace Him and His way of life fully.  Sometimes others biggest stumbling block to embracing Jesus is what they think of His followers.  This was true during Jesus’ day as well.  People were put off by the “sinners” that Jesus had around Him.  We are called to be people who love our neighbors well.  When we do that and when we live the kind of lives that Jesus calls us to people are drawn to Jesus instead of put off by Him.  I pray that by God’s grace we would live such lives of love that others would want part of the life we have in Jesus.

In His Grip,
Pastor Dave

Have you ever been hungry?  I mean really hungry. Have you ever thought about the fact that we were all made with a spiritual hunger as well?  We have a God shaped void in all of our lives that is only filled with a relationship with Him.  Shortly after Jesus feeds the 5,000 He talks about this.  Let’s look at the account together in John 6.

Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw the signs I performed but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. 27 Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.” 28 Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?”29 Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”… Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. 36 But as I told you, you have seen me and still you do not believe. 37 All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. 38 For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. 39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. 40 For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.”

When you eat to satisfy your hunger in a few hours you experience hunger once again.  Jesus reminds us that when we fill our spiritual hunger with Him we will never hunger again.  We sometimes chase after other things to “fill” us but Jesus is the answer for all time.  When we constantly fill ourselves with Jesus we remain full.  It’s only when we chase after other things, power pleasure, success, wealth, etc. that we end up unsatisfied.  Fill yourself with Jesus today and every day and you will never be hungry again.

In His Grip,

Pastor Dave

Sometimes I wonder what was going through the minds of the disciples at times.  They have just witnessed Jesus feeding 5,000 people with a few fish and some bread and there are more leftovers than what they started with.  Then He goes off to pray and they jump in a boat and head off to Capernaum.  They don’t wait for Jesus I guess they just figure that He will get there somehow.  Let’s pick up the story there in John 6.

When evening came, his disciples went down to the lake, 17 where they got into a boat and set off across the lake for Capernaum. By now it was dark, and Jesus had not yet joined them. 18 A strong wind was blowing and the waters grew rough. 19 When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus approaching the boat, walking on the water; and they were frightened. 20 But he said to them, “It is I; don’t be afraid.” 21 Then they were willing to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the shore where they were heading. 22 The next day the crowd that had stayed on the opposite shore of the lake realized that only one boat had been there, and that Jesus had not entered it with his disciples, but that they had gone away alone. 23 Then some boats from Tiberias landed near the place where the people had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. 24 Once the crowd realized that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into the boats and went to Capernaum in search of Jesus.

First of all three to four miles is a long way by rowing a boat but it is even longer when you are walking on water.  Somehow Jesus catches up to them and then when He gets in the boat the Scripture says they were immediately at the shore on the other side.  I wish I knew a little bit more about those miracles.  I hate how slow travel is at times and would love to arrive places immediately.  The disciples must have been amazed after this series of events.  The crowds were amazed as well but they weren’t the first hand witnesses that the disciples were.  The thing about amazing events is that when you experience one you want to talk about it.  I’m sure the disciples were motivated to tell others about Jesus because of what they had experienced.  The question for us is what have we experienced of Jesus?  When we experience His love and grace and goodness we want to share that as well.  Today spend time reflecting on just how amazing Jesus has been in your life and then tell someone about it.

In His Grip,

Pastor Dave

Food has always been a great motivator.  I can be persuaded to do any number of difficult things for some good food.  Even better than working for food is when it is just there, freely offered.  Jesus does a lot of amazing miracles but it’s interesting  that when He feeds people that is when they try to make Him King by force.  Let’s  look at the feeding of the 5,000 found in John 6.

When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” 6 He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.7 Philip answered him, “It would take more than half a year’s wages  to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!” 8 Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up, 9 “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?” 10 Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” There was plenty of grass in that place, and they sat down (about five thousand men were there). 11 Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish. 12 When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.” 13 So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten. 14 After the people saw the sign Jesus performed, they began to say, “Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world.” 15 Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself.

It is very interesting to me to look at the miracles that Jesus performs.  We certainly don’t know all that He did, but the ones that He does perform are telling to us.  Jesus could have easily sent these people home for food or allowed them to experience a bit of hunger.  He decides that He wants to feed them.  There is something significant about someone providing food for you when you are hungry.  Later in this chapter He will talk about how He feeds our spiritual hunger and perhaps that is the whole point of this.  I think that He really just wanted to provide a meal for the people.  I’m sure they remembered this experience for the rest of their lives told their family and friends and I’m sure that many eventually became part of the early church and followers of Jesus.  Sharing a meal can have a powerful impact.  Think about who God may be calling you to share a meal with.  Perhaps there is an opportunity for you to share a meal with a friend or neighbor and share the love of Christ with them as well.

In His Grip,

Pastor Dave

In John 5 Jesus heals a man who has been crippled for 38 years at the pool of Bethesda.  The day this occurs on happens to be the Sabbath and the religious leaders are furious at Jesus.  His response is to make His boldest public statements yet about His identity which just further infuriates them.  Let’s look at the passage in John 5 together today.  

16 So, because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jewish leaders began to persecute him. 17 In his defense Jesus said to them, “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working.” 18 For this reason they tried all the more to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God. 19 Jesus gave them this answer: “Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. 20 For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, and he will show him even greater works than these, so that you will be amazed. 21 For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it. 22 Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son, 23 that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent him. 24 “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life. 25 Very truly I tell you, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live. 26 For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself.

There are times in life where it is important to follow the Biblical mandate, to as much as possible do your best to live at peace with everyone.  There are other times, such as this one in the life of Jesus, where it is important to be bold for God.  Often I find that we have a tendency to get these times confused and backwards.  We often boldly and aggressively defend our positions on our opinions.  Issues where people that also love Jesus disagree about how to worship, politics, opinions about how to best live in our short time on earth etc.  can often lead to dissension and division.  Yet on issues that matter for eternity often we remain silent.  This is the opposite of what Jesus and the Bible tell us.  Jesus boldly confronted the Pharisees and religious leaders because He knew that the path they were heading down and leading other to actually led them away from a relationship with God.  Interestingly enough He doesn’t seem to tell them that the law is bad or wrong.  In fact in the sermon on the mount He makes the standards tougher.  He points people to a need for a relationship with God through Him instead of religious rules.  He does this boldly just as He calls us to do.  There are times when we are called to be bold for Jesus.  I pray that we would all be granted the wisdom to be bold when we need to be bold and meek when we should be meek.

In His Grip,

Pastor Dave

Hello Advent Family,

Have you ever felt desperate? Perhaps you have been in a situation where it felt like there was no hope?  Time and again in the gospels Jesus helps those in this exact situation.  John 4 contains the story of a royal official who felt desperate and turned to Jesus.  Let’s look at the story together today.  

Once more he visited Cana in Galilee, where he had turned the water into wine. And there was a certain royal official whose son lay sick at Capernaum. 47 When this man heard that Jesus had arrived in Galilee from Judea, he went to him and begged him to come and heal his son, who was close to death. 48 “Unless you people see signs and wonders,” Jesus told him, “you will never believe.” 49 The royal official said, “Sir, come down before my child dies.” 50 “Go,” Jesus replied, “your son will live.” The man took Jesus at his word and departed. 51 While he was still on the way, his servants met him with the news that his boy was living. 52 When he inquired as to the time when his son got better, they said to him, “Yesterday, at one in the afternoon, the fever left him.” 53 Then the father realized that this was the exact time at which Jesus had said to him, “Your son will live.” So he and his whole household believed. 54 This was the second sign Jesus performed after coming from Judea to Galilee.

At first glance this may seem like just another story of a healing Jesus performed.  It is significant to me that the official doesn’t seem to believe in Jesus until he realizes that his son was healed at the exact time Jesus said he would be. Jesus could have gone with the man but it seems to be that He could heal with His words that seems to impact this official and his family.  Jesus knows the things that we need in life to give us greater faith.  Sometimes He walks us through times of desperation and leads us to greater faith on the other side.  I know He has done that in my life.  Hold tight to Jesus and watch and see the great things He will do in and through your life.

You are, as always, In His Grip,

Pastor Dave

Hello Advent Family,

Today’s passage is a little bit longer but I encourage you to go to John 4 and read the whole thing.  Jesus interacts with a Samaritan women and shares the gospel with her and many from her village believe in Jesus as a result.  It is very interesting that Jesus’ first big group of converts in the book of John are Samaritans (whom the Jewish people hate).  Let’s look at the passage together today.  

7 When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a drink?” 8 (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.) 9 The Samaritan woman said to him, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.) 10 Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.” 11 “Sir,” the woman said, “you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? 12 Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his livestock?” 13 Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” 15 The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.” 16 He told her, “Go, call your husband and come back.” 17 “I have no husband,” she replied. Jesus said to her, “You are right when you say you have no husband. 18 The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true.” 19 “Sir,” the woman said, “I can see that you are a prophet. 20 Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.” 21 “Woman,” Jesus replied, “believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. 22 You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23 Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”25 The woman said, “I know that Messiah” (called Christ) “is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.” 26 Then Jesus declared, “I, the one speaking to you—I am he.”

Jesus, many times in His time on earth, breaks the rules for the sake of the gospel.  Jews didn’t associate with Samaritans.  Rabbis would never speak to a woman especially one with a reputation such as this one.  Jesus repeatedly shows His love and care for those in the margins of society.  It is often those whom He chooses to show the greatest love to.  He isn’t easy on this woman.  He confronts her sin in a way that I’m sure is unsettling for her.  Yet he lovingly shares the gospel with her and leads her into a relationship with God.  Jesus is the example for us of not just proclaiming the gospel but living it as well.  I pray that we would follow His great example and love others the way He models for us. 

In His Grip,

Pastor Dave

Once Jesus begins His public ministry He hits the ground running.  John 3 shows us one of His first interactions with a Pharisee who is curious about Jesus.  He is cautious and sneaks away at night to interact with Jesus but immediately acknowledges that Jesus comes from God.  Let’s look at their interaction in John 3 for the whole interaction read verses 1-21.

Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. 6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. 7 You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”9 “How can this be?” Nicodemus asked. 10 “You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things? 11 Very truly I tell you, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. 12 I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? 13 No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man. 14 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.” 16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.

The Pharisees and religious leaders were worried that Jesus came to make a new way and to change the existing order.  The reality is that Jesus came to make a way period.  Even the greatest of the Pharisees could not stand upon his own righteousness.  God sent Jesus to save the world.  When we put our faith in Him life works.  It won’t always be easy, in fact we are promised trouble in this world but we are also promised Jesus.  Jesus promises to be with us always and promises that we will get to spend eternity in Heaven with Him.  This is one of the greatest promises in all of the Bible.  While the Pharisees struggled to accept and embrace this promise so many have over the years.  Share this promise with the world so that others can embrace this amazing gift as well.  

In His Grip,

Pastor Dave