Bucket Full of Grace

Session Overview Jesus is arrested, crucified, and rises from the dead. His followers are transformed and begin spreading His message across the world. Key Books/Passages Matthew 26-28, Mark 14-16, Luke 22-24, John 18-21 : Crucifixion & Resurrection accounts Acts 1-7 : Ascension; Holy Spirit; Peter & early church; Stephen's martyrdom Acts 8-28 : Paul's conversion; missionary journeys; spread of Gospel Romans 1-8 : Theology of salvation through faith in Jesus Major Themes Jesus' death is a sacrifice for our sins Jesus' resurrection proves His power and promises eternal life The Holy Spirit empowers believers The Gospel spreads despite opposition Opening Recap (2 minutes) "Jesus has been teaching and performing miracles, but He also said He would die. This week is the hardest and most important part of the story—and the most hopeful." Story/Teaching Outline(10 minutes) Arrest & trial (Matthew 26-27, John 18-19) — Jesus is betrayed, arrested, tried b...

Discover the remarkable life of John the Apostle — fisherman, eyewitness, exile, and author of five New Testament books. Explore what made him unique among the Twelve and why his message of love is more urgent than ever. Who Was John the Apostle? Of all the disciples who walked with Jesus, few leave as deep a fingerprint on the New Testament as  John, the son of Zebedee . He was a fisherman from Galilee who became one of the earliest followers of Jesus, one of the inner circle of three, an eyewitness to the Transfiguration and the Garden of Gethsemane, and the only apostle tradition holds died of old age rather than martyrdom. He wrote more books of the New Testament than anyone except the Apostle Paul — the Gospel of John, three epistles (1, 2, and 3 John), and the book of Revelation. Yet John is also one of the most misunderstood figures in Christian history. People often picture him as soft or sentimental — the apostle of love, the gentle one, the one who laid his head on Jesus'...

Introduction In the vast tapestry of Jesus' teachings, some statements stand out with profound significance. One such statement is found in John 14:6, where Jesus declares, "I am the way, the truth, and the life." These words have echoed through the centuries, shaping Christian theology and offering guidance for believers. In this blog post, we embark on a journey to explore the deep meaning and context of this famous statement made by Jesus, uncovering its enduring significance for our faith. Setting the Stage: The Farewell Discourse Before delving into the significance of John 14:6, it's essential to understand the context in which these words were spoken. Jesus utters this statement during what is known as the Farewell Discourse, a portion of the Gospel of John where He imparts crucial teachings to His disciples on the night before His crucifixion. It's a moment of intimacy and significance, as Jesus prepares His followers for His imminent departure. The Way: A...

  John 6 Notes: I AM the Bread of Life I’ve been reading a classic Russian Fiction called “The Brothers Karamazov” and it is a DEEP story.  I’m seeing things in it that go way beyond a normal novel.  The Brothers Karamosov We would all agree that there are good stories and bad stories and not necessarily good because they make us feel good, there are stories that are very good that make us cry and rethink our lives, so it’s not obvious what we mean by good right away.  There is a measure of depth in a story that we can all fundamentally understand.  There is a hierarchy of depth to stories and you could say that the deeper the story goes, the more fundamental truth and meaning it holds, the more it shows us what we already knew to be true but we just couldn’t articulate, [I feel this way when I read CS Lewis, which is why we named our second son after him when I read CS Lewis its like yes, finally, the thing that I have been struggling to put words to, there it ...