John 5: 4-12 | The Pastor's Workshop

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Attempted Shortcuts to Love

Author

Keywords

Scripture

1 John 3:1, John 4:1-26, Luke 19:1-10, Galatians 5:13-14, Romans 5:5-8, 1 John 4:16

“Most of their vices are attempted short cuts to love,” writes John Steinbeck in East of Eden, a book full of characters who crave the love of a father, a brother, a lover, a son. The experience of fu...

liturgy

Blessing Ministry Event or Initiative

Author

Lisa Ann Moss Degrenia

Keywords

Scripture

Micah 6:8, Matthew 25:35-40, John 6:1-14, Zechariah 4:6, Judges 6:11-16, 2 Corinthians 9:8, Acts 4:32-35, Acts 1:8, Acts 2:1-4, Proverbs 16:3, Nehemiah 2:17-20, Philippians 4:19, Acts 18:1-4, Ephesians 2:14, John 4:4-26

This blessing includes prayers for the initiative/event itself, the volunteers for the event, the leaders organizing the event, the resources to be distributed at the event, and any community partners...

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Jesus Was Present

Author

John Ortberg

Keywords

Jesus

Scripture

John 4:7-26, Mark 10:46-52, Matthew 19:13-15, Luke 19:1-10, Mark 5:21-43, Philippians 2:3-4

A striking dimension of Jesus’ capacity to love was his ability to be totally present with people. In all the Bible, Jesus never says to anyone, “Huh? What did you say? I wasn’t paying attention. I wa...

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Unsurprisingly, whenever we bring the topic of desire

Author

Curt Thompson

Keywords

Scripture

Song of Solomon 8:6-7 , Genesis 29:16-30, Hosea 2:14-20, Psalm 42:1-2, John 4:7-26 , Ephesians 5:25-32

Unsurprisingly, whenever we bring the topic of desire into view, our imaginations easily wander in the direction of sex, which can be as discomforting as it is arousing—but it is certainly not irrelev...

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Wholeheartedly Committing to God's Will

Author

Frank Laubach

Keywords

Scripture

John 4:14, John 4:1-26, Isaiah 58:11, 2 Corinthians 4:16-18, Psalm 1:3, 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, Matthew 6:10, Proverbs 16:9, Hebrews 13:20-21, James 1:5, John 6:38-40

Frank Laubach recounts the profound shift in his life that came when he wholeheartedly committed to following God’s will: Before that moment, I was barely alive—like a tree rotting from within. Bu...

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I Haven't Changed

Author

The Pastor's Workshop

Keywords

Scripture

John 5:39-40, Hebrews 4:12, 2 Peter 3:9, 1 Corinthians 1:27, Mark 9:14-29, Acts 17:27, Luke 8:9-14

The famous entertainer W. C. Fields, known for his humor, love of drink, and agnosticism, found himself bedridden in his final illness. When a longtime friend visited and noticed Fields reading the Bi...

liturgy

Standing Together

Author

Lisa Ann Moss Degrenia

Keywords

Scripture

Ephesians 2:14-16, 2 Corinthians 5:18-19, Galatians 3:18, Colossians 3:11, Luke 10:25-37, Genesis 33:1-11, John 4:1-42

God of the Nations We stand apart from you We stand apart from each other We stand with our tribe Hiding behind walls Throwing our stones Our divisions dishonor you We harm instead of heal You weep Of...

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The Sap, the Strong Bond of Love

Author

Daniel Bourguet

Keywords

Scripture

John 15:1-16, Luke 19:1-10, John 4:7-26, John 21:15-19, Galatians 5:22-23, Ephesians 3:17-19

The strong bond that unites the vine and the branches has to do with the sap that flows through them. Jesus does not here use the word “sap,” but nonetheless gives a lengthy excursus on love in a way ...

liturgy

Everyone: Holy God, we live our lives

Author

Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church

Keywords

Scripture

Romans 5:8, Luke 15:11-32, Luke 10:25-37, John 4:1-26, John 3:16, Ephesians 4:32, 2 Timothy 1:9

Everyone: Holy God, we live our lives struggling in our own burdens and failing to trust You with all the things that hold us down. Leader: Your Scripture says, "Come to Me all you who are wear...

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Heavenly Father, You shower Your love

Author

Austin D. Hill

Keywords

Scripture

1 Samuel 1:9-20, Acts 2:1-4, John 4:1-26, Luke 15:11-32, Psalm 23:6, Galatians 5:22-23

Heavenly Father, You shower Your love on us throughout every stage of life. We praise You for Your steadfast love. Through Your Son we see the extent of that love while through Your Spirit we experien...

liturgy

Beloved of God, go now in peace to love and serve

Author

Lisa Ann Moss Degrenia

Keywords

Scripture

Acts 8:26-40, John 4:4-42, Luke 10:1-12, 2 Corinthians 13:14, Matthew 28:19-20, Galatians 5:13, Mark 12:30-31

Beloved of God, go now in peace to love and to serve, with the blessing of Almighty God, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.

liturgy

Jesus did not wait for people to come

Author

Cody Sandahl

Keywords

Scripture

Acts 8:26-40, Matthew 28:19-20, Luke 19:1-10, John 4:1-26, Romans 10:14, Matthew 5:14-15

Jesus did not wait for people to come to him. He went out and delivered the grace of God. As we go out of this place today, may we deliver the grace of God wherever we go as well. Amen.

liturgy

O God who will not let us go, we

Keywords

Scripture

John 4:1-42, 2 Corinthians 5:17, Acts 3:1-10, Romans 10:15, Luke 24:31, Deuteronomy 15:11, Psalm 51:10

O God who will not let us go, we confess that we have been so wrapped up in ourselves that have not loved You with our whole hearts, and we have not loved our neighbors as we love ourselves. By Your g...

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Author

William Goode

Keywords

The Early Church

Scripture

Matthew 22:37-40, 2 Timothy 3:16-17, Hebrews 4:12, Psalm 119:105, Colossians 3:16, Matthew 4:4, Acts 17:11, John 5:39, 2 John 1:9, 1 Timothy 4:16

The Catholic Christians (Early Church) will neither speak nor endure to hear anything in religion that is a stranger to Scripture; it being an evil heart of immodesty to speak those things which are n...

Quote

Author

Charles Haddon Spurgeon

Keywords

Salvation

Scripture

2 Peter 3:9, John 4:1-42, Matthew 28:16-20, 1 Timothy 2:3-4, 2 Corinthians 5:20, Romans 10:14-15, Matthew 28:19-20

Have you no wish for others to be saved? Then you are not saved yourself. Be sure of that.

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Brené Brown Struggling to Belong

Author

Brené Brown

Keywords

Scripture

Numbers 12:null, Joshua 2:null, Matthew 9:9, Mark 5:1-10, Mark 5:25-34, Luke 19:1-10, John 4:1-42, Galatians 3:28

Belonging can be such a fickle and painful process in life. As the popular researcher and writer Brené Brown describes in her book, Braving the Wilderness, she struggled to fit in after moving to New ...

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Loving Others

Author

Scot McKnight

Keywords

Scripture

Colossians 3:12-14, Luke 10:25-37, John 4:1-26, Galatians 5:13-14, Matthew 22:37-39, Philippians 2:3-4, 1 John 4:7-8

Let me tell you the story of a great missionary named Frank C. Laubach (1884–1970). He grew up in the farming community of Benton, PA, and served as a Congregationalist missionary in the Philippines. ...

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The Religion Shop Has Been Closed

Author

Robert Farrar Capon

Keywords

Scripture

Acts 9:1-22, Galatians 2:16, Ephesians 2:4-5, Romans 5:8, John 4:4-26, Luke 18:9-14

[For Christians] the entire religion shop has been closed, boarded up, and forgotten. The church is not in the religion business. It never has been and it never will be, in spite of all the ecclesiast...

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Eating With Sinners

Author

David Schuringa

Keywords

Scripture

Luke 7:36-50, Romans 5:8, John 4:7-26, Matthew 11:19, Luke 19:5-10, Mark 2:15-17

Why did it disturb the religious leaders that Jesus ate with “sinners”? To eat with someone is an important symbol of fellowship. And in those days, the Jews had a rule: one is not to have such fellow...

Quote

Author

Brennan Manning

Keywords

Scripture

Acts 9:1-19, John 4:1-26, Luke 19:1-10, Luke 5:1-11, John 6:44, Ephesians 2:8-9, Matthew 4:19

We cannot will ourselves to accept grace. There are no magic words, preset formulas, or esoteric rites of passage. Only Jesus Christ sets us free from indecision. The Scriptures offer no other basis f...

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Author

Jean Pierre de Caussade

Keywords

Scripture

Mark 15:21-39, John 4:4-42, 2 Kings 5:1-14, 1 Samuel 16:1-13, Luke 2:1-7, John 9:1-3, 2 Corinthians 12:9

[God’s grace is] always hidden under the strangest appearances.

Quote

Author

Nancy Spiegelberg

Keywords

Grace

Scripture

John 4:1-26, Mark 5:25-34, Luke 15:11-32, 2 Kings 4:1-7, Philippians 4:19, Psalm 23:5, Matthew 11:28-30

Lord, I crawled across the barrenness to you with my empty cup. . . . If only I had known you better, I’d have come running with a bucket.

Quote

Author

Barbara Brown Taylor

Keywords

Scripture

Galatians 5:14, Matthew 12:1-8, John 4:1-26, James 1:27, 1 John 4:20-21, Matthew 23:23, Mark 12:30-31

The only clear line I draw these days is this: when my religion tries to come between me and my neighbor, I will choose my neighbor…Jesus never commanded me to love my religion.

Quote

Author

Jonathan Swift

Keywords

Love

Scripture

Romans 12:9-10, Luke 19:1-10, John 4:1-26, Galatians 5:14, Matthew 22:37-40, 1 John 4:20-21, John 13:34-35

We have just enough religion to make us hate, but not enough to makes us love one another.

Quote

Author

Timothy Keller

Keywords

Scripture

2 Corinthians 5:17, Luke 19:1-10, John 4:1-26, Titus 3:4-5, 1 John 4:9-10, Ephesians 2:4-5, Romans 5:8

He loved us, not because we were lovely to him, but to make us lovely.

Quote

Author

P. Carnegie Simpson

Keywords

Jesus

Scripture

John 5:39-40, Hebrews 4:12-13, Matthew 16:13-15, Mark 10:17-22, John 3:1-10, John 18:33-38, Matthew 12:30

We had thought intellectually to examine him; we find he is spiritually examining us. The roles are reversed between us...A person may study Jesus with intellectual impartiality, he cannot do it with ...

liturgy

Almighty God, who because of your great

Author

W. Walsham How

Keywords

Scripture

John 3:16, Romans 5:8, Galatians 2:20, Hebrews 12:2, 1 Corinthians 11:24-25, Isaiah 53:4-5, 1 John 4:7-21

Almighty God, who because of your great love for humanity, gave your beloved Son to die for us upon the cross: Grant us a living faith in our Redeemer, and a grateful reminder of his death. Help us to...

Quote

Author

Mother Teresa

Keywords

Christmas

Scripture

Matthew 22:37-39, Luke 10:25-37, 1 John 3:18, John 13:1-17, Matthew 25:31-46, 1 John 4:7-12, Acts 2:44-45, 1 Corinthians 13:4-7, Mark 6:30-44, Galatians 5:22-23

It is Christmas every time you let God love others through you.

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Christian Persecution & The Real Power

Author

John Dickson

Keywords

Scripture

Matthew 5:10-12, John 15:18-20, 2 Timothy 3:12, Acts 14:22, Romans 8:35-37, 1 Peter 4:12-14, 2 Corinthians 12:9-10, Acts 1:8, Romans 8:11, Isaiah 41:10

What is the witness of the church in times of persecution? The historical record demonstrates that persecutions of Christians were regular and prolific in the first centuries of the church, especially...

scripture guide

Scripture Guide, Ephesians 4:1-16 (Guide A)

Author

Gabe Fung

Keywords

Scripture

Ephesians 4:1-16, 2 Samuel 11:26-12:13a, Psalm 51:1-12, John 6:24-35, Galatians 5:22-23, Psalm 68:18, Philippians 2:5-11, Romans 12:3-8, 1 Corinthians 12:4-11, 1 Peter 4:10-11, Acts 14:4, Romans 16:7, 1 Corinthians 15:7, Galatians 1:19, 1 Thessalonians 1:1, 1 Thessalonians 2:6, Romans 12:3-5, 1 Corinthians 12:14-27

Background to the Letter and Passage Paul’s letter to the Ephesians was probably intended for wider distribution and use among the various churches around Ephesus. As such, there is no particular cri...

John

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scripture guide

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