Slavery

John 8:33–47

Slavery

“Jesus answered them, ‘Very truly, I tell you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin.’ ”  John 8:34 (NRSV)

Have you ever told a lie?  Just a little one?  Have you ever told a
whopper? 

I was babysitting a young relative of mine, who mentioned he loved his grandmother’s spaghetti.  I asked him if she made her own sauce, and he said no, she made the pasta..

she grew the wheat…

in her backyard…

she ground it in her kitchen...

to make her homemade pasta.

I happened to catch on pretty early in the story, but he didn’t realize that I knew he was telling a tale.  And it kept getting bigger, and less believable.  When I told him I knew his Grandmother, and had been to her small ranch house, with a small backyard, he knew he’d been caught.  But he wouldn’t give up.  He swore it was true—every bit of it.  He couldn’t unravel from it, or he’d be found out.  He had become a slave to the lie.

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Dear Lord, please help me to be the kind of person who follows your will, not my own.

Lori Earls

This World

John 8:21–32

This World

“But he continued, ‘You are from below; I am from above.  You are of this world; I am not of this world.’”  John 8:23 (NIV)

I frequently get utterly frustrated by my humanity.  I lose my temper.  I covet other people’s cars and homes and lifestyles.  I worry too much about how other people view me and not enough about whether I am following the path God truly wants me to follow.  Yet, I am blatantly aware of my flaws.  I see them and try to fix them and every day I fail again and again.  I am of this world and often I get caught in the sticky webs of this world- selfishness, anger and greed.  Thankfully, God sent Jesus to save us and to model a higher version of humanity.  Jesus is from above and shows us that we can be more.

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Lord, thank you for the gift of your son.  Please help me to look beyond this world and make choices that honor your more perfect vision for humanity.  Also, please forgive me when I fall short of these visions.   Amen.

Wendy Robinson

The Image of God

 John 8:12–20

The Image of God

“You judge by human standards; I pass judgment on no one.”  John 8:15

God made man in his own image, and because of his love for us he sends his own son to suffer for our sins. He undergoes pain in order to make the world a better place for us. Jesus came to die for our sins and to unite the nations of the earthly kingdom. But he knew very well that his place is in heaven with his father.

We are created in God’s image, not only that:  but we are supposed to be his ambassadors on here earth.  Our mission should focus on spreading the messages of God and portraying his beloved image.

Judging others could sometimes result from our inner battles with fear, self-esteem, and selfishness may be in some instants it could be a situation that binds us to our past.

So the question is: where are you today in this eventful world?  Do you know where you come from? Do you know where you are going? Or are you still one of the Pharisees?

Let’s walk with Jesus, through with a valid faith and open heart, accepting each with open minds.  It could be a challenging walk and a hard approach but let’s know that Jesus’ path is the only way to eternal life.

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Dear God, its wisdom that we seek and a sight of love that we need. Amen

Linda Tartisio

Understanding

John 7:37–52

Understanding

“The Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.”

                

This scripture seems to be telling us how the disciples and others were wanting to believe but could not understand. At least how the concept of Christianity would advance over the years. In Jesus day, people may have felt that God was in control of there lives, but when Jesus told He would send the Holy Spirit in his place, we learned of His omnipresence.

To have always known this, a blessing beyond compare, has been a warm and comforting feeling during many times of despair.

It is with gratitude, that I can know today that I am NEVER alone. Because of Jesus, we know our Triune God is always near; our constant companion.

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Heavenly Father: Help us to know that you are always with us, even unto the end of the age. Amen

Joe McCrobie