John 10:1-6

John 10:1-6 
 English Standard Version (ESV)

  There are countless different voices we can follow in this confusing age.  So many different things are competing for our attention -- it's a distracting world in which we live.  But there is something inside of us that hungers for a spiritual depth that can only be provided by Jesus -- and that's what he means when he says that the sheep know his voice.  Eternity is within us, and the longing for heaven resonates when we hear what is good and right and true.  When the Holy Spirit speaks, when God is at work, we know -- just as the sheep know the voice of the shepherd.
  Notice, too, that Jesus calls the sheep by name.  Our Savior knows us, personally, well enough to speak your name.  The eternal God of the ages calls your name, and you know his voice, and we follow.  Not perfectly, but our souls follow the call of God, and we are led forward, always forward, by the one who created us and calls us and comes to us.

John 9:35-41

John 9:35-41 
English Standard Version (ESV)

  There's a saying that the minister's job is to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable.  That saying may have been modeled after verse 39, where Jesus is announcing that while he came to open the eyes of the blind, he also came to blind those who can see.  Now this may seem cruel, but I don't think Jesus was trying to be vindictive.  I think Jesus realized the necessity of closing the eyes of those whose vision was fixed on the wrong things, in the hopes that his stark teachings would jar them into re-examining things from a different perspective.
  In the western world, its easy to get comfortable, to let our vision drift from the message of the cross.  We get busy living, and Jesus often is relegated to some portion of our lives, rather than being Lord over all.  Like the Pharisees, we retain control over significant parts of our lives and our resources and our time.
  So may the Holy Spirit open our eyes to know how best to use the resources we have.  May we realize that saving isn't the most important thing to do with our money, that comfort and pleasure aren't the highest and best things to seek, that security is an illusion, that closing our senses to the needs around us isn't the most faithful response. 
  I don't know what Jesus would say to me if he were to give me an honest evaluation of my life.  I'm certain that parts of it would be hard to hear.  I've grown so accustomed to my ways of being that, like the Pharisees, I don't even notice many of my sins anymore.  I drift.  I do believe that Jesus would start by embracing me and reminding me of his sovereign love for me, and I believe that any harsh words would be delivered because Jesus wants me to grow into the person I am called to be.  Jesus' words are always rooted in love -- before the world began, the Trinity existed in nothing but love, and so love is the motive behind the acts and words of God.  You and I are uniquely and wonderfully loved, and so we can be challenged to change while still being confidant of the love and grace of God.
  We're all trying to figure it out, one day at a time.  The challenge is to actually take the time to break our routines and notice how sin and comfort have crept in and prevented us from following through on our calling.  We are blinded to our selves sometimes.
  May God open our eyes!

John 9:24-34

John 9:24-34
English Standard Version (ESV)

  What's fascinating to me is that the Pharisees use the line "You were born in utter sin" as an insult against the man, throwing him out after this, as though his sin condemns him. 
  What I love about Jesus is that he knows that we are surrounded by sin, and he comes to us, arms open wide, embracing us in our sin, dying for us to open a pathway out of sin and into life.  Our sin does not condemn us -- Christ opens a way into new life through his sacrificial death. 
  So if you're like me, you're wondering if you're good enough.  If you've done enough.  If you've managed to be faithful enough to the calling and gifts God has placed in your life.  You hear the voices of doubt around you, like the Pharisees circling this man, accusing him and questioning him, certain that he's not good enough, and you think that you're not good enough.
  Remember that Jesus comes to this man, and he was healed before he could ask anything of Jesus.  Jesus enters into the world to save, to love, and to serve.  We were born in sin, and yet we are redeemed by the blood of the Lamb.

John 9:18-23

John 9:18-23 
English Standard Version (ESV)

  Each of our stories is long and complex, and uniquely ours.  If I was to tell every detail of it, there are doubtless some people in the world who would not believe portions of it -- they'd express skepticism.  It's not my job to convince them -- my relationship with Christ is something deep and eternal and shared only between us.  There are parts of it I share willingly, and parts of it that I share with timidity, only in the hopes that it might help others see how God wants to be involved in their lives.  There are many parts of it that I don't even understand.
  So it is with your story -- God has handcrafted you in your mother's womb, and God loves you uniquely.  The relationship you have with God will stretch into eternity, and it will deepen with time.  Though others will not see every facet of it, I do think we all have a responsibility to share parts of our walks at the appropriate times so that others may come to know Christ as Savior.  The man who was born blind and healed here in John 9 didn't fully grasp what had happened to him, but he shared what he knew.  As we share, may others be intrigued enough to go to the source and inquire of God, that they may come to know and believe that Christ alone is Lord of all.

John 9:13-17

John 9:13-17 
English Standard Version (ESV)


  What would you say about the man who restored your sight, even if you didn't know anything else about him?  It'd be hard to say exactly who he was, especially if the Messiah isn't someone you're expecting.  Prophets are the most powerful people, you can think of, so you assume that he must be one of those, but it's hard to say for certain -- all you know is that you can see, and that lots of powerful people are very upset about that!
  God is constantly doing new and unexpected things.  I was listening to a podcast describing how the global church is continuing to expand in new places, including places where you would never expect, places that would seem beyond the reach of the church.   God is doing new things in your life -- new relationships or new resources or new challenges to broaden and deepen your faith.  (I don't believe for an instant that the terrible things that happen to us and to loved ones are from God -- I think they are evil and evidence that God has not yet completed the victory over sin and death)
  So what might God be doing this week?  How will you react and respond?  How will you listen for the ways the Spirit is calling you forward?  Who might help you discern what God is saying?  What community is necessary to support you as you try a new thing?

John 9:8-12

John 9:8-12 
English Standard Version (ESV)

  Rachel and I were driving somewhere not too long ago on the freeway in normal traffic.  We were moving along at 55 mph, always observing the posted speed limit, when some car raced up out of nowhere, swerved in front of us from the left lane, passed the car in front of us on the right shoulder, then crossed traffic and tore off in the left lane.  I thought to myself, "Where is a police officer when you need one?"
  I'm sure this formerly-blind man is thinking, "Where is Jesus when you need him?"  He's been miraculously healed by the Son of God, and no one seems to believe him.  He continues to say that he is the one who was healed, but everyone else is just assuming that he's confused or doesn't know what he's talking about - they insist that he must be someone else.
  You can't control what other people think and do and feel.  I wish I could, believe me, and I've spent I don't even know how many hours worrying about it... but you can only focus on you.  Jesus has done a miraculous work in your life, redeeming you from sin and bringing you into light and life.  If other people doubt or criticize or continue to focus on your past, you can't change that -- but you can continue to grow in faith and treat others with love.  Don't let their inflexibility stunt your growth in faith.  Keep your eyes on Christ, and let God move you forward in faith!

John 9:1-7

John 9:1-7 
English Standard Version (ESV)

  Last night, I pulled the tire off my car to discover a screw stuck into its shoulder.  The appropriate word for this is 'disappointing'.  I've had the tires for a while, but am always hoping to stretch them a little farther. 
  Immediately, I started thinking back to what I could have done differently.  Where did I drive over this screw, and if I had only swerved a little this way or that, then my tire wouldn't be leaking air.  I was looking for a reason.  In reality, I have a screw in my tire because random things happen.  I didn't think about the 150 screws I've probably narrowly avoided over the last few years -- I only saw the one that I did hit.
  I like having someone or something to blame.  It makes me feel like I'm in control.  We're always looking for something to blame when bad things happen - we don't like to admit that sometimes, bad things just happen.  There is evil in the world, and sometimes, we fall victim to it.
  The disciples were asking if this man was born blind because of sin.  His blindness wasn't the cause of sin.  God doesn't strike us with illness because we sin.  Sometimes illness tragically happens, and notice how God responds here -- with pity, paying personal attention to the victim.  Jesus intercedes to help and to serve. 
  May we never look to blame someone for their illness.  May we instead step in with love and with care and with compassion, ready to serve, ready to love.

John 8:48-59

John 8:48-59 
English Standard Version (ESV)

  Remember that when Moses asked God what name he should give the Israelites when they ask Moses who sent him, God told Moses the name is 'I am'.  So here we are, hundreds of years later, and Jesus is telling the Israelites that he is 'I am'.  Now, if you're us, thousands of years later, we're thinking about how awesome this is.  The God who showed up to deliver the Israelites out of the hands of the Egyptians is now showing up to deliver humanity out of the hands of sin and death.  God is keeping God's promises!!!!
  The Israelites... well, they thought they was less than awesome.  Blasphemous, actually, and they were ready to stone Jesus to death.  Note -- it looks really, really bad on the resume to throw stones at Jesus. 
  What's important here is that Jesus is linking back to the Old Testament.  It's common for people to talk about the God of the Old Testament as though God is different in the New Testament.  It's the same God with the same mission -- to rescue people from sin and call them back to faithfulness, so that we might experience true joy and peace in God.  Jesus and God are the same, and so the God who spoke in the Old Testament, who made promises to the people, is fulfilling them in Jesus Christ, who is the Yes to all of God's promises.  We stand in the same tradition!  God is faithful still, and still strong and mighty to save!

John 8:39-47

John 8:39-47 
English Standard Version (ESV)

  This is pretty insulting to the Israelites -- they lean heavily on the legacy of Abraham.  He's considered the Father of the Jews, and they're all descended from him.  They are very proud to claim their link to him, and here is Jesus, telling them that they're not Abraham's children because they don't act like him.
  What had happened is that the legacy had become more important than the lifestyle.  They were so focused on the past, believing that their legacy was enough, that they'd quit trying to life a life that honored Abraham, that honored the God who called Abraham.  They thought their parentage qualified them, when Jesus was reminding them how important their actions were.
  Jesus was great at leveling the playing field.  Some of the people considered themselves better than lepers or Samaritans or the poor.  Jesus came to all, loving and serving all, even the tax collectors.  I don't know that the mindset has disappeared today.  It's easy to think that we're better than others.  The terrifying stigma of racism continues to raise its head today.  How do we get rid of this?  How do we remember that we are all the same, that we all stand before God as sinful and yet being redeemed, each of us beloved by God, handcrafted by God, and called by God to love and serve each and every person we meet.
  Each person you meet, you see, you pass today -- take a deep breath and remember that they are handcrafted treasures of God.

John 8:31-38

John 8:31-38 
English Standard Version (ESV)

  This may be one of the most important passages for modern America.  Jesus is talking about freedom, true freedom, but those who are listening don't even realize they are enslaved.  They think they are free, but they are slaves to sin.  Sin has its talons hooked in deep to their flesh, but it's such a part of their lives that they don't even recognize it.
  In our modern world, we don't talk much about sin any more, and in some of the ways the word is thrown around, it's not always helpful and constructive.  We can talk about sin without condemning one another (remember, we are all under sin, but in Christ, we are call offered freedom from that sin.  But it's important for those in the church to remember the first part -- each of us is condemned by our own sin.  If we needed to compile evidence for my own sin, there is more than enough to condemn me, but Christ has set me free!).  We can talk about how sin enslaves us, about how greed works on us, about how hatred and discrimination divides us. 
  It's important to have these conversations -- because when we see our sin, only then can we understand how thirsty we are for freedom, and only then can we recognize that a lot of our 'solutions' don't have the power to set us free, and then we can work towards the conclusion that Christ, and Christ alone, offers us true freedom.
  I thirst for the freedom of Christ.  I see the ways that sin is at work in my heart and my community and my family, and I long for the truth and the freedom that comes with it!!

John 8:21-30

John 8:21-30
English Standard Version (ESV)

 Sometimes, it's easier to understand Jesus by looking back at him.  In the moment, listening to him say these things must have been confusing for the people, but now, looking back through the lens of crucifixion, it makes sense when he says that he is going someplace that people cannot follow.  Jesus was going to absorb the sins of humanity while sacrificing his perfect life on a cross, a penalty that only he could pay in order to redeem humanity and enable us to enter the Kingdom of God.  Only Jesus could do this, and it makes sense to us now.  At the time, though, the people didn't understand, but many still believed.
  I suspect the same is true in your life.  It likely is in mine -- there are things that God is doing that I don't understand.  Jesus is at work, and decades from now I'll probably look back and wonder why I didn't understand at the time.  But in the moment, it isn't always clear.  That's part of why a faith community is so important -- they help us discern what God is up to.  But like the people who believed then, it's so important to trust God -- to trust that God is doing something and doing something good, that the power and grace of God are sufficient to lead you through this moment, and to know that God is on the move in the here and now, calling you deeper and pointing forward into a future that may seem uncertain to you and I, but it is within the hand of God, so it is a good, good place.  Remember - the darkness cannot conquer the light!!!

John 8:12-20

John 8:12-20 
English Standard Version (ESV)

  Verse 12 is one of the most hopeful verses in all of Scripture.
  We don't have to look far to see the darkness.  Between the mass shootings and the drug epidemics and the way cancer devastates loved ones and entire communities, we're surrounded by it.  Darkness looms across society through suicide epidemics, and it gets very personal in health crises and our own anxiety and worry.  You and I and every person on this planet can find darkness without a lot of work.
  But even in the midst of it, we don't walk in it, because Christ is the light of the world.  When we follow Christ, the darkness may fall upon us, it may threaten us, but it does not determine the fate of our footsteps, it does not conquer our hearts, it does not rule our eternities, because Christ has laid claim to that, and there is nothing the darkness can do to tear us from the mighty hand of God.  You have been claimed, washed in the waters of baptism and marked as Christ's own forever -- the darkness cannot defeat the light, no matter how powerfully the forces buffet the light of the world.  They thought they had snuffed out the Son on Good Friday, but Christ rose from the depths of hell on Easter Sunday to show the world what true power looked like.
  When we follow a trail, it's best to focus on what's right in front of you.  Look too far ahead, and you're liable to trip over an exposed root or other obstacle on the path.  It's a narrow path, Jesus tells us, so pay attention to the here and now.  Step by step, and Jesus will ensure you end up in the Kingdom of God -- Jesus doesn't lose any of the ones God has entrusted to him -- that's a promise, and Jesus keeps promises. 
  So how will you manage to deal with any of the dark problems pressing in on you?  I don't know how I'll deal with mine, but I know that I can take a deep breath and deal with this moment, focusing on the light of Christ and the life within me, thanking God for the blessings of now.  I'll deal with the next moment later, and, as Paul says, let the evil of the day be sufficient.  Tomorrow will have its own darkness, and I'll focus on my footsteps today, leaving tomorrow to tomorrow and trying to be grateful for today.  Here and now, the light is shining, and it will not leave me, so the next step will be in the light, so I'll handle the next one once I manage this one.

John 7:53-8:11

John 7:53-8:11 
English Standard Version (ESV)

  Scholars will tell you that this passage isn't included in all of our oldest manuscripts.  That may mean any number of things, and I wouldn't wager my life on its historical accuracy, but there's still a lot we can learn from it, because it fits with what the other Gospel stories tell us about Jesus.
  Here we have the Jewish leaders dragging a woman caught in adultery before Jesus, trying to trap Jesus between the Law and this circumstance.  (I always wonder what happened to the man she was caught with -- how come they didn't bring him?)  The leaders are using this woman, likely naked, ashamed and terrified, to get to Jesus.  Whenever we are using people to make a point, we're misunderstanding the compassion to which we are called!  They think this woman is an opportunity to trap Jesus, and they don't see her as an opportunity to show mercy.
  Jesus, however, sees through their scheme.  He bends down to the ground, giving the leaders an opportunity to look at each other, perhaps to recognize how foolish they are to use this vulnerable woman to score political points, and then he invites them to consider their own imperfections before they condemn her.  As none of them seem to be qualified to condemn anyone (at least they have the good sense to recognize that!), they wander away disappointed, leaving Jesus and the woman.  He doesn't focus on her past, on her situation, on her shame -- no, he simply invites her into a future where her fate isn't defined by her past.  He is not eager or ready to condemn -- but rather invites her to imagine a future without the fear of condemnation hanging over her.  She came in shame, naked and unable to hide her past, and he sent her forth in hope, free of her past. 
  What a Savior we have in Jesus!  We come before him in shame and sin, and he releases us from that, sending us forth in hope and freedom.

John 7:40-52

John 7:40-52 
English Standard Version (ESV)

  Nicodemus asks an interesting question in this day and age -- Does our law judge a man without first giving him a hearing?
  In the days of social media and watching the internet's fury when it rises up at a target, the answer would seem to be no.  As someone once said, a lie can make it halfway around the world while the truth is still putting on its shoes.  A headline or rumor, even a truth misconstrued, can lead a crowd into rushing into judgment, even when its undeserved.  Passion seems to rule over waiting for all the details to come to light.
  Interesting that it seems like things haven't changed much in a few thousand years.  Human nature is still the same -- we want certainty so badly that we're willing to brush over details or the risk of being wrong in order to obtain it. 
  In Jesus' case, had the group bothered to learn the full story, they would have discovered that he was born in Bethlehem.  An important detail escaped notice because the crowd was too busy rushing to judgment.
  In our case, we're wise to restrain our passions until we can be certain that they are properly directed.  The church and its collective wisdom can often be a great place to discern where the Spirit is leading.  The church certainly isn't perfect, and can be accused of discussing for too long before turning to action, but rash action has risks as well.  To quote another pastor, the risk of us rushing to judgment is that we pull up the wheat along with the weeds, focusing on Matthew 13.  May we listen well, speak with trust, and collectively discern how God is calling us to act together to proclaim the Gospel in this day and age. 

John 7:37-39

John 7:37-39
English Standard Version (ESV)

  What's interesting to me here is that Jesus isn't focused on what is going into the believer.  What is it that belief will do?  It will lead streams of living water to flow OUT of their heart and into the world, where others will find such living water.  With Jesus, belief isn't just about what Jesus can do for you -- it's about how Jesus will transform your life and your interactions with the community.
  Also, note the price for belief -- anyone who thirsts can come.  There's no admission fee, no pre-qualifications.  Anyone with thirst can come and be filled.  The cost of discipleship comes after salvation has been freely given.  Know that you are saved and set free, you have been bought with a price, but Christ bids you to follow at great cost, albeit with a far greater reward!

John 7:32-36

John 7:32-36
English Standard Version (ESV)

  I'll admit that I'm not always clear.  Sometimes I talk and I talk, but never actually get around to saying exactly what I mean.  Other times, I don't say enough -- I talk over or around the issue that's at hand.  When I was in the darkest nights of my struggles with anxiety, I didn't know how to talk about it, so I didn't.  If people knew that someone trying to be a pastor was constantly terrified, what would they think?
  We do this in church quite a bit as well.  We talk about how everything is going fine, when in reality it may not be.  When we're really hurting, that's often when we're the least clear, lest others think we are weak or broken.  We like to hide our scars, afraid of what others might think.  If people knew... what would they think?
  Jesus is speaking to the people here, but they don't hear him.  They don't understand what he's talking about.  They are listening, but not hearing.
  If you're struggling with something, please be honest.  Find someone you trust.  If you are active in a faith community, invest the extra time to find out what's REALLY going on with people.  Listen well.  Share your vulnerabilities.  The most surprising thing we often discover about the people around us is that they're usually struggling with problems similar to what we're struggling with.  But we're a community of faith, each of us walking one another home.  Don't hide your scars -- and don't judge others when they reveal theirs.  Love, and let yourself be loved, for God covers us in unconditional love, and the more time we practice that, the stronger our community is.

John 7:25-31

John 7:25-31 
English Standard Version (ESV)

  Evidence matters.  Whatever you're trying to prove, it always helps to have evidence. 
  When Jesus was pressed by John's disciples to prove that he was the Messiah, he told them to look around, and to see if what Jesus was doing fulfilled the prophecies about the Messiah.  Here, many of the leaders are seeking to arrest Jesus because they fear a loss of power and destabilization of their lives, but many others believe, because they see the evidence of Christ's identity as the Messiah in the works that he has done.  Even though his teachings may not be perfectly clear, they see his acts and understand that they confirm his identity as the Messiah.
  When people ask me why I believe that Jesus Christ is the son of God, I point to the evidence.  I point to the evidence that surrounds the historical accuracy of the Gospels and the case for the historical truth of the resurrection (If you haven't read Lee Strobel's books, I highly recommend them).  I also point to the evidence in my own life -- to the singular moments I've had in my life that seem to be connections to Christ as well as to the transformation I've experienced through my (albeit often deeply flawed) efforts to follow Christ.  I've seen God at work in the community as well as my own life, and this is all evidence that supports the reality of God and the love of Christ for me.  While I want to believe, I build my faith on more than just desire -- I choose to believe the evidence.

John 7:14-24

John 7:14-24 
English Standard Version (ESV)

  Jesus' humility is remarkable.  Here he is, the most powerful man in the world, investing his time with some of the poorest people in society.  He not only acknowledges them and treats them with dignity, a rarity in the time, but he also lifts them up in the presence of the powerful.  In infuriates the leaders of the church, but Jesus continues to be faithful to who he is, and he doesn't seek the glory for himself.  In all of his works and deeds, he points to God.  He directs the glory elsewhere.
  In doing so, Jesus gives us a glimpse of what the Trinity is like.  It's not about the self -- it's a dance between God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit, each selflessly pointing to the other, lifting the other up, encouraging and serving the other.  No one is thinking about the self, but in serving another, they have eternal joy and peace.
  So when we think about heaven, think not about streets of gold and what is in it for us.  Think instead of a community based on selflessness, where the thought is how to point the glory to another, and in so doing we forget all the things that bring us anxiety, the worries, the fears that we won't measure up or be good enough.  In focusing on the others, we lose ourselves and yet find joy and peace. 
  It's a revolutionary thought in today's world.  Imagine a politician or business leader who is restlessly focused on others -- there are some who embody this more than others, but they are rare.  One day, the entire Kingdom of God will surround us, and we'll be lost in glorifying God, who is in turn pouring love and mercy into us.  So turn down the volume on those seeking to glorify themselves, and fix your hope on Christ and the selfless way he embodies the Kingdom.

John 7:10-13

John 7:10-13 
 English Standard Version (ESV)

  What's something you've made an argument for in the last few weeks?  Maybe you've argued that robot umpires have no place in baseball.  Maybe you've debated whether fake meat can replace animal-based meat.  Maybe you've argued with someone over whether a hot dog is a sandwich or not.  Whatever it was, you likely formed an argument out of a combination of facts and opinion, and the more important the subject was to you, the harder you likely fought for it.  If you knew you were going to have the discussion ahead of time, I bet you prepared and came ready to persuade. 
  So when you're out and about, and someone, be it a friend or acquaintance, asks you if your faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior is leading you astray, how would you respond?  What facts would you rely upon to rebut the argument that the Christian faith is not well-thought out?  How would you explain that the faith  can be reasonably defended in vigorous intellectual debates?  What resources would you draw upon to explain the historical reliability of Scripture?
  Plenty of people look upon faith with skepticism.  They did when Jesus was alive, and they continue to now.  As a people of faith, we don't have to get defensive and argumentative when confronted with these questions.  Take comfort in knowing that there was skepticism when Jesus was alive and performing miracles and raising people from the dead, and that the skepticism will likely continue until Jesus returns.  Until then, research the Christian faith and know you would answer skeptics when you are in conversation with them.  Your answer should be your unique story, your understanding of faith, and it doesn't have to perfectly knit everything together -- we all have lingering questions and doubts, and that's ok -- we're human.  Just know why you believe what it is that you believe, and continue to dig into faith as though it's the most important thing for us to understand.

John 7:1-9

John 7:1-9
English Standard Version (ESV)

  It's hard to know what to say -- the world seems to be straining at the edges, threatening to fall into chaos so many days.  There is so much senseless violence, anger that boils over and steals innocent lives, sending us scrambling in fear, afraid of what else there is to come.  So much violence, and so few answers.
  This world is the same world that turned on the Messiah sent to save and hung him from the cross.  Our anger and violence is not new, but it is exhausting, and it is terrible.  The disciples beg for Jesus to come and show his works, so that the world may know.  The church today prays to Jesus for him to reveal his Lordship to the world, that sin and death may be banished and peace may reign.  We pray for an end to the strife and struggle, to the tears and heartache.  We pray for Jesus to lead us into a place where hatred fades and we can truly sit down together.
  Jesus tells the disciples that his time has not come.  Jesus had a larger understanding than they did, and on the first Easter morning, a bigger picture was revealed.  In the same way, the answer to the church's prayer seems to be that the time for Jesus' return has not yet come.  There is a bigger picture that we do not understand, so until we do, the church is called to stand in the gaps, to love those who are broken, to serve all, even our enemies, and to work for peace in a world in desperate need of it.

John 6:66-71

John 6:66-71 
English Standard Version (ESV)

  Here's both the saddest and most wondrous stories, pressed against in each other in the same setting.  The sharp edges of Jesus' teaching that he refuses to soften have driven some of his disciples away -- the sacrifice in this world was too much, and the reward in the next was too ethereal, too distant, to give them the ability to persevere.
  The apostles, though, have seen and heard enough that they know that Christ, and Christ alone, has the words to eternal life, and that he is willing to share them with all who believe.  Their hearts have led them to a place where there is no turning back, for the way forward is too alluring.  No matter what besets them from any side, what they see before them is drawing them forward.
  The church today needs to take this message to heart.  How do we ensure that we communicate the truth and beauty of the Gospel in such language that it is so beautiful, so alluring that it's worth sacrificing everything for?  Do we talk about God and God's Kingdom and the eternal life that awaits in such a way that people are captivated by the work of the Holy Spirit?  And do we also recognize the challenges people face in this world, the difficultly of following the Gospel in our current context, and recognize how easy it is to walk away?  May we ensure that we issue words of grace to invite those who have slipped out the back door to reconsider, for what they might sacrifice is something beautiful, something eternal that will outlast whatever seems to offer more appeal in the current day and age.
  Christ alone has the words to eternal life.  May our words and lives proclaim that this is worth giving up everything to follow.

John 6:60-65

John 6:60-65 
English Standard Version (ESV)

  I like to think of myself as having worked hard throughout school and my career, so I sometimes look back and think about where my work has taken me.  Of course, I wouldn't be where I am without the support of countless teachers, my family and many others with whom I've shared this journey.  I haven't made it on my own, as much as I may like to think so at times.
  With faith, it's impossible for us to make it to heaven on our own.  One transformation in society is that we no longer think or talk about sin.  We like to think that we're mostly pretty nice and good people, and surely God wouldn't reject us since we're pretty good.  But we're not good enough -- we never will be.  We all have sin in our lives, and even smallest speck of sin is enough to keep us out of the Kingdom of God -- that's how supreme the holiness of God is.  We're not worthy -- we can't be worthy.  The only way we can enter the Kingdom is if Jesus Christ imputes his righteousness to us, which he does by taking the punishment of the sin of humanity on the cross.  The penalty is paid, and we who were sinful are able to say that we are now worthy to stand before God.  Not by our own efforts, but because of the gift of grace.
  It's hard to accept that we cannot do this on our own, but it's also wondrously freeing, because then we can stop trying to earn our salvation and live as a grateful people.  Some people grumbled because of how hard it is to accept what Jesus is teaching, but Jesus is trying to give life to a people shackled by rules who can no longer see God as loving and merciful.