Focal passage: I Kings 19:19-21; II Kings 2:7-15

I’m very excited about the next five weeks of studies entitled Elisha: Seeing God’s Hand at Work. Elisha is one of my favorite Old Testament characters; I love his life stories! Plus, since retiring as a pastor twenty years ago, I’ve been serving churches in transition (when they’re in between pastors). So apparently I also love transitions; and the Elijah/Elisha saga begins with some very dramatic scenes of transition!  [Read more…]

Focal Passage: John 20:1-2, 11-18

Through the years blockbuster films often billed its stars like this: “Gone with the Wind, with Clark Gable — featuring Viven Leigh.” A more famous actor would be designated “with,” while an upcoming star was labeled “featuring.” Today’s lesson might seem to be titled “The Resurrection, with Mary Magdalene — featuring Jesus Christ.” But it’s just the OPPOSITE: our focal passage certainly features the grieving/rejoicing Mary, but it’s with — it’s all about — our Lord Jesus Christ and His resurrection from the dead, The Ultimate Sign! The text is John 20:1-2, 11-18.

The Resurrection Story, FEATURING the redeemed Mary Magdalene

“How to Approach the Empty Tomb.” On this Glorious Resurrection Day, we should approach it like Mary did: [Read more…]

Focal Passage: John 11:25-27 38-44

Sometimes a chapter of the Bible is so filled with excitement and life-truths that to focus on only a few verses of it seems almost irreverent. That’s the case today; our focal passage is just ten verses (out of 57 jam-packed ones) in John 11. In the series All Signs Point to Jesus, we come to the seventh ‘sign’ the Apostle John selected to reveal Jesus as God. In this one, The Sign of His Power Over Death, Jesus raises His friend Lazarus from the dead. 

I could hardly summarize this chapter more succinctly than Jotham McCauley does (in thebiblerhymes.com): “Jesus paused, for our sakes, then arrived—Long after Lazarus had died. He called for Mary, up she leapt, Fell at His feet, then Jesus wept. Went to the tomb, then with a shout, He called to Lazarus, ‘Come out!’  There’s more to the rhyme and more to the story, so let’s recall the whole chapter as in our focal passage we listen in on a meaningful conversation and look in on a miracle resuscitation: [Read more…]

Focal Passage: John 9:1-11; 30-33

Many people have eye diseases, but only about 4 out of every 10,000 are born blind. Today’s study from John chapter 9 tells about one such rare individual. He became even more rare by being healed of congenital blindness. His story was the sixth of seven ‘sign-miracles’ that the Apostle John selected in his Gospel to prove Jesus’ deity and authority.

In our focal passage, John 9:1-11, 30-33, the Apostle introduces several persons who illustrate four ‘categories of seeing:’

1. A Sighted One Who Could See ‘Beyond,’ Verse 1: “As Jesus was passing by, He saw a man who was blind. Jesus saw this man like no one else had ever seen him. Aren’t you glad Jesus saw you and me like we’d be — AFTER His miracle work in us? [Read more…]

Focal Passage: John 6:16-21

If people say a person “walks on water,” you know they consider that person to be a Godlike miracle-worker. You also know that the phrase walking on water originated with something our Lord Jesus Christ did during His life on earth. We see Him working that miracle in today’s study passage, John 6:16-21. It’s the fifth of seven sign-miracles the Apostle John recorded in his Gospel. The title of this lesson is The Sign of His PRESENCE, and it’s from our series called All Signs Point to Jesus.

This “sign” occurred the evening of the same day Jesus fed the five thousand — the event in last week’s study (called The Sign of His PROVISION). That was when a boy offered his lunch of five loaves and two fish to Jesus — who took them and miraculously fed 5,000 men plus women and children (John 6:1-15). The story ended with the well-fed multitude excitedly trying to push Jesus into becoming their political “king,” and with Jesus quietly slipping away from them — up into a mountain alone. [Read more…]