Sunday's Sermon - Feb 27

Scripture: John 3:1-21

Sermon: This Is How God Loved

Last week Jim talked about Nicodemus and his meeting with Jesus. How Nicodemus was an important leader and teacher within the Jewish community. And how he just couldn't wrap his head around the idea of spiritual birth, and the need for God to work a new thing within us in order to be truly saved.

That covers the first half of this passage. I suspect that he'll be focusing on the last half of this passage this week.

¹⁶"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁷For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. ¹⁸ Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. ¹⁹ And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. ²⁰ For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. ²¹But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God."

The other day Justin and I were reading the story of Adam and Eve and how they listened to Satan instead of God. I asked Justin...what do you think you would have done?

His response: "I would have listened to God mommy. Why didn't they want to listen to God mommy?"

me : "It's sin buddy, no ever really wants to listen to God unless he helps them listen to him."

Him "oh" (but you could see little wheels turning)

me:" you know how I turn you to look at me sometimes when I tell you something? ... that's me helping you listen to me. God helps us just like that...but inside of us."

Him : "oh"

I don't mind the "oh's"...means he's listening and means that sometime he'll come back with a question. he's a thinking boy which I like. Though at times he surprises me how long he'll think about something and I'm left scrambling with ... where did that come from?!?! :)

Anyways, this passage just brings me back to that conversation because it says "people loved the darkness rather than the light". It's so true isn't it? It is often so much easier to do something bad than it is to do something good. Easier to gossip than to point out that people handle things differently. Easier to let something slide than to do something that goes against the crowd. It's something I have to be on guard against when I go to Subway.

I look forward to seeing what Jim has to say about this passage on Sunday.