John 13: Washing Feet

TVCC Students,

Wow! The holidays were a whirlwind and it seems like we barely blinked and now its almost February. We sure hope that you are having a wonderful new year and that you are enjoying sweet time with your Savior. With the crazy weather and some sicknesses in our house, I am a little behind on these LifePoints. Since both last week and this week flow together really well, I thought I would just give you the key points in one post =). These past two weeks Sonny has been teaching from John 13. It has been so convicting for me to be reminded of our Lord's humility as He walked this earth. Here are the main points from the past two weeks...

John 13

~13:1: Jesus was ready to do what He had ultimately come for. Him loving us "to the end" is a phrase that means that He loved us fully and completely. He came not to be served but to serve (Mark 10:45) and give His life so that we might be brought back to the Father. His whole life was a life of service to the Father and others.

Q: If someone was to look at your life entirely would they say that about you? Is your life modeled after the life of Jesus? Are you continually putting aside your interests and submitting yourself to the Father while serving others so that Jesus might be glorified?

~13:2: The devil entered Judas. Though Judas was not a believer we need to realize that ungodly influences are present everywhere and constantly vying for control of our lives. If we are not in continual communion with Jesus, we will be swayed by the world and become ineffective for the kingdom of God. Remember that our adversary prowls around, seeking someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8).

Q: Are you having consistent intentional time with the Lord (through prayer, reading the Word and fellowship) where you are seeking to be led by Him and not by the world or are you letting the world influence the course of your life?

~13:3-5: Jesus was able to serve others because He knew the Father, He knew where He had come from and where He was going. We cannot serve others if we do not know these things. Only when we realize how great the Lord is and what He has done for us (and what He has in store for us in eternity) can we truly serve others with purity and selflessness as Jesus did. We must have our identity completely in the Lord before we will have the heart to serve as Jesus did.

Q: Do you realize the grace that has been given to you through the death and resurrection of Christ on your behalf? Do you realize the magnitude of the Cross- that Christ endured the wrath of God on your behalf? Do you realize that this life is short and it is just a bleep in eternity where we are called to serve others and bring glory to the Lord? Let these things motivate you to love as you have been loved (Ephesians 5:2)?

~13:6-10: Peter's heart was not in the right place. He knew that if Jesus, the King of Glory, was washing his feet, he would be called to do the same. In this weak moment, Peter was giving into the flesh, not wanting to live the life of service that Jesus was demonstrating. After Jesus rebukes him, Peter's heart is brought back and he again affirms that he will follow Jesus where ever that leads. Jesus reminds them that though we are "clean" in Him, we will at times need to come to Him to be cleansed from the filth of the world.

Q: When was the last time that you had a moment like Peter where you didn't want to serve as Jesus was calling you? How quick were you to respond to the conviction of the Holy Spirit? What changes would be helpful to help you respond differently next time?

Q: How often are you coming to Jesus to be "cleansed" from the filth of the world? Are you spending time in His presence daily?

~13:11-16: Jesus calls those claiming to be His disciples to do as He has done. We are called to live as servants as Christ served us. Colossians 3:12-14 gives us a description as to how we are to live. As Christ forgave and loved us, so should we forgive and love others.

Q: In what ways can your love for others grow? Who is one person that you are having trouble forgiving and/or loving? We encourage you to pray for that person and ask the Lord to give you His heart for them. 

~13:17: We are blessed not just if we hear the Word but if we DO the Word. James 1:22 also calls us to be doers of the Word of God.

Q: In what areas of your life are you just a "hearer" and not a "doer?" What steps are you going to take this week to become a "doer?"

~13:31-33: Jesus knows that He is about to be led to the Cross and then be glorified. Again, Jesus knowing the glory that was coming to Him at the resurrection was able to endure the Cross. Hebrews 12:2 tells us that knowing the joy set before Him, Christ endured the shame of the Cross. We are called to be like Jesus in this. Knowing the brevity of this life and the joy coming to us in eternity, we are called to serve as our Lord did.

Q: What are some things that keep your mind set on things of earth and not heavenly things? What changes can you make in your life to have a more eternal mindset this week?

~John 13:34-35: The world will know that our love for Jesus is genuine when we love others as we have been loved. We cannot say this enough (and Jesus said it a lot too) that your love for others speaks loudly of your love for Christ. If you cannot love others, people will not see Christ in you.

***Romans 12:9-21 is a great depiction of what our love for others should look like. Our love for others should...

1. Not be hypocritical. (it should be genuine... don't confess love for people then speak poorly about them later)

2. Hate what is evil in them (gently bring conviction to fellow believers when sin in seen in them... letting them remain in sin is not love).

3. Love what is good in them (praise others for the good seen in them)

4. Put their needs above ours.

5. Not be lazy (diligently be looking for ways to love others).

6. Hope for the best.

7. Be patient during hard times (don't be quick to get out of a friendship when it gets hard... hang in there... love endures).

8. Be prayerful.

9. Be giving.

10. Extend even to our enemies.

11. Rejoice when God blesses.

12. Weep when God takes away.

13. Be impartial (love both the rich in this world and the poor).

14. Not be arrogant.

15. Not be revengeful.

16. Be peaceable (do your best to make peace with others).

17. Not be overcome with evil.

18. Be unto the Lord (trust God to make all wrongs right).

Q: In what ways are you falling short of the above list? Who have you failed to show Christ-like love to this week? We encourage you to confess that to the Lord and to that person.

Dear students,

We are thankful to be able to worship with you every Wednesday and to continue to see so many of you growing in your love for te Lord. It is so refreshing to see the Lord growing and changing you. We pray that you will spend intentional time with the Lord this week and that you will make the changes that He calls you to make through the power of the Spirit. We love you and are praying for you today and this week.

With hope,

Sonny and Casi

John 12:1-11: Response to Lazarus' resurrection

Dear TVCC Students,

It is always such a joy to worship with you all on Wednesday evening. It encourages us so much to see you intimately worshipping Jesus. Last night Sonny taught on John 12 and delivered to us some great nuggets of truth to dwell on. Here is a recap...

John 12:1-3: Mary, Martha and Lazarus are all worshipping Jesus in these passages but are worshipping Him in different ways. Sometimes the Lord wants us to glorify Him by serving others, sometimes He wants us to just recline with Him and listen, and sometimes He wants us to literally give something costly to Him as an act of worship. 

Q: Do you spend time worshipping Jesus in different ways? There are so many ways to show Jesus that He is our hearts greatest desire. How have you shown Him that this week? In what way of worship do you feel closest with Jesus (He created us all differently so it can be different for us all)?

John 12:3: Mary anoints Jesus with perfume that was about a years salary. That would be like us giving Jesus in worship something around $50,000. Mary was showing Jesus in a physical way that He is worth more to her than even a year's salary.

Q: Are you willing to give to the Lord anything He would ask of you as an act of worship? Is He really more important to you than anything in this life?

John 12:3 Mary anointing Jesus with her hair was an act of vulnerable and intimate worship. In those days only a husband saw the wife's hair. Mary was showing Jesus in a physical way that she was fully His. The Lord already knew her fully and she was just responding in a way that demonstrated that her heart was fully His.

Q: Are you living a life of complete honesty and vulnerability with the Lord or are you trying to hide areas of your life from Him? Remember that He already knows you fully but desires for you to realize this and live in complete intimacy with Him.

John 12:4-6: Judas responds with disgust at Mary's worship of Jesus. Judas had always been with Jesus for the wrong reasons and again he is angry because he would not benefit from this situation. Though Judas was always around Jesus and "heavenly" things, his heart was always hard and he was continually trying to do what was best for himself, not the kingdom of God.

Q: Are you like Judas? What are your motives for doing "Christian" things ( ie. going to church or serving others)? Are you genuinely trying to honor Jesus in all that you do or are you trying to make a name for yourself? Just as with Judas, one day ALL of our motives will be exposed. We encourage you to check your motives now and ask for forgiveness from the Lord where your motives have been wrong (and help from the Spirit to love Jesus with pure motives).

John 12:7-8: Jesus responds by saying that Mary was doing the best thing with her time and money. She gave herself fully to the Lord and He was pleased with her. We need to continually be seeking to know from the Lord how He would have us worship Him and then act accordingly. He wants our all and that looks different for each of us.

Q: What does it look like for you to give your all to loving Jesus? Are you doing that?

John 12:9-11: The crowd was so fickle. After this event some went to follow Jesus and some sided with the Pharisees in wanting Jesus dead. Following the crowd is never a good place to be. Sometimes the crowds were shouting "Hosanna!" to Jesus and then shortly later were shouting "CRucify!" If we are just "following" Jesus because others around us are, we will never fully know intimacy with Him. We must have a PERSONAL relationship with Him where we are willing to love Him even if the crowd does not.

Q: Are you easily swayed by the crowds or is your faith rooted in the Lord? Are you willing to "go against the crowd" if the Lord calls you to?

Dear students,
We pray that last night was encouraging to your souls and that you were able to engage with the Lord through worship and teaching. We pray that you will meditate on John 12 this week and ask the Lord to change any parts of your life that He desires to change that you may walk with him in a vulnerable and intimate way. We love you and are praying for you!

WIth hope,
Sonny and Casi

John 11: Jesus raises Lazarus

TVCC Students,

It was so great to worship with you guys again last night. We hope that you had a wonderful Thanksgiving and enjoyed time with family and friends. Last night Sonny taught on Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. It was encouraging to be reminded that Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life. Nothing is more important than intimacy with Him. Here are a few highlights to meditate on.

~John 11:1-6: When Jesus heard that Lazarus was ill, He stayed 2 days longer in his current city instead of rushing to Lazarus. Jesus knew what was in store for Lazarus and had bigger plans than just healing Him. We have to remember that the Lord's timing is not always what we envisioned. God's glory should be our highest aim and in this case, healing Lazarus' sickness immediately was not best for God's glory.

Q: How are you doing at trusting in the Father's timing for things? Are you content to say "not my will but Your's, Lord" or are your constantly trying to control things? Remember that His ways are higher than ours and we find our rest in trusting Him.

~John 11:7-15: The disciples get a little frustrated with Jesus for wanting to go near Jerusalem where people are waiting to kill Him. When confronted with that, Jesus reminds them that His time is appointed to Him by the Father and He has a certain plan that He must accomplish. No one can thwart the plans of God and Jesus knew that fully. He was confident that it was not His time to die but in obedience He must go to raise Lazarus. Eventually He would be led to die but that too was all in the Father's Sovereign plan and in His perfect timing.

Q: Do you trust God's plan for your life? It might not be a glorious plan in the world's eyes but every child of the Lord is called to bring glory to the Lord by their life. How are you doing at remembering that on a day to day basis? We do not know when we will be called home to the Lord and it is good for us to remember that each day we are called to reflect His glory to the world.

~John 11:16: Though Thomas is often called "doubting Thomas," he shows great faith and courage in this passage when he acknowledges that he is ready to die with Jesus. All great people of faith have both courageous moments and "doubtful" ones.

Q: Have you felt yourself being courageous in the faith lately or doubtful? Remember that the Lord is calling us to be strong and courageous and live for Him. Our lives are not our own and we should be willing to lay them down for Him. This might mean forsaking things such as our popularity or even getting rid of damaging relationships if the Lord calls us to do this. He has to be the things we LOVE most. How are you doing at living a life that is completely surrendered to Him?

~John 11:17: Jesus made sure that Lazarus was in the tomb for four days so that no one would be able to explain away the miracle that was about to happen.

~John 11:18-27: Jesus tells Martha (who ran out to meet Him regarding her brother) that He is the Resurrection and Life. Jesus is EVERYTHING. 

Q: Do our lives say that we believe that JESUS IS LIFE or do our lives say that we believe something else (girlfriend/football/soccer/school/money) is life?

~John 11:28-35: Jesus came to where Lazarus was and became angry that the sting of death had come upon His friend (his spirit was troubled to the point of tears). Jesus came to ultimately defeat death and Lazarus was just a small glimpse of what was to come. Jesus is LIFE!

~John 11:36-44: Jesus called for the tomb to be opened though it had been four days since Lazarus' death. He shouts to Lazarus... "Lazarus... OUTSIDE NOW!!" What an incredibly bold command. How powerful. Jesus shows the people that He is more powerful than death! Lazarus is returned to his family  completely- all to bring glory to God!

Q: Have you trusted that Jesus is LIFE!? Do realize the sting of death that we all deserve as we are born sinners? Have you trusted in the death and resurrection and LIFE of Jesus on your behalf?

Q: If you are a follower of Jesus, do you realize, like Lazarus, that both good and bad things in your life are all opportunities for the glory of God to be displayed? How do you respond to the difficult times in your life- do you ask the Lord to give you strength to bring Him glory even when your  life is difficult?

Dear students,

We love you so much and pray that you are able to meditate on the story of Lazarus and how his death and new life brought glory to Jesus- The RESURRECTION and LIFE. We pray that you will meditate on the Word of God this week and spend time with Him in prayer. Remember that He desires intimacy with His children and wants to use our lives to declare His glory. Again, we love you and are praying for you.

With hope,

Sonny and Casi

John 8:31-36: Jesus is the Truth

TVCC Students,
Last night Sonny took us through the verses John 8:31-36 where Jesus is talking with some Pharisees who thought they had achieved righteousness through following their religious system. Here are some points to think on this week...

~John 8:31: Jesus tells them that if they abide in His Word, they are truly His disciples. Believing in Jesus is not just an acknowledgement of true facts about Him... it is a life lived in faith where one follows hard after Jesus in both good seasons and bad. The Pharisees had the "appearance" of godliness by they denied the power and freedom that Christ was really offering... they did not really have a relationship with the Father. In Matthew 13, the parable of the sower gives 4 different accounts of those who hear the Word of God and how they respond. The only response to the Word that is "life giving" is the person who heard the Word and yielded a crop. We bear fruit for the Lord by believing in Him and abiding in His Word (Jesus is the Word made flesh- John 1).

Q: Do you have a superficial religion that is all appearances or do you have an intimate relationship with the Savior who was crucified on your behalf so that you might have righteousness in Him? Please check your hearts this week to see if YOU have really trusted in the gospel- not just acknowledged facts about Jesus. He desires intimacy with His children.

~John 8:32: Jesus said that by abiding in His Word they would know the truth and find freedom in that truth. Jesus is the Word (John 1) and the Truth (John 14:6). By coming to Him and asking for His gospel to be our souls's hope- we can have eternal life. Remember that when we come to Him with a broken and contrite heart, He will hear and respond (Psalm 51:17)

Q: Are you walking in the freedom and new life that Christ offers? Have you ever come to Him in humility with a broken and contrite heart knowing that you deserve His wrath and that Christ has taken your penalty on the Cross? We encourage you to do this. If you have already received the gift of eternal life in Christ, we encourage you to spend some time in thankful meditation of the sweet mercies that the Lord has shown you.

~John 8:33-36: The Pharisees again tell Jesus that their religion is what is giving them good standing with God. Jesus reminds them that we are all sinners and that no good works/religion that we try to do will give us right standing with God (Isaiah 64:6). What we need to have right standing with God is the righteousness of the Perfect One (Jesus) who stood in our place to take our sins so that we could be declared righteous. Let us not trust in religion or good works but in the work of Christ done on our behalf.

Q: What are you trusting in to give you right standing with the Father? If it's anything other than Jesus- it will fail. Come to Him and He will give you rest (Matthew 11:28).

Dear students,
We are so thankful to get to worship with you. We pray that you will continue to pursue Jesus through time in His word, prayer and worship. We are praying for you. We pray that you will walk in the freedom that Christ offers through His blood. We love you!

With hope,
Sonny and Casi

John 8:12: Jesus is God

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

John 8:1-11: God's grace on sinners

TVCC Students,
We are continuing our study of the book of John and last night we studies the Pharisees and their response to the woman caught in adultery. Here is a recap...

John 8:1-5; Jesus was up early to teach the crowds about the kingdom of God. All believers are called to be ready at all times to share the good news of the gospel with others (2 Timothy 4). The Pharisees came out to Jesus in order to test Him. Their goal in life was to prove Jesus wrong and expose the shortcomings of others to make themselves feel better about their unrighteousness. Because the Pharisees did not really know the Lord and His mercy through Jesus, they lived lives aimed at exposing the sin of others. They did not see their own need for the forgiveness of the Lord.

Q: Are we continually spending time with the Lord and growing in our relationship with Him? Are we bold and ready at all times to share the gospel with others? Are we like the Pharisees who had a very superficial religion that preyed on the faults of others or do we realize that we have all fallen short (Romans 3:23) and are in need of the mercy of Jesus?

John 8:6-8: They bring her the woman caught in adultery in order to see if Jesus would condemn her. Jesus points out to them that they all have sinned (Romans 3:23) and the one without sin can throw the first stone. We all have fallen short and need not try to make ourselves feel better about our sin by pointing out someone else's sin that seems "worse" in our eyes.

Q: Are you someone who always points out the faults of others or do you, having been loved much by Jesus, seek to encourage and strengthen the body of Christ and bring the gospel to those that are perishing?

John 8:9-11: Starting with the oldest, the Pharisees left when Jesus helped them see that they, too, were sinners. Jesus tells the woman that He does not condemn her either. Jesus came so that we might have eternal life, not condemnation (John 3:17). Christ came in the flesh to do what the law required because we could not (Romans 8:3). In Him we have righteousness and forgiveness of sins. With the knowledge of this, let us "go and sin no more" as we continue to pursue righteousness!

Q: Do you realize the forgiveness offered in Christ? There is now no condemnation for those that are believers in Him and nothing can separate us from His love once we have come to know Him (Romans 8). We encourage you to see if your faith is genuine and if so, to walk in the grace that was given to you at the cross.

Dear students,
We love you and are praying for you this week. We pray that you will walk in humility and love others as you have been loved. We encourage you to spend time reading the Word of God and praying to the Savior. Please know that we would love to know more about how we can be praying for you- that is why we have small groups on Sunday nights. Know that we want to be here to encourage you. We love you!

With hope,
~Sonny and Casi

John 7:1-13: God's timing

TVCC Students,
We are continuing along in our study of John. This week, Sonny taught on John 7. Here is a recap...

~John 7:1-3: Jesus brothers wanted Him to go up to the feast to show Himself off to people. They were missing the point that Jesus is the fulfillment of the feast. Everything in Jewish history points to Jesus as the Messiah and they didn't understand this. In looking forward to the feast, they were missing the fact that God was among them. We do this so often today... with Christmas and so many other things. We turn days that were originally set up to glorify Christ into days that are about nothing and leave us empty.

Q: Coming into this holiday season... Thanksgiving and Christmas... we ask you to evaluate the meaning of these times... are you walking in thankfulness for the sweet things the Lord has done for you? Are you continually thankful for the birth of the Savior that has given you eternal life? Let's not get wrapped up in the fluff that our culture has associated with these dates but let us use them as times to grow with our families and the Lord.

~John 7: 4-5: Jesus' brothers are telling Him to go up to the feast. At this point, even His own half brothers do not believe in Him. They knew that He was different but they didn't trust Him as the Messiah. Just being around the things of Jesus does not make you a believer- a true believer has faith that He is God and His death and resurrection payed the penalty for our sins so we could have a relationship with Him.

Q: Are you someone who is just around the things of God but really do not have a relationship with Him? Are you "riding" on the faith of your parents or community or is your faith your own? Please evaluate your faith this week to see if it is genuine or if you are like the brothers of Jesus in this passage.

~John 7:6-7: Jesus' life brought conviction to people. He was/is the righteousness of God and thus people who were around Him were convicted by their sin. His life exposed the evil deeds of others and led them to Him as the Savior. People could not be around Jesus and not be affected.

Q: Are you someone who demonstrates the glory of God in the way you live? When people are around you, is your life pointing them to Christ? Are people okay living in open sin around you or do you take a stand for what is holy and honorable?

~John 7:8: Jesus tells His brothers that His time had not yet come. Jesus was fully submitted to the will of the Father and would not go up to the feast until He was led by the Father to do that. He was in constant communion with the Father.

Q: If Jesus was in constant communion with the Father and this led to Him doing everything in the Father's perfect timing, how much more should we be in constant communion with the Father to know His perfect timing for our lives? Are you spending time daily with the Lord to be near to Him and discern His will for you? Are there any areas that you are not being led by the Lord in? We ask you to evaluate these areas and bring them back into submission to the Father.

~John 7:9-12: The people were waiting for Jesus but the crowd was torn as to who Jesus is. This is still true today. CS Lewis brings to light the fact that there are one of 3 ways we can view Jesus after reading the things He proclaimed... either He was/is a Liar, a Lunatic, or the LORD. Jesus claimed to be the Bread of eternal Life... not just a good moral teacher. He claimed to be the Son of God. We must deal with His claims and not be like the fickle crowd in this passage. He is the LORD!

Q: Who do you say that Jesus is? Do you look at His claims and His life and worship Him as the Lord? We pray that you will read through the gospels and be encouraged to see that He is our Messiah, our Sin-taker and Lord.

~John 7:13: The people would not speak openly about Jesus because they feared the rulers/popular people. Fear and self preservation kept them from loving Jesus openly.

Q: Do you live out your faith even though it is not culturally acceptable to be a person who believes in One way of salvation or are you scared of what the world will think of you? Are you bold in your faith or are you living in fear of the popular crowd?

Dear students,
We love you all very much and pray that you are continuing to grow in your faith and your intimacy with the Lord. We pray that you will spend so much time with the Lord this week, evaluating your relationship with Him and seeing areas that He wants to grow you in. We are so thankful to get to worship with you all. Please know that Sunday nights are available for you to come and be encouraged and held accountable to the things we discuss on Wednesday nights. We all need fellowship and accountability and we want to help provide that for you. Again we love you and are praying for you!

With hope,
~Sonny and Casi