Dan Lee
John 20:29-31, Blessed Faith

Jesus calls “blessed” the faith of those who believe without ever having seen the risen Christ. In this study we explore the import of this blessed faith that it is a God-given faith, a word-based faith, and a life-giving faith. May the Lord teach us to cherish and nourish the gift of faith He has given us and may we water and fertilize that faith that it would indeed thrive, flourish, and bear much fruit for the glory of God.

Dan Lee
John 20:24-28, What is faith?

The remarkable story of Thomas found in this portion of John reveals two important lessons on faith. Faith is a choice and faith is worship. May the Holy Spirit urge us on to fight the good fight of faith and be a believer every day, and may He grant us the grace to see and uphold Jesus as “my Lord and my God.”

Dan Lee
John 20:22, Precious Gems from the Treasury of ...

The foretaste of the gift of the Holy Spirit is what Jesus imparts to His disciples on Resurrection Sunday. The Lord Jesus gives His own presence to His disciples, specifically in the illumination of the Word of God. We today also have the presence of Christ with us through the indwelling Spirit of God. We likewise have the illumination of the Spirit, and the Word of God is living and active to us as the Lord, through the Spirit, teaches us, reproves us, corrects us, and trains us in righteousness. May the Spirit’s presence be manifest in this God’s church as we, on our part, continually walk in the wisdom of the Word of God.

Albert Cisneros
Philippians 4:15-23, Faithful Service in the ...

The Christian’s service in the church is a service by faith in Jesus Christ. This passage asserts that God will provide for all of our needs so every Christian is liberated from being reluctant and enabled to spend our lives to faithful service for Christ.

Dan Lee
John 20:20-23, Precious Gems from the Treasury ...

Upon His resurrection, Jesus gave His disciples a mission: to proclaim the gospel and make disciples—a mission that would require self-sacrifice in the footsteps of Christ. Far from being a burden, this mission was a boon. No longer were they lost at sea, adrift without a rudder or wandering aimlessly through life. Instead, they were given a clear purpose and direction: to proclaim the unfathomable riches of Christ and to lead sinners to the Savior and the new life found in Him. This has been the mission of the church ever since. We are to be and to make disciples. May the Lord open our eyes to see what a great privilege He has granted us in allowing us to take part in His work on earth.

John 12:1-8, What is Christ Worth to You?

John takes us from the conspiracy of the Jews to Jesus’ triumphal entry by way of a burial preparation. Jesus heads to Jerusalem to die. In this transition passage, John highlights for us the worthiness of Christ. The Son of God who bore our sins is worth more than anything else in this world. We find this front and center through two individuals of Mary and Judas. Christ’s worth was superlative and supreme for Mary. The opposite was true of Judas. May the Holy Spirit probe our hearts and help us see just what Christ is worth to us.

John 11:45-53, No Setbacks for Our Sovereign God

The aftermath of Lazarus’ resurrection may be seen as a setback to Jesus’ ministry. While many of the Jews who had come to Bethany believe, some take word to Jesus’ enemies, the Pharisees, and this triggers a chain reaction that sets the stage for Jesus’ crucifixion. Is this all a setback in the plan of God? No. This is all a part of God’s plan of redemption. Whether it is hostility in general or it is the highest level of government authority, God is bigger them all and weaves the black thread of evil into His beautiful tapestry of redemption, to bring many sons to glory, first His only begotten Son, then His many adopted sons.

John 11:40-45, Jesus is no hyper-Calvinist

We live under the sovereign control of God whose purpose cannot be thwarted. But should this make us passive and lazy in our sense of participation in the works of God? In this study of the gospel of John, we see Jesus also living under the sovereignty of God, and yet He is in no way passive. He actively maintains a sharp focus on the purpose of God, He prays and seeks for God’s purpose to come to pass, and He actively participates in the work of God to raise Lazarus ultimately for the glory of God. May we like Christ actively pray and labor to bring to pass the revealed will of our sovereign God.

Matthew 11:28-30, 28:18-20, Hear and Follow (Part 3)

Christ is not only the way to God as God, He is the provider/giver and He is the authority over all. In this third installment of studies in discipleship, we examine these two additional passages. Christ provides man with the knowledge of God, rest for the soul and a better yoke/burden. Furthermore, Christ’s authority is universal and its aim on earth is obedience. May the Lord help us to daily walk with Him and be an infectious influence to those around us.