John was written by John. I figured that out all by myself. John was a human. John was writing toward the end of his life. So John was a guy who spent time with Jesus in the flesh. He was there three years. He spent time with Jesus in the flesh every day. Then after that, Jesus ascended into heaven. And John spent the next sixty years of his life hanging out…
The Counterconspiracy of Heaven
John chapter 19. It’s going to be interesting. I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I hope you had so much joy and felt great about the world and your family and your relationship with the Lord, and turkey and pie and all of that. Because today we’re really going to talk a lot about sin and humanity’s propensity to it. And the great evil that’s in humanity’s hearts.
Sin and Deception
John chapter 19. It’s going to be interesting. I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I hope you had so much joy and felt great about the world and your family and your relationship with the Lord, and turkey and pie and all of that. Because today we’re really going to talk a lot about sin and humanity’s propensity to it. And the great evil that’s in humanity’s hearts.
What is Truth?
John 18. There’s a story to set up the message, that I’ve heard. It’s actually a U.S. Naval correspondent. It could be urban legend or not, I don’t know. But I’ll tell you the story because it works.
Basically, there was a ship captain of a big ship. He was headed through the night, headed through some fog. He caught on his radar that there was another ship coming toward him in the same direction. So he sends out a little correspondence and says,
The Power and Potential of Unity
I’m going to ask you four questions that are going to be answered in this message. The first one: If you had one last prayer to pray, what would it be? If you had one strategy to reach the world, what would it be? If you could give any gift to everyone you love, what would it be? And if you could protect people you love from any two things, what would they be?
Abiding = Lasting a Long Time
It doesn’t matter who you are or what you identify as at all. If you have anything in you that ever want you to come and sit at the feet of Jesus, you are welcome. Please hear what Jesus would say. “Anyone can come. All who come. Anyone who calls out to his name can be saved.” And the rest of us here, we’re with you. It’s not like we’ve crossed over to the other side. We’re still just sinners in need of a Savior.
Anxiety and Jesus
John 14 is where we’re going to be. Last week we got to hear from Marty on John 13, which was good stuff. Secret agents of service. And here we go. John 14:1. Jesus is speaking to his disciples. It’s the last week of his life. This is his last training session with them. It’s very intimate. He just washed their feet. And then he says to them:
The Demonstration of the Full Extent of His Love
This morning I’d like to start with six words from St. Anthony. I count these as my first six words when I wake up in the morning and my last six words when I go to bed at night. I offer them to you as an encouragement this morning. But I actually offer them as a habit every morning and every night. I take these six words. They’re pretty easy to remember and it’s only six: “Behold God beholding you and smiling.”
Seeking God’s Blessing vs Seeking to Bless God
John Chapter 12. In this story, we get to learn about Jesus getting his feet washed with oil and hair; Jesus rides a donkey like a boss; he predicts his death, and plays hide and seek. Sound fun? Let’s do it.
Before we jump in, I want to read this verse. It’s from Romans 12 (MSG), and it kind of encapsulates the whole message. It says this:
Acquainted with Grief
Good to be with everybody. Thanks for coming. Thanks to all the online folks joining in. We need a “Hoo” and a “ho” for them. I don’t know if they could hear it, but I did. It was cool.
We’re trying to figure out how to go forward as a church. Actually, after September, Living Streams has officially been going for 36 years. That’s something. I started it when I was seven years old. No, obviously I wasn’t there at the start.
Voices
Living Streams! This is going to be weird. I hope you can bear with me. It’s been sixteen months since my family’s been in this church. So I’m standing in worship right now. Man, it’s just like I’ve been wandering in a desert for sixteen months and then I finally come home—come to this sweet pool of water and get to drink.
Are We Blind, Too?
Who Holds the Power?
We’re going to be in John chapter 8. We’ve been tracking with John. John the evangelist, as he’s called. John the apostle. John the best friend of Jesus, as best we can say. John was a guy that we don’t know exactly how old, but he’s probably late teens, early 20’s, somewhere in there, when he came across this guy Jesus. When he and his brother were fishing, Jesus said, “Come, hang out with me.” And they said, “Okay.” And they did.
Disappointment with Jesus
It’s exciting to be back. We’re going to be in John Chapter 7. I thought the best way to start this next phase of our church was with a teaching called “Disappointed with Jesus.” Some snickers there. John Chapter 7 is where we’re going to be.
There’s a guy named John Cheever. He says, “The main emotion of the adult American who has all the advantages of wealth, education and culture, is disappointment.”
Spiritual Warfare
The title of this message is Spiritual Warfare. It’s kind of spiritual warfare Jesus style. It’s going to be a little different than you think. And I’m going to say the word spirit or spiritual a lot in this message. For some of you it’s like,“Oh, that’s not me,” Or “It gives me the heebie-jeebies.” I understand where you’re coming from because I feel a lot t of that as well. However, you need to understand or realize that you are primarily a spiritual being.
The Social Justice of the Social Jesus
We’re going to go to John chapter 6 and I want to read it to us, get in our minds, and then we’re actually going to read another passage that tells the same story. John 6, we’re going to start in verse 1:
Some time after this, Jesus crossed to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the Sea of Tiberias), and a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the signs he had performed by healing the sick. Then Jesus went up on a mountainside and sat down with his disciples. The Jewish Passover Festival was near.
Do You Want to Get Well?
Welcome. It’s good to have you here today. I’m glad to be with you. I’m Mark Buckley, one of the pastors at Living Streams—Pastor Emeritus, you could say. I’m just full of the grace of God right now. I’m going through personal trials, but still, the grace of God is sufficient to get us through whatever we need to go through.
Forensic Faith and Scandalous Grace
Good morning, Living Streams. Another Sunday here, July 26. It’s good to be with you. It’s real important that we continue to do this. I’ve been thinking about this. It’s so different. I mean, I’m here talking to a camera—you’re looking at your phone or a TV, something like. It doesn’t necessarily feel the same, but I know that, at least in the spiritual realm, but I also believe int he natural, it is bringing us together when we take the time to do this: worshipping together, hearing from the word of God together, having this common experience together. I really think it’s important we continue to push into this.
Cleansing and Zeal
Jesus Teaches Nicodemus
You can come to Jesus at any time. Nicodemus came a nighttime. For any reason. Jesus says, “Come to me all of you who are weary or burdened.” If you’re burdened, come to Christ If you are weary, or tired come to Jesus. Whatever your situation or circumstances, at any time of day, at any part of your journey, come back, come to Christ.