The Word & Our Walk

John 5:1-15 Introduction: What’s “wrong” with Jesus? There’s a part of me that feels uncomfortable even asking that question. It sounds irreverent. And yet John 5 almost invites the question. Because Jesus does something so right, so merciful, so timely, that it somehow becomes controversial. A man who hasn’t walked in thirty-eight years stands up and walks “at once” (v. 9). That should lead to celebration. Instead, it leads to interrogation. So what’s going on? John is showi

John 5:16-30 Summary John tells us that the religious leaders persecuted Jesus “because he was doing these things on the Sabbath” (v. 16). Jesus answers with a single sentence that detonates the whole controversy. “My Father is working until now, and I am working” (v. 17). He’s not saying, “Sabbath doesn’t matter.” He’s saying, “You don’t understand God’s Sabbath, and you don’t understand me (I am God).” God’s “rest” never meant inactivity , as if the world runs itself. The C

John 4 John, chapter 4, can be divided into three sections. 4:1-14, 15-30, and 31-42. Let's take a look at the whole chapter first, then at each unit. Summary John 4 moves from a quiet, personal conversation at a well to a public awakening in an entire town. John records how Jesus deliberately crosses boundaries—geographic (Samaria), social (a woman, alone), moral (her broken past), and religious (where true worship happens)—to reveal who he is and what he gives. He is not a

Introduction John 3 introduces a Jewish man named Nicodemus. Now, Nicodemus is the kind of person we assume doesn’t need the “born again” message. After all, he’s not a "mess." He’s not “searching.” He’s established—moral, educated, respected, religious. And that’s precisely why John 3 is so unsettling. Jesus says the new birth is not for “those people,” but for everyone, including the most put-together person in the room. 1. YOU must be born again (vv. 1–3) Nicodemus is not

Summary of The Gospel According to John (First Half) The Gospel According to John is an early and distinctive account of Jesus’ life, attributed to “the disciple whom Jesus loved,” a close follower of Jesus. Though there is debate about this disciple’s precise identity—whether John the Son of Zebedee, one of the twelve apostles, or John the Elder from Jerusalem—the book reflects his eyewitness testimony and is carefully structured with a clear purpose. John explicitly states

John 3 Summary John 3 records a private, nighttime conversation with the public that progresses into a worldwide invitation. Nicodemus is a Jewish man, a respected member of the leading community who comes “by night” (vv. 1–2). Jesus goes straight to the heart of the issue. The kingdom of God is not entered by better behavior or deeper religious knowledge, but by a new birth from above, by the Spirit (vv. 3–8). It's not that moral or ethical behaviors are "bad." It's just not

John 2 Summary Chapter 2 records a wedding in Cana where Jesus quietly turns water into wine (vv. 1–11). It is “the first of his signs,” and it reveals his glory in a way that strengthens faith rather than demanding applause. The setting matters. A wedding is a place of joy. And, the "crisis" is quite ordinary—“they have no wine” (v. 3). It's embarrassing for the host. Yet Jesus turns shortage into abundance, and shame into celebration. Mary’s words are simple and weighty, “D

Seek the Lord while he may be found; call upon him while he is near; let the wicked forsake his way… let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him… (Isaiah 55:6–7) The landscape of churches in the United States has changed drastically. In many places, seminaries are shrinking or closing. Many seminarians are hesitant to serve in local churches while they study. And even after graduation, more and more choose bi-vocational paths instead of moving into full-tim

John 1 We pause Genesis and begin reading and meditating on the Gospel According to John. The three gospels — Matthew, Mark, and Luke —are called the Synoptic Gospels (meaning "same view"). John is not. In fact, the Synoptic Gospels were written around the same time, while John was written some 20 years later. John felt he could contribute more to the three Gospels. This makes John special. If Matthew, Mark, and Luke give us a portrait of Jesus through his parables, his exorc

It's already February! What a winter it has been. The weekend snowstorms and the Arctic freeze have made us less active. I can't wait for the Spring to arrive, and God willing, it will! The dark, cold winter nights are bearable because we have the hope that this, too, shall pass. Spring comes to us with hope, not just because the air is warmer but because there will be signs of new life budding from the trees and the frozen ground. Nature reminds us to remember the Creator. T

Genesis 21:22-34 22 At that time Abimelech and Phicol the commander of his army said to Abraham, “God is with you in all that you do. 23 Now therefore swear to me here by God that you will not deal falsely with me or with my descendants or with my posterity, but as I have dealt kindly with you, you will deal kindly with me and with the land where you have sojourned.” 24 And Abraham said, “I will swear.” 25 When Abraham reproved Abimelech about a well of water that Abimelech’s

Genesis 21:1-21 Summary Genesis 21:1–21 records of fulfilled promise and painful consequence of unbelief. In both, the Lord proves faithful. First, the story opens with God keeping time better than we do: The LORD visited Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did to Sarah as he had promised. And Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age at the time of which God had spoken to him. (vv. 1–2) Decades of waiting are summarized in a single sentence: “as he had said… as he

Genesis 20 Summary Genesis 20 records how Abraham again falls into fear-driven deception. He tells Abimelech, king of Gerar, that Sarah is his sister. This is a half-truth. Abimelech takes Sarah, putting the promised line at risk. Yet before anything can happen, God intervenes. He comes to Abimelech in a dream. But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night and said to him, “Behold, you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is a man’s wife” (20:3). A

Grace and peace to you from our loving Lord Jesus Christ—grace and peace to all who love our Lord with an undying love. When I returned to the United States after about ten years in South Korea, I felt disoriented by more than a few things: the cost of living, cultural shifts, and even smaller changes—like how uncommon it has become to see people carry paper Bibles into worship. Feeling like a stranger, I found myself wondering what Moses might have felt returning to his “hom

Genesis 19 Summary Genesis 19 is both a rescue story and a warning story. Two angels arrive in Sodom, and Lot urges them to stay under his roof (vv. 1–3). But the city quickly reveals its corrupt nature (vv. 4–5). What follows is an ugly exposure of a society that has normalized violence, predation, and contempt for what is good. The sad reality is that this is not limited to "Sodoms" of the world. Many Christians poison the well with toxic and violent words daily and justify

Genesis 18 Summary Genesis 18 records God coming to Abraham in the ordinary heat of the day (v. 1). It's a reminder that God is with us in the ordinary. Abraham responds with eager hospitality, which was the custom of the day. More of a virtue, I would say. However, the visit was nothing ordinary. The visit is significant because God was visiting particularly for Sarah's sake. Up until now, Abraham was the "main" character. Not in this chapter. Sarah is. Such is the case wit

Grace to you. I hope yesterday's storm did not impact you too badly. Coupled with the storm is the freezing arctic weather. I hope you stay well. Regarding the daily reflections, I am playing catch-up these days. Even though I am unable to provide my quiet time reflections here regularly, I hope you are keeping up with the daily reading. The Lord will speak to you as you read the Word daily and prayerfully. Your daily reading is the main thing. My reflections are supplements.

Grace and peace of our loving Lord Jesus Christ to all who love the Lord with an undying love. Last week, as Sunday approached, the Elders and I were praying and discussing what to do in case the inclement weather became too dangerous for people to be on the road. We made the call to cancel on-site service and let the whole church know as soon as possible, which was at least two hours before the service time, but since we have people coming up from some distance, even that wa

Genesis 12:10-20 Summary A famine drives Abram out of the land of promise and down into Egypt. As Abram enters the foreign land, fear takes over. So, Abram asks Sarai to say she is his sister, thinking that giving up his wife will spare him. The plan “works” outwardly. Sarai is taken into Pharaoh’s house, and Abram even gains wealth. However, this endangers Sarai and compromises God's call for Abram to be a blessing. God allows Abram to make the erroneous decision, but God do

Genesis 6-9 Introduction: Why this story still confronts us Today, we come to one of the most well-known passages in the Bible. And because it is so well-known, it can become familiar in the wrong way. Noah’s ark can feel like a children’s story: animals, rainbows, a "boat." But Genesis does not give us a cute story. Genesis gives us a holy confrontation. And here’s why it matters: the Noah narrative forces us to face three realities we would rather avoid. They are (1) The gr