Stop Doubting and Believe!

John 20.19-29

1. What are the implications that the disciples locked themselves in the room in fear of the Jewish leaders.
2. What does it mean that Jesus came and stood among them? Why were the disciples overjoyed when they saw the Lord? Why is Jesus referred to as the "Lord" here? What is the signficance that Thomas calls Jesus "My Lord and My God"?
3. Why does Jesus say, "Peace be with you", and why does he say it twice?
4. Why was Thomas needing proof?
5. What are the implications that Jesus knew to go to Thomas and knew what Thomas needed?
6. What are the implications that Jesus told Thomas to "Stop doubting and believe". How could Jesus' command be applied to us?
7. What does Jesus mean when he says, "Blessed are thoss who have not seen and yet have believed"? Is this us, or is this the other disciples?
8. Why does John's account stop here in light of what he says in verse 30?

Passion Week

John 19

The Crucifixion

25Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, "Dear woman, here is your son," 27and to the disciple, "Here is your mother." From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.

The Death of Jesus
28Later, knowing that all was now completed, and so that the Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, "I am thirsty." 29A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus' lips. 30When he had received the drink, Jesus said, "It is finished." With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
31Now it was the day of Preparation, and the next day was to be a special Sabbath. Because the Jews did not want the bodies left on the crosses during the Sabbath, they asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies taken down. 32The soldiers therefore came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with Jesus, and then those of the other. 33But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. 34Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus' side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water. 35The man who saw it has given testimony, and his testimony is true. He knows that he tells the truth, and he testifies so that you also may believe. 36These things happened so that the scripture would be fulfilled: "Not one of his bones will be broken,"[b] 37and, as another scripture says, "They will look on the one they have pierced."[c]

The Burial of Jesus
38Later, Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for the body of Jesus. Now Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly because he feared the Jews. With Pilate's permission, he came and took the body away. 39He was accompanied by Nicodemus, the man who earlier had visited Jesus at night. Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds.[d] 40Taking Jesus' body, the two of them wrapped it, with the spices, in strips of linen. This was in accordance with Jewish burial customs. 41At the place where Jesus was crucified, there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had ever been laid. 42Because it was the Jewish day of Preparation and since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.


1. I thought we could begin tonight with storytelling. What is one impactful or formative story you have from a past Passion Week? Is there an experience from Good Friday or Easter that is more memorable than others?

2. Who is Mary the wife of Clopas? Why is it important that she was there?

3. What does Jesus teach us in verses 26 and 27 in the way he treats his mother?

4. 'It is finished.' What does this stir up in you?

5. What do you notice about loyalty to the Law?

6. Read verse 38. Do you see any comparisons / contrasts to the story that has been unfolding?

7. For Keith: Do you recognize any 'wilderness theology' in these passages?

Captured in a Song

I think I caught a glimpse of
Life without friends
Bitter, empty, hollow, dark and lonely
We never meant to hurt each other
So Can’t we trust again
And take it as a chance
To keep on growing

I don’t know why it doesn’t come easy
But I know that we could be happy
If we’d only learn to love

Life revolves around the need
Of having someone
Causing every complicated feeling
And I don’t want to loose you
And there is nothing wrong with
Telling me what you need
To keep our love strong

It’s just a part of being a family
Taking the good with the bad and the ugly
If we could only learn to love

We need each other
So what’s the fighting for
We need each other
Please don’t close the door
We need each other
Through all the highs and lows
We need each other
Cuz no one’s meant to live alone

We need each other
Fathers and Mothers
We need each other
All your sisters and brothers
We need each other
We need friends and lovers
We need each other

Well I need you
You need me
Cuz that’s the way
It’s meant to be
I need you
We need each other
I don’t want to be alone

Sanctus Real - We Need Each Other
From the album We Need Each Other
Edited

As I've heard this song over and over again (cause I listen to air 1 a whole lot) I can't help but think about our small group. It takes life from being about just me and what's going on in my life to being about how we do life together. Of course there is always room to grow in relationship, and I pray that we continue to do just that, but I am so thankful for the Fellowship! I appreciate your prayers over the next few days!
Justin

John 21: 1-15

John 21:1-14

21After these things Jesus showed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias; and he showed himself in this way. 2Gathered there together were Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples. 3Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We will go with you.” They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. 4Just after daybreak, Jesus stood on the beach; but the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. 5Jesus said to them, “Children, you have no fish, have you?” They answered him, “No.” 6He said to them, “Cast the net to the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in because there were so many fish. 7That disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on some clothes, for he was naked, and jumped into the sea. 8But the other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, only about a hundred yards off. 9When they had gone ashore, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish on it, and bread. 10Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.” 11So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, a hundred fifty-three of them; and though there were so many, the net was not torn. 12Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” Now none of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you?” because they knew it was the Lord. 13Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. 14This was now the third time that Jesus appeared to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.

As I read this I have a couple of questions arise.

1. Why would a lone man, on the beach, be randomly yelling at people in a boat a 100 yards away? Why would they respond?

2. When they notice that "it is the Lord" is it because he is recognized or because they realized his mighty acts?

3. Could you swim 100 yards wearing your bath robe?

4. Where did Jesus get the fish? He was fully divine--did he fish them out of the water, or did he zap them onto a stick?

5. How do you suppose B-Fast went...was it calm and sullen or where they shocked...?

6. Was this the first meal with disciples after the last meal? Does his choice of fish and bread hold significance?

see yall tonight

Continuing on in Confession -

As Jeremy lead us in our last time together we began to talk about confession. As something we have practiced before, I think our goal in these discussions is to say how can we go deeper and how can we carry a life of confession into ministry with us, teaching those we may be privileged to disciple.

This week, we'll discuss the 22 questions of the Holy Club and what if any relevance they have for today. Please come fully prepared to give an account for each question...in detail...ok, in my own conviction of probably 19 of the 22, we'll talk more about them than where we are with them right now. Really, though, I encourage you to read through each question before coming together on Wednesday.

Let's pray come Holy Spirit and see where He takes us.














The 22 Convictions, I mean, Holy Club Questions -
1.Am I consciously or unconsciously creating the impression that I am better than I really am? In other words, am I a hypocrite?
2.Am I honest in all my acts and words, or do I exaggerate?
3.Do I confidentially pass on to another what was told to me in confidence?
4.Can I be trusted?
5.Am I a slave to dress, friends, work, or habits?
6.Am I self-conscious, self-pitying, or self-justifying?
7.Did the Bible live in me today?
8.Do I give it time to speak to me everyday?
9.Am I enjoying prayer?
10.When did I last speak to someone else about my faith?
11.Do I pray about the money I spend?
12.Do I get to bed on time and get up on time?
13.Do I disobey God in anything?
14.Do I insist upon doing something about which my conscience is uneasy?
15.Am I defeated in any part of my life?
16.Am I jealous, impure, critical, irritable, touchy, or distrustful?
17.How do I spend my spare time?
Are Jeremy and Ryan studs?
18.Am I proud?
19.Do I thank God that I am not as other people, especially as the Pharisees who despised the publican?
20.Is there anyone whom I fear, dislike, disown, criticize, hold a resentment toward or disregard? If so, what am I doing about it?
21.Do I grumble or complain constantly?
22.Is Christ real to me?

A Life of Confession...A Life of Holy Communion

"I believe in Christianity
As I believe that
the sun has risen
not only because I see it
but because by it
I see everything else"
- C. S. Lewis

Meditate on the words below, and may it inspire our time together.

Jesus Is Condemned: Jesus stands before Pilate. He is silent. He does not defend himself against the many charges made against him. But when Pilate asks him, “What have you done? He says, “I came into the world for this, to bear witness to the truth; and all who are on the side of truth listen to my voice” (John 19:35-38) The truth of which Jesus speaks is the very relationship, the life-giving intimacy between himself and the Father of which he wants us to partake. Anyone who enters into communion with Jesus will receive the Sprit of truth—the Spirit who frees us from the compulsions and obsessions of our contemporary society. Jesus is the freest human being who ever lived because he was the most connected to God. Pilate condemned him; Pilate wanted to make him one of the damned. But he could not. Jesus death, instead of being the execution of a death sentence, became the way to the full truth, leading to full freedom.

Jesus Carries His Cross: Pilate handed Jesus over to be scourged. Jesus undergoes it all. The time of action is past. He does not speak any more; he does not protest; he does not reproach or admonish. He has become a victim. He no longer acts, but is acted upon. He has entered his passion. He knows that most of human life is passion. People are being starved, kidnapped, tortured, and murdered. People are being imprisoned, driven from their homes, separated from their families, put into camps and used for slave labor. They do not understand the cause for it all. Nobody explains. They are poor. When Jesus felt the cross put on his shoulders, he felt the pain of all future generations pressing on him and he loved the least of us with an immense compassion. . . .
I have to act in any way possible to alleviate the pain I see. But there is an even harder task: to carry my own cross, the cross of loneliness and isolation, the cross of rejections I experience, the cross of my depression and inner anguish. . . . We must each take up our own cross and follow Jesus, and so discover that we are truly brothers and sisters who learn from him who is humble and gentle of heart. In this way only can a new humanity be born.

[Excerpts from Henri Nouwen’s Walk with Jesus: www.henrinowen.org]

Discussion for Tonight

I thought we could build off of our movie night and discuss what we watched together. These hard hitting questions should spark some heated debate / spiritual breakthrough.
1. Who is cooler, Gandalf the Grey or Gandalf the White?
2. What exactly is longweed and why is Gandalf always smoking a long ol' pipe of it?
3. If you were a talking tree, what would your name be? And would you have a nickname?
4. In your own life, who is your Gandalf? And who is your Sam?

Just kidding guys. The real questions are below in the next post. Much love!

Jesus Before Pilate

John 18:28-40

1. Why would the Jews be considered ‘unclean’ if they entered the palace?
2. What is the significance of the ‘charges’ against Jesus in v. 30?
3. The religious leaders say, “But we have no right to execute anyone…” What do you think about this? Historical / legal background? Irony of the statement in this situation?
4. Jesus speaks about his Kingdom when being questioned by Pilate. What are your observations on this profound scene, with two leaders of two kingdoms standing face to face?
5. Pilate asks, “What is truth?” Good question. What do you think?
6. “Now Barabbas had taken part in a rebellion.” What strikes you about this one sentence biography?

Arrest, Questioning, Denial

Arrest, Questioning, Denial...
Sounds like a daily occurrence from my experience at the police department. I have to say it happens all too often. Even in a small town next to the "holy city" the level of brokenness exceeds anything I would ever expect.

Anyway, today we're going to be diving into John 18:12-27. If at all possible, I encourage you to read the passage before coming and bring questions and observations to discuss. I've even put the passage here in case you just have a few minutes. -

John 18:12-27 12 Then the detachment of soldiers with its commander and the Jewish officials arrested Jesus. They bound him
13 and brought him first to Annas, who was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, the high priest that year.
14 Caiaphas was the one who had advised the Jews that it would be good if one man died for the people.
15 Simon Peter and another disciple were following Jesus. Because this disciple was known to the high priest, he went with Jesus into the high priest's courtyard,
16 but Peter had to wait outside at the door. The other disciple, who was known to the high priest, came back, spoke to the girl on duty there and brought Peter in.
17 "You are not one of his disciples, are you?" the girl at the door asked Peter. He replied, "I am not."
18 It was cold, and the servants and officials stood around a fire they had made to keep warm. Peter also was standing with them, warming himself.
19 Meanwhile, the high priest questioned Jesus about his disciples and his teaching.
20 "I have spoken openly to the world," Jesus replied. "I always taught in synagogues or at the temple, where all the Jews come together. I said nothing in secret.
21 Why question me? Ask those who heard me. Surely they know what I said."
22 When Jesus said this, one of the officials nearby struck him in the face. "Is this the way you answer the high priest?" he demanded.
23 "If I said something wrong," Jesus replied, "testify as to what is wrong. But if I spoke the truth, why did you strike me?"
24 Then Annas sent him, still bound, to Caiaphas the high priest.
25 As Simon Peter stood warming himself, he was asked, "You are not one of his disciples, are you?" He denied it, saying, "I am not."
26 One of the high priest's servants, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, challenged him, "Didn't I see you with him in the olive grove?"
27 Again Peter denied it, and at that moment a rooster began to crow.

Here are just a few of my initial questions and observations -

• Why Annas? What is significance of Jesus being taken to him?
• Did the high priest know that John was a disciple?
• Why did Peter deny being a disciple? Was it just to fulfill Jesus' prophetic words? What factors might have been playing into his denial?
• I think it a bit ironic Jesus is punched in the face for improperly addressing the high priest.
• Possibly the most difficult question within the context of this passage - was Peter's denial sinful? How do we understand soteriology in relation to the disciples?

Lord, I pray that you will guide our study and conversation so that it may be fruitful to our understanding of your work in the world and in our lives. Holy Spirit we welcome your presence among us, especially today as we gather together!

John 18:1-11

Here you go fellas:

1. In the first few verses, though the NIV states Olive Grove, John does not call Jesus being in an Olive Grove, but a Garden. Is John making a connection between the Passion and Resurrection account (Salvation) and the Garden of Eden (Fall)?
Also, I find it interesting and pleasing that Christ, during a time as such as this, brought His disciples to a place of familiarity, a place of meaning and significance.

2. In verse 3, those coming to arrest/confront Jesus can be divided into three people groups: 1. Roman Soldiers, 2. Jewish Servants, and 3. an Runaway Apostle. Is there any significance or connection between these diverse people groups and the Passion narrative?

3. In verses 4 and 7, Jesus states, “Who do you want”? Interestingly, this is the same question Jesus asks in John 1:38. Is this just a coincidence, or is it significant?

4. Compare Jesus’ struggle in the Garden of Gethsemane, with His comment in John 8:11. What could be John’s reason for this comparison? What does this tell us about the nature and relationship between Jesus and Man, Son and Father, and vice versa?

Interesting Observation/Find: Peter does not go after the solider or one of the Jewish force, but the slave of the high priest (I am not for sure if this is a genius or cowardly act). Interestingly, John mentions the slave’s name, Malchus. Since John knew the high priest and his household (John 18:16) and Malchus’ family (John 18:26), one has to wonder emotionally how John felt during what seemed to be a time of confusion and utter chaos.

(side note) This passage also answers the question that Peter was not a pacifist.

Fill me up -

There are few places that touch my heart the same way the North Carolina Coast does. Recently, having the opportunity to walk in the sand and surf, I was touched by the thought of the ocean as a means of grace. When I think about God's grace and God's love I think about how big it must be to cover my sin. As I look out over the water watching it reach to the horizon, I am overwhelmed by all that God has done to express His love for us. His love and grace is beyond what we can comprehend, it's even greater than all the water in all oceans of the world!

Praise the Lord!

Food for thought from a friend...

The following blog has been copied from The Bridge Project. The original text can be found at http://joshandlauraleroy.blogspot.com



A saint and an activist

disclaimer: sorry for the somber mood of this post. I think I've been reading too much Ecclesiastes recently.

Different people can see the same sin,the same injustice, the same oppression, and react oppositely. The activist, when he sees injustice, is thrust into the world, seeking to extract the sin from society. The saint, seeing the same injustice, is thrust into himself, seeking to extract the sin from his own heart. One is with the people. He works tirelessly in the heat of the sun to bring about restitution. The other is with no one but God, and toils in the heat of brutal examination. The activist is perpetually frustrated. When one hole is patched, another one just as big springs a little further down the line. Always searching for a clue without, he fails to notice the presence of the perpetrator within.

The saint has no false notions of moral exemption. And so, he stays hot on the trail of sin's inner descent. It's not that he doesn't go out into the world, he just does so with a different point of view. Like the activist, the saint walks the streets of a sin-sick society and seeks to administer mercy. Yet the world to him is like a mirror. It merely serves to reflect back the wickedness of his own heart. The dark, dingy alleys that surround him pale in comparison to the putrid pathways of pride in his own heart.

After a job well done, the activist rests easy. As he drifts off to sleep, he whispers a prayer; "God, give me one more day to make a difference." The saint next door is wide awake. He stares up at the ceiling and prays quietly; "Search me O God, and know my heart. Try me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."

These days, God is gently teaching me that he doesn't need any more activists, but that saints are in short supply.

Layers

I had the honor of speaking at a camp out in Iowa earlier this summer. On the first night of the camp, a drama team performed a powerful skit where they painted a picture of Jesus on the cross. They left it displayed on a music stand next to the stage.

Being somewhat of a jerk, it took me all of 4 seconds to realize that I needed that music stand for my Bible and notes. So, I had a friend move the painting. Notice I didn’t actually move it myself. I’m not that much of a jerk. In my defense, I did ask him to keep it displayed in a prominent place. He gently placed it in the center of the platform, which was decorated with various road signs (ah, classic youth camp), where it stayed all week. It wasn’t until the very last night that I noticed he had set the painting right next to a sign that read ‘one way.’

Layers. While I was preaching my heart out all week long, another sermon was quietly telling a story behind me. I believe there are layers to our worship design that most people will never notice…including us. But they are there. Telling the story. Scripted by the Spirit, unseen but unmistakable.

Evoking Spirits

Okay I know that I am treading on shaky ground here but I have always wondered something. The churchs language when discussing the holy ghost can be straight terrifying to some. Here are some examples that can be easily confused or make someone uneasy.

"I was possessed by the holy spirit"
"The holy spirit moved through me"
"God send us your spirit to this place"
In church service..."Cant you just feel the power of the holy spirit moving in this place"
"I need to be sensitive to the spirits urging in my life.


While I know what this means it makes me wonder a couple of things.

Why does the church as whole ignore the influence of demons (the bad side) but evoke and call into being holy spirits (the good side) does it seem like we are playing a one sided all good game?

Also...So many, probably protestants, deny the existence of ghosts and spirits. How can we do that if many of us assert that a spirit has moved through us and caused us or helped us do things?

Any thoughts

Room to grow...

The first few weeks here at Mt. Zion Wesleyan Church have been really amazing! One of the key goals for the summer is simply growing in my relationship with the Lord. One of the first things my mentor said has stuck with me… in fact, I read these words every morning before I start my day.

“Until the burden for others is greater than the burden for yourself, you will never fully know the Power of Christ.”

These words just resonate in my heart and remind me that there is always room growth! Is Holiness what you long for? I’ve recently read that Holiness is like a bird… It must have two wings to fly… One wing is personal holiness, the other is social holiness. Without one or the other the bird is grounded.

Is your pursuit of Holiness soaring or grounded?

How are you seeing growth in your life?

Philippians 3:10-11 ¹⁰ I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, ¹¹ and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.

Heart Strangely Warmed

Today is May 24,

and marks the birth of a movement.

On this day in 1738, John Wesley had his famous 'Aldersgate Experience.'

He was never the same.

And neither was the world.

the golden sessions

My brother Josh is graduating from Asbury this week. Over the last three years, we have had the honor and pleasure of sharing this seminary experience with each other. Who gets to do that? Who gets to walk through seminary with his brother? I am humbled by the privilege.

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about friendship and brotherhood. I have been blessed in my life, with brothers that are my best friends, and friends that are like brothers. They are sure signs and symbols of God’s grace in my life. And I am deeply thankful. CS Lewis said it right (imagine that) in his rich work, The Four Loves:

“…each member of the circle feels, in his secret heart, humbled before all the rest. Sometimes he wonders what he is doing there among his betters. He is lucky beyond desert to be in such company. Especially when the whole group is together, each bringing out all that is best, wisest, or funniest in all the others. Those are the golden sessions; when four or five of us after a hard day’s walking have come to our inn; our feet spread out towards the blaze and our drinks at our elbows; when the whole world, and something beyond the world, opens itself to our minds as we talk. Life- natural life- has no better gift to give. Who could have deserved it?”

Embrace Souix Falls

As graduation nears, there is another group of men and women stepping out to serve the Lord as teachers, preachers and evangelists. We just want to give a little shout out to one of our friends, Adam Weber. He and his wife are leaving this month for Sioux Falls, SD where they will be planting a new church called EMBRACE. Check out their website - www.embracesiouxfalls.com

What makes a Christian???

While thinking the other day about life, death, and how to avoid hitting that stupid little dog with my mower. I got to thinking...What makes a Christian today? It seems that at one time a Christian could be defined, but in this world of relativism and psychobabble is it as clear cut? There are scriptures that refer to works...scriptures that refer to relationship...some justice...some mercy. Is it really as simply as rote praying a prayer from a 30 page book when your 8 and then living as if it never happened? Or, is it possible that if you love mercy and justice yet have never "accepted" Jesus that you are not a Christian?

also...

What happened to Hell?

Growing up in a charismatic AG church I heard the, "what happened if you died today" sermon every Sunday...do you know, know, know that you would not go to Hell? I am not trying to affirm or deny the validity of this type of sermon, but I must ask the question. What happened to preaching/teaching that there is a Hell?

I cannot remember the last preacher that mentioned that the road to Heaven is narrow and the road to Hell is wide and that we are not all going to go to Heaven.

and just for fun...

Who wants to join my Osteenist denomination?

No, seriously...I would like to hear what y'all think about the next 500 years. If you consider the last 500 years of Theologians there are many that come to mind. Are there any theologians, preachers, philosophers that are alive today that will be referenced at Seminaries in 2507?

Just in case you haven't seen it yet...

One of our very own (not mentioning any names) is featured in this video below. This is his youtube debut! If you laugh be sure to give it a good rating!...and oh yes, you will laugh :)


If you didn't catch the lyrics to this deeply moving song, click here and drag down to reveal them:
"Come life, shaker life, come life eternal , shake shake out of me all that is carnal"