Month: December 2021

Hello again! Yesterday, Pastor Alan shared a wonderful message about how Jesus is portrayed in each of the Gospels. To listen to this message, click play on the audio player below. You’ll also find Pastor Alan’s outline below, as well as links to the verses. I pray you are blessed by this message!

The Christ Who Came

• Matthew:  The One Who Fulfills
  • Matthew 13:16-17
  • The genealogy: To Abraham the one promised to bless the world.
  • Eleven Times: “This took place that it might be fulfilled.”  Matthew 5: 17-18, 20

• Mark:  The Suffering Servant
  • 3 things about Jesus, Mark 8:27-38
    1. Who He was: The suffering servant and Son of Man (Daniel 7:13-14)
    2. What He came to do: Go to a cross
    3. What He requires of us: A willingness to die to self and follow.  Galatians 2:19-20

• Luke:  The Savior of All 
  • Luke 2:30-32
  • Salvation in Luke’s gospel focuses on 2 things
    1. Forgiveness of sin (our past)
    2. New life through the Spirit (present and future)

• John:  The Incarnate Word – John 1:14
  • He became man and dwelt among us.
  • The emphasis is on signs and their purpose of teaching.
  • In Christ 7 things linked to 7 miracles.
    1. Christ ushers in a new beginning: water into wine.
    2. Christ has the power to give life: the official’s son
    3. Christ has the power to judge: the lame man.
    4. Christ can satisfy what we are really hungering and thirsting for if we would let him:  Feeding the 5000.
    5. Christ has the authority over creation:  Christ walking on the water.
    6. Christ lights our way as the light of the world: Healing the blind.
    7. Christ is the resurrection and the life:  Resurrection of Lazarus.

Conclusion:  What do you believe about Christ?

A three-fold test –

3 liars:

1. Whoever denies that Jesus is the Eternal Christ that came in the flesh is a liar. 1 John 2:22
2. Whoever claims to have fellowship with God and walks in darkness is a liar. 1 John 1:6
3. Whoever says he loves God but hates his brother is a liar.  1 John 4:20

So, do we believe all we see about Christ?

Good evening, again! Here’s is Pastor Alan’s message from December 12th, teaching about John 5:16-47. To listen to this message, click play on the audio player below. Also included is Pastor Alan’s outline and links to verses on Bible Gateway. 🙂

Background – a question of his authority to heal on the Sabbath. John 5:16-18

1. Jesus has authority from God the Father. John 5:19-20
2. Jesus has authority to give life. John 5:21, 24-26, 28-29
3. Jesus has authority to judge. John 5:22, 27, 30
4. Jesus has multiple witnesses to who he is and his authority.
   • John the Baptist: John 5:31-35
   • Jesus’ miracles: John 5:36
   • God the Father: John 5:37
   • The OT scriptures: John 5:39
   • Moses: John 5:45-47
5. The response to the witnesses and Jesus himself.  John 5:40-44

What is our response to Jesus’s call for authority over our lives?

Good evening! I finally have a chance to post Pastor Alan’s messages for the past two Sundays. The message below is from December 5th and is based on John 4:46-5:16. To listen to this message, simply click play on the audio player below. I’ve also included notes from the message with links to the verses on Bible Gateway. Enjoy!

Why did John write his gospel? John 20:30-31

1. Healing a Nobleman’s Son
   • John 4:43-45
     • some consider this a Bible contradiction, but Jesus was welcomed not honored; do we want Jesus for Himself or for what He can give us?
   • John 4:46-48
     • the world says that seeing is believing; God says BELIEVING IS SEEING
     • Hebrews 11:1-3
   • John 4:47
     • there will always be a point in our lives when something will hit us that we have no control over.
     • Mark 9:14-29
   • John 4:49-54
     • Jesus is not limited by the necessity of His presence
     • “I believe. Help my unbelief.”
     • Authentic belief abides in Christ and grows in Christ
2. The Healing at Bethesda
   • John 5:1-9
     • Jesus miraculously healed the man
   • John 5:10
     • outward obedience does not equal inward change/faith
   • John 5:11
     • the ungrateful man threw Jesus “under the bus”
   • John 5:12-14
     • the man was so self-involved, he didn’t even know who Jesus was
   • John 5:15
     • unlike the nobleman, this man never put his faith in Christ
   • John 5:16-18
     • the moment when Jesus & the Pharisees really began to butt heads

Things to note

1. Obedience isn’t always a mark of saving faith.
   • Three Requirements to be a Christ Follower
     1. be born again
     2. live in dependence on Christ
     3. obey
2. Not always, but sometimes, sickness can be a direct result of sin (v. 14)
   • 1 John 5:16-17 — habitual, unrepentant sin can lead to physical death
3. We must be careful not to put our rules above compassion
4. Jesus is equal to God (v. 18)
   • John 1:1-5