The Who What and Why of Jesus
Philippians 3:7-21: Pressing on Towards the Goal
What’s Paul’s goal? His goal is to know God, to gain Christ and be satisfied in him. Why does he press on? 1. Because of what Christ has achieved for him in the past (salvation); 2. Because of what Christ has achieved for him in the future (heaven and new body). How does he press on? 1. Don’t be like those who don’t know Christ and fixing in eye on Jesus.
John 20:1-10, 19-21, & 24-31: Jesus for the Sceptical
People often seem to be sceptical about Jesus and the claims of the Bible. Yet, what many people do not realise is that some of Jesus’ closest followers were also sceptical and hard to convince. John’s Gospel account tells us that several of those who followed Jesus did not believe He rose from the dead right away. Throughout these accounts, the evidences that convinced those early sceptics and doubters are given. You might be surprised at the amount of evidence…
Acts 8:26-40: The Good News For All
Christians say that the gospel is good news, but what exactly is that good news? What do a set of prophecies hundreds of years before Jesus have to do with an African official’s trip to Jerusalem? More than you might think. These passages show us that the gospel brings a reorienting of one’s heart, a removal of one’s sins and a radical reversal of one’s values.
Luke 7:36-50: The Scorned Prophet and the Forgiven Woman
How does one of Jesus’ female followers react when He is publicly shamed and insulted in front of several people? The response of Jesus in this situation is not what you might expect. Both the way Jesus responds to the one who insulted Him and the way He responds to the woman tell us much about who He is and what He has come to do.