I am the Good Shepherd. John 10:11 Read Genesis 4:1-9. Who was the first shepherd mentioned? What word described the animals Abel brought to sacrifice to the Lord in verse 4? Why did God prefer Abel’s sacrifice here in Genesis? Read 2 Samuel 24:24. We need to remember the type of sacrifice that we are bringing to the Lord. Let’s jump to Hebrews 11. Here we learn more about the brothers’ sacrifices. In verse 4, who was mentioned first? Why was his sacrifice acceptable, according to this passage? It was his faith. Abel brought the best part of his animal to the Lord. He did this out of faith. We…
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Sheep Gate
Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. John 10:7 Read John 10:1-10. Jesus makes another I AM statement. In the first verse, Jesus is warning the crowd that there is only one way to God the Father, and that is through him. How does His tone sound to you? Is it firm, angry, aloof? Whatever his tone is, He is making a point by how he is talking of the thief and the bandit. Let’s dig a little deeper into the sheep and shepherds of this time frame. In John 10, the setting is a little Jewish village. Most families own sheep. They would come…
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Come Near, Good Shepherd
Come near to God and he will come near to you. James 4:8 Have you ever asked yourself this question, “God, where have I wandered off to?” Do you ever feel that your prayer life is flat, disengaged, distant? What we need is to have more confession in our prayer life to have a deeper connection with our Good shepherd. When we pray, we need to make sure that our prayers are not always so focused on our desires, suggestions, strategies, that we forget to go to our shepherd for his plans. We need to trust God with our desires. We need to trust Him to lead in our lives. …
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Our Good Shepherd
I am the good shepherd. John 10:11 Do you know that sheep are mentioned in the Bible 300 times? Sheep are so cute. I grew up around sheep. The only thing I remember is bottle feeding the bum lambs. However, here are some facts about sheep! Sheep are defenseless animals. Sheep are prone to go astray. Sheep have poor eyesight. Sheep tend to follow other sheep without thinking. Sheep are stubborn Sheep are helpless. Do you wonder why we are referred to as sheep? Let’s read Luke 15. In this passage, Jesus is talking about a lost sheep. Let’s take some time and really focus on Luke 15:1-7. Now the…
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Healing Of The Blind Man: Part Three
As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. And his disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him. We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” John 9:1-5 Let’s finish reading John 9: 13-34. Now it was a Sabbath day when Jesus made the mud and opened…
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Healing The Blind Man: Part Two
As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. And his disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him. We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” John 9:1-5 Difficult situations can seem like we have a dark cloud hanging around us. However, what could happen if we…
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Healing The Blind Man: Part One
As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. And his disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him. We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” John 9:1-5 Have you ever had discouragement around your heart? The little dark place that hangs around you even when overall…
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The Light
Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12 What was the first thing God created? Read Genesis 1:1-5. How did God create this light? According to Genesis 1:2, what was the world like? The world was in a dark, void, without form place. The first thing God said that needed to be created was light. He separated the light from the dark. What is the function and purpose of light in creation? Here are a few things it does: It dispels darkness revealing what is hidden; it illuminates…
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Festivals And Living Water
Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” John 8:12 What were the Jews celebrating in John chapter 7? What happened in the morning during the feast? Now let’s take a look at what happened at the end of the day during this celebration time. On the roof, there are colonnades that encircle the court where the women stand above the men and the men stand below. In the center of the court are four large menorahs each with seven lights. They are raised 50 yards high. The lights…
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Light Of The World
Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” John 8:12 What traditions do you hold close to your family? Read John 7:1-36. What is going on in this passage? What phrases or key words stuck out to you? Do you feel any tension in this passage? The feast of Tabernacles or the Feast of booths is what going on in this passage. The two aspects of the feast are water and light. The Feast of Tabernacles was the most joyous and longest festival of all the holidays. It lasted…