This is it, the final week of Essential Jesus.
At the beginning of each Sunday in this series we have had a theme song Let’s Talk About Jesus which finishes:
Who is He to you?
Week 20: Who is Jesus to you?
Week 19: The Second Coming of Jesus
As Jesus was ascending into heaven after his death and resurrection, two angels appeared and said to the disciples, ‘This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen Him go into Heaven (Acts 1:11).
Our next five readings will clarify what the Bible says about Jesus’ Second Coming.
Week 18: The Early Church of Jesus
Our next week covers the first three chapters of the Book of Revelation, which is the record of a vision that John had nearly sixty years after the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. In the vision it’s as if Jesus Himself has been a newcomer in seven first-century churches, and He describes the unique dynamics within each one. Imagine what Jesus would say if He visited us at Explore this Sunday!
To Know God better, to make Him better known
In today’s Explore service, I said I feel God’s wanting to reveal Himself more to us throughout 2015, and nurture our relationship with Him.
What ways can you already note that God has been deepening your own relationship with Him, or our relationship with Him as a congregation?
Are there any ways that God is revealing Himself to you at the moment so that you can know Him better, or us as a group to know Him better?
What are your hopes for 2015 that God will draw you closer, or us closer to Him?
Week 17: The resurrection of Jesus
In our next five readings we will cover all the major passages in the Bible about the resurrection.
First we’ll look at the four Gospel accounts and you’ll find it fascinating to go through them back to back. In our fifth reading, we’ll look at what the early church leader Paul taught about the resurrection many years after it happened. By then, the first-century Christians were beginning to have doubts about whether the resurrection of Jesus even happened or not, or whether it was all that important after all. So Paul wrote to reassure the doubters and to firmly re-establish the importance of the resurrection.
Week 16: The Crucifixion of Jesus
The cross of Jesus Christ has become the most recognised and copied symbol in the world.
In our next five readings, we’ll go back and examine what the Bible says about the crucifixion of Jesus.
It’s not a pretty picture.
Week 15: The Hard Sayings Of Jesus
At one point in His ministry, people were so turned off by Jesus’ teaching that they said, ‘This is a hard saying; Who can accept it?’ (John 6:60) and they deserted Him in droves.
Sometimes Jesus said things that were obscure; they were difficult to understand. Other times He said things that were challenging and difficult to obey. We’ll be covering some from both categories:
- ‘Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life.’
- ‘Whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; he is guilty of an eternal sin.’
- ‘You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.’
- ‘This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you
forgive your brother from your heart.’ - ‘If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.’
Week 14: The Prayers of Jesus
Prayer is one of those things that almost everyone has tried, but almost no one fully understands. That’s why our next five readings will be so helpful; they give us a picture of the greatest ‘pray-er’ the world has ever known.
Week 13: More Miracles of Jesus
The five readings this week highlight Jesus’ power to heal the sick. We’ll read how Jesus enabled a blind man to see, caused a paralysed man to walk, restored a demon possessed man, cured a woman with an incurable bleeding problem and brought two dead people back to life.
The Bible tells us that ‘Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever’ (Hebrews 13:8). So if Jesus had the ability and want to do these things then, He will also reveal His glory and help people put faith in Him today.
Week 12: The Miracles of Jesus
The five readings this week highlight Jesus’ power to overrule the forces of nature. Changing water into wine, calming the sea, feeding more than five thousand people from a few loaves and fish, walking on water and causing a fig tree to wither.
The Bible tells us that ‘Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever’ (Hebrews 13:8). So if Jesus had the ability and want to do these things then, He will also reveal His glory and help people put faith in Him today.
