The Word
A Study of John's Prologue
The Work Of The Holy Spirit
December 6, 2020 • Dr. Curt Dodd
The Holy Spirit is like Christmas. He brings gifts and He brings fruit. You and I, as children of God, need to understand how powerful that is for us. We need to live with the kind of hope and that kind of expectation, knowing that God will produce His power in and through our lives for His Kingdom. He will use the gifting of the Holy Spirit and the fruit of the Holy Spirit to mature us in our relationship with Him, and ultimately impact others with that relationship. In this week’s message, we are going to take a look at the different ways the Holy Spirit works in us, through us, and with us so that we can fully experience the power and the gifts that are available to us through the Spirit of God.
The Word
January 26, 2020 • Dr. Curt Dodd
One of the incredible things about Scripture is that there is so much information to be learned and absorbed even in the smallest of passages and verses. As we go through this series, we will be taking a close look at the first 18 verses of the gospel of John as we attempt to unpack and gain a better understanding of what he calls “The Word.” During this study, you will learn more about theology, understand the character of God, get to know the person of God, and learn how you can relate to Him more intimately. It is God’s desire to ultimately reveal Himself to His children that we can have a closer relationship with Him. He does this by revealing Himself through His Son and through His Word, which we will learn through this series, are one in the same.
The Real Creator
February 2, 2020 • Dr. Curt Dodd
In this week’s message, we are going to be focusing on John 1:3, which says, “Through him, all things were made; without him, nothing was made that has been made.” As humans with limited minds, we are constantly searching for answers and clarity, specifically when it comes to how this planet and all of creation came about. But when we find ourselves looking too hard for definition, we refuse to acknowledge God for who He is. Scripture makes it very clear that He is the Real Creator. Jesus is the Real Creator.
The Life
February 9, 2020 • Dr. Curt Dodd
The word "life is a very significant word in Scripture. In John's Gospel, it is used 36 times. Normally in John's usage of the word "life," he uses it in reference to eternal life. But as we continue to study John's prologue, we'll learn his usage of this word is more than just eternal life. This is a very important word to look at, which is why we are going to unpack it, because it is in Jesus that we not only find eternal life, but we find life now.
The Light: Punching Holes In The Darkness
February 16, 2020 • Dr. Curt Dodd
In this week’s message, we are going to focus on the fifth verse of the first chapter of John, which says, “The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.” Your life has the power to punch holes in the darkness, because the Bible tells us very clearly that the light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it. In order for our lives to be light that punches through the darkness, several things need to happen. So we are going to look at today’s key passage for guidance, direction, and encouragement for how the Lord wants us to live.
The Witness: God's Plan For Your Life
February 23, 2020 • Dr. Curt Dodd
God has called you to be a witness. We need to realize that regardless of where God takes us, regardless of where He places us, and regardless of what situation we may find ourselves in, He’s got a plan for our lives. Part of that plan is for you to be a witness for Him and to point other people to Christ. In order to fulfill this calling on our lives to be witnesses, there are several things we must understand. In this week’s message, we’re going to take a look at four of those things specifically.
The Witness: A Call To Keep
March 1, 2020 • Dr. Curt Dodd
Every single human being on this earth is living a different life. We all have different experiences, different relationships, and different circumstances. But God uses all of those aspects of our lives to prepare us to share the gospel of Jesus Christ. He shaped you the way He shaped you so you can be faithful to the call He has given you. And that call is to be a witness for Him. You have a call to keep, and that call is exactly what we’re going to break down in today’s message as we take a look at the ministry of John the Baptist. Mitch
When Less Becomes More
March 8, 2020 • Dr. Curt Dodd
Why do we often settle for less? Many of us will go into a restaurant today and order our food, but what we end up being given is less than what we wanted. We won’t say anything to anyone else at the table or to the waitress. We’ll just eat what was given to us and therefore settle for less. Sadly, many of us take the same approach when it comes to our spiritual lives. We settle for less when God has more for us. Jesus came so that we might have life and have it in abundance. He did not come to earth to save us so that we could settle for less than His best. So this week, we’re going to take a look at how we fall into the trap of settling for less and how we can overcome that by pursuing the abundant relationship with Christ that is available to us.
When The Light Comes On (Part 1)
March 15, 2020 • Dr. Curt Dodd
We live in a world that is becoming increasingly more overcome with darkness day after day. People want freedom more than they want a relationship with God, but what they fail to realize is that freedom from God isn’t what they expect. With so many temptations, trials, and tribulations facing us every single day, we can either choose to walk in the Light – the path God has laid out for us – or we can choose to remain in darkness, confused and clueless as to where we’re going, what we’re doing, or what consequences we are inevitably going to face as a result of our rebellion. Let’s be the ones who not only choose to walk in the Light of Jesus, but let’s point others towards the Light as well. And if we’re going to do that, there are many things about the Light that we must understand.
God's Promises Are All True
March 22, 2020 • Dr. Curt Dodd
Many of us don't realize how important the promises of God really are until we go through a difficult time in our lives. In the midst of the difficulty and uncertainty our world is facing right now, Dr. Dodd is going to point us to the promises of God and show us how we can cling to them and the certainty they provide no matter what we are facing.
When The Light Comes On (Part 2)
March 29, 2020 • Dr. Curt Dodd
Last week we talked about the means and the circumstances God uses to turn the light on within us. This week we’re going to continue that conversation as we talk about how to use that light to love and minister to the people around us. Our entire purpose in life is to become more like Christ, and as we do that, we should be a shining light so that others are drawn to the Lord. So we’re going to learn how to do just that in this week’s message.
The Missed Messiah
April 5, 2020 • Dr. Curt Dodd
Have you ever been driving down the road, and all of a sudden you realize you missed your exit? You knew which exit you needed to take, but something happened. You got disconnected and distracted. And then you wasted time trying to get back to where you were supposed to go in the first place. Life is like that sometimes. We can miss things, things much bigger and more important than an exit ramp, because we’re distracted. In today’s message, we are going to figure out how not to miss the Messiah and the invitation He has extended to us to follow Him. This life is the only chance we get to follow Christ, so let’s make sure we don’t miss out on that chance.
Isn't It Amazing?
April 19, 2020 • Dr. Curt Dodd
As we continue our study on the Prologue of John, we are going to take a look at all of the amazing things this text speaks of. We’re going to see how amazing God is, what amazing community looks like, what amazing gift we are given through Jesus, and what amazing gain we experience by spending our lives following Christ. While it’s true that being a Jesus- follower isn’t always easy, there are some amazing parts of this life is well, and that’s what we’re going to focus on in this week’s message.
The Word Became Flesh
April 26, 2020 • Dr. Curt Dodd
John’s prologue, the first 18 verses, is the most powerful, poignant, theological treatise that’s ever been written to explain who God is. Because there is so much in this text, we cannot do it right unless we go slowly enough to digest and consume every nuance of these words. So, in this week’s message, we are going to talk about the Word made flesh. The difference between preaching and teaching is not volume. Teaching provides a lot of explanation to say what something means. Preaching moves toward application, asking the question, “so what now?” Therefore, you need to stay tuned for the entire message because not only are you going to learn about the Word, but you’re going to glean some insight and application that could change your life and give you hope like never before.
The One And Only
May 3, 2020 • Dr. Curt Dodd
John 1:14 says, “We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” The phrase we’re going to look at in this week’s message is “one and only.” This statement is extremely important because it is a description of the deity of Jesus. If you believe Jesus is less than divine, and if you don’t believe He is the only and only way to a relationship with the Father, then you can’t go to heaven. You must believe that Jesus is your Savior, but also that He is good. To spend eternity with Him, you have to believe He is the one and only. So as we walk through this passage and this principle this week, we’ll take a look at a deeper explanation of the text, and then we’ll break down the application of how this applies directly to you and your walk with Christ.