Call to Worship
Responsive Reading Based on Psalm 19.
Leader: The heavens tell about the glory of God.
All: The skies announce what his hands have made.
Leader: Each new day tells more of the story, and each night reveals more and more about God's power.
All: You cannot hear them say anything. They don't make any sound we can hear.
Leader: But their message goes throughout the world. Their teaching reaches the ends of the earth.
All: The LORD'S teachings are perfect. They give strength to his people.
Leader: The LORD'S rules can be trusted. They help even the foolish become wise.
All: The LORD'S laws are right. They make people happy.
Leader: The LORD'S commands are good. They show people the right way to live.
All: His teachings are worth more than pure gold.
Leader: They are sweeter than the best honey dripping from the honeycomb.
All: His teachings warn his servants, and good things come to those who obey them.
To God Be the Glory - Video on YouTube
It's Bubbling in My Soul - Video on YouTube
What Kind of Difference Does Jesus Make for You?
The true light was coming into the world. This is the true light that gives light to all people. The Word was already in the world. The world was made through him, but the world did not know him.
He came to the world that was his own. And his own people did not accept him. But some people did accept him. They believed in him, and he gave them the right to become children of God. They became God's children, but not in the way babies are usually born. It was not because of any human desire or plan. They were born from God himself.
Ephesians 1:3-5 ERV
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. In Christ, God has given us every spiritual blessing in heaven. In Christ, he chose us before the world was made. He chose us in love to be his holy people—people who could stand before him without any fault. And before the world was made, God decided to make us his own children through Jesus Christ. This was what God wanted, and it pleased him to do it.
Jesus, Disruptor for the Kingdom
A person or thing that prevents something, especially a system, process, or event, from continuing as usual or as expected:
Jesus practiced the disruptive discipline of calling rookies.
John 1:38-45 ERV
38 Jesus turned and saw the two men following him. He asked, "What do you want?" They said, "Rabbi, where are you staying?" ("Rabbi" means "Teacher.")
39 He answered, "Come with me and you will see." So the two men went with him. They saw the place where he was staying, and they stayed there with him that day. It was about four o'clock.
40 These men followed Jesus after they had heard about him from John. One of them was Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter.
41 The first thing Andrew did was to go and find his brother Simon. Andrew said to him, "We have found the Messiah." ("Messiah" means "Christ.")
42 Then Andrew brought Simon to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, "You are Simon, the son of John. You will be called Cephas." ("Cephas" means "Peter.")
43 The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He met Philip and said to him, "Follow me."
44 Philip was from the town of Bethsaida, the same as Andrew and Peter.
45 Philip found Nathanael and told him, "We have found the man that Moses wrote about in the law. The prophets wrote about him too. He is Jesus, the son of Joseph. He is from Nazareth."
Jesus practiced the disruptive discipline of working behind the scene.
John 2
Three days after calling Andrew and Simon Peter, and two days after calling Phillip and Nathanael to be his disciples Jesus. There was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, Jesus and his followers and his mother were invited. It was after Jesus was baptized by John, after the 40 days temptation. Jesus was just getting started as a teacher.
John 2:6-10 ERV
6 There were six large stone waterpots there that were used by the Jews in their washing ceremonies. Each one held about 20 or 30 gallons.
7 Jesus said to the servants, "Fill the waterpots with water." So they filled them to the top.
8 Then he said to them, "Now dip out some water and take it to the man in charge of the feast." So they did what he said.
9 Then the man in charge tasted it, but the water had become wine. He did not know where the wine had come from, but the servants who brought the water knew. He called the bridegroom
10 and said to him, "People always serve the best wine first. Later, when the guests are drunk, they serve the cheaper wine. But you have saved the best wine until now."
Jesus attendance at the wedding was not that noteworthy until his mother intervened thru Jesus to save the wedding couple embarrassment at running low on wine. Jesus was just one of the guests but in a small way he became a disruptor. Six 30-gallon water pots of the best wine.
Jesus practiced the disruptive discipline of creating new patterns of thought.
John 3
Nicodemus an important Jewish leader came by night and Jesus talked with him about becoming a Child of God -being reborn.
John 3:5-10 ERV
5 Jesus answered, "Believe me when I say that everyone must be born from water and the Spirit. Anyone who is not born from water and the Spirit cannot enter God's kingdom.
6 The only life people get from their human parents is physical. But the new life that the Spirit gives a person is spiritual.
7 Don't be surprised that I told you, 'You must be born again.'
8 The wind blows wherever it wants to. You hear it, but you don't know where it is coming from or where it is going. It is the same with everyone who is born from the Spirit."
9 Nicodemus asked, "How is all this possible?"
10 Jesus said, "You are an important teacher of Israel, and you still don't understand these things?
Jesus practiced the disruptive discipline of challenging the status quo.
John 4
Jesus on the way from Judea to Galilee stops at Sychar in Samaria in the heat of the day
John 4:6-10 ERV
6 Jacob's well was there. Jesus was tired from his long trip, so he sat down beside the well. It was about noon.
7 A Samaritan woman came to the well to get some water, and Jesus said to her, "Please give me a drink."
8 This happened while his followers were in town buying some food.
9 The woman answered, "I am surprised that you ask me for a drink! You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman!" (Jews have nothing to do with Samaritans.)
10 Jesus answered, "You don't know what God can give you. And you don't know who I am, the one who asked you for a drink. If you knew, you would have asked me, and I would have given you living water."