Gleanings From Grace

John 4:1-15
Chapter three and four of the book of John provide us with interesting contrasts into the ministry of Jesus Christ.
Chapter 3Chapter 4
It named the man that was seeking the Lord.
The man was a respected ruler, a man of rank.
The man was moral.
The man was Jewish.
He was knowledgeable about religion.
He came by night in secret.
He had a serious, respectful attitude.
There is no mention of the results of the meeting with Christ.
We hear of this man again later in the Bible.
An un-named woman was sought out by the Lord.
The woman was an outcast of society, lower in rank.
The woman was immoral.
The woman was a Samaritan and despised by the Jews.
The woman was ignorant.
Her meeting with Jesus took place by day out in the open.
She was flippant, hostile, a debater, and then she was respectful.
The results of the meeting are given.
She fades into the silence of history. {Read More…}

Scripture Reading: John 18:28-40
Text: John 18:34
John 18:34 Jesus answered him, Sayest thou this thing of thyself, or did others tell it thee of me?

Introduction: Some people are parrots. They just repeat what they have heard. We need to have a first-hand knowledge of God and of the things of God. I realize that we walk by faith, not by sight. I realize that we are not going to hear God’s audible voice, nor are we going to see Him with our naked eye today. However, God DOES speak to hearts, and He DOES reveal Himself to individuals through His word and His Holy Spirit.
In court, knowledge that is not firsthand is usually called “hearsay.” It is not considered to be authoritative in a controversy. {Read More…}

TEXT: John 1:35-42

INTRODUCTION: An Ordinary Man That Was Extraordinary.  I don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings, but most of us would be classified as ordinary people. By that I mean, most of us have never been or never will be listed in the Bluebook of society or Who’s Who. Most of us are not even listed in Who’s Not.  There are few of us, if any, Phi Beta Kappa’s, Val Dictorian’s, All-American’s, or Miss America’s. I doubt there are any Nobel Peace Prize winners among us. Most of us were not born with a silver spoon in your mouth. Most are not from the aristocracy. Most of us would be like the fellow who said, ONE OLE BOY SAID “I wasn’t born in a log cabin like some of the great men of our country, but I want you to know that just as soon as my family could afford one, we bought it and moved in!”
Most of us are just plain, old, down-right, everyday ordinary people. But then, most everybody else is ordinary. Now if that is discouraging listen to what ILL. One Writer Said “Most of Christ’s followers must remain unknown to fame. They must live a simple life, a thing of routine. Few take notice of them. Thus they live day by day, not idly or unprofitably, indeed, but in a small place-until the end come. {Read More…}

READING: John 19:25-27

TEXT: “…Jesus. . .said to His mother, ‘Woman behold thy son!’ Then He said to the disciple, ‘Behold your mother!’…” (19:26-27).

Introduction: A.Those Who Were Standing by the Cross (19:25) It is uncertain whether John mentions three women or four. If we compare the various accounts it would seem that the following is the case. Reference is made to the women at the cross here, in Matthew 27:56, and in Mark 15:40. Comparing the accounts we see that: {Read More…}