I Am
I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life
May 21, 2023 • Chris Voorhees • John 14:1–11
In our last I AM statement sermon, we consider the exclusive claim that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. How could someone so exclusive bring peace to our troubled hearts? We will see Christ caring for his disciples at the end of his life by pointing to the only source of peace, himself. I. In Christ, your future is secure II. In Christ alone is salvation for a troubled heart Questions 1. This passage is often quoted in evangelistic conversations. Given the biblical context, why is John 14:6 appropriate for evangelism and why is it inappropriate? 2.Look back on your life. When have you had a troubled heart? How did you see God give you a hope and a future in the midst of your troubles? What currently are you still longing to see God do? 3. Jesus makes an exclusive claim to bring peace to a troubled heart. Where have you turned before to look for peace? How did it work out? 4. Peter wanted to take Jesus’ place and die for him. What was wrong with that? How do we do that still today? 5. Phillip wanted just a little bit more from Jesus instead of trusting him at his word. In what areas have just wanted a little bit more from Jesus, instead of trusting him as the sufficient savior and comforter?
I Am The True Vine
May 14, 2023 • Trent Casto • John 15:1–17
Jesus is the source of true spiritual life and only those abiding in him can produce the fruit that the Father seeks. Are you bearing the fruit the Father is seeking? How do you know? If not, how can you? These are the issues Jesus puts before us when he says, “I am the true vine." Sermon Outline: I. The Vine Gives Life to the Branches. II. The Vinedresser Tends to the Branches. III. The Branches Bear the Fruit. Sermon Discussion Questions: 1. Have you ever tended a vine or a garden? How does your experience with that inform your understanding of what Jesus teaches in this passage? 2. Pruning is a painful process for us typically. How do Jesus’ words about our Father being the vinedresser comfort us in those times when it feels like good things in our lives are being cut away? 3. What kinds of fruit are evidence of a life vitally connected to Jesus? What should we do if we do not see evidence of this fruit in our own lives (or others’ lives)? 4. What is the difference between obeying God’s commands to gain his love and obeying God’s commands to abide in his love? How is obedience essential to abiding in his love? 5. Read Isaiah 27:1-6. How does this prophecy ultimately find its fulfillment through the ministry of Jesus Christ and his church? (*hint: Leviathan and the dragon are identified with our adversary Satan) If verse 6 is being fulfilled through Jesus and the church.
I Am the Good Shepherd
May 7, 2023 • Paul May • John 10:1–21
Many of us have heard Psalm 23 at one point in our lives, whether in church or perhaps at a funeral. Perhaps we’ve seen a painting depicting Jesus as a shepherd, and that painting brought us comfort. When Jesus made the claim to be The Good Shepherd, he was offering words of comfort to many, but they were also words of consternation and blasphemy to others. Jesus’ words can divide, but ultimately they will bring people together from all over the world and all throughout history. Sermon Outline: I. Who Jesus says he is II. Why Jesus says he came to us III. How Jesus shepherds us IV. How Jesus knows us V. Who Jesus came for VI. How Jesus loves us Sermon Discussion Questions: 1. What comes to mind when you think of Jesus being your shepherd? 2. In what ways did the religious leaders of his day act like wolves? 3. How can we avoid/repent of ways we have been wolf-like towards others in the Church? 4. Do you believe the Good Shepherd is for you? 5. In what ways do you feel the Good Shepherd nudging you gently, prodding you, or even grabbing hold of you in some area of your life? 6. What does it mean to you that
I Am the Door
April 30, 2023 • Brent Whitefield • John 10:1–10
Jesus confronts the religious leaders of his day for their negligent shepherding of the people of Israel. He picks up where they failed and reveals Himself as the gate – the only door - to the sheepfold, where those who enter find salvation, protection, and life abundant. I. Those who belong to Christ can distinguish between true and false teaching II. The Door is the exclusive entry point to salvation III. To go in by the door is to embrace Christ by faith Coming in through the door not only secures salvation, but also the promise of protection and the means to prosper Questions: 1. What is the connection between Jesus ‘I Am’ statement here and the episode of the blind man healed in the previous chapter? 2. Who is the gatekeeper that Jesus references in verse three? 3. It has been observed that sheepfolds in the ancient Near East did not typically have a door, but the shepherd served as a door in the night. What light might this shed on Jesus' statement? 4. What are some of the ways that people try to enter into the sheepfold? 5. “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy.” Who is the thief? 6. What does the abundant life look like for the believer?
I Am The Light Of The World
April 23, 2023 • Greg Blosser • John 8:6–20
The world is a dark place and our lives frequently are as well. Jesus said “I am the light of the world”. Join us as we consider what Jesus meant and how his light speaks to our deepest needs. Jesus is the light of the world. I. Jesus is the light of life. II. Jesus is the light of wisdom. III. Jesus is the light of joy. Discussion Questions: 1. Where are you currently experiencing darkness in your own life? 2. If you are a Christian, how are you seeing the light of Christ most clearly in your life today? 3. For Christians, how is following Jesus like following a light in a dark place? 4. If you are not a Christian, what personal risks and benefits might be involved in deciding to following Jesus?
I AM The Bread of Life
April 16, 2023 • Trent Casto • John 6:22–59
In the passage we are considering today, Jesus Christ tells us the second thing we need to know about him when he says, “I am the bread of life.” What does that mean, and what does it mean for us? We can sum it up this way: Because Jesus Christ is the bread of life, he alone offers the satisfaction we seek. Join us to consider three implications of the fact that Jesus is the bread of life. Sermon Outline: I. Because Jesus Christ is the bread of life, we must seek him. II. Because Jesus Christ is the bread of life, we must come to him. III. Because Jesus Christ is the bread of life, we must feed on him. Sermon Discussion Questions: 1. Do you think there are an increasing number of people who are unhappy and dissatisfied or do you think it has been pretty constant over time? Explain your answer. 2. Why do you suppose that people who seem to have it all (money, success, respect, etc.) are sometimes the most miserable people? 3. What does Jesus mean in verse 27 when he says, “Do not work for the food that perishes but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you”? What is the practical application of that for you in your life today? 4. How can Jesus call people to come to him and also say “no one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him”? What does this say about our spiritual condition apart from God’s work of grace in our hearts? 5. What is the difference between Jesus saying, “There is the bread of life, go out and get it” and “I am the bread of life, come to me”?
I AM The Resurrection and the Life
April 9, 2023 • Trent Casto • John 11:17–27
Many people have ideas about who Jesus is, and some people define him as they think it is best. But in this new series, we are not going to impose upon Jesus our own ideas about who he is. Instead, we are going to let Jesus define himself through a series of statements in which he tells us definitively who he is. On this Easter Sunday, he tells us the first thing we need to know about him in a world full of death: “I am the resurrection and the life.” Sermon Outline: I. Jesus is Confident in the Face of Death. II. Jesus is Outraged in the Presence of Death. III. Jesus is Victorious Over the Power of Death. Sermon Discussion Questions: 1. Jesus’ actions in response to the sisters’ plea to come and help their brother are puzzling. Why does Jesus wait until Lazarus is already dead to come and visit? 2. Have you ever felt puzzled by God’s actions, or his seeming lack of action? How does this story comfort us? 3. Why is it significant that when Jesus stood outside of Lazarus’ tomb, he wept? 4. Do you believe Jesus is the resurrection and the life? If so, what difference does that make for you today? What difference does that make when you die?