The House You're Building

Come though long expected Jesus, come to set thy people free;                                      From our fears and sins release us,                                                                                               Let us find our rest in thee.                                                                                                              -Charles Wesley As I write i...

  Orient  John 16:16-33 In these two paragraphs of John chapter 16, we read Jesus’s last teaching before beginning His high priestly prayer.  His message focuses on His leaving and victory on the cross.  This teaching is connected to the previous part of the chapter [1]  as it is to their advantage if He goes away.  As we typically see in John, at first the disciples don’t understand Him fully and then receive spiritual insight.    Introduction I’m uncomfortable with long goodbyes-- especially when I know the person I’m parting from is someone I won’t see for a long time. It’s hard to put into words the multitude of emotions one experiences: joy from your time spent together, regret that the time has ended, and the longing to see them again.  My husband and I have been blessed with many dear friends and many of them live hours away.  Summer is typically our time to reconnect and it’s hard when we know we won’t se...

        Orient   John 15:18-16:15 This section of Scripture contains more final words from Jesus to His followers after the Passover meal and before His arrest.  The content also outlines challenges we can expect as believers and how the Holy Spirit counters those situations, strengthening us for the hardship to come.  Jesus uses this opportunity to explain why it’s better He leaves to return to the Father.    Introduction It is an exciting scenario to imagine being one of the disciples.  What would it have been like to walk with Jesus, hear His teaching that isn’t recorded in Scripture, hang out with Him and share a private joke or two. Like the apostles, we would be a first-hand witness to all his miracles and see with our own eyes the people He healed and taught.  Every day would be a spiritual high; there would be no limit to the imagination of what God could do. What could bring them down in their fervo...

        Orient  John 15:1-17 Christ continues his teaching to the disciples before His arrest as they walk from the Upper Room to the Garden of Gethsemane.  In this well-known section, Jesus uses an analogy from horticulture to explain the benefits to staying close to God.  He returns to previous themes connecting love for Him with obedience to Him.     Introduction A funny thing to ask people about is household chores.  Some people love laundry while others hate it.  I personally would rather clean a toilet than mop the floor.  There is really no apparent rhyme or reason to placing our weekly chores on a scale of enjoyment.  For me, one of my least favorite responsibilities is yard work.  Ironically, I live on 5 acres and the previous owners had spent lots of time curating a meticulous landscape surrounding the house.  Though a beauty to behold, it is a lot of work! T...