Sunday (8/14)

Our seventh annual all-church worship and small group series began on August 7th. During the next few months, we will seek to center our lives in Jesus and walk closer to him as he is revealed to us through the Spirit of Christ, the church, and within The Gospel of John. We hope you will join us for weekly worship services either in-person or online throughout the series, as well as go through the small group study with at least one other believer and read John’s Gospel using this Your Faith Journey weekly plan. On Sunday mornings and within the small group study sessions we will focus on eight of the themes John uses within the gospel account he wrote to reveal the truth about who Jesus is and what his life, death, and resurrection means for us. You will be encouraged to look for those themes as you read, beginning with the first four in August and then the last four in September. The theme for this week is “Eternal Life.”

 

You can watch The Gospel of John small group study videos through the AUMC website using the following link:

 

In regard to this Your Faith Journey devotional, you will be guided to read the entire Gospel According to John during this season, beginning on August 8th. We will read the entire gospel twice by the end of the series on October 2nd. Below are some suggestions and questions to help you as you read scripture this week:

1. Approach scripture with humility. Seek to receive what the gospel writer reveals without trying to make it say what you want the verses to say.

2. Invite the Holy Spirit to speak a message to you through the verses you read.

3. As you read ask yourself a few questions:

What do these verses reveal about humanity?

What do these verses teach me about myself?

How do I see myself in the story when reading biblical narratives?

Which of these characters would I be?

In what ways is their story similar to my story?

What do these verses reveal about God, Jesus, or the Holy Spirit?

7. Read, study, and discuss the verses with another person or small groups.

8. Use a Study Bible. The NIV, NRSV, ESV, and NLT Study Bibles are worth considering if you do not own one. There are a few available from the AUMC Library in the back of the Chapel. You can also purchase a Study Bible from ChristianBook.com, Cokesbury.com, or Amazon.com.

 

*If you do not have a Bible, consider downloading the YouVersion Bible App for free from the Apple App Store or Google Play for your smartphone or tablet. You can also use www.BibleGateway.com to look up and read various translations of Bible verses online for free.

 

 

Monday (8/15)

Memory Verse:

Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die.” – John 11:25-26 NLT

 

Read, say, or sing the following lyrics from the hymn “The Day of Resurrection” by John of Damascus to prepare your heart and mind for your time with God:

The day of resurrection! Earth, tell it out abroad;

the passover of gladness, the passover of God.

From death to life eternal, from earth unto the sky,

our Christ hath brought us over, with hymns of victory.

 

As we continue reading The Gospel of John, if you have not watched the overview video you are encouraged to watch the Overview: John 1-12 video by the Bible Project that is available on Youtube. It will provide some helpful insights for reading, studying, and understating this gospel account:

Overview: John 1-12 by the Bible Project

 

If you have not read them already you are encouraged to read chapters 1 through 5, then read John 6 for today. Invite the Holy Spirit to reveal the message the Lord has for you from this chapter of the gospel. Look for the themes listed below as you read and study. You may want to use colored pencils to circle or underline each theme within the gospel verses if you are using The Gospel According to John Journal:

• Jesus’ Identity Revealed
• Eternal Life
• Food
• Light

• Jesus’ Identity Revealed
• Eternal Life
• Food
• Light

Pray for:

• Those closest to you (family members & friends)
• Those who point others towards God (pastors, teachers, mentors, authors, musicians, etc.)
• Leaders (locally, nationally, and globally)
• People in need throughout the world (the Ukrainian & Russian citizens, as well as those who are hungry, thirsty, homeless, sick, imprisoned, neglected, abused, lost, etc.)
• Yourself (share your needs and invite the Lord to guide you)

 

 

Wednesday (8/17)

Memory Verse: John 11:25-26

*You are encouraged to spend some time trying to memorize it using whichever translation you prefer.

Read, say, or sing the following lyrics from the hymn “The Day of Resurrection” by John of Damascus to prepare your heart and mind for your time with God:

The day of resurrection! Earth, tell it out abroad;

the passover of gladness, the passover of God.

From death to life eternal, from earth unto the sky,

our Christ hath brought us over, with hymns of victory.

 

Watch the “Eternal Life” video by the Bible Project that is available on Youtube using the link below, which dives deeper into our theme from John’s Gospel this week: Eternal Life by the Bible Projectwww.youtube.com/watch?v=uCOycIMyJZM Read John 8. Which word, phrase, or verse is God using to speak to you today from what you read? Continue searching for the following themes as you read and study:

• Jesus’ Identity Revealed
• Eternal Life
• Food
• Light

• Jesus’ Identity Revealed
• Eternal Life
• Food
• Light

• Jesus’ Identity Revealed
• Eternal Life
• Food
• Light

 

Read the middle portion of the Apostles’ Creed about Jesus that is listed below:

I believe…in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord:

who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,

born of the Virgin Mary,

suffered under Pontius Pilate,

was crucified, dead, and buried,

the third day he rose from the dead;

he ascended into heaven,

and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty;

from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.

 

Pray using the words and phrases from the Apostle’s Creed as a guide. For example:

“I believe in Jesus Christ” – I believe in you, Jesus, that you have always been with God, and you are God in a way that I can’t fully understand. I’m seeking to know you more clearly and walk ever closer to you.

 

“God’s only Son our Lord” – You are the child of God who most clearly reveals God. Like Father like Son. I surrender to you as my King and the Lord of my life.

 

 

Saturday (8/20)

Read John 11:25-26, the Memory Verses for this past week. If you have not memorized them consider writing them down multiple times or reading them over and over again until you have them memorized.

 

If you have been taking notes, underlining, or circling words as you have read the Gospel of John chapters this past week, read through your notes from chapters 6 through 10 as you look at words, phrases, and verses underlined and circled. Consider telling others what God has revealed to you within The Gospel of John by talking to a family member, a friend, or the members of your small group or Sunday school class the next time you are together.

 

Solitude and Silence. You are encouraged to find a place where you can quietly be alone for at least ten, twenty, or up to thirty minutes. During your time of solitude & silence with Jesus, you may want to lay down, sit on a comfortable chair, couch, or swing, or go for a walk. During the solitude, allow the Holy Spirit to bring to mind portions of what you read from the chapters of John’s Gospel this past week. Try to shut out the thoughts of to-do-lists, plans for the day, etc., so that you can simply be with Jesus.

 

Read Exodus 20:1-21, the Ten Commandments. What do verses 8 through 11 reveal about the Sabbath? How and why is the Sabbath day different from the other days of the week? Are you remembering the Sabbath day each week? If so, how? If not, why?

 

You may need to begin by setting aside an hour on Saturday or Sunday to develop a new habit of observing the Sabbath. It might be helpful for you to incrementally observe the Sabbath by setting aside an increasing portion of a day each weekend until you are eventually able to worship and rest an entire day each week.

 

Pray however the Spirit of the Lord guides you to pray. You may need to ask God to help you to set a day apart each week as a holy day of rest. If setting apart a day each week for rest is a struggle for you, ask the Lord to reveal anything you need to stop doing or let go of so that you can live in obedience to Him.