Sometimes people, when hearing the news of someone’s success, respond not with happiness for the person but with jealousy, accusations, and disparaging remarks. It is especially true in cases where someone’s star ascending means yours shines less bright. Like a star in entertainment or sports being pushed off the stage by someone new. This is hard for us to deal with mentally and emotionally. How would John reply to the reality of the rise of Christ and his now diminishing role and influence?
God is light, He is perfect, and there is no darkness in Him at all. If we say we have a relationship with God but continue to walk in perpetual darkness, we are a liar because we don’t practice the truth. And here is the beautiful and powerful thing about living your life in accordance with the teachings of Jesus: we have both fellowship (deep relationship) with others and with God because Jesus cleanses us from all sins. It takes humility and a love of truth to acknowledge our sin and walk truly and rightly with God and others.
We are focusing on one of the most important passages of Scripture in the entire Bible. In this passage of John chapter three, Jesus explains the way into the kingdom of God. If you want to be in the kingdom of God, having eternal life, you must pay close attention to what Jesus teaches in this passage. Your eternity rests on these things.
John the Apostle gives us further proof that Jesus is the Son of God by showing that Jesus has authority over creation, the temple, death and humankind, leading us to greater trust and worship of Jesus, the Lord and Savior of the world.
As we turn to the start of Jesus’ ministry in the Gospel of John, we’re reminded of how powerful the testimonies of our own relationships with the Son of God are. As we look to the Word, let’s be encouraged to share our stories with those around us, and in so doing glorify God!
John, the writer of our gospel, brings forward the testimony of John the Baptist as an expert eyewitness to the identity of Jesus. Not surprisingly, John the Baptist has some strong statements as to who Jesus is. In our passage for today, we will see that John identifies Jesus as the Lord incarnate, the Most High, the Lamb of God, and the Son of God, all within a few short verses.
Your understanding of God directly impacts how you see the world and live your life. From not believing in a God at all to having a false or limited understanding, we live in the “light” of what we know or think to be true.
Money is like a hope magnet that tries to pull us away from trusting and hoping in God to trusting and hoping in it. The truth is that wealth is uncertain, but God is certain. Wealth is unreliable, but God is always reliable. Wealth is unstable, but God is an immovable rock. Wealth is not always present, but God is. Don’t put your hope in wealth; put your hope in God. Those who put their hope in wealth lose their hope, identity, and strength when their wealth is gone, but those who hope in the Lord rise with wings like eagles and will never be put to shame.
Sometimes, we get upset over how a church uses its funds. We feel a desire to control what we consider to be our When we view our money and possessions as an extension of our self-control, we have a hard time letting go without feeling like we still get to have a say in how they are used.
Your money and possession are in your hands temporarily, and ultimately God owns it all.
