Over the years, people have said there are cliques in the church, and they don’t believe there shouldn’t be cliques in the church. A clique is a small group of people who like to be together and can be adverse to others joining them. What do you think? Are cliques antithetical to Christianity? In theContinue reading “Cliques in the church and loving difficult people – John 13:18-38, Part 5”
Tag Archives: john 13:18-38
Coronation, emotional whiplash and…love? – John 13:18-38, Part 4
Jesus has only mere hours left before he leaves his disciples in a mess. It’s the night of his arrest, and he has just revealed the identity of the disciple who would betray him, Judas Iscariot. As we trace the logic of what Jesus says next, it seems that Jesus is feeling lots of emotionalContinue reading “Coronation, emotional whiplash and…love? – John 13:18-38, Part 4”
When all seems lost, we can still choose hope – John 13:17-38, Part 3
Jesus has just shocked his disciples with the news that one of them will betray him. Understandably, they want to know which of them could do such a thing. That leads a deeply dark moment in this story. Look at verses 26-30, “Jesus answered, ‘It is the one to whom I will give this pieceContinue reading “When all seems lost, we can still choose hope – John 13:17-38, Part 3”
Why we need to see ourselves as links in a missional chain – John 13:18-38, Part 2
Leadership is lonely, or so some say. As a pastor since 2002, I have felt that loneliness from time to time. Frankly, some loneliness is self-imposed. “I can do it better myself,” we think. Or we don’t want to put in the work to involve others. Maybe we struggle to release our grip on aContinue reading “Why we need to see ourselves as links in a missional chain – John 13:18-38, Part 2”
When you shouldn’t tell a leopard by its spots – John 13:18-38, Part 1
“You can tell a leopard by its spots.” “You can know a tiger by its stripes.” Are these phrases always true? I don’t think so. When I take my dog running, we almost always run by the home of a neighbor a few doors down from us. They have ornamental sheep in their front flowerContinue reading “When you shouldn’t tell a leopard by its spots – John 13:18-38, Part 1”
Are people ever too far gone? – John 13:18-38, Preview
Have you felt as though some people are just too far gone, as if there is no hope for them? Maybe it is a relative who has made a series of poor choices. Maybe it is a friend who has struggled for years. Maybe you wonder about yourself. It could be the person who isContinue reading “Are people ever too far gone? – John 13:18-38, Preview”
Engaging Scripture 