Pursuing Jesus

 What could be the consequences of our learning to see people the way Jesus sees them?

 An investigation into the Christian view of what it means to be human

 There's a "big story," a large narrative, that connects the Bible from beginning to end. God invites us to be willing and active participants in this story.

 John Wesley found prevenient, justifying, and sanctifying grace in his sermon on Ephesians 2. The Methodist tradition has followed him on this. That understanding of grace reflects what we see in scripture, but is not the full picture of what we see there. Attention to the whole of Ephesians 2 shows us the communal dimensions of grace as well.

 The Samaritan woman Jesus talks with at a well proves to be the key to reaching her community. Who might be the key to reaching our community?

 In Acts 9 we see God calling Ananias and giving him an important task - without consulting him at all. Sometimes God volunteers us without consulting us.

 In Acts 9 we find some clues to how we can discern God's work in our lives and in the world.

 Paul ran into Jesus on the Road to Damascus. From his experience we can learn to tell our own stories of running into Jesus.

 If we listen to Jesus (and the rest of the New Testament), we can see that love is an indispensable marker of a healthy church. I John 4:7-21 is the core text

 In John 3 some people come to provoke John the Baptist to play the comparison game with Jesus. John's response? "He must become greater, I must become less." How can we learn from John to find the peace that comes from not playing the comparison game?

 In Acts 1:1-8 Jesus says to WAIT on the "promised Holy Spirit."

 The New Testament teaches that Jesus is crucified, risen, ascended, and reigning at the Father's side. But when we look at the world is sure doesn't look like he's in charge. What can we make of that contrast?

 Jesus and Paul give us examples of what to do when people are wrong.

 Jesus's finished work on the cross is sufficient for us. He invites us to live out of that finished work.

 We see bold women who fear God and save lives in Exodus 1 & 2

 In Matthew 7 Jesus sets up some comparative binaries: Wide way, narrow way; false prophets, true prophets; false disciples, true disciples; wise and foolish people.

 The women went to Jesus' tomb early that Sunday. They knew Jesus had died, an obviously failed Messiah, but wanted to honor him by completing the burial customs for him. They found something they didn't expect.(Note: Recording missed first minute or two of message)

 Those who welcome Jesus into Jerusalem, welcome him as a prophet. But he was more than a prophet.

 We find several parable of Jesus in Matthew 13. Each gives the hearer an aspect of what the Kingdom is like. In the parables of the mustard seed and the leaven, we see that God's starts small. When we see that God starts small, we can look for the small work God wants to do in our lives now.

 Jesus' parable about the wheat and the weeds helps us understand how to deal with the quest for purity.