Friday | Week 1
One summer at church camp I met a kid named Keith. Keith was confident, expressive in his worship, and he taught me how to play Pokémon. Even though Keith was my age he was still sort of a hero to me. Keith wasn’t afraid for people to see him worshiping Jesus. I remember distinctly hearing someone go up to him and say, “You’re the man, Keith!”
Without being silly or cheesy Keith responded with, “I’m not the man, I’m just a fan of The Man.” He even showed me later that he had Fan of The Man stamped on the front cover of his Bible, where someone would normally put their name.
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Thursday | Week 1
Many years ago, I accompanied a friend to West Africa. For two weeks, we took turns carrying a large wooden cross on our shoulders. As we walked, curious onlookers began to follow. As soon as a crowd of 50-100 intrigued people had gathered around us, we stopped for a drink of water and shared the Gospel. A team of native pastors translated for us, and their churches eagerly embraced those who responded to the love of Jesus.
As we traveled far from the city, something unexpected happened…
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Wednesday | Week 1
Let’s start at the very beginning…a very good place to start.
I can hear Julie Andrews’ voice singing this lovely melody from The Sound of Music as I read the first chapter of John’s Gospel. A clean slate, home plate, kick-off, commencement, “A,B,C, Do-Re-Mi”—whatever illustration or song resonates, the lead story of this book captures our attention. God, the Creator and Organizer of all things, brought life and light into a very dark place.
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Tuesday | Week 1
The next time you watch a live performance of a well-known musician, take note of the consistent reaction of the crowd as they hear the first few notes of a classic song. They will instantly roar with celebration. This should be the response of every believer’s soul when John repeats the first three words of Genesis to introduce His testimony of Jesus: “In the beginning...” (Genesis 1:1; John 1:1).
Through the initial five verses of Chapter 1, John moves us deeper, both into the reality of creation, and into our hope in Christ.
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Monday | Week 1
Passage: John 1:1-51
Years ago, when I was a few years into my faith-walk and even fewer into adulthood, I read that if I want to show someone who Jesus is, a great way is to read through John’s Gospel with him. The other gospels, I read, focus on what Jesus did. John focuses on who Jesus is.
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