Dear TVCC Students,
I can't believe how fast this fall season is going! It's almost November! This Wednesday Sonny taught on John 8:12. It was great to just camp out in one verse and unlock all of the truth in Jesus' declaration...
"I am the Light of the world. He who follows me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life." ~John 8:12
Here are a few key points to consider this week...
~When Jesus says "I am," He is using an expression that the Pharisees knew very well. "I AM" was the name that the Lord gave to Himself in Exodus 3 when He called Moses to lead the Israelites out of slavery. Jesus is again telling the people that He is the Lord- the One who takes us out of slavery into eternal freedom!
Q: Have you been walking in the freedom that Jesus, the I AM, offers you through His blood? He is your Deliverer from the slavery of sin and death. In Him, we are able to walk in righteousness and have a relationship with the Father. Let us meditate on that this week and walk in thankfulness that the I AM became flesh to redeem us!
~In the same phrase, Jesus tells them that He is the Light of the world. The Pharisees would have known this phrase well too and knew that Jesus was telling them that He was the Messiah. In Isaiah 60:19, it is prophesied that there would be a time when the world would not need a light to shine because the Lord would be their light. Jesus is telling the people that He is the Lord- the righteous One that reveals the glory of the Father.
~Psalm 119:105 states that the Word of the Lord is a light unto our path and a lamp unto our feet. Jesus is the Word made flesh (John 1) and He came to light the way for us- to lead us to intimacy with the Father through His death and resurrection on our behalf.
Q: Have you been walking in the light of Christ or have you been walking in the darkness of the world. Christ wants us to come to Him to see the righteousness and light of the Father. To do this, we need to be spending time with Him daily- reading His Word and spending time in prayer and worship. Have you been doing this on a consistant basis? Know that the Lord wants this for you.
~Jesus tells the crowd that in following Him they would not walk in darkness. Following Jesus is not always an easy thing. Jesus tells us in Mark 8 that if anyone wishes to follow Jesus they must deny themselves and take up their cross. The cross was the symbol of death. Jesus is saying that those wanting to follow Him must count themselves as dead to things of this world. Our life should be completely in Him. Following Jesus calls us to count everything as loss compared to the passing greatness of knowing Jesus or Lord (Philippians 3). Whatever the cost, we must follow with complete surrender, knowing that He is worth it.
Q: Are you a follower of Jesus? Do you look to Him to find your life? Your truth? Are there things in your life that you have not completely surrendered to Him?
Dear students,
We are so thankful for the opportunity to worship with you on Wednesdays. We pray that you will walk with Jesus, your I AM and Light, this week. We pray that you will continue to come to Him to lead you in righteousness that you may have intimacy with the Father through Him. We are praying for you this week. Meditate daily on Him and His sacrifice for you. Please know that we are available to meet with you to talk and pray if you want. We also love getting to have time with you guys and gals Sunday nights at small groups so we can know how to pray for you and encourage you. We love you!
With hope,
~Sonny and Casi
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