Take Ten with John - Day 40!

We end our 40 days of Take Ten with John today - and it's been a real privilege to share these messages with you!  We find Jesus in a conversation with Peter today, asking Peter if he loves him.  What we miss in the English translation is the words for "love" that Jesus uses.  It's an important distinction, but the upshot of it is that Jesus loves you unconditionally, without reserve, wherever you are on your journey of faith.  But Jesus loves you far too much to leave you there.  That's an important distinction, so listen in!

Thanks for listening these past 40 days!  I'm going to take a break from these blogs during the summer, but I'll keep in touch about other opportunities!  In the meantime, come to church or listen online.  And thanks so much for the privilege of being able to provide these resources for you!  You take care!

Here's one of my favorite video songs - with Josh Groban singing "You Raise Me Up" with a group of African children.  Enjoy!

 Take Ten with John - Day 39!

Today we join the disciples on the beach, where Jesus is there, waiting for them.  And he tells the experienced fishermen to cast their nets to the other side of the boat, where they caught 153 fish!  What's the significance of that number?  Listen in and find out, and remember to pick up three copies of the Gospel of John in the fellowship hall door to share with someone!

Here's the video:

I've used this video before, but it bears repeating - Ode To Joy Flashmob.  Enjoy!

 Take Ten with John - Day 38!

Today we're looking at the story of Doubting Thomas, found in John 20:19-31.  And note that it's at the end of the Doubting Thomas story that John writes his mission statement - that these things are written that you may believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and that believing in him you might have life in his name.

It's a wonderful, insightful story about Thomas, and coming through doubt is something that most of us have faced at some point in our lives!  And it's a natural, and sometimes important, step in the right direction to developing a deeper and firmer faith.  The story of Thomas tells us to keep on keeping on, because it helps us develop an even more committed faith.

So listen to Day 38! 

Here's a song by Casting Crowns entitled Living He Loved Me.  Loved Thomas and loved you and me!  Enjoy!

 Take Ten with John - Day 37!

Today we join Mary at the tomb, who went to see Jesus, but she found an empty tomb and wept.  She wept so deeply that she didn't even recognize Jesus standing right beside her and thought he was the gardener.  But then Jesus spoke her name, and everything in her world changed.

Today we talk about the promise of "empty" - an empty cross, empty clothes, and an empty tomb, and the promises that comes from these empty parts of our faith.  And it reminds us that Jesus is always, always with us.  Listen in, but read John 19:1-18 before listening!

And it's become a classic song now, and one of my favorites, but with the promise of the resurrection we have to sing Shout To The Lord!

 Take Ten with John - Day 36!

Today we're looking at the third Word of Jesus from the cross - It is finished.

Not, I am finished, but "it" - the work that God gave Jesus to do.  It - that work - is finished.  And that means that our work of sharing His work has just begun!  At the end of this video I share with you the Pocket League Testament invitation to share the Gospel of John with someone you know.  And I make reference to a video that I'd love for you to watch after the Take Ten with John video.  It's an easy way of sharing Christ with someone when you don't know what to say!

So - listen to the video, and the song, and then the bottom video about sharing this Gospel of John with others!

And listen to this song by the Living Stones Quartet - Be Still.

Here's the video from the Pocket Testament League about sharing the Gospel of John.  I just love this video!

 Take Ten with John - Day 35!

Today we're on the second of Jesus' three Words from the Cross in John's Gospel - I thirst.  This is a very short word in Greek - dipsao.  One word.  And in it Jesus fulfills Scripture, and he also shows his humanity, being True God and True Man.  It's a wonderful but haunting word from the cross showing his "redemptive suffering."  You'll find out more about that in the video!

And while this isn't a normal song that I post for you, it's a Mother Teresa meditation about "I Thirst" that I think you'll enjoy.  It's about 8 1/2 minutes, but it's worth it!

 Take Ten with John - Day 34!    

Today we're on the first of three words of Jesus from the cross, from John 19, where Jesus says, "Son, behold your mother - mother, behold your son."   It's a word of love and care from Jesus, creating a new family system from the cross.  In his pain, he cares for his mother, who is now only a widow, but now does not have a son to care for her.  Jesus creates a new spiritual family, thicker than genetic blood, in a Christian family at the foot of the cross.  It is one of the most tender portions of the Bible!

Here's the video:

And here's a wonderful song by Lauren Daigle entitled, Love Like This.  Enjoy!