Campbell Street Church

John gives us 7 “Signs” in his Gospel … and water to wine at the wedding at Cana was the first … and the beginning of Jesus’s ministry. The religious leaders demand a sign from Jesus. He responds by saying “Knock the temple down and I will rebuild it in 3 days” (pointing to his death & Resurrection)

John the Baptist could probably be more accurately called John the Witness. His primary role was to witness to Jesus … to prepare the way for the Messiah to come. Those who realise who Jesus is always want to tell others.

John opens his Gospel in a very different way to Matthew, Mark & Luke. He introduces "the Word" ... shows us who the Word is ... and how we should respond to him.

Psalm 1 gives us comparison between 2 people: The “blessed” person and the “wicked” or “ungodly” person.

Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners ... (1 Timothy 1:15)

Music & Christmas seem to go hand-in-hand ... and its been that way since the very beginning. The Shepherds heard the first Christmas son ... a song that sums up what Christmas is about.

Paul says those who come to trust in Jesus are a “new creation” … that we are to live changed transformed lives as we seek to follow Jesus and serve others.

There is a common perception that we can change the world either through education of legislation … that one of those 2 things can bring about effective change in our world. But genuine lasting change in our lives comes by the Holy Spirit being at work in our lives and us “keeping in step with the Spirit”.

One of the great hopes for people in our world is “freedom”. Freedom from oppression, tyranny, poverty … people are call out for freedom. But freedom can be a tricky thing to live with. Paul says we, as those who trust in Jesus, have been set free … but it is important to understand clearly what we have been set free from and what we have been set free for.

One of the things that we can often overlook or take for granted as Christians is the closeness of the relationship God has with his people. We are to call him “our father” and we can legitimately say that we are his children … not because we have done something, but because God has made it possible through Jesus.

Legalism abounds in churches today. We can see it institutionalised in many churches and subtly practised by others. But when we look at a passage like this we shouldn’t be pointing the finger at others. We should be taking a close look at ourselves and making sure that we have not set up our own subtle legalism.

The churches in the region of Galatia are being led astray by the “judiazers” … Jewish people who are saying “Faith in Jesus is great … but you need more. You can only be saved if you obey these laws." In these chapters Paul stresses that the message he preaches comes with the authority of Jesus.

In the final 3 petitions of the Lord's Prayer Jesus continues to encourage us to pray for big things ... probably bigger than we may have thought.

The Lord's Prayer is often associated with conservative churches ... churches that would prefer not to church. But this model for prayer is asking for radical changes in our world.

In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus gives his disciples a lesson on prayer (Matt 6:5-15). He starts by telling them hoe NOT to pray.

The Rich Young Ruler wants to know what he has to do to have eternal life. He seems to be committed to obeying the law … but when Jesus says he needs to give his money away he is not willing to do that.

Jesus tells a story of a man whom God considers to be a fool ... but probably would have been admired by his neighbours.