Meeting Jesus
First Encounter Stories
What Does Jesus ask of You?
November 21, 2021 • Al Hardy • John 4:4–24
Jesus often asked questions, and He does exactly that when he meets the Samaritan woman at the well. The dialogue that follows not only tells us about Jesus and the Kingdom of God but challenges us to consider what exactly Jesus asks of us each and every day.
Pontius Pilate and the Jesus Paradox
November 14, 2021 • Matt Hemsley • John 18:28–40
When Pontius Pilate met Jesus, he couldn’t get his head round the man. This was said to be a king, but he was unlike any king Pilate had ever heard of. He claimed to have power, but it wasn’t power as Pilate, a Roman Governor, understood it. Jesus stood in front of him an accused criminal, and talked about the truth. Yet Jesus refused to defend himself.
Are You Convinced?
November 7, 2021 • Tamara Burdon • John 3:1–12
The encounters between Nicodemus and Jesus have been lauded in paintings, sculptures by Michangelo and debated by many a theologian. As we examine our text we will discover if Nicodemus came as a seeker of the truth or a critic of the Way.
Mary Magdalene
October 31, 2021 • Matt Hemsley • John 20:11–18
Throughout history, even as recently as Dan Brown’s controversial bestseller, The Da Vinci Code, Mary Magdalene’s image has been repeatedly conscripted, contorted, and contradicted. But who was she? Why does she excite such wild imagination? And what does her own story of ‘Meeting Jesus’ really tell us?