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Endurance Trapped Pic

Ocean Camp Pic

Careful Lest Ye Drift

Hebrews 2:1 Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it.

The writer had the drifting of a boat in mind, and such drifting happens naturally without an anchor to something solid. If we are not securely set in the truth of the supremacy of Jesus, we will drift into danger with the currents of the world, the flesh, and the devil. - David Guzik

A Rule of Life is an intentional, conscious plan to keep God at the center of everything we do. It provides guidelines to help us continually remember God as the source of our lives. It includes our unique combination of spiritual practices that provide structure and direction for us to intentionally pay attention and remember God in everything we do. - Pete Scazzero

A Rule of Life is a schedule and a set of practices to set up abiding as the central pursuit of your life. It’s a way to organize all of your life around the practices and presence of God. -John Mark Comer

A framework that allows life to flourish - Justin Whitmel Earley

A Curriculum for Christlikeness - Dallas Willard

The early Christian calendar enabled the church to see time as a medium that belongs to God and unfolds according to his purposes. - Gerald Sittser

The entire life of the early church community was oriented and organized around Jesus. 

Rule = Trellis

A trellis is a tool that enables a grapevine to get off the ground and grow upward, becoming more fruitful and productive. 

Trellis Pic

John 15:5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.”

Busy people are lazy people. - C.S. Lewis

Most of us have more than enough time to work with, even in busy seasons of life. We just have to reallocate our time to ‘seek first the kingdom of God,’ not the kingdom of entertainment. - John Mark Comer

Spiritual Disciplines: Activities modeled by Jesus in scripture that, when undertaken, position you to be empowered by the Holy Spirit so you can do what Jesus would do if he were you; Christlikeness that you can’t walk in by willpower alone.

Disciplines: 
Prayer
Silence
Solitude
Scripture
Fasting
Simplicity
Sabbath
Worship
Celebration
Fellowship
Service
Sacrifice

1 Rule of Life - Slide - MAIN
2 Rule of Life - Slide - Presence
3 Rule of Life - Slide - Discipleship
4 Rule of Life - Slide - Kingdom Community
5 Rule of Life - Slide - Sacrificial Mission

Comedians Brandon Killough and Kayvon Taghizadeh out of Oklahoma City come visit the podcast and we have some fun catching up Kayvon is the new showrunner at bricktown comedy clubs Roastamania and Brandon just got done doing shows in Las Vegas and opened for Carlos Mencia.  

Cbeck out Kayvon on IG here
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https://www.instagram.com/kayvonisfunny/

Check out Brandon on IG here
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https://www.instagram.com/brandon_killo_comedy/

Dont forget to support the Patreon here!
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https://www.patreon.com/jakeingoffshow

Loving Others Well 

Matthew 22:34 Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. 35 One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: 36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” 37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” 

The goal of the christian life is to love well.

John 13:35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

How you love matters!

We have created a fragility in our life that requires uniformity.

 “The strongest argument in favor of the gospel is a loving and lovable Christian.” — Ellen G. White

“The greatest single cause of atheism in the world today is Christians, who acknowledge Jesus with their lips and walk out the door, and deny Him by their lifestyle. That is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable.”
— Brennan Manning

The greatest apologetic against christianity are christians — Darren Rouanzoin

1 John 4:20 Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. 

John 13:34 A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.

Philippians 2:5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; 7 rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!

Jesus put some skin on!

Incarnate - embodied in flesh; in human form.

John 1:14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

John 1:14  The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood.

To love us well, Jesus entered into our world. 

The love of Jesus is incarnational.

God knows we needed his skin, not simply the knowledge that he is everywhere. People today are desperate for "skin" — to be loved, for someone to incarnate with them. For this reason, people will pay $100 to $150 an hour to a therapist as someone to love them, to enter and to care about their world. Today, God still has physical skin and can be seen, touched, heard, and tasted. How? Through his body, the church, in whom he dwells. We are called, in the name of Jesus and by the indwelling Holy Spirit, to be skin for people all around us.
— Pete Scazzero

Romans 5:6-8 Christ didn’t, and doesn’t, wait for us to get ready. He presented himself for this sacrificial death when we were far too weak and rebellious to do anything to get ourselves ready. And even if we hadn’t been so weak, we wouldn’t have known what to do anyway. We can understand someone dying for a person worth dying for, and we can understand how someone good and noble could inspire us to selfless sacrifice. But God put his love on the line for us by offering his Son in sacrificial death while we were of no use whatever to him.

Matthew 5:9, “Blessed are the peacemakers.”

Jesus was after true peace, not false peace.

A peacemaker is someone who is willing to resolve both outer and inner turmoil in order to establish peace with others and within themselves.  

A peacekeeper desires to maintain peace by avoiding conflict. They typically give in to the tension or steer clear of disagreement to keep others happy. 

Matthew 10:34 “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.

The true peace of Jesus is in conflict with the lies and pretense of the kingdom of the world! 

 There will be conflict

1. Be the initiator.

Romans 12:18 As much as possible, as far as it depends on you, live in peace with everyone.”

 Genesis 3:10 “I heard you in the garden; and I was afraid because I was naked, and so I hid.”

Genesis 3:12 The man said,“The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.”

We get distant.

We get defensive.

We don’t confront others for the sake of confrontation; we confront others for the sake of restoration.

2 Timothy 1:7 God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but a spirit of power and love and self discipline. 

1 John 4:18 Perfect love casts out all fear.

If your love is greater than your fear, you’ll do things others are afraid to do.

2. Own Your Role In The Conflict

Matthew 7:3 Why do you notice the little piece of dust in your friend’s eye, but you don’t notice the big piece of wood in your own eye? First, take the log out of your own eye. Then you’ll see clearly to take the splinter out of your friend’s eye.

Am I being unrealistic?
Am I being ungrateful in this relationship?
Am I being insensitive?
Am I being oversensitive?
Am I being too demanding?
Is my expectation different than theres?

1 Peter 5:5-6 “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.” 6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time,

3. Listen 
Luke 8:18 Pay attention to how you hear.

Listening allows you to enter the world of the other.

“Being heard is so close to being loved that for the average person, they are almost indistinguishable.” — David W. Augsburger 

When you are the speaker ...
1 1. Speak using “I” statements (rather than "you" statements). 
2 In other words, talk about your own thoughts, feelings, and desires.
3 2. Keep your statements brief.
4 3. Stop to let the other person paraphrase what you've said.
5 4. Include feelings in your statements.
6 5. Be honest, clear, direct, and respectful.

As the listener ...
1. Give the speaker your full attention (don't be thinking about your rebuttal). 
1 2. Step into the speaker's shoes (feel what they are feeling; then get back out).
2 3. Avoid judging or interpreting.
3 4. Reflect back as accurately as you can what you heard them say (paraphrase).
4 5. When you think they are done ask, "Is there more?"
5 6. When they are done ask them, "Of everything you have shared, what is the most important thing you want me to remember?"

When is the last time someone said to you, “Let me tell you about those Christians—they are fantastic listeners! I have never seen a group of people more sincerely interested to know my world, who are curious, who ask questions, who actually listen to me!”
— Pete Scazzero

James 1:19 Be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. 

4. Consider their viewpoint. 
Philippians 2:4-5 Each of you should look not only for your own interests, but also the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus.

“Seek to understand before you seek to be understood.”
— Stephen Covey

Hosea 4:6 - People are destroyed for a lack of knowledge. 
Proverbs 28:16 - A ruler who lacks understanding is a great oppressor

Philippians 2 Each of you should look not only for your own interests, but also the interests of others.

5. Tell the truth tactfully.

Ephesians 4:15 Speak the truth in love.

I Corinthians 13:1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, ...

You’ll notice the art for this series is an iceberg… and we used that because SLIDE ICEBERG 01 because when you see an iceberg only 10% of the iceberg is visible above the surface at any time… SLIDE ICEBERG 02 And that 10 really represents the external activity of your life it's the decisions, and the behaviors that everybody can see.

So on the surface… we look pretty good… But notice 90 percent of the iceberg is hidden under water SLIDE ICEBERG 03 and that represents what's really going on deep beneath the surface of our lives…

Hebrews 12:1 Let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.

1 Corinthians 9:24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.

 If the enemy cannot make you BAD, he’ll make you BUSY.” ― Corrie Ten Boom

Sin and busyness have the exact same effect

 “Being busy is a condition of our outer world (having many things to do). Being hurried is a problem of the soul. It’s being so preoccupied with myself and what myself has to do that I am no longer able to be fully present with God with myself, and with other people. I am unable to occupy the present moment. Busyness migrates to hurry when we let it squeeze God out of our lives. . .  I cannot live in the kingdom of God with a hurried soul. I cannot rest in God with a hurried soul.” ― John Ortberg 

Hurry is hurting you and the people around you!

 “Hurry is violence on the soul.” ― John Mark Comer

Proverbs 19:2 A person in a hurry makes mistakes. 
Proverbs 21:5 Hurry and scurry puts you further behind. 

Jeremiah 2:25 Slow down. Take a deep breath. What’s the hurry? Why wear yourself out? Just what are you after anyway?

Matthew 11:25-30 Are you tired? Are you worn out? Are you burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me. Watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly."

I am what I do.
My purpose is my production.
My “valuables” determines my value.

01. REST WAS MODELED IN HOW GOD DESIGNED

Genesis 2:1 Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array. 2 By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. 

02. REST WAS MODELED IN WHAT GOD DESIGNED 

Genesis 1:3 Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. 4 And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. So the evening and the morning were the first day. 

 Genesis 1:8 So the evening and the morning were the second day.  
Genesis 1:13 So the evening and the morning were the third day.
Genesis 1:19 So the evening and the morning were the fourth day. Genesis 1:23 So the evening and the morning were the fifth day. 
 Genesis 1:31 So the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

03. REST WAS MODELED FOR WHO GOD DESIGNED

Exodus 20:8 “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. 

04. REST WAS MODELED BY THE ONE WHO DESIGNED

Genesis 1:1 “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” 

John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 

John 1:14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Research that attempts to quantify the relationship between hours worked and productivity found that employee output falls sharply after a 50-hour work-week, and falls off a cliff after 55 hours—so much so that someone who puts in 70 hours produces nothing more with those extra 15 hours.  

“If we do not allow for a rhythm of rest in our overly busy lives, illness becomes our Sabbath – our pneumonia, our cancer, our heart attack, our accidents create Sabbath for us." - Wayne Mueller

Genesis 2:2 And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. 3 Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it,

Work & Work Hard
Genesis 2:15 the Lord took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and to keep it." 

Ecclesiastes 9:10 "Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might." 

Don’t Work Dumb

Is there a rhythm of rest in your six days? 

Rest & Rest Well!

2 STEPS TO A MEANINGFUL SABBATH 

Leviticus 23:3 “’There are six days when you may work, but the seventh day is a day of sabbath rest, a day of sacred assembly.

1. Break For Rest
2. Break For Sacred Assembly

1. Break For Rest

Sabbath is first and foremost a day when we cease all work — paid and unpaid. On the Sabbath we embrace our limits. We let go of the illusion that we are indispensable to the running of the world. We recognize we will never finish all our goals and projects, and that God is on the throne, managing quite well in ruling the universe without our help. — Pete Scazzero

“Sabbath is an expression of faith. Faith that there is a Creator and He’s good. We are his creation. This is his world. We live under his roof, drink his water, eat his food, breathe his oxygen. So on the Sabbath, we don’t just take a day off from work; we take a day off from toil. We give him all our fear and anxiety and stress and worry. We let go. We stop ruling and subduing, and we just be. We “remember” our place in the universe. So that we never forget . . . There is a God, and I’m not him.” 
― John Mark Comer

2. Break For Sacred Assembly

Connect With God In A Special Way.

Connect With Yourself In A Special Way.

Connect With Your Family In A Special Way.

Mark 2:27.The Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath. 

“Sabbath is like receiving the gift of a heavy snow day every week. Stores are closed. Roads are impassable. Suddenly you have the gift of a day to do whatever you want. You don't have any obligations, pressures, or responsibilities. You have permission to play, be with friends, take a nap, read a good book. Few of us would give ourselves a "no obligation day" very often. God gives you one—every seventh day. Think about it. He gives you over seven weeks (fifty-two days in all) of snow days every year!” — Pete Scazzero 

John 20:1 Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. 2 Then she ran and came to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him.”  3 Peter therefore went out, and the other disciple and were going to the tomb. 4 So they both ran together, and the other disciple outran Peter and came to the tomb first. 

John 20:5 And he stooping down and looking in, saw  the linen cloths lying there; yet he did not go in. 6 Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb; and he saw  the linen cloths lying there, 7 and the handkerchief that had been around His head, not lying with the linen cloths, but folded together in a place by itself. 8 Then the other disciple, who came to the tomb first, went in also; and he saw and believed.

Isaiah 53:5 He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.

John 19:40  Taking Jesus’ body, the two of them wrapped it, with the spices, in strips of linen. This was in accordance with Jewish burial customs.

1 Peter 2:24 “He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross,

2 Corinthians 5:21 God made him who had no sin to be sin

John 20:7 and the handkerchief that had been around His head, not lying with the linen cloths, but folded together in a place by itself.

The face represents our identity.

The work is done!

The presence of the linen cloths is fitting; as the High Priest in the order of Aaron would take off his garment once he had provided the blood for atonement in the Most Holy Place, so Jesus as our High Priest in the order of Melchizedek left His linen cloths behind after He had finished making atonement in the fulfillment of the Most Holy Place, the temple of His body. – Ethan R. Longhenry

Isaiah 64:6 When we display our righteous deeds, they are nothing but filthy rags.

Ephesians 4:22 put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, 23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.

Don’t be a grave robber

01 Jesus Is The Death Killing Life Giver 

John 11 Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 It was that Mary who anointed the Lord with fragrant oil and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick. 3 Therefore the sisters sent to Him, saying, “Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick.”

Astheneo - to be weak, feeble, to be without strength, powerless.  

 “Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick.”

6 So, when He heard that he was sick, He stayed two more days in the place where He was.

Lazarus Is Probably Already Dead.

To Prove The Point

11 He said to them, “Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up.”

12 “Lord, if he sleeps he will get well.” 13 However, Jesus spoke of his death, but they thought that He was speaking about taking rest in sleep. 14 Then Jesus said to them plainly, “Lazarus is dead. 

 21 Now Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You.” 23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” 24 Martha said to Him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”

25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. 26 And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?” 27 She said to Him, “Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.” 32 Then, when Mary came where Jesus was, and saw Him, she fell down at His feet, saying to Him, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.” 33 Therefore, when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her weeping, He groaned in the spirit and was troubled. 34 And He said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to Him, “Lord, come and see.” 35 Jesus wept. 

02 Death Is An Enemy Of Jesus

33 when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her weeping, He groaned in the spirit and was troubled.

Tears of sympathy may fill his eyes, but this is incidental. His soul is held by rage: and he advances to the tomb, as a champion who prepares for conflict. The raising of Lazarus thus becomes, not an isolated marvel, but a decisive instance and open symbol of Jesus’ conquest of death and hell. What John does for us in this particular statement is to uncover to us the heart of Jesus, as he wins for us our salvation. Not in cold unconcern, but in flaming wrath against the foe, Jesus smites in our behalf. – B.B. Warfield,

02 Death Is An Enemy Of Jesus

John 10:10 - The thief only comes to steal, kill, and destroy.

1 Corinthians 15:26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death.

So death is a tool of the devil and an enemy of God… and anything that steals, kills and destroys comes form the kingdom of darkness and not of God. 

Your personal circumstances are not evidence of how God feels about you.

John 16:33 In the world you will  have trouble; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

Your circumstances do not define God's love for you; the cross defines God's love for you.

God proved His love on the Cross. When Christ hung, and bled, and died, it was God saying to the world, 'I love you.' - Billy Graham

02 Death Is An Enemy Of Jesus

An enemy that Jesus was willing to suffer under to free you from.

03 Jesus Want to Minister To Us In Our Pain

“Suffering always prompts heart-wrenching questions” 

35 Jesus wept 

Psalm 34:18 The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart,

Psalm 34:18 The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, And saves such as have a contrite spirit.

Contrite - crushed like dust. 

40 “Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?” 43 Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth!” 44 And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Loose him, and let him go.”

04 Jesus Does WOW and We Do The Work

Identify it

John 11:34  “Where have you laid him?” he asked. “Come and see, Lord,” they replied.

Expose it

John 11:39 “Take away the stone,” he said. 

“But, Lord, by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.” 

Unbind Him

John 11:41 So they took away the stone.  43 Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” 44 The dead man came out, The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.” 

James 5:16-18 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. 

05 It’s Hard To Ignore A Dead Man Walking 

The raising of Lazarus from the dead was a sign but raised from the dead Lazarus walking around was a sign too! 

John 11:45 Therefore many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, believed in him. 46 But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. 47 Then the chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the Sanhedrin. 

“What are we accomplishing?” they asked. “Here is this man performing many signs. 48 If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our temple and our nation.” 49 Then one of them, named Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, spoke up, “You know nothing at all! 50 You do not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish.”  

John 11:53 So from that day on they plotted to take his life.

Jesus has brought resurrection to their door!

I ACTUALLY HAVE A MAP FOR YOU

John 12:9-11 Meanwhile a large crowd of Jews found out that Jesus was there and came, not only because of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. 10 So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well, 11 for on account of him many of the Jews were going over to Jesus and believing in him.

The invitation of Lazarus's life is that you and I are now meant to be the modern day living signs of the reality of Jesus in this world!

Ephesians 2:4-6 But God, being [so very] rich in mercy, because of His great and wonderful love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were [spiritually] dead and separated from Him because of our sins, He made us [spiritually] alive together with Christ (for by His grace—His undeserved favor and mercy—you have been saved from God’s judgment). 6 And He raised us up together with Him [when we believed], and seated us with Him in the heavenly places, [because we are] in Christ Jesus,

2 Corinthians 5:20 We are Christ’s ambassadors; God is...

This month on Creating Impact Through Giving, we meet back up with Trisha Finnegan, President & CEO of OCCF, as she takes us through her journey in the first several months of her time at the Foundation and in the community.

Listen in as she discusses her vision for the Foundation, her meetings with community leaders and more!

Visit occf.org to learn more!

John 20:30-31
And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.

John 4:45-54
So when He came to Galilee, the Galileans received Him, having seen all the things He did in Jerusalem at the feast; for they also had gone to the feast. So Jesus came again to Cana of Galilee where He had made the water wine. And there was a certain nobleman whose son was sick at Capernaum. When he heard that Jesus had come out of Judea into Galilee, he went to Him and implored Him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death. Then Jesus said to him, “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will by no means believe.” The nobleman said to Him, “Sir, come down before my child dies!” Jesus said to him, “Go your way; your son lives.” So the man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him, and he went his way. And as he was now going down, his servants met him and told him, saying, “Your son lives!” Then he inquired of them the hour when he got better. And they said to him, “Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.” So the father knew that it was at the same hour in which Jesus said to him, “Your son lives.” And he himself believed, and his whole household. This again is the second sign Jesus did when He had come out of Judea into Galilee.

Psalm 119:67
Before I was afflicted I went astray,
But now I keep Your word.

Psalm 107:17-20
Fools, because of their transgression, And because of their iniquities, were afflicted.
Their soul abhorred all manner of food, And they drew near to the gates of death.
Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, And He saved them out of their distresses.
He sent His word and healed them, And delivered them from their destructions

John 20:31
“but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.” 

John 2:13-22 NKJV
13 Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 And He found in the temple those who sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers doing business. 15 When He had made a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the changers’ money and overturned the tables. 16 And He said to those who sold doves, “Take these things away! Do not make My Father’s house a house of merchandise!” 17 Then His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for Your house has eaten Me up.” 18 So the Jews answered and said to Him, “What sign do You show to us, since You do these things?” 19 Jesus answered and said to them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” 20 Then the Jews said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?” 21 But He was speaking of the temple of His body. 22 Therefore, when He had risen from the dead, His disciples remembered that He had said this to them; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had said.

WHY NOW?

Exodus 40:33-35
33 And he raised up the court all around the tabernacle and the altar, and hung up the screen of the court gate. So Moses finished the work. 34 Then the cloud covered the tabernacle of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. 35 And Moses was not able to enter the tabernacle of meeting, because the cloud rested above it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.

2 Chronicles 5:13-14
…the house of the Lord, was filled with a cloud, 14 so that the priests could not continue ministering because of the cloud; for the glory of the Lord filled the house of God.

Ezra 6:17-18
17 And they offered sacrifices at the dedication of this house of God, one hundred bulls, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs, and as a sin offering for all Israel twelve male goats, according to the number of the tribes of Israel. 18 They assigned the priests to their divisions and the Levites to their divisions, over the service of God in Jerusalem, as it is written in the Book of Moses.

Ezra 6:19-22
21 Then the children of Israel who had returned from the captivity ate together with all who had separated themselves from the filth of the nations of the land in order to seek the Lord God of Israel. 22 And they kept the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days with joy; for the Lord made them joyful, and turned the heart of the king of Assyria toward them, to strengthen their hands in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.

Haggai 2:7-9
7 I will fill this temple with glory,’ says the Lord of hosts. 8 ‘The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine,’ says the Lord of hosts. 9 ‘The glory of this latter temple shall be greater than the former,’ says the Lord of hosts. ‘And in this place I will give peace,”

John 1:32
32 And John bore witness, saying, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him.

Haggai 2:9
9 ‘The glory of this latter temple shall be greater than the former,’ says the Lord of hosts. ‘And in this place I will give peace,’

3 Main Functions of the Tabernacle and Temple:
Where the sacrifice for sin was offered so the people could be right with God - 29 ““Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”
Where the law and prophets was kept and taught - “45 “We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”
Where the glory of God, His presence, resided - 32 “the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him.”

Luke 19:41-44
41 Now as He drew near [to Jerusalem], He saw the city and wept over it, 42 saying, “If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. 43 For days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, . . . they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation.”

JESUS IS THE TEMPLE

Galatians 2:20
20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

1 Corinthians 6:19
19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? 20 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.

The Great Commission: Matthew 28:18-20
18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

1. Is there anything that Jesus needs to cleanse out of your life that is keeping you from being able to experience the fullness of God’s glory? 

2. Is there anything that Jesus needs to cleanse out of your life that is keeping those around you from being able to experience the fullness of God’s glory?

John 1:14
14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

This month, we're diving deep to learn all about Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs) and how they can help donors to impact their community while also saving taxes on their IRA distributions. OCCF's Julie Dais and Laura Moon walk Dan through this tricky topic, and OCCF donor Richard Opdyke explains how he is helping students accomplish their goals through QCDs from his IRA. 

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SEMEION - A MARK OR TOKEN GIVEN TO AUTHENTICATE, CORROBORATE, OR CONFIRM

The signs of Jesus serve as revelation of His divinity as the Messiah and an invitation to live life in exaltation of the power of His name.  

John 20:30-31 (NLT)
The disciples saw Jesus do many other miraculous signs in addition to the ones recorded in this book. But these are written so that you may continue to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing in Him you will have life by the power of His name.

The signs of Jesus elevate His name and teach us to continue beholding His glory.

DOXA - HIS ESSENCE OR THE SUBSTANCE OF HIS WORTH

John 2:1-11 (NKJV)
1 On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. 2 Now both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding. 3 And when they ran out of wine, the mother of Jesus said to Him, “They have no wine.” 4 Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does your concern have to do with Me? My hour has not yet come.” 5 His mother said to the servants, “Whatever He says to you, do it.” 6 Now there were set there six waterpots of stone, according to the manner of purification of the Jews, containing twenty or thirty gallons apiece. 7 Jesus said to them, “Fill the waterpots with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. 8 And He said to them, “Draw some out now, and take it to the master of the feast.” And they took it. 9 When the master of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom. 10 And he said to him, “Every man at the beginning sets out the good wine, and when the guests have well drunk, then the inferior. You have kept the good wine until now!” 11 This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him.

Exodus 7:17-18b (NIV)
This is what the Lord says: By this you will know that I am the Lord: With the staff that is in my hand I will strike the water of the Nile, and it will be changed into blood. The fish in the Nile will die, and the river will stink; the Egyptians will not be able to drink its water.

The first miracle of Moses the Servant was changing water into blood by his rod.
The first miracle of Jesus the Son was changing water into wine by His Word.

The Sign of Water into Wine pointed to His glory as the divine lamb sent for the remission of sins.

The Sign of Water into Wine revealed His identity as the sacrifice given to take away the sins of the world.

The Sign of Water into Wine foreshadowed the purifying power of His blood to cleanse man of unrighteousness. 

Jesus introduced Himself as a Covenant God and the King of His Kingdom. 

Romans 14:17 (NKJV)
“…for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.”

John 2:11 (NIV)
What Jesus did here in Cana of Galilee was the first of the signs through which he revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.