The Blessings of CHLTB

I was inspired yesterday watching over a thousand people putting others’ interests before their own as they gave up their Sunday afternoon and served the community by performing landscaping, painting and cleaning projects for Clear View Education Center and McWhirter Elementary School. The first Church Has Left The Building effort by Clear Creek Community Church was a huge success! We not only accomplished a great deal of work in about 2 ½ hours but had FUN doing it. The servant attitude of each person was contagious. As I walked around thanking those participating, a common response was “No, thanks for the opportunity.” God has blessed CCCC with hundreds of people who are interested in sharing the Gospel with our community by serving in our community. May our good deeds open up doors for the Good News!

We lived these scriptures yesterday:

1 Peter 4:10

As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace

Philippians 2:3-5
Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,

Way to go, CCCC!

Here are some photos from yesterday.
Click on the image for a higher resolution.

Tim Keller's "The Prodigal God"

There are fewer teachers I enjoy right now than Timothy Keller, pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City. He is brilliant, engaging and incredibly accessible. Not only did he give one of the best conference messages I have heard in quite a while, he has also authored two books which have very few peers. I read his first book, The Reason for God, last year and was astounded at how good it was at helping people deal with the questions that usually pop up from those skeptical of God. His latest book, The Prodigal God, is a book-version of his sermon series on Jesus’ parable in Luke 15 popularly known as The Prodigal Son.

Of the many things that makes Keller special is his ability to skillfully get to the core issue at hand - the Gospel. In the world that is Christianity, Inc. much of what passes as solid biblical teaching is nothing more than moralism with a little Jesus sprinkled here and there. It’s funny (in a very sad way) that many have left the penalty of the Law to embrace the grace offered in Jesus only to create new laws in order to make us feel better about our performance before a God who has already performed for us. Instead of letting Christianity become a freeing grace from God it gets turned into oppressive, soul-crushing religion. This won’t do and Keller is one of the best voices to help us see what a Gospel-centered life can look like.

The Prodigal God is his latest attempt to bring people out of the clutches of religion into the Gospel of grace. The book is brief (only 132 pages) yet totally enthralling as it breaks down the relationship a father in the Ancient Near East would have with his sons giving us a deeper appreciation not only for what truly was transpiring in the parable but also the greatness of the Gospel. I won’t say anymore. Read it for yourself. I read The Prodigal God in January and may have already read the best book of the year.

Yes. It’s that good.

***This was adapted from a past post from Teaching Pastor Yancey Arrington's website

Religious or Christian?

What is the difference between being a Christian and being religious? Aren’t devout Christians religious people? Yes and no.

When you talk about religion as any type of spiritual pursuit, Christians might be considered religious. But religion is often considered what man does to reach out to God. To better understand the affects of religion, be sure to hear “Why God Hates Religion” beginning April 19, 2009 at the Egret Bay Campus.

In Christianity, it’s not about man reaching to God, but it’s about God reaching to man. God came to us in Jesus Christ. (John 1:1, 14) He showed us what he is like. He loved us first. (1 John 4:19) He sought us first. He provided a way of forgiveness through Jesus’ taking our sin on the cross. He offered us hope.

The Christian faith is founded on the belief that man’s best efforts cannot make a person acceptable to God. All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23) While religion says that good people go to heaven and bad people don’t, Christianity says that all are sinners and so only bad people go to heaven. Yes, you read that correctly. Only bad people go to heaven. But the bad people who go to heaven (remember, we have all sinned) have been forgiven and accepted by God when they placed their faith in Jesus.

So does religion make you right with God? Only Jesus paying your sin debt and making you a child of God makes you acceptable to God. And when you have faith in Jesus, you are completely accepted and Jesus makes you completely acceptable to God. All of your sins are forgiven. You bear the guilt and shame of your sins no more. The Bible uses words like, you are “justified” and you are made “righteous.” You become the “children of God.” You have peace with God.

The Bible teaches that man connects with God by grace through faith. (Ephesians 2:8-9) Grace means “God’s unmerited favor.” So you are made right with God, not based on religious deeds (church going, giving, baptism, serving the poor). Rather, you are made right with God when you depend completely on what Jesus Christ did for you when he paid your sin debt on the cross and demonstrated his power over death and hell in the resurrection.

So you receive this gift of grace from God when you place your trust in Jesus alone to make you right with God. You place your trust in Jesus by calling on the name of the Lord to be saved (Romans 10:13). The only way to call is to pray. Billy Graham encourages people to pray the following prayer as they come to faith in Jesus.

Dear Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner and need Your forgiveness. I believe in who You are and that You died for my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I now invite You to come into my heart and life. I want to trust and follow You as Lord and Savior. In Jesus' name. Amen.

When you place your faith in Jesus, be sure to tell someone who will be happy for you. You’ll want to be baptized and get involved in a local church. If you have questions or if you prayed to receive Christ, please e-mail us at mystory@clearcreek.org .

God wants you to become a fully devoted follower of Jesus Christ. That does not happen overnight. And you should not try to do this alone. You will grow the best in community. That’s why we have small groups. In a small group you will make some friends of people who have the same spiritual goal as yourself, to follow Jesus Christ. You can get in a small group by registering for GroupLink.

When you feel the need to investigate or understand more before you place your faith in Jesus, focus your questions and investigative energy on Jesus Christ. The crux of the matter is “Who is Jesus?” Let us help you in the journey. You might want to be part of Starting Point. A small group study intended for spiritual seekers to have a safe place to investigate the Christian faith and ask questions. Starting Point groups meet in the church office on Sunday mornings at 9:45AM-11AM and 11:15AM-12:30PM. You can register for Starting Point through GroupLink. For more information, go to the Connection Corner on Sundays.

Holy Week Readings - Easter Sunday

Read this Gospel account of what happened on Easter Morning: John 20:1-18

¹ Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. ²So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him." ³ So Peter went out with the other disciple, and they were going toward the tomb. ⁴Both of them were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. ⁵And stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in. ⁶Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying there, ⁷and the face cloth, which had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen cloths but folded up in a place by itself. ⁸Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; ⁹for as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead. ¹⁰Then the disciples went back to their homes.

¹¹But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb. ¹²And she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. ¹³They said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" She said to them, "They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him." ¹⁴Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. ¹⁵Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?" Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away." ¹⁶Jesus said to her, "Mary." She turned and said to him in Aramaic, "Rabboni!" (which means Teacher). ¹⁷Jesus said to her, "Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, 'I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'" ¹⁸Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord"—and that he had said these things to her.

He is Risen!
He is Risen Indeed!

Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version.
©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Holy Week Readings - Holy Saturday

As we parallel Holy Week, Jesus' body lies dead in the tomb. Take time throughout the day to reflect on this sobering and priceless truth.

Read Matthew 27:57-66- Jesus is buried

⁵⁷ When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who also was a disciple of Jesus. ⁵⁸He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate ordered it to be given to him. ⁵⁹And Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen shroud ⁶⁰and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had cut in the rock. And he rolled a great stone to the entrance of the tomb and went away. ⁶¹Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there, sitting opposite the tomb.

⁶²The next day, that is, after the day of Preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate ⁶³and said, "Sir, we remember how that impostor said, while he was still alive, 'After three days I will rise.' ⁶⁴Therefore order the tomb to be made secure until the third day, lest his disciples go and steal him away and tell the people, 'He has risen from the dead,' and the last fraud will be worse than the first." ⁶⁵Pilate said to them, "You have a guard of soldiers. Go, make it as secure as you can." ⁶⁶So they went and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone and setting a guard.

OR read John 19:38-42 - Jesus is buried

³⁸ After these things Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus, and Pilate gave him permission. So he came and took away his body. ³⁹ Nicodemus also, who earlier had come to Jesus by night, came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds in weight. ⁴⁰So they took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen cloths with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews. ⁴¹Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid. ⁴²So because of the Jewish day of Preparation, since the tomb was close at hand, they laid Jesus there.

Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version.
©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Holy Week Readings - Good Friday

Read this Gospel account of what happened on Good Friday. REMINDER: Today from 11AM - 2PM the auditorium will be open for prayer, reflection and Scripture in observance of Good Friday.

Read John 18:1- 19:42 – The Passion of the Christ

¹When Jesus had spoken these words, he went out with his disciples across the Kidron Valley, where there was a garden, which he and his disciples entered. ²Now Judas, who betrayed him, also knew the place, for Jesus often met there with his disciples. ³ So Judas, having procured a band of soldiers and some officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees, went there with lanterns and torches and weapons. ⁴Then Jesus, knowing all that would happen to him, came forward and said to them, "Whom do you seek?" ⁵They answered him, "Jesus of Nazareth." Jesus said to them, "I am he." Judas, who betrayed him, was standing with them. ⁶ When Jesus said to them, "I am he," they drew back and fell to the ground. ⁷So he asked them again, "Whom do you seek?" And they said, "Jesus of Nazareth." ⁸Jesus answered, "I told you that I am he. So, if you seek me, let these men go." ⁹ This was to fulfill the word that he had spoken: "Of those whom you gave me I have lost not one." ¹⁰Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant and cut off his right ear. (The servant’s name was Malchus.) ¹¹So Jesus said to Peter, "Put your sword into its sheath; shall I not drink the cup that the Father has given me?"

¹²So the band of soldiers and their captain and the officers of the Jews arrested Jesus and bound him. ¹³First they led him to Annas, for he was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, who was high priest that year. ¹⁴It was Caiaphas who had advised the Jews that it would be expedient that one man should die for the people.

¹⁵ Simon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another disciple. Since that disciple was known to the high priest, he entered with Jesus into the court of the high priest, ¹⁶ but Peter stood outside at the door. So the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out and spoke to the servant girl who kept watch at the door, and brought Peter in. ¹⁷ The servant girl at the door said to Peter, "You also are not one of this man’s disciples, are you?" He said, "I am not." ¹⁸Now the servants and officers had made a charcoal fire, because it was cold, and they were standing and warming themselves. Peter also was with them, standing and warming himself.

¹⁹ The high priest then questioned Jesus about his disciples and his teaching. ²⁰Jesus answered him, "I have spoken openly to the world. I have always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where all Jews come together. I have said nothing in secret. ²¹Why do you ask me? Ask those who have heard me what I said to them; they know what I said." ²²When he had said these things, one of the officers standing by struck Jesus with his hand, saying, "Is that how you answer the high priest?" ²³Jesus answered him, "If what I said is wrong, bear witness about the wrong; but if what I said is right, why do you strike me?" ²⁴ Annas then sent him bound to Caiaphas the high priest.

²⁵ Now Simon Peter was standing and warming himself. So they said to him, "You also are not one of his disciples, are you?" He denied it and said, "I am not." ²⁶One of the servants of the high priest, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, asked, "Did I not see you in the garden with him?" ²⁷Peter again denied it, and at once a rooster crowed.

²⁸ Then they led Jesus from the house of Caiaphas to the governor’s headquarters. It was early morning. They themselves did not enter the governor’s headquarters, so that they would not be defiled, but could eat the Passover. ²⁹ So Pilate went outside to them and said, "What accusation do you bring against this man?" ³⁰They answered him, "If this man were not doing evil, we would not have delivered him over to you." ³¹Pilate said to them, "Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law." The Jews said to him, "It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death." ³² This was to fulfill the word that Jesus had spoken to show by what kind of death he was going to die.

³³ So Pilate entered his headquarters again and called Jesus and said to him, "Are you the King of the Jews?" ³⁴Jesus answered, "Do you say this of your own accord, or did others say it to you about me?" ³⁵Pilate answered, "Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered you over to me. What have you done?" ³⁶Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world." ³⁷Then Pilate said to him, "So you are a king?" Jesus answered, "You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world— to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice." ³⁸Pilate said to him, "What is truth?"

After he had said this, he went back outside to the Jews and told them, "I find no guilt in him. ³⁹ But you have a custom that I should release one man for you at the Passover. So do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?" ⁴⁰They cried out again, "Not this man, but Barabbas!" Now Barabbas was a robber.

John 19

¹Then Pilate took Jesus and flogged him. ² And the soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head and arrayed him in a purple robe. ³They came up to him, saying, "Hail, King of the Jews!" and struck him with their hands. ⁴Pilate went out again and said to them, "See, I am bringing him out to you that you may know that I find no guilt in him." ⁵So Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, "Behold the man!" ⁶When the chief priests and the officers saw him, they cried out, "Crucify him, crucify him!" Pilate said to them, "Take him yourselves and crucify him, for I find no guilt in him." ⁷ according to that law he ought to die becauseThe Jews answered him, "We have a law, and he has made himself the Son of God." ⁸When Pilate heard this statement, he was even more afraid. ⁹ "Where are you from?" But He entered his headquarters again and said to Jesus, Jesus gave him no answer. ¹⁰So Pilate said to him, "You will not speak to me? Do you not know that I have authority to release you and authority to crucify you?" ¹¹Jesus answered him, "You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above. Therefore he who delivered me over to you has the greater sin."

¹²From then on Pilate sought to release him, but the Jews cried out, "If you release this man, you are not Caesar’s friend. Everyone who makes himself a king opposes Caesar." ¹³So when Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judgment seat at a place called The Stone Pavement, and in Aramaic Gabbatha. ¹⁴Now it was the day of Preparation of the Passover. It was about the sixth hour. He said to the Jews, "Behold your King!" ¹⁵They cried out, "Away with him, away with him, crucify him!" Pilate said to them, "Shall I crucify your King?" The chief priests answered, "We have no king but Caesar." ¹⁶ So he delivered him over to them to be crucified.

So they took Jesus, ¹⁷and he went out, bearing his own cross, to the place called The Place of a Skull, which in Aramaic is called Golgotha. ¹⁸ There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, and Jesus between them. ¹⁹Pilate also wrote an inscription and put it on the cross. It read, "Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews." ²⁰Many of the Jews read this inscription, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and it was written in Aramaic, in Latin, and in Greek. ²¹So the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, "Do not write, 'The King of the Jews,' but rather, 'This man said, I am King of the Jews.'" ²²Pilate answered, "What I have written I have written."

²³ When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they took his garments and divided them into four parts, one part for each soldier; also his tunic. But the tunic was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom, ²⁴so they said to one another, "Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it to see whose it shall be." This was to fulfill the Scripture which says,

"They divided my garments among them,
and for my clothing they cast lots."

So the soldiers did these things, ²⁵ but standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. ²⁶When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, "Woman, behold, your son!" ²⁷Then he said to the disciple, "Behold, your mother!" And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home. ²⁸After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said ( to fulfill the Scripture), "I thirst." ²⁹A jar full of sour wine stood there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth. ³⁰When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, "It is finished," and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

³¹Since it was the day of Preparation, and so that the bodies would not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken and that they might be taken away. ³²So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first, and of the other who had been crucified with him. ³³But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. ³⁴But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water. ³⁵ He who saw it has borne witness— his testimony is true, and he knows that he is telling the truth— that you also may believe. ³⁶ For these things took place that the Scripture might be fulfilled: "Not one of his bones will be broken." ³⁷And again another Scripture says, "They will look on him whom they have pierced."

³⁸ After these things Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus, and Pilate gave him permission. So he came and took away his body. ³⁹ Nicodemus also, who earlier had come to Jesus by night, came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds in weight. ⁴⁰So they took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen cloths with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews. ⁴¹Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid. ⁴²So because of the Jewish day of Preparation, since the tomb was close at hand, they laid Jesus there.

Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version.
©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Holy Week Readings - Maundy Thursday

We hope these readings allow you to engage with what was going on with Jesus in what is traditionally known as "Holy Week", the week leading up to Christ's crucifixion and resurrection.

REMINDER:
Tomorrow from 11AM - 2PM the auditorium will be open
for prayer, reflection and Scripture in observance of Good Friday.

Read:
Exodus 12:1-4, (5-10), 11-14 - First Passover

¹The LORD said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, ² "This month shall be for you the beginning of months. It shall be the first month of the year for you. ³Tell all the congregation of Israel that on the tenth day of this month every man shall take a lamb according to their fathers’ houses, a lamb for a household. ⁴And if the household is too small for a lamb, then he and his nearest neighbor shall take according to the number of persons; according to what each can eat you shall make your count for the lamb.

⁵Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male a year old. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats, ⁶and you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month, when the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill their lambs at twilight.

⁷"Then they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses in which they eat it. ⁸They shall eat the flesh that night, roasted on the fire; with unleavened bread and bitter herbs they shall eat it. ⁹Do not eat any of it raw or boiled in water, but roasted, its head with its legs and its inner parts. ¹⁰And you shall let none of it remain until the morning; anything that remains until the morning you shall burn.

1 Corinthians 11:23-26 – Last Supper

²³For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, ²⁴and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, "This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me." ²⁵In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me." ²⁶For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

John 13:1-17, 31b-35 – Jesus washes feet of disciples

¹²When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them, "Do you understand what I have done to you? ¹³ You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. ¹⁴If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. ¹⁵For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. ¹⁶Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. ¹⁷If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them. ¹⁸ I am not speaking of all of you; I know whom I have chosen. But the Scripture will be fulfilled, 'He who ate my bread has lifted his heel against me.' ¹⁹ I am telling you this now, before it takes place, that when it does take place you may believe that I am he. ²⁰Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever receives the one I send receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me."

²¹After saying these things, Jesus was troubled in his spirit, and testified, "Truly, truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me." ²² The disciples looked at one another, uncertain of whom he spoke. ²³ One of his disciples, whom Jesus loved, was reclining at table close to Jesus, ²⁴so Simon Peter motioned to him to ask Jesus of whom he was speaking. ²⁵ So that disciple, leaning back against Jesus, said to him, "Lord, who is it?" ²⁶Jesus answered, "It is he to whom I will give this morsel of bread when I have dipped it." So when he had dipped the morsel, he gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. ²⁷Then after he had taken the morsel, Satan entered into him. Jesus said to him, "What you are going to do, do quickly." ²⁸Now no one at the table knew why he said this to him. ²⁹Some thought that, because Judas had the moneybag, Jesus was telling him, "Buy what we need for the feast," or that he should give something to the poor. ³⁰So, after receiving the morsel of bread, he immediately went out. And it was night.

³¹When he had gone out, Jesus said, "Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him. ³²If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and glorify him at once.

Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version.
©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Holy Week Readings - Wednesday

We hope this reading allows you to engage with what was going on with Jesus in what is traditionally known as "Holy Week", the week leading up to Christ's crucifixion and resurrection.

Read John 13:12-32 – The Last Supper

¹²When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them, "Do you understand what I have done to you? ¹³ You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. ¹⁴If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. ¹⁵For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. ¹⁶Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. ¹⁷If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them. ¹⁸ I am not speaking of all of you; I know whom I have chosen. But the Scripture will be fulfilled, 'He who ate my bread has lifted his heel against me.' ¹⁹ I am telling you this now, before it takes place, that when it does take place you may believe that I am he. ²⁰Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever receives the one I send receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me."

²¹After saying these things, Jesus was troubled in his spirit, and testified, "Truly, truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me." ²² The disciples looked at one another, uncertain of whom he spoke. ²³ One of his disciples, whom Jesus loved, was reclining at table close to Jesus, ²⁴so Simon Peter motioned to him to ask Jesus of whom he was speaking. ²⁵ So that disciple, leaning back against Jesus, said to him, "Lord, who is it?" ²⁶Jesus answered, "It is he to whom I will give this morsel of bread when I have dipped it." So when he had dipped the morsel, he gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. ²⁷Then after he had taken the morsel, Satan entered into him. Jesus said to him, "What you are going to do, do quickly." ²⁸Now no one at the table knew why he said this to him. ²⁹Some thought that, because Judas had the moneybag, Jesus was telling him, "Buy what we need for the feast," or that he should give something to the poor. ³⁰So, after receiving the morsel of bread, he immediately went out. And it was night.

³¹When he had gone out, Jesus said, "Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him. ³²If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and glorify him at once.

Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version.
©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.

REMINDER:
Be sure to attend The Gathering tonight!

Holy Week Readings - Tuesday

We hope this reading allows you to engage with what was going on with Jesus in what is traditionally known as "Holy Week", the week leading up to Christ's crucifixion and resurrection.

Read John 12:20-36– Jesus teaches of his impending death

²⁰Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks. ²¹So these came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and asked him, "Sir, we wish to see Jesus." ²²Philip went and told Andrew; Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. ²³And Jesus answered them, "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. ²⁴Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. ²⁵ Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. ²⁶If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.

²⁷ "Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? 'Father, save me from this hour'? But for this purpose I have come to this hour. ²⁸Father, glorify your name." Then a voice came from heaven: "I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again." ²⁹The crowd that stood there and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, "An angel has spoken to him." ³⁰Jesus answered, "This voice has come for your sake, not mine. ³¹ Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out. ³²And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself." ³³He said this to show by what kind of death he was going to die. ³⁴So the crowd answered him, "We have heard from the Law that the Christ remains forever. How can you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?" ³⁵So Jesus said to them, "The light is among you for a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you. The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going. ³⁶While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light."

When Jesus had said these things, he departed and hid himself from them.

Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version.
©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.

REMINDER:
Make plans to attend the special Holy Week service at The Gathering, including The Lord's Supper

Holy Week Readings - Monday

We hope this reading allows you to engage with what was going on with Jesus in what is traditionally known as "Holy Week", the week leading up to Christ's crucifixion and resurrection.

Read John 12:1-11 – Jesus anointed

¹Six days before the Passover, Jesus therefore came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. ²So they gave a dinner for him there. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those reclining with him at table. ³ Mary therefore took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. ⁴But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (he who was about to betray him), said, ⁵"Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?" ⁶He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and having charge of the moneybag he used to help himself to what was put into it. ⁷Jesus said, "Leave her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of my burial. ⁸For the poor you always have with you, but you do not always have me."

⁹When the large crowd of the Jews learned that Jesus was there, they came, not only on account of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. ¹⁰ So the chief priests made plans to put Lazarus to death as well, ¹¹because on account of him many of the Jews were going away and believing in Jesus.

Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version.
©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Holy Week Readings - Sunday

We hope this reading allows you to engage with what was going on with Jesus in what is traditionally known as "Holy Week", the week leading up to Christ's crucifixion and resurrection.

Read John 12:12-16 – Palm Sunday

¹²The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. ¹³So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, "Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!" ¹⁴And Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written,
¹⁵ "Fear not, daughter of Zion;behold, your king is coming,
sitting on a donkey’s colt!"
¹⁶ His disciples did not understand these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written about him and had been done to him.

Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version.
©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Readings and Holy Week

Beginning Sunday, April 5th, we will be posting selected biblical readings that will allow you to engage with what is traditionally known in the Church as "Holy Week", the days leading up to Christ's crucifixion and resurrection. For some this isn't new at all because you come from traditions where scheduled readings every Sunday (often an Old Testament reading, a Psalm and a New Testament reading) were par for the course. These pre-selected Scripture readings used in worship are known as the lectionary. Lectionaries aren't new, in fact, they have been used for thousands of years (image is of a lectionary written in Greek used by the Church around 1100 A.D.). Indeed, before Christianity arrived the Jews used a lectionary in their worship services. For example, Jesus likely read from a Jewish lectionary when he read in the synagogue from Isaiah 61:1-2 as recorded in Luke 4:16-21.

Today different churches use different lectionaries but the intent is still the same - to walk the church in an orderly and strategic path through the Bible emphasizing specific subjects, ideas or themes. Most churches around the world will focus the next handful of days on Holy Week which highlights the Passion of Jesus. Thus their lectionaries will lead their readers through Bible passages that describe the circumstances and events that lead up to the Cross and empty tomb. We will join them in that endeavor by reading along as well. And in doing so, we join not only with the Church around the world but also through the ages who have read the same or similar passages during this week reminding ourselves of what God has done for us in the Person and Work of the Lord Jesus Christ.

So enjoy the journey that is Holy Week and may the readings which begin this Sunday gloriously point to the greatness of God and his Gospel in Jesus!