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I AM - The Resurrection and the Life

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I AM - The Resurrection and the Life

We finished up our series on John’s 7 statements of Jesus’ I ams with arguably the most clear scene of Immanuel - God with us- in the whole of the bible. It shows Jesus operating in extreme truth, power, and messianic fulfilment but also reveals his profoundly loving humanity. It’s quite a scene to grasp, when we get to grips with how badly our english translations have depicted Jesus’ depth about his grieving friends at Lazarus’ tomb. It’s a bonkers concept to hold in tension: the God of the universe, on the throne, who was victorious in conquering all outworkings of death and destruction in our lives. And a God who became human, to show us how deeply he cares about our pain, grief and loss, and draw near to us in them; We can’t pick one Jesus or the other, the fact that he is both these things is life's work for all of us, as his followers, to hold together.

By Hannah Flint

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I AM - The True Vine

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I AM - The True Vine

Do we earn God’s love by obeying his commands? The perfectionist mindset makes it very difficult to understand the concept of unconditional love. In this talk we unpack what Jesus really means when he says “if you obey my commands you will abide in my love”, what his commands are, and how his purposes in everything are to lead us toward joy and life to the fullest.

by Tavia Grubbs

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I AM - The Way, Truth, Life

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I AM - The Way, Truth, Life

On Jesus’ final night before his arrest and betrayal, his disciples become troubled. Will they be abandoned? Were they right to put their faith in him? Jesus’s response is to reassure them of his identity - He is the fullness of God. But not just this - he is also the way to heaven. Heaven is both a glorious future reality in which all suffering ceases, but also, because of what Jesus achieves on the cross - a present experience. Jesus will never leave us, so we need not be troubled by the thought of being abandoned. And all our troubles recede in the light of heaven - now in part, and in the future forever.

By Ed Flint

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I AM - The Good Shepherd

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I AM - The Good Shepherd

Jesus condemns the religious leaders of his time. They were tasked with looking after God’s people, his sheep - but they’ve failed in their task. Jesus announces himself, in contrast, as the one true and Good Shepherd. And he leads his people into safe and bountiful pasture. It’s important for us to separate Jesus, the Good Shepherd, from those who have caused harm to us his sheep. Jesus is always part of the solution, so it’s important not to see him as part of the problem. His desire is to heal and restore those of us who have been hurt, and to renew our intimacy with him.

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I AM - The Gate

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I AM - The Gate

Gates are entryways. They are entrances into realms. For the man born blind who was healed by Jesus, this was a transformative reality. He was rejected by the religious leaders so Jesus became the way in for him. The way into a new beginning, a new story, and a God-infused life. This goes for us as well. When life has a way of pushing us to the fringes, Jesus assures us that he is the way into the good life, a life that overflows with beauty and harmony. What does that look like? Jesus uses shepherd imagery to describe it. Take a listen and invite Jesus to meet with you.

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I AM - The Bread

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I AM - The Bread

I am the bread of life. Jesus was making a very bold statement about a lot more than a specific food source, having just turned 5 loaves and 2 fishes into a meal for thousands, which had HUGE messianic symbolism and implications to that crowd, that we might easily miss. John wrote his gospel carefully and masterfully because he believed that meeting Jesus had the power to change absolutely everything for everyone of us, so give this 'I am’ statement another listen (and as a bonus, find out how we got our name!)

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I AM - The Light

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I AM - The Light

I am the light of the world. Light is wonderful. It brings life, it brings joy, it grows good things. It is also awesome. It has extraordinary power to reveal, to consume and to refine. Jesus says I am not just a light, but the light of the whole universe. Every other light- every person, philosophy or belief is a mere reflection. And he comes so that he can shine his light on us to bring joy, life, refinement, and growth. He has come so that we can meet with him, for the first time, or the hundredth, and be changed forever by his wonderful awesome light.

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I Am: The Way, The Truth, The Life

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When we are faced with a world that does not operate as it should, there are times when our hearts feel troubled. Amidst this troubled feeling, it can become difficult to see where God is in the whole thing. Jesus says “Do not let your hearts be troubled”. This is not because it is wrong to feel troubled, but because He is on our side, and He is always with us.