The House You're Building

  Introduction   The Israelites have seen God move in dramatic ways.  They have just been rescued from Pharaoh for a second time.  This left them on a spiritual high as they responded in worship.  Yet after seeing the plagues and God’s deliverance, days without new miracles leave them despondent.  Many of the stories in this installment of Exodus show a people with short memories.  They begin to grumble as God’s provision doesn’t come in their timing.  They need water in the desert and complain to the One who had just commanded the Red Sea to destroy their enemies.  In biblical settings, the desert is a place where people wander, need guidance, and mutter against Yahweh [1] .  Is it so different in our days? In symbolic fashion we describe seasons of life where there is dryness and scarcity as being “in the desert.” Are we patient with God and remember what He has just done for us when His timing i...

Key Verse:   “ I am the living bread that came down from heaven.   If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever.   This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”   John 6:51 (NIV)   Jesus gave His life on earth so that we can live.   All that He asks in return is that we believe in Him.   In the second half of John 6, Jesus tells the Jews, His Disciples, and us how to do this – by eating His flesh and drinking His blood (v. 53).   Jesus is speaking metaphorically, yet the Pharisees and many of Jesus’ followers didn’t understand and therefore rejected His message.   As you study this week, please reflect on Jesus’ words. Think about your own response to Jesus’ message regarding His flesh and blood.   Reflect on how He was sacrificed so that you may truly live.     Read John 6:41-71   ·          Jesus makes several references to God c...

Key Verse of the Week :   “Jesus said to them:   ‘I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.’”   John 6:35 (ESV) Why do we seek temporary, immediate satisfaction from things on earth when Jesus provides everything we need and will do so for eternity?   This week’s passage illustrates how we can see the miracles that Jesus performs – even accept His gifts – and still not understand the depth of what Jesus provides for us.   As you read the first half of John chapter 6 (vv. 1-40), reflect on your own understanding of what Jesus provides for you.   What do you seek Him for?   Do you seek Him for the temporary or the eternal? Read John 6:1-40 and Exodus 16:4-15, 35 ·          Answer the 5 W’s (who, what, when, where, and why) about the two signs that Jesus performs in this section of chapter 6.   What was the people’s response ...