JOHN 2:1-11
1 On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, 2 and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. 3 When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no more wine.” 4 “Woman, why do you involve me?” Jesus replied. “My hour has not yet come.” 5 His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” 6 Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons. 7 Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water”; so they filled them to the brim. 8 Then he told them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.” They did so, 9 and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside 10 and said, “Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now.” 11 What Jesus did here in Cana of Galilee was the first of the signs through which he revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.
JOHN 1:19-28
9 Now this was John’s testimony when the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was. 20 He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, “I am not the Messiah.” 21 They asked him, “Then who are you? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” He answered, “No.” 22 Finally they said, “Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” 23 John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, “I am the voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.’” 24 Now the Pharisees who had been sent 25 questioned him, “Why then do you baptize if you are not the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?” 26 “I baptize with water,” John replied, “but among you stands one you do not know. 27 He is the one who comes after me, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.” 28 This all happened at Bethany on the other side of the Jordan, where John was baptizing.
JOHN 1:1-14
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. 6 There was a man sent from God whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. 8 He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. 9 The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. 14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
JOHN 21:1-6, 9, 12-25
1Afterward Jesus appeared again to his disciples, by the Sea of Galilee. It happened this way: 2Simon Peter, Thomas (also known as Didymus), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together. 3“I’m going out to fish,” Simon Peter told them, and they said, “We’ll go with you.” So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.4Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus.5He called out to them, “Friends, haven’t you any fish?”“No,” they answered.6He said, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.” When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish.
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9When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread.
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12Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” None of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. 13Jesus came, took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. 14This was now the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from the dead.15When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?”“Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.”Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”
16Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.”17The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.”Jesus said, “Feed my sheep. 18Very truly I tell you, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” 19Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, “Follow me!”20Peter turned and saw that the disciple whom Jesus loved was following them. (This was the one who had leaned back against Jesus at the supper and had said, “Lord, who is going to betray you?”) 21When Peter saw him, he asked, “Lord, what about him?”22Jesus answered, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me.” 23Because of this, the rumor spread among the believers that this disciple would not die. But Jesus did not say that he would not die; he only said, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you?”24This is the disciple who testifies to these things and who wrote them down. We know that his testimony is true.25Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.
LUKE 19:28-42
28 After Jesus had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. 29 As he approached Bethphage and Bethany at the hill called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, saying to them, 30 “Go to the village ahead of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. 31 If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ say, ‘The Lord needs it.’” 32 Those who were sent ahead went and found it just as he had told them. 33 As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, “Why are you untying the colt?” 34 They replied, “The Lord needs it.” 35 They brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it. 36 As he went along, people spread their cloaks on the road. 37 When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen: 38 “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” 39 Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!” 40 “I tell you,” he replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.” 41 As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it 42 and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace— but now it is hidden from your eyes.
If you love me, keep my commands. – John 14:15
But Samuel replied: “Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.” – 1 Samuel 15:22
Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. – James 1:22
He replied, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.” – Luke 11:28
EPHESIANS 4:11-12
11 So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12 to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up.
1 CORINTHIANS 12:12-26
2 Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For we were all baptized by[a] one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. 14 Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many. 15 Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? 18 But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. 19 If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, but one body. 21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” 22 On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, 24 while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, 25 so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. 26 If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.
Three Life-Changing Commitments
Commitment #1 PUT GOD FIRST WITH MY TIME
A DAILY TIME WITH GOD
The Purpose:
“…Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” JAMES 4:8
The Practice:
“Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a
solitary place, where He prayed.” MARK 1:35
The Promise:
“Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners
take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who
meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which
yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither—whatever they do prospers.” PS 1:1-3
The Power of Spending Time With God…
Reconnects you with God – JAMES 4:8
Rekindles your Hope – ISAIAH 6:1
Renews your Confidence – PS 34:4
Renews your Perspective – PS 73:16-17
Releases your Anxieties – 2 CHR 20:1, 12
Restores your Joy – NEHEMIAH 8:10 | PS 16:11
Commitment #2 PUT GOD FIRST WITH MY MONEY
A WEEKLY TITHE TO GOD
The Purpose:
“…where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” MATTHEW 6:21
The Practice:
“On the first day of every week, set aside some of what you have earned and give it as an
offering. The amount depends on how much the Lord has helped you earn.” 1 COR 16:2
The Promise:
“Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running
over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured
back to you.” LUKE 6:38
“I shovel it out, and God shovels it back—but God has a bigger shovel.”
– R. G. LETOURNEAU (who tithed 90% of his income to Christian causes and lived on 10%)
“A checkbook is a theological document. It tells who and what you worship.”
– BILLY GRAHAM
Commitment #3 PUT GOD FIRST WITH MY RELATIONSHIPS
BEING REGULARLY INVOLVED
IN FELLOWSHIP
THE POWER OF CONNECTING…
How Will Small Groups Equip Me For Life?
The Purpose:
“Let us not give up the habit of meeting together….Instead, let us ENCOURAGE each other…”
HEBREWS 10:25
The Practice:
“They met day after day in the temple courts and from house to house.” ACTS 5:4
The Promise:
“Two are better than one, because together they are more effective. If one falls down, the other
can help him up.” ECCLESIASTES 4:9-10.
“As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” PROVERBS 27:17
A GROWTH COVENANT
“…We are making a binding agreement, putting it in writing,
and our spiritual leaders are affixing their seals to it.”
NEHEMIAH 9:39
LUKE 10:38-42
38 Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed him as a guest. 39 She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to what he said. 40 But Martha was distracted with all the preparations she had to make, so she came up to him and said, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do all the work alone? Tell her to help me.” 41 But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things, 42 but one thing is needed. Mary has chosen the best part; it will not be taken away from her.”
EPHESIANS 6:10-17
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when (not if) the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
Winning Life’s Most Important Battles
1. Don’t be : I have an !
“Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.”
Ephesians 6:11
Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion
looking for someone to devour. 1 Peter 5:8
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy…” John 10:10
Battle for
He said to the woman, “Did God really say…?’ Genesis 3:1
Battle for
“She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.
Then the eyes of both of them were opened Genesis 3:6-7
Battle for the
“I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.”
Matthew 16:18
Battle for
“Be transformed by the renewing of your mind…” Romans 2:2
2. Don’t be !
Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” Ephesians 6:11-12
His Tactics:
“…in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes.”
2 Corinthians 2:11
He wants to…. You You You
The devil knows your name but calls you by your sin, God knows your sin but calls you by your name. – Ricardo Sanchez
3. You are not !
There are steps to !
“Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.” Ephesians. 6:13
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” John 10:10
“Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith.” 1 Peter 5:8-9
“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” James 5:6-7
Six Essential Parts of the Armor of GOD
#1 THE BELT OF TRUTH
Fight Deception With Truth
with the Belt Of Truth buckled around your waist,
WINNING SPIRITUAL VICTORIES
“Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:32