2013freshstartdevotional singlepage by Gateway Create Publishing

NEW BELIEVERS

Welcome to Fresh Start! Congratulations on your new life with Christ! This new life is a free gift from God, who loves us so much that He wants to have a relationship with each of us. At Gateway Church, we provide many opportunities to help you grow closer to God, and this devotional is one of them. We also offer many classes and experiences that are designed to help you as you begin your new life with Christ.

We gladly present this to:

Date:

Below are your next steps with Gateway Church. We have left the dates blank so you can fill them in after you have attended the classes and been baptized. Each of these items below serves a different purpose but will assist you in laying a solid spiritual foundation.

The day I attended the Fresh Start Class

The day I participated in Water Baptism

(The following do not have to be completed in any particular order) • Catch the Vision (Membership Class)

• Baptism of the Holy Spirit Class

• Foundations of Freedom Classes:

1. A Kingdom Parable

2. Levels of Change

3. Kingdom of God

4. Hearing God

5. Life in the Kingdom

We look forward to walking with you on your journey with Christ. You’ll find more information about each of these ministries and classes in this devotional.

FRESH START DEVOTIONAL

Fresh Start Devotional Copyright © 2013 by Gateway Church Written By Marc Bolling with contributions from Mark Anthony and Chad Sykes Editorial Director Stacy Burnett Editor Daniel Hopkins Assistant Editors Gwen Bolton, Rachel Moreno, Michelle Purvis and Zachary Richmond Creative Director Shane Dennehey Cover Design and Layout Kiki Thompson Project Manager Julie Stockenberg Requests for information should be addressed to: Gateway Church, 500 S Nolen, Suite 300, Southlake, TX 76092 Scripture quotations marked NKJV are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from the Holy Bible New International Version® NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation. Copyright © 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked NASB are taken from the New American Standard Bible. Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. Scripture quotations marked NCV are taken from the Holy Bible, New Century Version. Copyright © 1987, 1988, 1991 by Word Publishing, a division of Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked ESV are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Copyright © 2000, 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked MSG are taken from The Message by Eugene Peterson. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by NavPress Publishing Group. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked KJV are taken from The King James Version of the Bible. Public domain. Scripture quotations marked HCSB are taken from the Homan Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. All rights reserved. Any Internet addresses (websites, blogs, etc.) and telephone numbers in this book are offered as a resource. They are not intended in any way to be or imply an endorsement by Gateway Create Publishing, nor does Gateway Create Publishing vouch for the content of these sites and telephone numbers. Some names and details of actual events have been changed to protect the identities of the persons involved. All rights reserved. No portion of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or any other—except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the publisher. Printed in the United States of America. ISBN 978-0-9895167-5-4

CONTENTS Welcome.............................................................................................................................................. 7 How Can You Know God?...................................................................................................................8 How to Use This Devotional..................................................................................................................9

Five-Day Devotional Day 1 — Creation

Morning Reading..........................................................................................................12

Evening Reading...........................................................................................................14

Day 2 — The Fall

Morning Reading.......................................................................................................... 17

Evening Reading...........................................................................................................18

Day 3 — The Promise

Morning Reading..........................................................................................................22

Evening Reading...........................................................................................................23

Day 4 — The Fulfillment

Morning Reading..........................................................................................................25

Evening Reading...........................................................................................................26

Day 5 — New Creation

Morning Reading..........................................................................................................28

Evening Reading...........................................................................................................29

Congratulations..................................................................................................................................32

21-Day Devotional Day 1

Believing | Christ, the Eternal Word (Part One)...............................................................36

Day 2

Believing | Christ, the Eternal Word (Part Two)............................................................... 37

Day 3

Becoming | The Wedding at Cana.................................................................................38

Day 4

Becoming | Nicodemus.................................................................................................39

Day 5

Becoming | Jesus Heals an Officialâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Son...................................................................... 41

Day 6

Believing | Jesus Heals a Lame Man.............................................................................42

Day 7

Becoming | Jesus Feeds Five Thousand.......................................................................43

Day 8

Believing | Jesus Promises Living Water........................................................................44

Day 9

Belonging | A Woman Caught in Adultery......................................................................45

Day 10

Belonging | Jesus, the Light of the World......................................................................46

Day 11

Becoming | Jesus Heals a Man Born Blind.................................................................... 47

Day 12

Belonging | Jesus is the Good Shepherd.......................................................................49

Day 13

Believing | Jesus Raises Lazarus from the Dead............................................................ 51

Day 14

Becoming | Jesus Anointed at Bethany.........................................................................53

Day 15

Believing & Becoming | Jesus & Forgiveness.................................................................55

Day 16

Believing | Jesus, the Way to the Father........................................................................ 57

Day 17

Becoming | Fruitfulness.................................................................................................59

Day 18

Building | Fruitfulness....................................................................................................60

Day 19

Becoming | The Prayer of Jesus.................................................................................... 61

Day 20

Becoming | The Passion...............................................................................................63

Day 21

Believing | The Resurrection of Jesus............................................................................ 67

Building â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Epilogue | Jesus Appears to Seven Disciples....................................................................69 The Roman Road................................................................................................................................ 71 Memory Verses..................................................................................................................................73 Personal Notes...................................................................................................................................75

WELCOME! Welcome to Fresh Start! When building something, it’s important to have a strong foundation. Fresh Start is designed to ensure you have a great foundation that you can build on for the rest of your life. This book is a tool to guide you through the entire process. Included, you’ll find a guide for your next steps, a daily devotional, parts of the New Testament and a DVD. I want to encourage you to do three things to ensure you get the most out of your Fresh Start experience: 1. Fully participate in our Fresh Start experience. The pace of all our lives can sometimes make this challenging; however, the investment of our time is worth it. Just as a building needs a strong foundation before the rest of it can be built, the construction of our new lives requires the same. The Fresh Start experience helps to lay the foundation for a new life with Christ. 2. Fully invest yourself in the daily devotionals. These devotionals are a significant part of the Fresh Start curriculum and complement the Fresh Start class you’ll soon be attending. You won’t want to miss the full experience! 3. Take a next step after completing Fresh Start. Whether that’s Catch the Vision, baptism, Freedom Ministry, Gateway Equip, joining a Gateway Group or one of the many other opportunities for continued growth, it’s important that Fresh Start serves as a launching point for your continued pursuit of spiritual growth within an authentic community. This book is based on the four Bs—Believing, Belonging, Becoming and Building. You’ll see this theme throughout each day’s devotional and in many of our core classes at Gateway. Fresh Start is much more than a class or a meeting. To maximize your experience, it’s important to invest time each day in your spiritual growth. Each devotional has a Scripture reading, key observations, an opportunity for personal reflection and some helpful direction on how you can respond to the Lord in prayer. Your ongoing spiritual growth is important to us at Gateway Church. As we partner together during this process, my prayer is that God will accomplish all He desires to do in you. Blessings,

Marc Bolling Associate Pastor, Fresh Start Gateway Church

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HOW CAN YOU KNOW GOD? Salvation Message We all come to a place in our lives where we realize that we’re not in control. We desire to be in control and may even think we are. However, in the grand scheme of things, our influence and our ability to control is minimal considering our circumstances. The Lord has allowed many of us to fall, time and time again, until we recognize our need for Him and surrender our lives to Him. Even though we all have been through bad experiences, and maybe even made some poor choices, God desires to give us a fresh start. He wants us to live life to the fullest! You may be a new believer or you may be someone who is searching for the answers to life. Just know that no matter where you have been or what you have done, the Lord’s grace and forgiveness covers all of your sins.

Prayer for Salvation “Heavenly Father, please forgive me. I am a sinner. I believe in You and that Your Word is true. I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of the living God and that He died on the cross so I may receive forgiveness for my sins and have eternal life. I know that without You in my heart, my life is meaningless. I believe that You raised Jesus from the dead. Please forgive me for every sin I have ever committed. I ask You to come into my heart today. I give you my life and ask you to take full control from this moment on.”

Gateway’s Vision The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord. (Luke 4:18–19) Gateway’s Vision is to see people saved, healed, set free, discipled, equipped, empowered and serving.

Next Steps Your first step is to come to our Fresh Start experience. We call it an experience because it’s more than just a class. In addition to teaching, we’ll break into small groups, in which you can share your story. The steps following the Fresh Start experience don’t have to be completed in any particular order. They are designed to help you understand who Christ is, what He has done for us, how He sees us and who we are in Him, which is why they are the core foundational classes for Gateway Church. •

Complete the devotional below starting on page 12.

•

Participate in water baptism. — 12 —

•

Attend the Baptism of the Holy Spirit class.

•

Attend Catch the Vision (Gateway’s Membership Class).

•

Attend the Foundations of Freedom classes: 1. A Kingdom Parable 2. Levels of Change 3. Kingdom of God 4. Hearing God 5. Life in the Kingdom

HOW TO USE THIS DEVOTIONAL This devotional is designed to be a roadmap for your spiritual growth. Knowing where to start can be overwhelming, so we created this devotional to help you. In the front of this book, there’s a form to help you keep track of your next steps. Please fill in the date when you complete each step. In the back of the devotional is a DVD that will explain your next steps. The DVD includes Pastor Robert Morris’ testimony, which is open, honest and powerful. It will reveal that people can only be saved by God’s grace. There are also five worship songs from Gateway’s live worship DVD, Forever Yours. This devotional is divided into two parts: 1. It begins with a five-day devotional to prepare you for the Fresh Start class. These five devotions have been divided into morning and evening readings. 2. For further spiritual growth and understanding of God’s Word, there is a 21-day devotional based on the book of John. This 21-day devotional is a daily walk through one book of the Bible that will encourage you and increase your understanding of the Bible.

SCRIPTURE REFERENCES Luke 4:18–19 (NKJV)

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FIVE-DAY DEVOTIONAL

day

Morning Reading CREATION Have you ever wondered, “Why does the universe exist? Why do I exist? Is there a greater purpose for us on this planet?” I walk outside and see the green grass, the blue sky, gorgeous sunsets and animals—snakes, lizards, alligators, lions—and I realize God is so creative. God’s creation is so complex that I can’t understand all of it. When God speaks, things happen and there is life. Science explains it as evolution or an accident—possibly a cosmic collision. Christianity brings a totally different view, which is a belief in one God, the King above all kings, who created the heavens, the earth and the entire universe. God wants us to witness His glory throughout creation and to marvel at His goodness and His creativity. Let’s look at a few scriptures that tell of God’s creative power. Let there be light. (Genesis 1:3, HCSB) These are the first words spoken by God that are recorded in Scripture. When a person speaks, it’s an act of communication. Our words make sentences that come in the form of statements, commands and questions. However, something different happens when God speaks. He doesn’t just command or exclaim with words—He creates. Every created thing that exists received its form and essence from God’s spoken word. God is not a created being, but everything that exists was created by Him and for Him. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. (Genesis 1:1, HCSB) Before heaven and earth existed, God existed. And it was God who created the world by His Word. The Bible clearly describes a period of time when all the things that make up the world—light, water, land, sky, vegetation, sun, moon, animals, humans and everything else—were intentionally created by God. God saw everything He had made, and, behold, it was very good. (Genesis 1:31, KJV) After God created the heavens and the earth, He realized something was missing. God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness.” (Genesis 1:26, HCSB) Until this point, God created everything simply by speaking. When He created the first human, Adam, He not only uttered the words, but He breathed life into this new creation. Then the Lord God formed the man out of the dust from the ground and breathed the breath of life into his nostrils, and the man became a living being. (Genesis 2:7, HCSB)

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When God breathed into us, He breathed life (Genesis 1:28). We are to be good caretakers of God’s creation. We are the only created thing that bears God’s image. We are called to be the light of the earth—God’s representatives here on earth (John 8:12–20). Jesus is the light of the world. Now that we have asked Jesus to be our Lord, we are to be His hands and His example to the world. God said to them, “Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it. Rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, and every creature that crawls on the earth.” (Genesis 1:28, HCSB) God placed us in charge of His creation on earth, with the responsibility to care for and cultivate it. Caring for God’s creation is to be an act of worship. Know that the Lord, he is God! It is He who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. (Psalm 100:3, ESV) God created us so that He could have a relationship with us. Everything He created was good, which means we were good. God created humans to thrive, to be blessed and to walk in His glory without shame, pain or guilt. When God created Adam and Eve, there was no separation between them and God. They walked in the Garden of Eden together in an intimate way, and this is what God intended for us (see Genesis 3:8, HCSB). In the beginning, God was everywhere and in everything. This was God’s original intent for creation. In a sense, the earth was a temple inhabited by the presence of God. Today, we experience and know God within the context of the local church. And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. (John 17:3, ESV) Jesus tells us in John 8:12 (ESV), “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” This new life you find yourself experiencing now is where God always wanted you to be—connected to Him through His Son, Jesus Christ. “I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness” (John 12:46, ESV)

SCRIPTURE REFERENCES Genesis 1:3 (HCSB) Genesis 1:1 (HCSB) Genesis 1:31 (KJV)

Our world is dark without the light of Jesus. In a dark world, the truth gets twisted, but as soon as light comes into darkness, we can see. Jesus came as light to remove the darkness. God sent Jesus to die on the cross to rescue His sons, daughters and the creation that He made and loves. At the point of salvation, Jesus comes into our lives and says, “Let there be light,” and darkness is removed.

Genesis 1:26 (HCSB) Genesis 2:7 (HCSB) Genesis 1:28 (HCSB) John 8:12–20 (HCSB) Genesis 1:28 (HCSB) Psalm 100:3 (ESV) Genesis 3:8 (HCSB) John 17:3 (ESV) John 8:12 (ESV) John 12:46 (ESV)

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day

Evening Reading & Application CREATION You need to truly understand that you were created in the image of God and are blessed (Genesis 1:26–28). When you look in the mirror, what do you see? You should see God! Of course, you aren’t God, but you are one of His creations and created in His image (Genesis 1:27). When you begin to see yourself as the creation of God, you will have a different mindset about life. 1) When you look at yourself in the mirror, do you see life? Do you see God’s life in you?

2) How do you think Jesus sees your life?

Over the years I have noticed that many people feel like they aren’t good enough. Have you ever thought things like this: “I’m not smart enough, I weigh too much, I’m not outgoing or I didn’t have a great childhood”? If so, how do you feel like you don’t measure up?

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As you’ve seen, God created you for His glory, so these negative thoughts did not come from Him. Where did these thoughts come from?

Why do you think we listen to lies like those, even though we are created in God’s image?

The Enemy tries to convince us that what we believe is a lie. He may tell us this when we asked Christ into our heart, the decision was not real or sincere. In the next devotion, “The Fall,” we’ll see that many times, even after we ask Christ to take charge of our lives, we have doubts and feel that we are alone. In Hebrews 13:5–6, God promises that He will never leave us or forsake us. God created us and wants us to grow in our relationship with Him. An interesting fact about creation is healthy things grow. Have you ever seen a plant or a tree that is planted in healthy soil? It looks beautiful. On the other hand, a tree planted in poor soil fails to flourish. I have a tree on the side of my house that looks like it hasn’t grown an inch in a decade! Every year, I hope that it will become larger and more full of leaves so it will provide shade for my house in the summer. The same thing occurs in our life with Christ. He has made us as beautiful creations and, as we are planted in healthy soil, we will grow and prosper. It’s important to do self-evaluation to keep ourselves on track. However, many of us go beyond selfevaluation to a very dangerous place: self-destruction, which ruins us from the inside. Matthew 7:16–20 (NIV) says, “By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.”

SCRIPTURE REFERENCES Genesis 1:26-28 (HCSB) Genesis 1:27 (HCSB) Hebrews 13:5–6 (HCSB) Matthew 7:16–20 (NIV)

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day

Read Galatians 5:22–23, which talks about the fruit of the Spirit. What type of fruit are you currently producing in your life?

What type of spiritual fruit would you like to produce?

When I go to the mountains in Colorado or to a beautiful beach and look at God’s creation, I can’t stop thinking about God and how incredible He is. All of His creation is important to Him and uniquely made. Psalm 139:14 (NLT) proclaims, “Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.” Now you know that you have been created in God’s likeness, you are wonderfully made and have been blessed by Him. You have a great purpose, and we are committed to helping you find that purpose and live a passionate, fulfilling life! What can you do to better understand God’s purpose for you?

Our current experience tells us that something is wrong with the world. In the next part of this devotional, we’ll discuss the fall of man, in which our world—and the way that humans experience it— drastically changed. However, one thing that did not change (and will never change) is God’s desire for a relationship with each of us. FURTHER STUDY John 3:1–17; Acts 1:4–8; Romans 10:8–10; Hebrews 13:5–6

NEXT STEPS Attend Catch the Vision (Gateway’s Membership Class) ctv.gatewaypeople.com Attend the ID Seminar id.gatewaypeople.com

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Morning Reading

day

THE FALL “I have come as a light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me would not remain in darkness.” (John 12:46, HCSB) In the beginning, God was there. Creation was soaked with God’s presence. The earth was thriving. Beautiful vegetation and animals filled the land. There was no human conflict, no famine, no disease, no natural disasters and nothing that could expose humanity to potential destruction. This sounds like a vision from a fairytale, but in the beginning of our existence, this is how the world was. Everything was good. What happened to this world? And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree of the garden, but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for on the day you eat from it, you will certainly die.” (Genesis 2:16–17, HCSB) We watch the news and see brokenness and pain. However, we don’t have to turn on the television to see that something is wrong in the world. We see the struggles and problems of people around us— people we love who are hurting. We may have pain and heartache of our own. Bad things do happen to good people. Now the serpent was the most cunning of all the wild animals that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You can’t eat from any tree in the garden?’” (Genesis 3:1, HCSB) Satan, in the form of a serpent, came to Eve and planted the seeds of doubt in her mind. “Is He really good? What is He withholding from us? If I can be as wise as He is, why wouldn’t I eat it?” This is how the Enemy deceived Adam and Eve. For a piece of fruit that promised wisdom and knowledge of good and evil, their good lives completely disintegrated. Death entered into the world. From a reader’s perspective, we may approach this passage in Scripture and think, “What’s the big deal here? All of this brokenness, death and destruction in the world for just eating a piece of fruit?” However, the piece of fruit is not the key point in this Scripture narrative—it was Adam and Eve’s rebellion against God, which brought brokenness, death and destruction into the world. God’s instruction to Adam and Eve, found in Genesis 2:16–17, permitted them to eat from any tree in the garden except the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Through their rebellion, Adam and Eve chose to go against God’s command. Their act of rebellion was a rejection of God’s purpose for His creation. Immediately, sin entered the world. Can you feel the weight of the rejection that it brought? Adam and Eve’s fellowship with God was destroyed. Because of the choices they made, all humanity fell, Satan began to rule the earth; sin entered the human heart.

SCRIPTURE REFERENCES Galatians 5:22–23 (HCSB) Psalm 139:14 (NLT) John 12:46 (HCSB) Genesis 2:16–17 (HCSB) Genesis 3:1 (HCSB) Genesis 2:16–17 (HCSB)

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day

The heart is more deceitful than anything else, and incurable—who can understand it? (Jeremiah 17:9, HCSB) This problem of sin is not one that we can solve ourselves. Even before God created Adam and Eve, He knew that sin would enter the world. However, He refused to leave it that way. When God pronounced His curse over the Enemy, He made a promise. I will put hostility between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed. He will strike your head and you will strike his heel. (Genesis 3:15, HCSB) With this statement, God proclaimed Satan’s defeat. I am so thankful that God doesn’t focus on the past but He always looks to the future! I remember as a boy, I broke a ceramic bowl in our kitchen. Instead of just coming out and admitting what I had done, I got out the glue to attempt to put it back together again. I had glue everywhere! When I finally put all the pieces back together, the bowl looked almost like new. Actually, it looked pretty bad! It wouldn’t even hold water. I tried, but the water slowly dripped through the small cracks. After hiding the bowl for a few days, I finally took it to my mom and admitted what I had done, holding my head held in shame. Of course she was disappointed, but that didn’t stop her from loving me. In fact, she probably doesn’t even remember when this happened. My mother chose to forgive and to look to my future. This is exactly like our relationship with the Lord. When He forgives our sins, He truly forgives them! We don’t have to live in the past, but we can look to the future because of what Christ has done.

Evening Reading & Application THE FALL Yesterday, we learned that we are uniquely designed by God (Genesis 2:8; 3:24). This passage of Scripture takes us back to the Garden of Eden and the fall of man through the decisions Adam and Eve made. Everything was perfect; they walked and talked with God. However, because Adam and Eve chose to disobey Him, they were eternally banished from the Garden of Eden. Fortunately, God loved us so much, He sent His son to die for us. John 3:16 (NIV) says, “For God so loved the world that He gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” God gave His Son for all of us. I am just as important and valuable to God as you are. Are there areas in your life where you have rejected God’s plan? What areas of your life do you need to surrender to the Lord?

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What things do you need to ask God to forgive?

What part of your life needs to be renewed by God?

John 3:1–17 shows a conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus, during which Jesus reveals that we must be born again. Jesus acknowledges that Nicodemus is a respected teacher, yet Nicodemus doesn’t understand at first what Jesus is saying. Nicodemus was focused on his own efforts to please God (working hard to keep all of God’s commandments); however, Jesus was talking to Nicodemus about a relationship with God. Nicodemus had religion but not a relationship with God. Like Nicodemus, until we really know or understand who Jesus is, we act out of a sense of religious duty. Religious people talk about church and the things they do for God, but religion will not get us to heaven. Our relationship with the Lord must continue to be our focus, because in John 14:6 (NKJV), Jesus says, “I am the way, and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” Our relationship with God isn’t just so we can go to heaven. He renews our minds and empowers our lives now. We can be hard-headed and stubborn sometimes, but Jesus reminds us to stop and listen carefully. The result of our relationship with the Lord is that our actions change. So does the way we see ourselves. God created us to be human beings, not human doings. Most of us get caught up in doing. Are we doing enough? Are we not being good enough? We have these thoughts because we don’t feel right with God. Well, what does it mean to be “right with God” and how do we get there? We can look to the Bible for our answer.

SCRIPTURE REFERENCES Jeremiah 17:9 (HCSB) Genesis 3:15 (HCSB) Genesis 2:8; 3:24 (HCSB) John 3:16 (NIV) John 3:1–17 (HCSB) John 14:6 (NKJV)

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day

For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ. (Romans 5:17, ESV) This scripture tells us that Jesus came so that we could be righteous. That means we are made morally right and justified; acting in an upright, moral way. Since Adam and Eve sinned, there was a gap—a separation—that was created between God and man. God gave us His Son, Jesus, to restore our relationship with Him and to give us victory over sin and death. Do you ever wish you could have a do-over? When I was a child and I made a mistake, I would just shout, “Do-over!” and we would start over again. Have you ever felt that way?

What are some things you have spoken or things you have done that you wish you could take back?

Do you believe that you have been forgiven for these things?

If we feel that we have committed a sin that cannot be forgiven, we diminish what Christ did on the cross. It’s like saying, “Christ’s death was not enough!”

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Consequences will always exist for our decisions. A person with wisdom will evaluate what they are about to do and will ask the question, “Will this produce the life I want for the future?” We have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, yet I can tell you there is hope! Jesus was the only perfect man to walk on this earth and He gave Himself as the perfect sacrifice so that we could be righteous in God’s eyes. Our salvation is not earned; rather, it’s a gift received by faith in Jesus. What will you choose to do today that will bring positive, eternal results in the people you come in contact with?

Is there sin in your life that you cannot break by yourself? Addictions? Bad habits?

NEXT STEPS Freedom Ministry freedom.gatewaypeople.com

FURTHER STUDY Romans 7:1–6; Galatians 3:1–3; Romans 4:1–8; James 2:10; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Romans 3:10–12; Ephesians 2:1–5

SCRIPTURE REFERENCES Romans 5:17 (ESV)

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Morning Reading THE PROMISE Yesterday you read about the Garden of Eden and how humanity fell when Adam and Eve sinned. Brokenness and sin flooded into the world like a tsunami destroying everything in its path. Because of sin, humankind was shattered. While humans were still made in the image of God, that image was broken. But God had a plan for us to fully know and love Him and each other. God’s love finds us in our sickness, shame, hurt, pain and the storms of life that surround us every day. The heart is more deceitful than anything else, and incurable—who can understand it? (Jeremiah 17:9, HCSB) As sin invaded the earth, humanity became so evil that God felt He needed to start over. The Scriptures even tell us that God regretted creating man because everything in the human heart was evil. Noah, however, was the one man who walked with God. (Read more about Noah in Genesis chapters 5–9.) God saved Noah from destruction and commanded him to fill the earth and multiply— the same instruction God had given Adam and Eve. However, the brokenness of humanity remained. Just a short time after the flood receded, man was sinful again and even attempted to become as great as God by building a tower to heaven, which we know as the Tower of Babel (Genesis 11). Humanity was sick with sin. But, God loved us. Go out from your land, your relatives and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. I will make you into a great nation, I will bless you, I will make your name great and you will be a blessing. (Genesis 12:1–2, HCSB) These words from God to Abram were more than a promise to bless him; they were the beginning of God’s promise of salvation to all of humanity and the defeat of sin and death. Later in the Bible, God would change Abram’s name to Abraham, which means “father of many.” (Read more about Abraham in Genesis chapters 12–21.) I will bless those who bless you, I will curse those who treat you with contempt and all the peoples on earth will be blessed through you. (Genesis 12:3, HCSB) God promised Abraham that God would bless him and his descendants, and God was faithful to this promise. Many generations later, God would bring Jesus to the world through the descendants of Abraham. As we move through the Old Testament, it becomes clear that the Messiah, Jesus, would emerge from the nation of Israel, and He would embody everything humanity was always intended to be. He would be a true priest, a true prophet and a true king. He would fulfill the original call to fully love God and all of humanity. He wouldn’t just save the nation of Israel, but the whole world. This prophet, priest — 26 —

and king would not come to rule, but to serve. He would lay down his life for the forgiveness of sins and the restoration of humanity and creation. The Enemy, sin and death would be defeated once and for all.

Evening Reading & Application THE PROMISE One of God’s greatest promises is that we are made alive with Christ. In other words, when we invite Christ to be our Lord and Savior, we now have freedom from sin and death. Ephesians 2:1–8 (NLT) says, Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else. But God is so rich in mercy, and He loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, He gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) For He raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all He has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus. God saved you by His grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 1 Peter 2:9 says that we are a royal priesthood and a chosen generation, a people belonging to God, and He has called us out of darkness. What weights do you feel have been lifted off your shoulders now that you know you are a part of God’s chosen people?

SCRIPTURE REFERENCES Jeremiah 17:9 (HCSB) Genesis 5–9 Genesis 11 Genesis 12:1–2 (HCSB) Genesis 12–21 Genesis 12:3 (HCSB) Ephesians 2:1–8 (NLT) 1 Peter 2:9 (HCSB)

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Hebrews 7:27–28 (HCSB) says, “He doesn’t need to offer sacrifices every day, as high priests do— first for their own sins, then for those of the people. He did this once for all when He offered Himself. For the law appoints as high priests men who are weak, but the promise of the oath, which came after the law, appoints a Son, who has been perfected forever.” When God makes a promise, He keeps it, and we can be confident that what He says will happen. In Joshua 21:45 (NASB), the Bible declares, “Not one of the good promises which the Lord had made to the house of Israel failed; all came to pass.” Have you ever had someone break a promise to you? Do you feel a rush of emotion when this happens? Anger, distrust and betrayal come to mind. Many have had this happen repeatedly. God knew these things would happen before you ever did, so He promised you eternal salvation. What an incredible peace and comfort it is to know that God fulfills all of his promises! His promise for our salvation brings freedom. When we accept what Jesus did on the cross and ask Him to be our Lord, we are free from condemnation. Romans 8:1–4 (NLT) says, So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to Him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death. The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins. He did this so that the just requirement of the law would be fully satisfied for us, who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit. I am so thankful that my past does not dictate my destiny! Where have you felt condemnation in your life? What about in your past?

FURTHER STUDY Romans 8:38–39; Genesis 16–22; Hebrews 7:26–27; Exodus 29:38–39; Genesis 22:7–8; 1 Corinthians 5:7; Leviticus 22:21; Acts 16:29–31; Acts 13:38–39; Ephesians 1:3–7; 11–14; Colossians 1:9–18

NEXT STEPS Fresh Start Class freshstart.gatewaypeople.com Equip Classes equip.gatewaypeople.com — 28 —

Morning Reading

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THE FULFILLMENT Have you ever been stuck in a cycle that you can’t seem to break? Israel’s history is a cycle of moving closer to God and then engaging in hard-hearted rebellion against Him. Though Israel rejected Him, God promised Israel a savior, a true king who would allow this nation to fulfill its call in the world. God would restore to Israel what had been lost through centuries of rebellion against Him. Israel was looking for a king that ruled through power rather than through service and love for the world, so its people anticipated the coming Messiah would conquer through the use of military force. They missed a very important fact: the Messiah would be a conquering and suffering king. “He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.” (Luke 1:32–33, NKJV) Time passes slowly when you’re full of expectations. Just like for a child excited that Christmas is coming, time seems to crawl. Hours seem like days, days seem like weeks and weeks seem like months. The nation of Israel was full of expectations when it eagerly awaited its coming Messiah. Luke 1:26–35 tells the story of Jesus coming to the earth. Here, an angel came to an unwed, teenage virgin and told her that she would conceive a child by the power of the Holy Spirit. This would not be just any child, this would be the long awaited King of Israel—the Messiah-King. His life would bring the kingdom of God to earth (the same kingdom and family that you belong to). At 30, He began to reveal who He was. He was the exact representation of God’s character. He was, and is, fully God and fully man, and He brought God’s love to the world. He associated with the weak and powerless in society and called them friend. He ate and drank with thieves, prostitutes and the outcasts of society. He healed the sick and hopeless. Jesus brought a new way of seeing to the world. He invited everyone to change their mind and alter their expectations. “For God loved the world in this way: He gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world that He might condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.” (John 3:16–17, NKJV) Jesus’ teachings, miracles and His death on the cross show us God’s love. Jesus also came to defeat death and sin. He lived a sinless life so that He would be the spotless sacrifice in our place. Jesus took lashes from a whip on His back, and nails were driven into His hands and feet. After indescribable suffering on the cross, Jesus said, “It is finished” and breathed His last breath. When He was laid in the grave and raised from the dead on the third day, He defeated the curse of sin and death.

SCRIPTURE REFERENCES Hebrews 7:27–28 (HCSB) Joshua 21:45 (NASB) Romans 8:1–4 (NLT) Luke 1:32–33 (NKJV) Luke 1:26–35 (HCSB) John 3:16–17 (NKJV)

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Evening Reading and Application THE FULFILLMENT In the previous three devotions, we learned about creation, the fall of man and the promise of salvation. Jesus is God’s ultimate revelation of Himself to mankind. In Jesus, we find out exactly what God is like. We also learn more about God through the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. After these first five devotions, you will find a 21-day devotional based on the book of John, which will take you deeper into the life of Christ. God’s desire is to draw all people back to Him, and He knew there was only one way for this to happen. Hebrews 7:26–27 (NIV) says, He is the kind of high priest we need because He is holy and blameless, unstained by sin. He has been set apart from sinners and has been given the highest place of honor in heaven. Unlike those other high priests, He does not need to offer sacrifices every day. They did this for their own sins first and then for the sins of the people. But Jesus did this once for all when he offered himself as the sacrifice for the people’s sins. Because of Jesus’ sacrifice and resurrection, we now have freedom from death and we can now live life to the fullest! I have seen many people with dreams of their future, but instead of allowing God to steer them, they try to fulfill those dreams without His help. Then, after years of working and straining, they fall short or the dream is forgotten. Proverbs 13:12 (NKJV) says, “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a dream fulfilled is a tree of life.” Your hopes and dreams can be fulfilled! What hopes and dreams do you need to give to the Lord?

God’s heart is to be with all people, which is why He sent Jesus. We have been declared not guilty because Jesus has taken the punishment for our sins and completely satisfied the judgment against us. Romans 3:23–24 (ESV) says, “For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, and are justified by His grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood.”

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Grace was free to you, but it cost Christ everything. There was a price and it weighed heavy on Jesus. Grace is not freedom to sin, but rather to live a life of repentance and gratitude because of what Christ did. In John 19:30 (NKJV), Jesus’ last words before His sacrificial death on the cross were, “It is finished!” What do you think Jesus meant when He declared in His final words, “It is finished!”?

Jesus is now seated at the right hand of the Father in heaven (Hebrews 1:3). He sat down because He had finished His work. His sacrifice is complete and sufficient. Do you believe this? Where do you need Jesus to bring forgiveness, healing and deliverance?

Where do you need to receive His finished work in your life?

Today you can declare, “I am free! I want to live a fulfilling, healthy, fruitful, abundant life.” Submit your hopes and dreams to the Lord first, and then ask Him if they match His dreams for your future. As we seek God’s desire for our future, our will becomes like His. Jeremiah 29:11 (ESV) says, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” NEXT STEPS Gateway Groups groups.gatewaypeople.com Volunteering volunteer.gatewaypeople.com

FURTHER STUDY Exodus 29:38–39; Genesis 22:7–8; 1 Corinthians 5:7; Leviticus 22:21; Acts 16:29–31; Acts 13:38–39; Ephesians 1:3–7; 11–14; Colossians 1:9–18; John 19; Isaiah 53

SCRIPTURE REFERENCES Hebrews 7:26–27 (NIV) Proverbs 13:12 (NKJV) Romans 3:23–24 (ESV) John 19:30 (HCSB) Hebrews 1:3 (HCSB Jeremiah 29:11 (ESV)

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Morning Reading NEW CREATION The greatest tragedy ever was when man sinned in the Garden of Eden. We lost our fellowship with God. Even though we don’t often recognize it, this is the deepest longing of our hearts. As you read in the previous devotion, Jesus revealed to us not only God’s character but also His love for us by laying down His life for the forgiveness of our sins. He rose again, guaranteeing that we too will rise again after death. By believing in Jesus, we will never be without true communion with God. Not even death will separate us from Him. Rather, death will be our entrance into a deeper communion with Him. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead also comes through a man. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. (1 Corinthians 15:21–22, NIV) Maybe you’ve asked this question: As a Christian, am I just supposed to wait around and die so I can go to heaven? The Christian life is about finding our place in God’s ongoing story. God has called us to “have life and have it abundantly” (John 10:10, ESV). We do this by living a life that is a true reflection of Jesus. In fact, Romans 8:29 (NIV) says that for believers in Christ, God has “predestined [them] to be conformed to the image of His Son.” But what exactly does that look like? In the beginning, man had intimacy with God and with one another in community. Community is summed up in the following scripture: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength ... Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other command greater than these” (Mark 12:30–31, NKJV) Christ fulfilled this call with His life, and we have been called to follow His example. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away, and look, new things have come. (2 Corinthians 5:17, NKJV) Jesus said the Holy Spirit will help us. In John 14:26 (NKJV), Jesus says, “The Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.” The Holy Spirit is with us. The Holy Spirit draws us to be born again, helps us to understand the Word of God and helps us to know Jesus. The Holy Spirit helps us to live the Christian life and to please God. In whatever God calls us to do, the Holy Spirit helps us. Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; He will surely do it. (1 Thessalonians 5:23–24, ESV)

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Know that you are deeply loved by God. Your actions have no bearing on His love for you. By His grace expressed in Jesus Christ, you have been reconnected to the source of all life—not even death can sever that bond. By the power of His Holy Spirit, God will work in you to develop this character. Rest in Him.

Evening Reading & Application NEW CREATION Over the past four devotions, we have seen how God created us with a purpose and how, through our disobedience, we have fallen short. Yet in His love, He has given us life and forgiveness of sin through the cross. The good news today is that you are a new creation in Christ and have been redeemed. Look at 2 Corinthians 5:17 (ESV), “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! 2 Corinthians 55:18–21 (ESV) continues, All this is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And He has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God. Have you ever read an incredible novel and been tempted to skip ahead to read the end of the story? Sure, we’ll find out the ending, but we will have missed all the details of the story. But as followers of Christ, we have comfort in knowing how the story ends. We can live life in freedom and joy with the peace of knowing God’s in control. Since we have given our lives to Christ, we are new creations and we should live in freedom.

SCRIPTURE REFERENCES 1 Corinthians 15:21–22 (NIV)

2 Corinthians 5:17 says you are made new in Christ. With this understanding, how will you live differently from your past?

John 10:10 (ESV) Romans 8:29 (NIV) Mark 12:30–31 (NKJV) 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NKJV) John 14:26 (NKJV) 1 Thessalonians 5:23–24 (ESV) 2 Corinthians 5:17 (ESV) 2 Corinthians 55:18–21 (ESV) 2 Corinthians 5:17 (HCSB)

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What changes do you feel the Holy Spirit is prompting you to make?

John 14:26 (NKJV) says, “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, He will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.” The Holy Spirit will help us overcome the things that we struggle with and face everyday. Romans 8:20–23 (NLT) explains this struggle: Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse. But with eager hope, the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay. For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. This scripture reminds us that, though we are a new creation, we still have the desire to sin and we will still suffer the earthly consequences. We will still experience suffering until Jesus returns. In the meantime, we can know that the Lord will continue to love and perfect us as He draws us closer to Him. “We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as His adopted children, including the new bodies He has promised us. We were given this hope when we were saved.” (Romans 8:23–24, NLT) If we already have something, we don’t need to hope for it. What are you longing for?

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What are you waiting for God to do in your life?

What steps do you need to take to grow in your relationship with Christ and be more obedient Him?

We now have a basic understanding of how we have become a new creation. Continue to read God’s Word and learn how to hear His voice. The best way to begin is by reading the 21-day devotional after completing this five-day devotional. By doing this, you will walk through the life of Christ, which tells the story of how God’s power is revealed through His Son. NEXT STEPS Water Baptism baptism.gatewaypeople.com

FURTHER STUDY Matthew 4:17; 2 Corinthians 5:17–21; John 1:12; Titus 2:11–14; Romans 6:14–15; Romans 8:18–28

Baptism of the Holy Spirit Class equip.gatewaypeople.com - search for “Baptism of the Holy Spirit class”

SCRIPTURE REFERENCES John 14:26 (NKJV) Romans 8:20–23 (NLT) Romans 8:23–24 (NLT)

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Congratulations on completing this five-day devotional! Our goal is to help you establish a discipline of reading God’s Word and hearing Him through the Scriptures.

GATEWAY’S VISION “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.” (Luke 4:18–19, NKJV) Gateway’s Vision is to see people saved, healed, set free, discipled, equipped, empowered and serving.

GATEWAY’S MISSION | CREATED TO B To put it more simply … you are “created to B”! Here’s an in-depth look at the four Bs mentioned earlier.

BELIEVING is … •

Receiving God’s free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ.

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Holding to the truth found in the infallible Word of God.

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Growing in faith by continually choosing to trust God.

Believing is receiving God’s free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ and growing in faith by holding to the infallible Word of God and choosing to continually trust Him. To listen to the full sermon on believing, visit gatewaypeople.com/sermons/140292.

BELONGING is … •

Committing to growing in relationship with others.

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Contributing to the fulfillment of God’s vision for Gateway.

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Celebrating the privileges of being a part of His blessed family.

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Belonging is growing in relationship with others as each person contributes to fulfilling God’s vision for Gateway Church and celebrates the privileges of being a part of His blessed family. To listen to the full sermon on belonging, visit gatewaypeople.com/sermons/140467.

BECOMING is … •

Embracing the journey of transforming into the image of Christ.

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Pursuing God by investing in spiritual disciplines.

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Living a grace-filled life empowered by the Holy Spirit.

Becoming is embracing the journey of transforming into the image of Christ by investing in spiritual disciplines and living a grace-filled life empowered by the Holy Spirit. To listen to the full sermon on becoming, visit gatewaypeople.com/sermons/140577.

BUILDING is … •

Giving of yourself sacrificially to expand God’s kingdom.

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Partnering with God to show Christ to others.

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Answering the biblical call to a life of service.

Building is committing to expanding God’s kingdom by giving sacrificially, partnering with Him to reproduce Christ in others, and answering the biblical call to a life of service. To listen to the full sermon on building, visit gatewaypeople.com/sermons/140718. After the Fresh Start class, continue reading God’s Word. Through reading the Bible, we can grow in our relationship with Jesus. The next group of devotions is from the book of John, which tells the story of Jesus’ ministry on earth, including His death, burial and resurrection.

We look forward to walking beside you in your walk with Christ.

SCRIPTURE REFERENCES Luke 4:18–19 (NKJV)

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21-DAY DEVOTIONAL Based on the New Living Translation of the Book of John

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Believing Christ, the Eternal Word (Part one) John 1:1–5 says, In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through Him, and nothing was created except through Him. The Word gave life to everything that was created, and His life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.

INSPIRATION Before time began and before the world was created, God existed. Before we were born, God had a plan for our lives. Sometimes it’s easy to get caught up in the difficulties of our lives. We can spend time and energy worrying about whether something is going to work out in our favor, even though we know that worrying can’t help! No matter what is going on in our lives, God is a shelter from every storm. In John 1, we read that in the beginning the Word already existed. Scripture often refers to Jesus as the Word. There is no other who can stand against the Word of our God! Whatever is going on in your life today, you can call upon the name of Jesus. The Word of God created the world and it can bring a great change to your life.

ACTIVATION Take a moment and ask Jesus to take control of your situation. It doesn’t have to be an eloquent or long prayer, just a genuine one. Jeremiah 33:2–3 says, “This is what the Lord says—the Lord who made the earth, who formed and established it, whose name is the Lord: ‘Ask me and I will tell you remarkable secrets you do not know about things to come.’” The Lord is near. Ask Him and He will answer you and help you. 1. What do you need to ask the Lord for? 2. What situations do you need God’s help with? 3. Will you believe that God is willing and able to help you?

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Believing

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Christ, the Eternal Word (Part Two)

John 1:6–16 says, God sent a man, John the Baptist, to tell about the light so that everyone might believe because of his testimony. John himself was not the light; he was simply a witness to tell about the light. The one who is the true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. He came into the very world he created, but the world didn’t recognize Him. He came to His own people, and even they rejected Him. But to all who believed Him and accepted Him, He gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God. So the Word became human and made His home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen His glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son. John testified about Him when he shouted to the crowds, “This is the one I was talking about when I said, ‘Someone is coming after me who is far greater than I am, for He existed long before me.’” From His abundance we have all received one gracious blessing after another.

INSPIRATION Have you ever been in a dark room and suddenly light pours in as a door is opened? Jesus brings light to our lives and removes the darkness. So, when you wonder where your life is going, Jesus can light the way. God wants to fill our lives with joy! Jesus came so that we can have abundant life. Why would we want to continue living and walking in the dark when we can see God’s creation? Jesus gives us His light when we open our hearts to Him. As we walk in obedience to God, we can walk in the light of Jesus.

ACTIVATION Based on the scripture above, please respond to the following questions. 1. Where does life come from? 2. Who is John the Baptist referring to when he is talking about “the light”? 3. What blessings have you received in your life? From Christ? 4. John is testifying about the One who is to come. How can our lives testify about the One (Jesus) who is to return?

SCRIPTURE REFERENCES John 1:1–5 John 1:6–16

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Becoming The Wedding at Cana John 2:1–12 says, The next day there was a wedding celebration in the village of Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, and Jesus and His disciples were also invited to the celebration. The wine supply ran out during the festivities, so Jesus’ mother told Him, “They have no more wine.” “Dear woman, that’s not our problem,” Jesus replied. “My time has not yet come.” But His mother told the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” Standing nearby were six stone water jars, used for Jewish ceremonial washing. Each could hold twenty to thirty gallons. Jesus told the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” When the jars had been filled, He said, “Now dip some out, and take it to the master of ceremonies.” So the servants followed His instructions. When the master of ceremonies tasted the water that was now wine, not knowing where it had come from (though, of course, the servants knew), he called the bridegroom over. “A host always serves the best wine first,” he said. “Then, when everyone has had a lot to drink, he brings out the less expensive wine. But you have kept the best until now!” This miraculous sign at Cana in Galilee was the first time Jesus revealed His glory. And His disciples believed in Him. After the wedding He went to Capernaum for a few days with His mother, His brothers and His disciples.

INSPIRATION The wedding at Cana was the first miracle Jesus did. He would have been unknown at the time because He hadn’t yet started His ministry. But Jesus cared about the people at the wedding enough that he chose to move on their behalf. Jesus was a guest at the wedding and it wasn’t His responsibility to make sure everyone had enough to drink, but He helped out anyway. It was important for the host to provide enough food and wine for everyone. Through this miracle, Jesus provided not only for the guests, but also for the host. He knew their needs and He met them. Today, remember Jesus cares about you. He cares about the details of your life and the condition of your heart. Just as He was willing and able to do a miracle at that wedding all those years ago—turning regular water into spectacular wine—He is still willing and able to bring the miraculous to your life today!

ACTIVATION Jesus can still do miracles. All we have to do is ask for His help. 1. What miracle do you need accomplished in your life? 2. Do you need Jesus to turn something ordinary into something extraordinary? 3. How can you be used to reveal Christ to someone? Is there a need that you can meet that would bless someone in your life? — 42 —

Becoming

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Nicodemus John 3:1–21 says, There was a man named Nicodemus, a Jewish religious leader who was a Pharisee. After dark one evening, he came to speak with Jesus. “Rabbi,” he said, “we all know that God has sent you to teach us. Your miraculous signs are evidence that God is with you.” Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.” ”What do you mean?” exclaimed Nicodemus. “How can an old man go back into his mother’s womb and be born again?” Jesus replied, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life. So don’t be surprised when I say, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows wherever it wants. Just as you can hear the wind but can’t tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can’t explain how people are born of the Spirit.” “How are these things possible?” Nicodemus asked. Jesus replied, “You are a respected Jewish teacher, and yet you don’t understand these things? I assure you, we tell you what we know and have seen, and yet you won’t believe our testimony. But if you don’t believe Me when I tell you about earthly things, how can you possibly believe if I tell you about heavenly things? No one has ever gone to heaven and returned. But the Son of Man has come down from heaven. And as Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in Him will have eternal life. For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through Him. There is no judgment against anyone who believes in Him. But anyone who does not believe in Him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son. And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed. But those who do what is right come to the light so others can see that they are doing what God wants.”

INSPIRATION Nothing prepared Nicodemus for when Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.” Nicodemus must’ve been stunned. Despite his leadership within the Jewish community, this was the first time Nicodemus learned that he needed to be born again. To have eternal life, we all must be born naturally and supernaturally. We are all born naturally, but in order to have new life, we must be “born again.” Jesus was talking about a supernatural birth that happens when we trust in Jesus to be our Lord.

SCRIPTURE REFERENCES John 2:1–12 John 3:1–21

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It would be impossible for us to do this on our own, but Jesus made the way for us. John 3:16–17 says, “For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God did not send Jesus into the world to judge the world, but to save the world.” Through Jesus, you can come to God and have new life in Him. All you have to do is believe in Jesus and give control of your life to Him. This is the most important decision you will ever make. We truly start living when we are born again.

ACTIVATION If you’re not sure where you stand with God, pray this simple prayer: “Jesus, I need to be born again. I believe that You are the Son of God. Be my Lord and Savior and have Your way in my life.” 1. What does it mean to be born again? 2. Have you been born again? 3. Have you given all of your life to Jesus?

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Becoming

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Jesus Heals an Official’s Son John 4:43–54 says, At the end of the two days, Jesus went on to Galilee. He Himself had said that a prophet is not honored in his own hometown. Yet the Galileans welcomed Him, for they had been in Jerusalem at the Passover celebration and had seen everything He did there. As He traveled through Galilee, He came to Cana, where He had turned the water into wine. There was a government official in nearby Capernaum whose son was very sick. When he heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went and begged Jesus to come to Capernaum to heal his son, who was about to die. Jesus asked, “Will you never believe in me unless you see miraculous signs and wonders?” The official pleaded, “Lord, please come now before my little boy dies.” Then Jesus told him, “Go back home. Your son will live!” And the man believed what Jesus said and started home. While the man was on his way, some of his servants met him with the news that his son was alive and well. He asked them when the boy had begun to get better, and they replied, “Yesterday afternoon at one o’clock his fever suddenly disappeared!” Then the father realized that that was the very time Jesus had told him, “Your son will live.” And he and his entire household believed in Jesus. This was the second miraculous sign Jesus did in Galilee after coming from Judea.

INSPIRATION If you can relate to that story, there is good news for you! Jesus never changes. The same love and concern that He had for the official’s sick son to be well again, He has for you. Today, you can come to Jesus just as the official came to Him and let your prayer be heard. With just one word from Jesus, the boy was well. Today, your situation can be made well too. All you have to do is pray, believe and trust Jesus to take care of it.

ACTIVATION Take a minute and bring your concerns to Jesus. 1. Can you relate to the official? Is there anything in your life that makes you want to run to Jesus and say, “Lord, please come now before happens”? “Lord, please come before the bankruptcy goes through, before the sickness overtakes, before everything is lost, before it’s too late.” 2. Is there anything in your life you would want to run and bring to Jesus? 3. What is stopping you from bringing everything to Him? Now, believe and go your way.

SCRIPTURE REFERENCES John 3:16–17 John 4:43–54

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Believing Jesus Heals a Lame Man John 5:1–15 says, Afterward Jesus returned to Jerusalem for one of the Jewish holy days. Inside the city, near the Sheep Gate, was the pool of Bethesda, with five covered porches. Crowds of sick people—blind, lame, or paralyzed—lay on the porches. One of the men lying there had been sick for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him and knew he had been ill for a long time, He asked him, “Would you like to get well?” “I can’t, sir,” the sick man said, “for I have no one to put me into the pool when the water bubbles up. Someone else always gets there ahead of me.” Jesus told him, “Stand up, pick up your mat and walk!” Instantly, the man was healed! He rolled up his sleeping mat and began walking! But this miracle happened on the Sabbath so the Jewish leaders objected. They said to the man who was cured, “You can’t work on the Sabbath! The law doesn’t allow you to carry that sleeping mat!” But he replied, “The man who healed me told me, ‘Pick up your mat and walk.’” “Who said such a thing as that?” they demanded. The man didn’t know, for Jesus had disappeared into the crowd. But afterward Jesus found him in the Temple and told him, “Now you are well; so stop sinning, or something even worse may happen to you.” Then the man went and told the Jewish leaders that it was Jesus who had healed him.

INSPIRATION In the scripture above, Jesus cared about the lame man. Jesus asked him the one question that he wanted to hear more than anything in the world: “Would you like to get well?” Then, Jesus healed him. One of Jesus’ names is Jehovah Rapha, which means the Lord who heals. Jesus has always been a healer and He can bring healing to your life today because He never changes. You may feel that you are alone, and you may feel that all people do is pass you by, but Jesus will always be with you. He will never leave you or forsake you. Just like Jesus stopped to talk to the lame man, He’s not too busy to stop, check on you and ask you how you are doing.

Activation Remember that you are not alone. You can call upon Jesus and He will answer you! He will never leave you and He will always be with you. 1. Do you know how much Jesus cares about you? 2. Will you spend some time with Him today? 3. Jesus desires to be involved in all the details of your life. What are you willing to give to Jesus today? — 46 —

Becoming

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Jesus Feeds Five Thousand John 6:1–15 says, After this, Jesus crossed over to the far side of the Sea of Galilee, also known as the Sea of Tiberias. A huge crowd kept following Him wherever He went, because they saw His miraculous signs as He healed the sick. Then Jesus climbed a hill and sat down with His disciples around Him. (It was nearly time for the Jewish Passover celebration.) Jesus soon saw a huge crowd of people coming to look for Him. Turning to Philip, He asked, “Where can we buy bread to feed all these people?” He was testing Philip, for He already knew what He was going to do. Philip replied, “Even if we worked for months, we wouldn’t have enough money to feed them!” Then Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up. “There’s a young boy here with five barley loaves and two fish. But what good is that with this huge crowd?” “Tell everyone to sit down,” Jesus said. So they all sat down on the grassy slopes. (The men alone numbered about 5,000.) Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks to God, and distributed them to the people. Afterward He did the same with the fish. And they all ate as much as they wanted. After everyone was full, Jesus told his disciples, “Now gather the leftovers, so that nothing is wasted.” So they picked up the pieces and filled twelve baskets with scraps left by the people who had eaten from the five barley loaves. When the people saw Him do this miraculous sign, they exclaimed, “Surely, He is the Prophet we have been expecting!” When Jesus saw that they were ready to force Him to be their king, he slipped away into the hills by Himself.

INSPIRATION In the previous scripture, all the disciples could find was a young boy with only five loaves and two fish, but they still brought it to Jesus. They trusted that with Jesus anything would be possible, and they were right! Sometimes, all Jesus asks of us is to bring Him what we can. Five loaves and two fish was not a lot of food, but after Jesus blessed it, broke it and gave it back to the disciples to give away, it fed more than five thousand people! Jesus can take the little pieces that we offer Him and do great things with them. There is nothing that is impossible for Him. All we have to do is be faithful with what we have in our hand and give it to Jesus. We bring our gifts, our talents, our money, our time and our hearts, and we give them to Jesus. Once we do, anything is possible!

ACTIVATION 1. Take some time and ask Jesus what you can give Him to multiply. 2. Listen to “The Principle of Multiplication” from Pastor Robert Morris’ Blessed Life series to get insight into how God wants us to live.

SCRIPTURE REFERENCES John 5:1–15 John 6:1–15

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Believing Jesus Promises Living Water John 7:37–39 says, On the last day, the climax of the festival, Jesus stood and shouted to the crowds, “Anyone who is thirsty may come to Me! Anyone who believes in Me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from His heart.’” (When He said “living water,” He was speaking of the Spirit, who would be given to everyone believing in Him. But the Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus had not yet entered into His glory.)

INSPIRATION We desire a relationship with Christ. There is nothing else that can fill this void. From this relationship with Him, we will receive hope, reconciliation and restoration. He doesn’t grant wishes like a genie, but loves us and wants good things for us. God showed His love toward us through His Son who died for us. Before we had ever praised Him, thanked Him or given Him anything, He died on the cross so we might be saved and reconciled to God. There is no other place that we can go to in life to be satisfied. It’s easy to put our trust in physical things here on earth; however, only Jesus can meet all of our needs.

ACTIVATION Come to Jesus! He won’t embarrass you. He will not give you a guilt trip or condemn you for your mistakes. He forgives and opens His arms wide for you. 1. What needs do you have today? 2. Jesus called out to “anyone who is thirsty” to come and receive living water from Him. What areas of your life need living water? 3. How can you come to Jesus? 4. What is the Holy Spirit speaking to you?

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Belonging

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A Woman Caught in Adultery John 8:1–11 says, Jesus returned to the Mount of Olives, but early the next morning He was back again at the Temple. A crowd soon gathered, and He sat down and taught them. As He was speaking, the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. They put her in front of the crowd. “Teacher,” they said to Jesus, “this woman was caught in the act of adultery. The law of Moses says to stone her. What do You say?” They were trying to trap Him into saying something they could use against Him, but Jesus stooped down and wrote in the dust with his finger. They kept demanding an answer, so He stood up again and said, “All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!” Then He stooped down again and wrote in the dust. When the accusers heard this, they slipped away one by one, beginning with the oldest, until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman. Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?” “No, Lord,” she said. And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.”

INSPIRATION We have all been guilty of something. We have all sinned, and we have all fallen short of the glory of God. Just like the adulteress in the previous scripture, none of us have lived perfect lives. We don’t know what Jesus wrote in the dust, but we do know that Jesus is forgiving. The law said that she should be stoned as justice for the sin, but Jesus wanted to show mercy. He didn’t want to hurt the woman, even when she had just been caught in sin. He loved her, just as He loves us. Even when we sin or mess up, we know that Jesus is quick to forgive us. All we have to do is ask.

ACTIVATION He is willing to show to you the same mercy he showed the woman. Today, bring your imperfections to Jesus and leave them there with Him. Allow His mercy to set you free. 1. Is there anything in your life that you don’t think Jesus will forgive you for? 2. If Jesus showed mercy toward the woman caught in adultery, do you believe He will show mercy to you? 3. Is there anything you need to ask forgiveness for?

SCRIPTURE REFERENCES John 7:37–39 John 8:1–11

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Belonging Jesus, the Light of the World John 8:12–20 says, Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow Me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.” The Pharisees replied, “You are making those claims about yourself! Such testimony is not valid.” Jesus told them, “These claims are valid even though I make them about Myself. For I know where I came from and where I am going, but you don’t know this about Me. You judge Me by human standards, but I do not judge anyone. And if I did, My judgment would be correct in every respect because I am not alone. The Father who sent Me is with Me. Your own law says that if two people agree about something, their witness is accepted as fact. I am one witness, and My Father who sent Me is the other.” “Where is your Father?” they asked. Jesus answered, “Since you don’t know who I am, you don’t know who My Father is. If you knew Me, you would also know My Father.” Jesus made these statements while He was teaching in the section of the Temple known as the Treasury. But He was not arrested, because His time had not yet come.

INSPIRATION Have you ever been in a situation where you didn’t know what to do? Have you ever been at a crossroads in life and didn’t know which way to go? Jesus says that He is the light of the world. We don’t have to walk in darkness. When you don’t know what to do or where to go, you can always turn to Jesus. Psalm 119:105 says that God’s Word “is a lamp to guide [our] feet and a light for [our paths].” The thing to remember about a lamp is that it only gives light for the next step; it’s not a spotlight. Light for the next step is sometimes all we need. No matter what difficulty may arise in your life, and even if all you can do is hope, Jesus promised that He would be there for you. You don’t have to make decisions with an uncertainty in your mind, wondering if things will work out. Focus on this scripture, and make it a promise in your life.

ACTIVATION Jesus promises light so that we don’t have to walk in darkness. If you’re struggling to find your way, pray this: “Jesus, You said that You are the light of the world, and promised that I don’t have to live in darkness. Send Your light to my life now. Show me which way to go.” 1. What situations in your life right now do you need direction for? 2. What do you need to submit to the Lord and allow His light to shine on? — 50 —

Becoming

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Jesus Heals a Man Born Blind John 9:1–34 says, As Jesus was walking along, He saw a man who had been blind from birth. “Rabbi,” His disciples asked Him, “why was this man born blind? Was it because of his own sins or his parents’ sins?” “It was not because of his sins or his parents’ sins,” Jesus answered. “This happened so the power of God could be seen in him. We must quickly carry out the tasks assigned us by the one who sent us. The night is coming, and then no one can work. But while I am here in the world, I am the light of the world.” Then He spit on the ground, made mud with the saliva, and spread the mud over the blind man’s eyes. He told him, “Go wash yourself in the pool of Siloam” (Siloam means “sent”). So the man went and washed and came back seeing! His neighbors and others who knew him as a blind beggar asked each other, “Isn’t this the man who used to sit and beg?” Some said he was, and others said, “No, he just looks like him!” But the beggar kept saying, “Yes, I am the same one!” They asked, “Who healed you? What happened?” He told them, “The man they call Jesus made mud and spread it over my eyes and told me, ‘Go to the pool of Siloam and wash yourself.’ So I went and washed, and now I can see!” “Where is He now?” they asked. “I don’t know,” he replied. Then they took the man who had been blind to the Pharisees, because it was on the Sabbath that Jesus had made the mud and healed him. The Pharisees asked the man all about it. So he told them, “He put the mud over my eyes, and when I washed it away, I could see!” Some of the Pharisees said, “This man Jesus is not from God, for He is working on the Sabbath.” Others said, “But how could an ordinary sinner do such miraculous signs?” So there was a deep division of opinion among them. Then the Pharisees again questioned the man who had been blind and demanded, “What’s your opinion about this man who healed you?” The man replied, “I think He must be a prophet.” The Jewish leaders still refused to believe the man had been blind and could now see, so they called in his parents. They asked them, “Is this your son? Was he born blind? If so, how can he now see?” His parents replied, “We know this is our son and that he was born blind, but we don’t know how he can see or who healed him. Ask him. He is old enough to speak for himself.” His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders, who had announced that anyone saying Jesus was the Messiah would be expelled from the synagogue. That’s why they said, “He is old enough. Ask him.” So for the second time they called in the man who had been blind and told him, “God should get the glory for this, because we know this man Jesus is a sinner.” “I don’t know whether He is a sinner,” the man replied. “But I know this: I was blind, and now I can see!” “But what did He do?” they asked. “How did He heal you?” “Look!” the man exclaimed. “I told you once. Didn’t you listen? Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become His disciples, too?” Then they cursed him and said, “You are His disciple, but we are disciples of Moses! We know God spoke to Moses, but we don’t even know where this man comes from.” “Why, that’s very strange!” the man replied. “He healed my eyes, and yet you don’t know where He comes from? We know that God doesn’t listen to sinners, but He is ready to hear those who worship

SCRIPTURE REFERENCES John 8:12–20 John 9:1–34

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Him and do His will. Ever since the world began, no one has been able to open the eyes of someone born blind. If this man were not from God, He couldn’t have done it.” “You were born a total sinner!” they answered. “Are you trying to teach us?” And they threw Him out of the synagogue.

INSPIRATION Take a moment and think about what it would feel like to be born blind. Imagine how different your life would be if you never had been able to see. It may seem like a foreign idea, but that was all this man knew. He had a problem that only Jesus could fix. In an instant, everything in this man’s life changed. In first century Israel, the options for a blind man were pretty slim. This man would have remained a beggar his entire life, but Jesus wanted him and the world to see God’s power. If you are looking around at your life and wishing for more insight and understanding, look to Jesus. Jesus is able to heal if you need healing and help if you need help. Look to Jesus before you look to anything else.

ACTIVATION Turn your attention to Jesus. Take everything that is weighing you down, and give it to Him. Give Jesus control of your life, and let Him bring light into every area of your life. 1. Do you feel like the blind man? Do you have a problem that only Jesus can fix? Will you lay it down before Him today? 2. Will you let Jesus in to have complete control?

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Belonging

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Jesus is the Good Shepherd John 10:1–21 says, “I tell you the truth, anyone who sneaks over the wall of a sheepfold, rather than going through the gate, must surely be a thief and a robber! But the One who enters through the gate is the Shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for Him, and the sheep recognize His voice and come to Him. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. After He has gathered His own flock, He walks ahead of them, and they follow Him because they know His voice. They won’t follow a stranger; they will run from Him because they don’t know His voice.” Those who heard Jesus use this illustration didn’t understand what He meant, so He explained it to them: “I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. All who came before Me were thieves and robbers. But the true sheep did not listen to them. Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in through Me will be saved. They will come and go freely and will find good pastures. The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life. I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd sacrifices His life for the sheep. A hired hand will run when he sees a wolf coming. He will abandon the sheep because they don’t belong to him and he isn’t their shepherd. And so the wolf attacks them and scatters the flock. The hired hand runs away because he’s working only for the money and doesn’t really care about the sheep. I am the Good Shepherd; I know My own sheep, and they know Me, just as My Father knows Me and I know the Father. So I sacrifice My life for the sheep. I have other sheep, too, that are not in this sheepfold. I must bring them also. They will listen to My voice, and there will be one flock with one Shepherd. The Father loves Me because I sacrifice My life so I may take it back again. No one can take My life from Me. I sacrifice it voluntarily. For I have the authority to lay it down when I want to and also to take it up again. For this is what My Father has commanded.” When He said these things, the people were again divided in their opinions about Him. Some said, “He’s demon possessed and out of His mind. Why listen to a man like that?” Others said, “This doesn’t sound like a man possessed by a demon! Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?”

INSPIRATION The shepherd is responsible for the total well-being of his sheep. He must make sure they have food, a quiet place to rest and protection from wild animals. Jesus calls Himself the Good Shepherd. He says that the Good Shepherd will sacrifice His life for His sheep. The Good Shepherd will put the sheep before Himself. Jesus did this when He gave His life on the cross. 2 Chronicles 5:21 says, “God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.”

SCRIPTURE REFERENCES John 10:1–21 2 Chronicles 5:21

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There is nothing too big or too small for Jesus. He will take care of you. He will provide for you and protect you. Why? Because He is the Good Shepherd. No matter what happens, Jesus will never let you go. He won’t leave you alone to fight against life’s trials. Jesus wants to shepherd us, and He wants us to know His voice. He doesn’t want us to just know about Him. He wants us to know Him as a friend. He will walk ahead of us, and we can follow Him safely.

ACTIVATION Trust in Jesus as your shepherd. Believe that He will provide for you, protect you and take care of everything in your life. 1. How has Jesus been the Good Shepherd to you? 2. How can you hear His voice?

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Believing

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Jesus Raises Lazarus From the Dead

John 11:1–44 says, A man named Lazarus was sick. He lived in Bethany with his sisters, Mary and Martha. This is the Mary who later poured the expensive perfume on the Lord’s feet and wiped them with her hair. Her brother, Lazarus, was sick. So the two sisters sent a message to Jesus telling Him, “Lord, your dear friend is very sick.” But when Jesus heard about it He said, “Lazarus’ sickness will not end in death. No, it happened for the glory of God so that the Son of God will receive glory from this.” So although Jesus loved Martha, Mary and Lazarus, He stayed where He was for the next two days. Finally, He said to His disciples, “Let’s go back to Judea.” But His disciples objected. “Rabbi,” they said, “only a few days ago the people in Judea were trying to stone You. Are you going there again?” Jesus replied, “There are twelve hours of daylight every day. During the day people can walk safely. They can see because they have the light of this world. But at night there is danger of stumbling because they have no light.” Then He said, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but now I will go and wake him up.” The disciples said, “Lord, if he is sleeping, he will soon get better!” They thought Jesus meant Lazarus was simply sleeping, but Jesus meant Lazarus had died. So He told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead. And for your sakes, I’m glad I wasn’t there, for now you will really believe. Come, let’s go see him.” Thomas, nicknamed “the Twin,” said to his fellow disciples, “Let’s go, too—and die with Jesus.” When Jesus arrived at Bethany, He was told that Lazarus had already been in his grave for four days. Bethany was only a few miles down the road from Jerusalem, and many of the people had come to console Martha and Mary in their loss. When Martha got word that Jesus was coming, she went to meet Him. But Mary stayed in the house. Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if only You had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask.” Jesus told her, “Your brother will rise again.” “Yes,” Martha said, “he will rise when everyone else rises, at the last day.” Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in Me will live, even after dying. Everyone who lives in Me and believes in Me will never ever die. Do you believe this, Martha?” “Yes, Lord,” she told Him. “I have always believed You are the Messiah, the Son of God, the One who has come into the world from God.” Then she returned to Mary. She called Mary aside from the mourners and told her, “the Teacher is here and wants to see you.” So Mary immediately went to Him. Jesus had stayed outside the village, at the place where Martha met Him. When the people who were at the house consoling Mary saw her leave so hastily, they assumed she was going to Lazarus’ grave to weep. So they followed her there. When Mary arrived and saw Jesus, she fell at His feet and said, “Lord, if only You had been here, my brother would not have died.” When Jesus saw her weeping and saw the other people wailing with her, a deep anger welled up within Him, and He was deeply troubled. “Where have you put him?” He asked them. They told Him, “Lord, come and see.” Then Jesus wept. The people who were standing nearby said, “See how much He loved him!” But some said, “This man healed a blind man. Couldn’t he have kept Lazarus from dying?” — 55 —

SCRIPTURE REFERENCES John 11:1–44

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Jesus was still angry as He arrived at the tomb, a cave with a stone rolled across its entrance. “Roll the stone aside,” Jesus told them. But Martha, the dead man’s sister, protested, “Lord, he has been dead for four days. The smell will be terrible.” Jesus responded, “Didn’t I tell you that you would see God’s glory if you believe?” So they rolled the stone aside. Then Jesus looked up to heaven and said, “Father, thank you for hearing Me. You always hear Me, but I said it out loud for the sake of all these people standing here, so that they will believe You sent Me.” Then Jesus shouted, “Lazarus, come out!” And the dead man came out, his hands and feet bound in graveclothes, his face wrapped in a headcloth. Jesus told them, “Unwrap him and let him go!”

INSPIRATION Have you ever dreamt of doing something and over time slowly forgotten about it? You used to think about it and make plans for it, but somehow along the way the dream fizzled out. The more time that passes, the easier it is to let the hope stay buried. Mary and Martha experienced this. They watched as their brother Lazarus died, and then they buried him. But when Jesus visited, something happened—Lazarus walked out of the tomb. Jesus is still able to bring life to things that are dead, no matter what they are—past relationships, businesses or dreams. Romans 4:17 (ESV) says that God “gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist.” By His power, we have a second chance, and through His strength, we can let our dreams come to life. It’s important to not give up hope. Apart from Christ, there is no real hope. No matter what difficulty you’re going through, Jesus is able to take the disappointments of our lives and turn them into blessings. Even though all Mary and Martha could see was a sealed tomb, Jesus saw new life. Jesus even said to Mary, “I am the resurrection and the life” (John 11:25). Just as Jesus spoke to Mary, He always gives hope to our lives and our situations. We just have to believe, keep praying and never stop hoping in Him.

ACTIVATION Spend some time with Jesus. Let Him breathe new life into the places of your heart or situations in your life that you would call dead. 1. Have you given up hope on anything in your life? 2. Will you believe that Jesus can turn your situation around?

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Becoming

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Jesus Anointed at Bethany John 12:1–11 says, Six days before the Passover celebration began, Jesus arrived in Bethany, the home of Lazarus—the man He had raised from the dead. A dinner was prepared in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, and Lazarus was among those who ate with Him. Then Mary took a 12-ounce jar of expensive perfume made from essence of nard, and she anointed Jesus’ feet with it, wiping His feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance. But Judas Iscariot, the disciple who would soon betray Him, said, “That perfume was worth a year’s wages. It should have been sold and the money given to the poor.” Not that he cared for the poor—he was a thief, and since he was in charge of the disciples’ money, he often stole some for himself. Jesus replied, “Leave her alone. She did this in preparation for My burial. You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have Me.” When all the people heard of Jesus’ arrival, they flocked to see Him and also to see Lazarus, the man Jesus had raised from the dead. Then the leading priests decided to kill Lazarus, too, for it was because of him that many of the people had deserted them and believed in Jesus.

INSPIRATION In this story, we see both lavish generosity and selfishness. Mary’s love and passion for Jesus was so strong that the cost didn’t matter. She took all she had and poured it out to Jesus. In contrast, Judas often stole money and he criticized Mary’s generous worship. His actions exemplify selfishness. It’s important for us to remember that selfishness will always battle for control over generosity. It’s only concerned about one thing: self! Selfishness will always search for an excuse to be closefisted. We must search our hearts to see if we find generosity or selfishness. One of the best ways to do this is to look how we spend our money, because it shows what we value most in life. If most of our money is spent on entertainment, then we place a high value on entertainment. If most of our money is spent on clothes, then we value clothes. The responsibility we will have in God’s kingdom is proportional to how we handle money. If we are good stewards with our money, God will give us more. If we are poor stewards, God will not entrust us with great things. He wants to have the first priority in every area of our lives, including how we spend our money.

SCRIPTURE REFERENCES Romans 4:17 (ESV) John 11:25 John 12:1–11

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Judas wanted to keep everything he could. He wanted to build his own kingdom. However, Mary was willing to give everything away to bless her King. In our lives, let us do all we can to be more like Mary and not like Judas.

ACTIVATION Read The Blessed Life by Pastor Robert Morris Listen to “Am I Generous?” in Pastor Robert Morris’ Blessed Life Series 1. Does God have all of you? Does He have your dreams? Your desires? Your possessions? 2. Are you generous, or is selfishness still a dominant force in your heart? 3. What do your spending habits say about what’s truly important to you on this earth?

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Believing & Becoming

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Jesus & Forgiveness John 13:18–30 says, “I am not saying these things to all of you; I know the ones I have chosen. But this fulfills the Scripture that says, ‘The one who eats My food has turned against Me.’ I tell you this beforehand, so that when it happens you will believe that I am the Messiah. I tell you the truth, anyone who welcomes My messenger is welcoming Me, and anyone who welcomes Me is welcoming the Father who sent Me.” Now Jesus was deeply troubled, and He exclaimed, “I tell you the truth, one of you will betray Me!” The disciples looked at each other, wondering whom He could mean. The disciple Jesus loved was sitting next to Jesus at the table. Simon Peter motioned to Him to ask, “Who’s He talking about?” So that disciple leaned over to Jesus and asked, “Lord, who is it?” Jesus responded, “It is the one to whom I give the bread I dip in the bowl.” And when He had dipped it, He gave it to Judas, son of Simon Iscariot. When Judas had eaten the bread, Satan entered into him. Then Jesus told him, “Hurry and do what you’re going to do.” None of the others at the table knew what Jesus meant. Since Judas was their treasurer, some thought Jesus was telling him to go and pay for the food or to give some money to the poor. So Judas left at once, going out into the night.

INSPIRATION Chances are, at some point in your life, somebody has hurt you. Some people’s stories are more dramatic than others, but the fundamentals are often the same: somebody that we loved or trusted did something that was hurtful to us. You may have experienced abuse, been betrayed or an endless list of other possibilities, but it was not God’s desire for those painful things to happen to you. While we can’t change the past, it doesn’t have to determine our future! The most important part of our story is what we do from this point forward. Moving on from a painful experience doesn’t mean that we say it was a small matter, and it doesn’t mean that what happened wasn’t wrong. For all of us, the pivotal, life-changing moment happens when we choose not to let negative feelings into our hearts after a painful event. Forgiveness does not mean that we forget what happened. Forgiveness doesn’t mean that we give people who’ve hurt us the ability to do it again. Forgiveness, however, does mean that we give what has happened to God. We take the experience, the words or the pain, and we pray and give it up to God.

SCRIPTURE REFERENCES John 13:18–30

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The reason we need to learn to give our painful experiences to God is because if we hold onto them, bitterness and offense can begin to settle inside us. Our hearts will grow hard and cold, and the bitterness will eventually destroy us. And when bitterness and offense creep in, resentment, criticism, judgment, hatred, anger, division, pain and brokenness always come too. If these run rampant in our lives, they can only lead to death, never to life. Jesus is the only one who can bring healing and reconciliation. Spend some time in prayer today, and give your pain to Jesus. He will help you forgive, release bitterness and prevent it from settling into your heart.

ACTIVATION Repent to the Lord for holding on to offenses and bitterness in your heart. Ask Him to help you to forgive. Give it to God and let Him take care of it from now on. 1. Is there someone you need to forgive? 2. If you look in your heart, do you find any bitterness or offense? Do you need to give anything to God? 3. Who has forgiven you in your past? How? 4. Who have you forgiven in your past? 5. How did you feel after you were forgiven?

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Believing

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Jesus, the Way to the Father John 14:1–14 says, “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in Me. There is more than enough room in My Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with Me where I am. And you know the way to where I am going.” “No, we don’t know, Lord,” Thomas said. “We have no idea where You are going, so how can we know the way?” Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one can come to the Father except through Me. If you had really known Me, you would know who My Father is. From now on, you do know Him and have seen Him!” Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.” Jesus replied, “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and yet you still don’t know who I am? Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father! So why are you asking Me to show Him to you? Don’t you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me? The words I speak are not My own, but My Father who lives in Me does His work through Me. Just believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me. Or at least believe because of the work you have seen Me do. I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in Me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father. You can ask for anything in My name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. Yes, ask Me for anything in My name, and I will do it!”

INSPIRATION Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one can come to the Father except through Me.” This phrase is one of the most important sentences in the Bible and one of the most controversial proclamations that Jesus ever made because He was saying that He is the only way to eternal life. Jesus said that there is no other way besides Him. He is the one that will open the door for people to go to heaven and have eternal life. There is no other religion, no other religious figure and no amount of good deeds that are sufficient.

SCRIPTURE REFERENCES John 14:1–14

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Many voices in the world proclaim to be the way, the truth and the life. Some even claim that there are many paths to heaven, suggesting that it doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t matter which path we choose. As we search for truth and life, the world tries to pull our attention away from Jesus. Fame, money and power call out to us, claiming to bring happiness and fulfillment. None of these claims are true. Other voices claim there is no truth. They say that all truth is relative and that there is no absolute truth. They say that truth for one person is different for another person. But Jesus said He is the truth.

ACTIVATION Meditate on Jesus as the only way, the only truth and the only life. 1. How does it affect your life to make Jesus the only way, truth and life? 2. Are there changes you need to make in your life to put Jesus in first place?

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Becoming

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Fruitfulness John 15:1–4 says, “I am the true grapevine, and My Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch of Mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and He prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more. You have already been pruned and purified by the message I have given you. Remain in Me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in Me.”

INSPIRATION In this passage, Jesus compares Himself to a vine, the Father to a gardener and us to branches on the vine. Through this illustration, Jesus says that we must stay connected to Him. Branches only produce fruit when they are connected to the life-source (the vine). We’re the same way—we need to stay connected to Jesus to be fruitful! We will only have joy and do what God has called us to do if we stay connected to Jesus. Hebrews 4:12 says the Word of God is alive and powerful. What situation in your life do you need more life and power? The more we remain in Jesus by reading and meditating on the Bible, the more we will become like Him and the more fruit we will produce. This is what Jesus means when He says, “remain in Me.” He knows that the best thing we can do with our time is to spend it with Him. When we are with Jesus, we are living the fullest lives possible!

ACTIVATION Make a commitment to memorize John 15:1–4. Plan to spend time with Jesus every day. 1. What does it mean to remain in Jesus? 2. What do you need to change in your schedule so that you can spend more time reading the Bible and praying?

SCRIPTURE REFERENCES John 15:1–4 Hebrews 4:12 John 15:1–4

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Building Fruitfulness John 15:5–17 says, “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in Me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from Me you can do nothing. Anyone who does not remain in Me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned. But if you remain in Me and My words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted! When you produce much fruit, you are My true disciples. This brings great glory to My Father. I have loved you even as the Father has loved Me. Remain in My love. When you obey My commandments, you remain in My love, just as I obey My Father’s commandments and remain in His love. I have told you these things so that you will be filled with My joy. Yes, your joy will overflow! This is My commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are My friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you slaves, because a master doesn’t confide in his slaves. Now you are My friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me. You didn’t choose Me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using My name. This is My command: Love each other.”

INSPIRATION God wants you to produce fruit. The key to producing much fruit is to abide in Jesus. This means spending time in significant prayer and Bible study, because when we do, we become more like Jesus, and our desires become more like His desires. We need to spend as much time as we possibly can with Jesus—just being with Him and dwelling in His presence.

ACTIVATION Consider planning a “vision retreat” where you can spend some time alone with God. Ask Him what the next steps need to be in your life. 1. What does it mean in your life to produce fruit? 2. What fruit can you identify in your life right now? (See Galatians 5:22–23). 3. What can you do today to begin producing more of the fruit mentioned in Galatians?

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Becoming

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The Prayer of Jesus John 17:1–25 says, After saying all these things, Jesus looked up to heaven and said, “Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son so He can give glory back to You. For You have given Him authority over everyone. He gives eternal life to each one You have given Him. And this is the way to have eternal life—to know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one You sent to earth. I brought glory to You here on earth by completing the work You gave Me to do. Now, Father, bring Me into the glory We shared before the world began. I have revealed You to the ones You gave Me from this world. They were always Yours. You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your Word. Now they know that everything I have is a gift from You, for I have passed on to them the message You gave Me. They accepted it and know that I came from You, and they believe You sent Me. My prayer is not for the world, but for those You have given Me, because they belong to You. All who are Mine belong to You, and You have given them to Me, so they bring Me glory. Now I am departing from the world; they are staying in this world, but I am coming to You. Holy Father, You have given Me Your name; now protect them by the power of Your name so that they will be united just as We are. During My time here, I protected them by the power of the name You gave Me. I guarded them so that not one was lost, except the one headed for destruction, as the Scriptures foretold. Now I am coming to You. I told them many things while I was with them in this world so they would be filled with My joy. I have given them Your word. And the world hates them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. I’m not asking You to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one. They do not belong to this world any more than I do. Make them holy by Your truth; teach them Your word, which is truth. Just as You sent Me into the world, I am sending them into the world. And I give Myself as a holy sacrifice for them so they can be made holy by Your truth. I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in Me through their message. I pray that they will all be one, just as You and I are one—as You are in Me, Father, and I am in You. And may they be in Us so that the world will believe You sent Me. I have given them the glory You gave Me, so they may be one as We are one. I am in them and You are in Me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that You sent Me and that You love them as much as You love Me. Father, I want these whom You have given Me to be with Me where I am. Then they can see all the glory You gave Me because You loved Me even before the world began! O righteous Father, the world doesn’t know You, but I do; and these disciples know You sent Me. I have revealed You to them, and I will continue to do so. Then Your love for Me will be in them, and I will be in them.”

SCRIPTURE REFERENCES John 15:5–17 Galatians 5:22–23 John 17:1–25

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INSPIRATION Did you know that Jesus has prayed for you? The night before He was betrayed, Jesus went to a quiet garden on the Mount of Olives, called Gethsemane. In Hebrew, it means “olive press,” and it was a secret grove where Jesus could be alone to pray. He knew He was about to be betrayed and executed on a cross, so He prayed for grace and strength. He also prayed for His disciples and for “all who will ever believe” in Him through the disciples’ message. Jesus prayed for our protection. He asked God to teach us His Word—the truth—and He asked that we be made holy by His truth. Jesus asked the Father to give us such strong unity that would be so perfect that the world would believe in Jesus as the Son of God.

ACTIVATION Spend some time reading John 17. What is the Holy Spirit saying to you through this passage? 1. How does it feel to know that Jesus has prayed for you? 2. What areas in your life need prayer the most? 3. Do you have other people praying for you in these areas?

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Becoming

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The Passion John 18–19 says, After saying these things, Jesus crossed the Kidron Valley with His disciples and entered a grove of olive trees. Judas, the betrayer, knew this place, because Jesus had often gone there with His disciples. The leading priests and Pharisees had given Judas a contingent of Roman soldiers and Temple guards to accompany him. Now with blazing torches, lanterns and weapons, they arrived at the olive grove. Jesus fully realized all that was going to happen to Him, so He stepped forward to meet them. “Who are you looking for?” He asked. “Jesus the Nazarene,” they replied. “I am He,” Jesus said. (Judas, who betrayed Him, was standing with them.) As Jesus said “I am He,” they all drew back and fell to the ground! Once more He asked them, “Who are you looking for?” And again they replied, “Jesus the Nazarene.” “I told you that I am He,” Jesus said. “And since I am the one you want, let these others go.” He did this to fulfill His own statement: “I did not lose a single one of those you have given Me.” Then Simon Peter drew a sword and slashed off the right ear of Malchus, the high priest’s slave. But Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword back into its sheath. Shall I not drink from the cup of suffering the Father has given Me?” Jesus at the High Priest’s House So the soldiers, their commanding officer, and the Temple guards arrested Jesus and tied Him up. First they took Him to Annas, the father-in-law of Caiaphas, the high priest at that time. Caiaphas was the one who had told the other Jewish leaders, “It’s better that one man should die for the people.” Peter’s First Denial Simon Peter followed Jesus, as did another of the disciples. That other disciple was acquainted with the high priest, so he was allowed to enter the high priest’s courtyard with Jesus. Peter had to stay outside the gate. Then the disciple who knew the high priest spoke to the woman watching at the gate, and she let Peter in. The woman asked Peter, “You’re not one of that man’s disciples, are you?” “No,” he said, “I am not.” Because it was cold, the household servants and the guards had made a charcoal fire. They stood around it, warming themselves, and Peter stood with them, warming himself. The High Priest Questions Jesus Inside, the high priest began asking Jesus about His followers and what He had been teaching them. Jesus replied, “Everyone knows what I teach. I have preached regularly in the synagogues and the Temple, where the people gather. I have not spoken in secret. Why are you asking Me this question? Ask those who heard Me. They know what I said.” Then one of the Temple guards standing nearby slapped Jesus across the face. “Is that the way

SCRIPTURE REFERENCES John 17 John 18–19

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to answer the high priest?” he demanded. Jesus replied, “If I said anything wrong, you must prove it. But if I’m speaking the truth, why are you beating Me?” Then Annas bound Jesus and sent Him to Caiaphas, the high priest. Peter’s Second and Third Denials Meanwhile, as Simon Peter was standing by the fire warming himself, they asked him again, “You’re not one of His disciples, are you?” He denied it, saying, “No, I am not.” But one of the household slaves of the high priest, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, asked, “Didn’t I see you out there in the olive grove with Jesus?” Again Peter denied it. And immediately a rooster crowed. Jesus’ Trial before Pilate Jesus’ trial before Caiaphas ended in the early hours of the morning. Then He was taken to the headquarters of the Roman governor. His accusers didn’t go inside because it would defile them, and they wouldn’t be allowed to celebrate the Passover. So Pilate, the governor, went out to them and asked, “What is your charge against this man?” “We wouldn’t have handed Him over to you if He weren’t a criminal!” they retorted. “Then take Him away and judge Him by your own law,” Pilate told them. “Only the Romans are permitted to execute someone,” the Jewish leaders replied. (This fulfilled Jesus’ prediction about the way He would die.) Then Pilate went back into his headquarters and called for Jesus to be brought to Him. “Are You the king of the Jews?” he asked Him. Jesus replied, “Is this your own question, or did others tell you about me?” “Am I a Jew?” Pilate retorted. “Your own people and their leading priests brought You to me for trial. Why? What have You done?” Jesus answered, “My Kingdom is not an earthly kingdom. If it were, My followers would fight to keep Me from being handed over to the Jewish leaders. But My kingdom is not of this world.” Pilate said, “So You are a king?” Jesus responded, “You say I am a king. Actually, I was born and came into the world to testify to the truth. All who love the truth recognize that what I say is true.” “What is truth?” Pilate asked. Then He went out again to the people and told them, “He is not guilty of any crime. But you have a custom of asking me to release one prisoner each year at Passover. Would you like me to release this ‘King of the Jews’?” But they shouted back, “No! Not this man. We want Barabbas!” (Barabbas was a revolutionary.)

Chapter 19 Jesus Sentenced to Death Then Pilate had Jesus flogged with a lead-tipped whip. The soldiers wove a crown of thorns and put it on His head, and they put a purple robe on Him. “Hail! King of the Jews!” they mocked, as they slapped Him across the face. Pilate went outside again and said to the people, “I am going to bring Him out to you now, but understand clearly that I find Him not guilty.” Then Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. And Pilate said, “Look, here is the man!” When they saw Him, the leading priests and Temple guards began shouting, “Crucify Him! Crucify Him!” “Take Him yourselves and crucify Him,” Pilate said. “I find Him not guilty.” The Jewish leaders replied, “By our law He ought to die because He called Himself the Son of God.” When Pilate heard this, He was more frightened than ever. — 68 —

He took Jesus back into the headquarters again and asked Him, “Where are You from?” But Jesus gave no answer. “Why don’t You talk to me?” Pilate demanded. “Don’t You realize that I have the power to release You or crucify You?” Then Jesus said, “You would have no power over Me at all unless it were given to You from above. So the one who handed Me over to you has the greater sin.” Then Pilate tried to release Him, but the Jewish leaders shouted, “If you release this man, you are no ‘friend of Caesar.’ Anyone who declares himself a king is a rebel against Caesar.” When they said this, Pilate brought Jesus out to them again. Then Pilate sat down on the judgment seat on the platform that is called the Stone Pavement (in Hebrew, Gabbatha). It was now about noon on the day of preparation for the Passover. And Pilate said to the people, “Look, here is your King!” “Away with Him,” they yelled. “Away with Him! Crucify Him!” “What? Crucify your King?” Pilate asked. “We have no king but Caesar,” the leading priests shouted back. Then Pilate turned Jesus over to them to be crucified. The Crucifixion So they took Jesus away. Carrying the cross by Himself, He went to the place called “Place of the Skull” (in Hebrew, Golgotha). There they nailed Him to the cross. Two others were crucified with Him, one on either side, with Jesus between them. And Pilate posted a sign on the cross that read, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.” The place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the sign was written in Hebrew, Latin and Greek, so that many people could read it. Then the leading priests objected and said to Pilate, “Change it from ‘The King of the Jews’ to ‘He said, I am King of the Jews.’” Pilate replied, “No, what I have written, I have written.” When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they divided His clothes among the four of them. They also took his robe, but it was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom. So they said, “Rather than tearing it apart, let’s throw dice for it.” This fulfilled the Scripture that says, “They divided My garments among themselves and threw dice for My clothing.” So that is what they did. Standing near the cross were Jesus’ mother and His mother’s sister, Mary (the wife of Clopas) and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw His mother standing there beside the disciple He loved, He said to her, “Dear woman, here is your Son.” And He said to this disciple, “Here is your mother.” And from then on this disciple took her into his home. The Death of Jesus Jesus knew that His mission was now finished, and to fulfill Scripture He said, “I am thirsty.” A jar of sour wine was sitting there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put it on a hyssop branch and held it up to His lips. When Jesus had tasted it, He said, “It is finished!” Then He bowed His head and released His spirit. It was the day of preparation, and the Jewish leaders didn’t want the bodies hanging there the next day, which was the Sabbath (and a very special Sabbath, because it was the Passover). So they asked Pilate to hasten their deaths by ordering that their legs be broken. Then their bodies could be taken down. So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the two men crucified with Jesus. But when they came to Jesus, they saw that He was already dead, so they didn’t break his legs. One of the soldiers, however, pierced his side with a spear, and immediately blood and water flowed out. (This report is from an eyewitness giving an accurate account. He speaks the truth so that you also can believe.) These things happened in fulfillment of the Scriptures that say, “Not one of his bones will be broken,” and “They will look on the One they pierced.” — 69 —

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The Burial of Jesus Afterward Joseph of Arimathea, who had been a secret disciple of Jesus (because he feared the Jewish leaders), asked Pilate for permission to take down Jesus’ body. When Pilate gave permission, Joseph came and took the body away. With him came Nicodemus, the man who had come to Jesus at night. He brought about seventy-five pounds of perfumed ointment made from myrrh and aloes. Following Jewish burial custom, they wrapped Jesus’ body with the spices in long sheets of linen cloth. The place of crucifixion was near a garden where there was a new tomb never used before. And so, because it was the day of preparation for the Jewish Passover and since the tomb was close at hand, they laid Jesus there.

INSPIRATION Jesus had to die on a cross because of the sins of the world. All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, and Jesus came to atone for that sin. Jesus did not want to go to the cross, but because of His love for the people of the world, He was willing to give Himself as the substitution for our sin. At one time, man had a perfect relationship with God, but when Adam and Eve sinned, all of mankind was disconnected from Him. There would be no way back without reconciliation. Therefore, God sent His Son, Jesus. He had never sinned. But because we’ve sinned, according to God’s law, we deserved death. “Greater love has no man than this, and that is to lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). This verse describes what Jesus has done for us! He let Himself be arrested, beaten, sentenced and put to death on a cross. No one had the authority to take His life, He laid it down. Because He came back to life, we don’t have to be afraid of death and we don’t have to carry the weight of our mistakes any longer.

ACTIVATION Meditate on what Jesus has done for you. He came for you, died for you, took His life back up and made a way for you to have eternal life. Read through the collection of scriptures known as the “Roman Road” printed at the end of this devotional. 1. Do you understand why Jesus had to die? 2. Are you having a hard time letting go of sin? 3. What sins have control of you? As we have read throughout this devotional, Jesus came to set us free from sin. Sometimes we hold onto sin because we mistakenly believe it’s unforgivable. When we think this way, we are saying that Christ’s death on the cross was not enough. The truth is that Jesus’ death on the cross brings us forgiveness for all our sins. God’s Word tells us that Jesus actually became sin for us. “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:21, NKJV).

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Day 21 | Believing

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The Resurrection of Jesus John 20 says, Early on Sunday morning, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance. She ran and found Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved. She said, “They have taken the Lord’s body out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put Him!” Peter and the other disciple started out for the tomb. They were both running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He stooped and looked in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he didn’t go in. Then Simon Peter arrived and went inside. He also noticed the linen wrappings lying there, while the cloth that had covered Jesus’ head was folded up and lying apart from the other wrappings. Then the disciple who had reached the tomb first also went in, and he saw and believed—for until then they still hadn’t understood the Scriptures that said Jesus must rise from the dead. Then they went home. Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene Mary was standing outside the tomb crying, and as she wept, she stooped and looked in. She saw two white-robed angels, one sitting at the head and the other at the foot of the place where the body of Jesus had been lying. “Dear woman, why are you crying?” the angels asked her. “Because they have taken away my Lord,” she replied, “and I don’t know where they have put Him.” She turned to leave and saw someone standing there. It was Jesus, but she didn’t recognize Him. “Dear woman, why are you crying?” Jesus asked her. “Who are you looking for?” She thought he was the gardener. “Sir,” she said, “if You have taken Him away, tell me where You have put Him, and I will go and get Him.” “Mary!” Jesus said. She turned to Him and cried out, “Rabboni!” (which is Hebrew for ‘Teacher’). “Don’t cling to Me,” Jesus said, “for I haven’t yet ascended to the Father. But go find My brothers and tell them, I am ascending to My Father and your Father, to My God and your God.” Mary Magdalene found the disciples and told them, “I have seen the Lord!” Then she gave them His message. Jesus Appears to His Disciples That Sunday evening the disciples were meeting behind locked doors because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. Suddenly, Jesus was standing there among them! “Peace be with you,” He said. As He spoke, He showed them the wounds in His hands and His side. They were filled with joy when they saw the Lord! Again He said, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent Me, so I am sending you.” Then He breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone’s sins, they are forgiven. If you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”

SCRIPTURE REFERENCES John 15:13 2 Corinthians 5:21 (NKJV) John 20

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Jesus Appears to Thomas One of the twelve disciples, Thomas (nicknamed the Twin), was not with the others when Jesus came. They told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he replied, “I won’t believe it unless I see the nail wounds in His hands, put my fingers into them and place my hand into the wound in His side.” Eight days later the disciples were together again, and this time Thomas was with them. The doors were locked; but suddenly, as before, Jesus was standing among them. “Peace be with you,” He said. Then He said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and look at My hands. Put your hand into the wound in My side. Don’t be faithless any longer. Believe!” “My Lord and my God!” Thomas exclaimed. Then Jesus told him, “You believe because you have seen Me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing Me.” Purpose of the Book The disciples saw Jesus do many other miraculous signs in addition to the ones recorded in this book. But these are written so that you may continue to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing in Him you will have life by the power of His name.

INSPIRATION It wasn’t until John and Peter saw the open tomb and the cloths that had shrouded Jesus’ body that they finally understood the scriptures that say Jesus must rise from the dead. And even though the disciples believed that Jesus was the Son of God, they were filled with wonder when they saw Him alive after they witnessed His death on the cross. They didn’t yet fully understand what Jesus had done. Through Jesus’ death and resurrection, God has given us life and hope, and now, nothing is impossible!

ACTIVATION Read Galatians 5. Meditate on the work of the Holy Spirit in your life. 1. How do you feel knowing that Christ has paid the price so that we may all live? 2. How can you live life to the fullest, through Christ, on a daily basis? 3. How can you pass on the life and hope to those you come into contact with on a daily basis?

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Building — Epilogue Jesus Appears to Seven Disciples John 21 says, Later, Jesus appeared again to the disciples beside the Sea of Galilee. This is how it happened. Several of the disciples were there—Simon Peter, Thomas (nicknamed the Twin), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee and two other disciples. Simon Peter said, “I’m going fishing.” “We’ll come, too,” they all said. So they went out in the boat, but they caught nothing all night. At dawn Jesus was standing on the beach, but the disciples couldn’t see who He was. He called out, ”Fellows, have you caught any fish?” “No,” they replied. Then He said, ”Throw out your net on the right-hand side of the boat and you’ll get some!” So they did, and they couldn’t haul in the net because there were so many fish in it. Then the disciple Jesus loved said to Peter, “It’s the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his tunic (for he had stripped for work), jumped into the water, and headed to shore. The others stayed with the boat and pulled the loaded net to the shore, for they were only about a hundred yards from shore. When they got there, they found breakfast waiting for them—fish cooking over a charcoal fire, and some bread. “Bring some of the fish you’ve just caught,” Jesus said. So Simon Peter went aboard and dragged the net to the shore. There were 153 large fish, and yet the net hadn’t torn. “Now come and have some breakfast!” Jesus said. None of the disciples dared to ask Him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. Then Jesus served them the bread and the fish. This was the third time Jesus had appeared to his disciples since He had been raised from the dead. After breakfast Jesus asked Simon Peter, ”Simon son of John, do you love Me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” Peter replied, “you know I love you.” “Then feed My lambs,” Jesus told him. Jesus repeated the question: ”Simon son of John, do you love Me?” “Yes, Lord,” Peter said, “you know I love You.” “Then take care of My sheep,” Jesus said. A third time He asked him, ”Simon son of John, do you love Me?” Peter was hurt that Jesus asked the question a third time. He said, “Lord, You know everything. You know that I love You.” Jesus said, ”Then feed my sheep. “I tell you the truth, when you were young, you were able to do as you liked; you dressed yourself and went wherever you wanted to go. But when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and others will dress you and take you where you don’t want to go.” Jesus said this to let him know by what kind of death he would glorify God. Then Jesus told him, ”Follow me.” Peter turned around and saw behind them the disciple Jesus loved—the one who had leaned over to Jesus during supper and asked, “Lord, who will betray You?” Peter asked Jesus, “What about him, Lord?” Jesus replied, ”If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? As for you, follow Me.” So the rumor spread among the community of believers that this disciple wouldn’t die. But that isn’t what Jesus said at all. He only said, ”If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you?” This disciple is the one who testifies to these events and has recorded them here. And we know that his account of these things is accurate. Jesus also did many other things. If they were all written down, I suppose the whole world could not contain the books that would be written.

SCRIPTURE REFERENCES Galatians 5 John 21

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INSPIRATION Let’s focus on the conversation that Jesus had with Peter in the verses above. Jesus asked Peter to do three things as a part of his future ministry. He asked him to feed His lambs, take care of His sheep and feed His sheep. Just as Jesus called Peter to continue the work of the ministry, we too are called to continue the work. Jesus wasn’t talking about real lambs and sheep; He was talking about people and the kingdom of God. The Bible refers to God as a Shepherd, and people as His flock or sheep. People need to be fed with the Word of God and given love and mercy. There is still much work to do! We are each called to continue this work. Jesus said, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (John 28:18–20). Even though you may feel like you are new in the journey of faith as a Christian, Jesus said that He would always be with you. He sent the Holy Spirit, just as He promised, and the Holy Spirit will come and fill you with power from heaven. It’s a thrill to obey the Holy Spirit! This might mean telling someone about Jesus, giving love to the poor and homeless, or supporting a mission. Building the kingdom of God can look lots of different ways, but it’s the greatest joy and most fulfillment you can have on earth!

ACTIVATION Read Matthew 28:18–20. How can you begin to fulfill the Great Commission? 1. What is the Holy Spirit saying to you? 2. What work might Jesus be calling you to do?

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THE ROMAN ROAD Revelation of God Through Creation Forever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see His invisible qualities—His eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God. Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship Him as God or even give Him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused. (Romans 1:20–21) Jesus Took Our Punishment But now God has shown us a way to be made right with Him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses and the prophets long ago. We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are. For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. (Romans 3:21–23) All People Have Sinned As the Scriptures say, “No one is righteous—not even one. No one is truly wise; no one is seeking God.” (Romans 3:10–11) The Penalty of Sin For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23) God’s Plan Of Salvation But God showed His great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, He will certainly save us from God’s condemnation. For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of His Son. So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God. (Romans 5:8–11)

SCRIPTURE REFERENCES John 28:18–20 Matthew 28:18–20 Romans 1:20–21 Romans 3:21–23 Romans 3:10–11 Romans 6:23 Romans 5:8–11

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Salvation Is for Everyone If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved. As the Scriptures tell us, “Anyone who trusts in Him will never be disgraced.” Jew and Gentile are the same in this respect. They have the same Lord, who gives generously to all who call on Him. For “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Romans 10:9–13) Blessings Of Salvation Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory. We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because He has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with His love. (Romans 5:1–5) So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to Him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death. (Romans 8:1–2)

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MEMORY VERSES In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. (John 1:1–2, HCSB) “For God loved the world so much that He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through Him.” (John 3:16–17, HCSB) Jesus replied, “Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again. But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.” (John 4:13–14, HCSB) Jesus told them, “This is the only work God wants from you: Believe in the one he has sent.” (John 6:29, HCSB) Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow Me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.” (John 8:12, HCSB) Jesus said to the people who believed in Him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:31–32, HCSB) “My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from Me.” (John 10:27–28, HCSB) Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in Me will live, even after dying. Everyone who lives in Me and believes in Me will never ever die. Do you believe this, Martha?” (John 11:25–26, HCSB) “So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are My disciples.” (John 13:34–35, HCSB)

SCRIPTURE REFERENCES Romans 10:9–13 Romans 5:1–5 Romans 8:1–2 John 1:1–2 (HCSB)

“Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in Me. There is more than enough room in My Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?” (John 14:1–2, HCSB) Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6, HCSB)

John 3:16–17 (HCSB) John 4:13–14 (HCSB) John 6:29 (HCSB) John 8:12 (HCSB) John 8:31–32 (HCSB) John 10:27–28 (HCSB) John 11:25–26 (HCSB) John 13:34–35 (HCSB) John 14:1–2 (HCSB) John 14:6 (HCSB)

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“Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in Me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from Me you can do nothing. Anyone who does not remain in Me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned. But if you remain in Me and My words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted! When you produce much fruit, you are My true disciples. This brings great glory to My Father.” (John 15:5–8, HCSB) Then Jesus told him, “You believe because you have seen Me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing Me.” (John 20:29, HCSB) The disciples saw Jesus do many other miraculous signs in addition to the ones recorded in this book. But these are written so that you may continue to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing in Him you will have life by the power of His name. (John 20:30–31, HCSB)

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PERSONAL NOTES

SCRIPTURE REFERENCES John 15:5–8 (HCSB) John 20:29 (HCSB) John 20:30–31 (HCSB)

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