verseoftheday

Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the hometown of Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael and told him, "We have found the one Moses wrote about in the law (and so did the prophets):  Jesus the son of Joseph, from Nazareth." "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Nathanael asked him. John 1:44-46 CSB Not sure if Nathanael was from Bethsaida as well, but he certainly wasn't from Nazareth! His comment gives  insight into the person Nathanael was; arrogant, quick to judge, quick to pigeon hole someone because of where they come from. Everyone from there is the same. And none of it is good. And as I've thought about Nathanael I've realised that I'm the same. There's countries that I've called basket cases. There's towns I'd never want to live in. There's suburbs I'd at least in my mind call "Nazareth". Nothing good can come from there.  That streak of arrogance runs in me. Yet Jesus was one of "them", from &qu

The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him,  "Follow me." John 1:43 NIV I got asked last night if I was "winding down for retirement".  Not quite sure what that meant, but Philip wasn't asked to follow into comfort, to follow into the known, to follow into "success", but to simply follow. Jesus. To follow Jesus. And Philip wasn't just the next person Jesus bumped into.  "Finding Philip..." Jesus is intentional, he finds people, and asks. He doesn't demand. And we get to choose. To choose comfort, the known, success, or to simply follow Jesus. Maybe those two paths will cross, but it's about where I place my allegiance. Joshua Ch 24 Josh gave the people a similar choice about choosing this day who you will serve. Jesus simply says "follow me".  Choose this day.  This hour. This moment by moment. Follow me. Jesus chose Philip. And he chose you  He chose me And simply asks us to follow h

...Jesus looked at him and said,  "You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas (which, when translated, is Peter ). John 1:42 NIV Peter. The rock. Jesus looked at him, and already knew his name. And then he gave him a new name.  A name that spoke not to his past, but to his future.  Jesus saw Simon and knew not just his name, but who he was, and at the same time, what he could become. Jesus sees us.  And he knows your name. Knows what has shaped us, and I think he has a new name, a new identity for us.  He sees what we can be, what God put in us from before time, what we can become. Jesus knows you. Knows your name. And has a new name for you, a future with him for you to step into. Did Simon/Peter shift in an instant? No. But he did change.  By following Jesus. He sees you. He knows your name. He loves you. Follow Him. #gospelofJohn #dearlyloved #childrenofGod #seen #known #loved #renamed

Friday! Proverbs! Differing weights are detestable to the Lord , and dishonest scales are unfair. Proverbs 20:23 CSB This seems to be about the practice of using one stone to measure produce when buying, and a different one when selling, to improve the margin of the trader in a dishonest and fraudulent way. It's about the heart of the person with power.  In this case the one who owns and manipulates the stones for their benefit. Where do I do that? Where do I use my power, my knowledge, my advantage, for my benefit? Who do I judge using a different scale? Have you ever thought that's how we judge ourselves? I do. I justify my own behaviour, judge myself lightly. And then I can condemn myself in ways that I would never condemn others. That I'm too bad. Beyond redemption. Unacceptable. Unloveable. The other side of this proverb is a true measure. And for my heart, and yours, Jesus is our true measure.  And the Cross is the place where my sin and His love and redemption meet.

The next day, John was standing with two of his disciples.  When he saw Jesus passing by, he said,  "Look, the Lamb of God!" The two disciples heard him say this and followed Jesus. John 1:35-37 CSB "Look" Some translations use "Look!", some use "behold". The word apparently has a look beneath the surface, really see kind of vibe.  Look here's the One I've been telling you about, preparing you to meet.  Here's the One who is the Messiah. Look here's the One who is the Son of God. Look here's the One who is the atoning lamb. And John's disciples, his crew, his followers immediately shifted allegiance.  This is what John was preparing people to do: follow Jesus. John wasn't interested in the prestige or power of having his own disciples, his own following, but in pointing people to Jesus.  It's tricky to have that pure motive tho.  Or maybe that's just me :/ John was all about helping people look, to behold, to r

And John testified,  "I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and he rested on him. I didn't know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water told me,  'The one you see the Spirit descending and resting on - he is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.' I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God." John 1:32-34 CSB John was a witness to God's confirmation that this walking around in-the-flesh person was the Son of God, the one John had been preaching about by faith. John also testifies here of his own calling, a calling he actioned by faith. For John it was unmistakable who Jesus is.  He is the Son of God. Identified and confirmed by the physical manifestation of the Holy Spirit. He is the Lamb of God. The one who is Grace and Truth. The Light. The Word. The Creator. The Eternal. John gives no wriggle room that Jesus is anyone else. He is the witness to the One he had already been serving by faith, and looking for by faith. We get

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said,  "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" John 1:29 CSB John is busy baptising people, has just had this big discussion with the Pharisees, and Jesus turns up. And John's intro? No family history, no this is where he comes from, what his job was, no "here's my cousin Jesus". Maybe John thought he had one shot to connect Jesus with the people who were there, and he introduces him as the lamb from Isaiah 53. The one who is greater than me, who I've been pointing you to, the one who is enough to deal with your sin and mine, the one who can atone, make things right with God. This is Jesus  Maybe that's not the intro we would use today, but sometimes it can feel like our sin, our stuff, is too big, too much. And John reminds us that no, here is Jesus, the only one who is enough. He is enough. No matter how big or how ugly our stuff is, Jesus is enough.  That can be humbling, and

He is the one coming after me, whose sandal strap I'm not worthy to untie. John 1:27 CSB A contingent had been sent from the church to find out who John is, what he was about, and who he claimed to be. This is like the Pope sending people to suss out who this preacher is who is baptizing people in the river. And John leads with humility.  He doesn't talk up his ministry or make a big deal, he points them to Jesus.  Part of his answer quotes Isaiah 40v3 which points to the Messiah, a saviour coming. And here John says I'm even lower than a servant in comparison.  Jesus is coming. He's the One.  John could've been a celebrity, instagramming baptisms, getting a following.  But he lead with humility.  And points to Jesus. Lord, help me to lead with humility and point people to you. When I'm tempted to want followers or praise, help me point people to you.  Lord I am not worthy to untie your sandal and wash your feet, yet you did that for me, made me worthy, to becom

No one has ever seen God,  but the one and only Son, who is himself God  and is in closest relationship with the Father,  has made him known. John 1:18 NIV The word translated "made him known" is "exegeomai", which means to show the way, to narrate, to unfold, to declare. Jesus, the One and Only Son, came to show us the way to God. Not just show us, but become the way. To narrate, to tell God's story, to explain Him. Jesus explains God in ways that we can at least partly understand. To unfold God. As you unfold something, more is revealed. Jesus reveals God, unfolding more and more. And to declare God. Jesus life, words, life, death, resurrection, and ongoing advocacy for us, declare who God is. Holiness  Justice Grace Love Love  Love for us. Love for you. Jesus is not just at the centre of everything, he makes God known to us.  Rest in that today. #gospelofJohn #sunday #worship #thisisourGod #revealedexplainedunfoldedanddeclaredbyJesus #loved #dearlyloved #chil

Indeed,  we have all received grace upon grace  from his fullness,  for the law was given through Moses;  grace and  truth  came through Jesus Christ. John 1:16-17 CSB This word "fullness" is a term used to describe a ship laden with merchandise.  What is the merch of Jesus? Grace. Upon Grace. Upon Grace. While you may not always see the law as part of Grace, it was. But Jesus takes Grace to a whole new level. Moses was your guy who met with God and got the law, Jesus is next level. Jesus didn't come with tablets of stone, but with Grace and Truth. And he is laden with it.  Grace upon Grace. Grace is stacked up. Grace. Favour. Blessing. It has this meaning of "leaning in".  God is leaning in, towards us. He's come down.  Stooped down. Made Himself small enough, stripped away the power that would destroy us, to lean in towards us. Grace upon Grace. Jesus is leaning in towards us today. Rest in that. #gospelofJohn #graceupongrace

Friday!  Proverbs! Don't say,  "I will avenge this evil!" Wait on the Lord,  and he will rescue you. Proverbs 20:22 CSB There are days when I've said exactly this! One day I was in my car and someone was crossing the road in front of me.  This person had hurt someone I cared about, and my thought was to run them over and call it an accident.  I will avenge. I decided. I was going to mete out justice. I ran no one over that day, and this proverb is all about rescuing me from that desire.  Not from the desire that there should be justice, or that actions have consequences, but from my desire to be the prosecutor, the defence, the judge, jury and executor of justice.  My heart can't be trusted with that.  "Lord, rescue me from that desire. But at the same time, I want to see justice, I am angry about injustice, cry for those victimised.  Help me to follow you, the Just One, who stepped in to our broken world not in power, but in humility. Rescue me from my own h

The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. We observed his glory, the glory as the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14 CSB I don't know how this works, how the Creator, the Eternal, the Word, the Light, shrunk himself, made himself small enough, humbled himself enough, to come and join us. To become so small and so vulnerable to fit into a tiny collection of cells in his mum's womb. How does that work? To wash people's feet. To welcome the small, those on the margins. To be unseen, rejected, forsaken, so that we are not. To be grace. And truth. How does that work? John does not give us the option that Jesus was just a good teacher, a wise person. These 14 verses give us no option but to wrestle with the idea that the Eternal, Creator, the Light, the Word, became a person, like us, and lived among us. How does that work? And why. Because He Loves you. Wants you & me to be in His family. Children of God. Where we are seen. Where there is no

He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, he gave them the right to be children of God, to those who believe in his name, John 1:11-12 CSB Yesterday it was unseen. Today it's rejected. There's actual rejection, and the hurt that flows from that, and there's that massive fear that we can have: The fear of rejection. Jesus knows what rejection is, what it feels like. He knows. His life, his words, his actions, the cross, tell us that there need be no fear of rejection with him.  Believe in his name.  And that fear can go. Our acceptance is not tied to our goodness or our performance, but simply in our belief. Faith  Believe in his name and you will become a child of God. An irreversible status that is rejection proof. Rest in that today. Come as you are. Let's put our faith in Jesus anew today and step forward rejection proof. And we are called to imitate Jesus, to love like he does, to love people so they won't experi

The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. He was in the world,  and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. John 1:9-10 NIV "The true light" is a quiet warning for us that there are false or counterfeit lights that might appear good are not.  Jesus is the True Light.  Beware of counterfeits that promise quick, easy, self centred, self righteous paths. Jesus is the True Light. Truth, justice, mercy, compassion, love.  Ever felt unseen? That no one really knows you? That the real you is missed completely by the world around you? Jesus knows what that is like.  Unrecognised. Unseen. He knows. His life on earth showed that he did not walk past the small, the vulnerable, that his whole mission was to seek out the one who is lost.  With Jesus we are never unseen. Never unknown. Never unloved. Let the True Light of truth, justice, mercy, compassion, & love shine on you, and through you today  #gospelofJohn #theWord #li

There was a man sent from God whose name was John.  He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. John 1:6-8 NIV Sometimes I need this reminder. Not just that Jesus is the Light of the World, but my job is no just to testify about the Light.  To share what I know. Being the Light, that's Jesus' job.  And the more I know of Jesus the better (more accurate) my testimony will be.  Jesus put it simply when he said it's all about 2 things: Love God. Look up, see, discover, learn from, lean into, and follow God. Live close to, in communion with the source of light. Love people. Look out, see, walk with, learn from, have compassion for, and love people. Bear witness to and reflect the Light.  Doesn't seem too difficult!  But we're not the Light, and don't have to carry that weight. Rest in that today. #gospelofJohn #theWord #light #lightoftheworld #Jesu

In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness,  and the darkness  has not  overcome it. John 1:4-5 NIV Life. Light. Light that shines. Light has not been overcome by darkness. Light v darkness Light for all people. All. There's days when the world seems too dark, the problems too big. There's times when I don't think I measure up, that I can be good enough. Be enough. But Jesus. He is the light.  I don't have to be the light, just live in it. I don't have to overcome the darkness. He overcomes darkness. His light is life for all. Even me. Today. And we can rest in that. No matter what is pushing in today, we can dwell in the Light. And rest in the hope that darkness cannot and will not overcome it. #gospelofJohn #theWord #light #life #thisisourGod #sunday #worship #liveinthelighttoday

In the beginning  was the Word,  and the Word was with God,  and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.  Through him all things were made;  without him  nothing was made  that has been made. John 1:1-3 NIV This is not just an echo of Genesis 1, in the beginning, but an explanation of it.  Jesus was not just there as a bystander or spectator at creation, he was the agent of creation. He made it all. Including us. He is the Creator. Yes one with God, and yes who He is, at the same time.  The creator. Eternal With God. In glorious one-ness forever. Unbroken by anything. Until Jesus, the logos, the eternal creator, left. And made himself small enough, powerless enough, to enter in to creation. Why on earth (haha) would he do that? Why? Because He Loves. Loves us. Loves you. When we feel unworthy, this love overwhelms that. When we aren't good enough, do enough, do the right things, get it wrong, mess up, this love absorbs it all. This Love, this Lover, sees you as worthy.

Friday! Proverbs! An inheritance claimed too soon will not be blessed at the end. Proverbs 20:21 NIV Inheritance was a big thing for maintaining and developing wealth for a family. Not the small Mum, Dad, 2.2 children of the western nuclear family, but the bigger clan. Think Abram and all his household. And what's going on in this proverb? Someone wants a future blessing now.  I want it now.  I don't want to wait. To wait for you to die.  I've got better ideas  My ideas. Jesus picks up on this in Luke 15 with the son who lives out this proverb and squanders his inheritance by claiming it early and allowing his selfishness and desire to rule his life.  This proverb and Jesus story is about our heart.  Our hearts that we have to keep turning back to God, to keep realigning with Him. Jesus story has a component that this proverb lacks : a loving and grace filled Father who's arms are open wide for us whenever we turn to Him. Rest in that today. #dearlyloved #childrenofGod

In the beginning  was the Word,  and the Word was with God,  and the Word was God. John 1:1 CSB No nice intro to set the scene or warm us up with John.  Bang!  John is all about the Word. The Word. The "logos".  The "logos" is like the expression of a concept, the embodiment of an idea. The Word is the person of Jesus.  The expression of,  the embodiment of, God.  He is from before time, outside of time. He was there at creation of time. He is God. Sometimes my picture of Jesus is more the scraggly rabbi walking between towns 2,000 years ago, and I lose sight of the Logos, the embodiment of God, who created time. Who built space. The expression of God. At the same time Jesus is God, and wandered the  villages and synagogues.  We cannot settle for a small Jesus. Rest today in knowing the Logos, the very expression of, the embodiment of the Eternal. #boom #gospelofJohn

...so he ordered those who could swim to jump overboard first and get to land.  The rest were to follow, some on planks  and some on debris from the ship.  In this way, everyone safely reached the shore. Acts 27:43-44 CSB Not some glorious rescue, but a bedraggled 276 people tired, drenched, in the storm, with their boat crashed, struggling to shore.  Sometimes life can feel that way... Covid restrictions come back on, the doctor has bad news, tragedy strikes, there's sadness, loss, hurt. In the storm God made a promise to that crew that they would get to shore in one piece. There is a heavenly shoreline waiting for us, a beach with a loving saviour who's scarred hands are cooking fish over a fire...preparing breakfast for us. He's promised. One day all will be made new. All the hurt will be unhurt. And the storms and the struggle will be over. We will make it to the shore. In the meantime we do not lose hope even if we lose sight of the shore sometimes.  We do not give up,

"So take courage, men, because I believe God that it will be just the way it was told to me. But we have to run aground on some island." Acts 27:25-26 CSB In this account of the storm they had tried everything they knew. They'd thrown valuable cargo overboard to lighten the load, they'd strengthened the ship to weather the storm. Good things. But the apostle Paul had a counter intuitive word from God. To give up the boat entirely and to save everyone. To crash the ship. Crashing the ship would mean giving up something important, it's mission, it's value. To save the people. So that not one would be lost. Jesus crashed the ship.  Gave up the glory of heaven and crashed it all on the cross. To save the people. So that not one would be lost. To save us  To save me. To save me, Jesus crashed the ship. #thisislove #lovewithoutmeasure #lovethatchangesus Sometimes God calls us & our church's to live counter to the wisdom of the world, to be radically differen

For many days neither sun nor stars appeared, and the severe storm kept raging. Finally all hope was fading that we would be saved. Acts 27:20 CSB Paul is on a ship caught in a massive storm. It's been going on so long, they are getting so battered,  demoralised, stuck in a storm that seemed to have no end. For many days there were no sun or stars. The guidance you would get from the sun and stars, the orientation, the direction, could not be seen. Stuck Disoriented Lost Hope less  Ever been in that place? They tried all the usual things to lighten the ship but it didn't fix their problem. The world had gone dark. It's understandable why someone would lose hope when life is like this.  While this story does not end here for the 276 people on this ship, Paul held hope for them. When it seems hopeless, when all hope is lost, we need someone who can hold hope for us. Maybe you're that person in someone else's life, holding hope when it seems gone. When the orientation

But  grow  in the grace  and knowledge  of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. 2 Peter 3:18 CSB The end of Pete's letter is full of dire warnings about how people will twist scripture for their own ends, that God is patient because He wants everyone in fellowship with Him.  Everyone  How that there will be a new heaven & earth where righteousness dwells. In the meantime Pete calls us to work hard at living a holy life, and to be on guard, not swept away by those who are against God. And how do we do that? Pete calls us to grow. To grow in the grace of Jesus To grow in the knowledge of Jesus. Somedays I need to know more of Jesus, his heart, his work, his way, why he came, why he did what he did. And some days I need more grace.  I mess up.  And I need that deep well of grace, and to grow, to keep growing, in the security and safety of Jesus grace. To Him be the glory. Now  And forever. Amen. #sobeit #sunday #worship #thisi

These people are springs without water,  mists driven by a storm.  2 Peter 2:17 CSB Pete spends a long time in this letter warning about false teachers, those who would lead us astray. One of their features is that they deny Jesus and his authority,  they will speak words that are attractive to us, they'll often seem good. Attractive. Easy. But Pete tells us to beware. To be aware. They are mists driven by a storm - seems to promise rain but brings destruction. Springs without water. They look good, look like they have the life giving water, but their promises come up empty. What are those springs without water? Religious systems? Political thought? Money? What about your right to be you? To speak "your truth"? That we'll be successful, loved, based on our social media profile  Happiness and acceptance is found on the other side of alcohol, drugs, sex, getting that degree, job, business, house, spouse... The mist without rain, the springs without water are around us,

Friday! Proverbs! Whoever curses his father or mother  - his lamp  will go out  in deep darkness. Proverbs 20:20 CSB This proverb just sits heavily. Everything has weight  The word here for deep darkness is the word for the pupil of your eye. What is the lamp referring to? Some important aspect of life. If I curse my parents, harbour a deep unforgiveness then it will affect our life & relationships. Some of us have had great parents, some a mix of good and not so good, and some have been terrible, hurtful and destructive.  Unforgiveness can feel right and good, but forgiveness is a journey we must eventually take.  This word translated to "curse" here includes the meaning of pulling back. It's used in Genesis 8 when the flood waters receded. Pulled back. Jesus was pulled back from his Father. His lamp,  His Life was snuffed out In utter darkness. Desolation For us  All of the heaviness fell on Him. So that forgiveness is ours. Jesus bore the real heaviness, knew total

In every situation  take up the shield of faith with which you can extinguish  all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Ephesians 6:16 CSB Today pick up the shield of faith. No matter what your situation, whether yesterday was a struggle or a win, whether right now you're anticipating today or dreading it, no matter what, pick up the shield of faith. Faith that our God is who He says He is. That His promises are true. That He is Love. That Love came to earth and gave himself for me. That my life is safe in Jesus nail scarred hands.  That I am a dearly loved child of God. That one day,  all wiill be made new. All that is broken, will be unbroken, and we will really see, and know, Jesus. (Maybe write your own faith summary :) ) That faith is the shield that protects us from the arrows of the enemy. His lies will attack today. We'll hear them from the world around us, the words of others, and from our own thoughts and feelings. They're fiery, so if they catch hold they'll b

Therefore I will always remind you about these things, even though you know them...  ...And I will also make every effort so that you are able to recall these things at any time after my departure. 2 Peter 1:12-15 CSB Peter is dying.  He's not leaving town, but leaving this earth and he wants his readers of the truth of who Jesus is, that we have been cleansed from our past sins,  not to go dark to God's grace, to hold on to what's really important. To live in, and live out the anti-lie"s: Faith +goodness +knowledge +self-control +endurance +godliness +friendship love +agape love To remember again & again that Jesus sacrifice was enough, and that changes everything for us. That we are known, and that we are chosen. That we matter. Matter to God. We are enough, the object of His love. Loved as we are, but loved so much that He doesn't leave us as we are.  Peter's earthly body is on its way out, yet Peter's eyes are firmly fixed on Jesus.  And that's

Therefore, brothers and sisters,  make every effort  to confirm your calling and election,  because if you do these things you will never stumble. 2 Peter 1:10 CSB Yes, I don't want to stumble, but I know that I do. Pete refers to our calling. That takes us back to V3. It's God who called us. Your name, my name, called by God, wanted by Him, to belong. And "election"?  We have an election coming up where we get to choose.  Pete is telling us to work hard to remind ourselves that we've been chosen. Chosen. We can only know and love a limited number of people.  But God's heart is bigger. He's called each of us by name, and He has chosen you. Work hard to remember that, because we forget. When stuff happens, when I've made a poor choice, when I've failed, when I listen to the lies, I easily forget. Forget that I am known, that I belong, that I've been called. And chosen. #known #belong #called #chosen #workhardtoremember #Godsgym

The person who lacks these things is blind and shortsighted and has forgotten the cleansing from his past sins. 2 Peter 1:9 CSB Not sure how we can be both blind and shortsighted?!? And forgetful. This person is not in good shape! I don't know about you, but I find at times it's a well worn path in my heart that takes me back to my past sins and revisit the guilt, wallow in it, get stuck in it. Again. And Peter says when i do that I'm blind.  I've gone dark to God's grace.  I've lost sight of Jesus sacrifice. I've gone back to this shortsighted view of me. I forget, and punish myself again, for things that God has forgiven. I forget that Jesus work on the cross was enough. And his anti-lie for all this? V5-7 Faith +goodness +knowledge +self-control +endurance +godliness +friendship love +agape love Peter's pizza ingredients in increasing measure will not let us forget who we are in Jesus, the love that came down and redeemed us. And that we don't hav

When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said,  "It is finished." Then bowing his head, he gave up his spirit. John 19:30 CSB This is love. That Jesus, God's Son, the One who was with God in the beginning, who is God,  entered the story not with power, but constrained, humble, small, vulnerable,  became like us,  and stayed the course. The course that took him here. This is love That Jesus gave up His life, voluntary suffering, for us. This is love That the author of Life, stepped into death. This is love That Light allowed itself to be swallowed by darkness. And for what? The only reason is that people are important to Him, loved by Him. That He wants us. This is Love. And it's personal  He loves you. He loves me. It's quite a thing to sit with that someone has already given his life for me. That somehow I'm worth it.  That you are worth it  #sunday #worship #thisisourGod #itisfinished #saved #redeemed #grace #youareworthit

Then he said,  "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." And he said to him,  "Truly I tell you,  today  you  will  be  with me  in paradise." Luke 23:42-43 CSB The scene is the crucifixion of three men, Jesus and 2 criminals.  This man as he is nailed to a cross, in the process of dying, recognises his own sin, & recognises Jesus for who He really is. And rather than attack Jesus as the first man does, he reaches out to Jesus. This man whose crimes earned him death on a Roman cross, who's future was a matter of hours, who literally could do nothing for Jesus, simply sought forgiveness. And this is love  Love that does not measure what we've done or what we can bring, it's Love that is interested in our heart. Yes he still had to live with the consequences of his choices and actions, but his eternity shifted in that moment. This is the anti-lie when I think my sin is too bad, too big, too ugly, or when I think I need to be good enough for