On Sunday, April 28, we’re beginning a new sermon series called Real Talk. In this seven-week series, we’ll look at what Scripture says about anxiety, worry, and fear. We’ll learn practical ways we can apply what we’re studying in Scripture to our everyday lives so that we can live with peace in an anxious world. Invite a friend, and join us Sundays at 10:00 AM!
Today we’re finishing up our year-long study of the Gospel of John. In our study, we’ve learned about the miracles and teaching of Jesus and what it means to follow Him. We’ve walked through some tough passages that have shaped our faith in new ways and allowed us to encounter the power of Jesus Christ. In John 20:30-31, John reveals that the purpose of his Gospel is so that we may believe in Jesus and have eternal life in Him. Listen in as Pastor Neal teaches on this final passage and helps us apply it to our lives.
All of us have failed at some point in our life. Peter perhaps had no greater failure than denying Jesus three times. The culmination of his denial was a rooster crowing three times. Every morning after his denial that rooster crow would have been a reminder to Peter of his failure. But, in John 21:15-25 Jesus restores Peter back to his role as a disciple. Like Peter, it’s through the great love of Jesus that our lives are restored. Listen in as Pastor Neal Benson gives us a fresh and different take on the restoration of Peter from the viewpoint of the Apostle John.
John 18-21 primarily focuses on the arrest, crucifixion, and resurrection of Jesus. John 18 focuses on the unfair, unjust, midnight trail of Jesus. The first half of John 18 focuses on the Jewish part of the trial while the second half focuses on the Roman part of the trial. In today's passage, we will see Jesus brought before Pilate for the Roman phase of His trial. To best understand this passage, we need to put on the lens of a lawyer and consider the legal system of the first century. Listen in as Pastor Neal Benson teaches about how Jesus is the truth who calls for a decision in our life.
John 18 begins a new section in the Gospel of John. This section starts the path to the cross for Jesus, his resurrection, and his reinstatement of Peter. In John 13 we read that Judas left the Passover meal to hand Jesus over to the religious leaders. In today's text, Jesus is arrested by the religious leaders in the Garden of Gethsemane. It must have been frightening for the disciples to witness the arrest of Jesus, yet during His arrest, we see Jesus intentionally protected the disciples to keep them safe. Then, while Jesus is in an unfair, unjust, midnight courtroom Peter denies Jesus three times. Peter leaves broken and in tears. Watch as Pastor Neal Benson brings to life the night Jesus was betrayed.
Life can sometimes feel like the game of Jenga. Pieces are moving, things are unstable, and who knows what will happen next! In John 13-17, Jesus teaches the disciples in a famous part of Scripture known as the Upper Room Discourse. Today we come to John 17 and finish the Upper Room Discourse. For the past several chapters Jesus has taught on love, serving others, and the Kingdom of God. Today we come to a beautiful passage in Scripture where Jesus prays for the disciples and prays for us. As we study John 17 we will see how Jesus longs for us to be united in a world that so easily causes division. Listen in as Pastor Neal Benson teaches about unity in the body of Christ.
For the past several weeks, we have been looking at the conversation Jesus had with his disciples on the night before he was crucified (John 13-17). This was his last
opportunity to be with them and teach them. Because of this, the stuff Jesus talked about with the disciples was important. Listen in as Pastor Doug Meye teaches from John 16:19-33 that we were created for the joy Jesus offers.
All of us have been in a place in our life where we needed help from someone. The upper room discourse is the final teaching of Jesus before He went to the cross. Much of His teaching is focused on loving others and spreading the Gospel. In today’s passage Jesus continues to explain to the disciples about His departure and the sending of the Holy Spirit and what that means for their lives. We’ll learn that the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth, that it’s actually good for us that Jesus returned to heaven, and we’ll also learn how we can walk in the truth of God. Listen in as Pastor Neal Benson teaches on John 15:26-16:15.