Balancing Ministry N' Work

1.      I would say that Jesus was pretty clear last week. a.       He is our shepherd. b.      He loves us, protects us, and provides for us. c.       If He is our Savior, we are to follow Him. d.      To trust in His Words, let them guide us, and grow us as His followers. 2.      Simply, we need to listen to His voice and Follow Him. 3.      John 10:22 a.       Festival of Dedication would be called Festival of Lights or Hannukah today. b.      A celebration in honor of the reconsecration of the temple that happened in 165 BC. 4.      John 10:23 a.       Jesus returned to the temple of God, and is in Solomon’s Colonnade, a long covered hallway on the East side of the temple. b.      These events take place roughly two months after the last conversation we looked at in John between Jesus and the Jewish leaders. 5.      John 10:24 a.       They surrounded Jesus. b.      Cornered Him and wanted to force Him to answer their questions. c.       They were hopi

1.      Jesus’ encounter with the blind man led to a teaching about eyes being open to the Truth of God. a.       The Truth that sets us free from our sin. b.      The Truth that lets us see the reality of this world. c.       The Truth that helps us to stand against the lies of the devil. d.      The Truth that we are to share with others. 2.      As we read our Bible’s we will see that a lot of people are shepherds. a.       Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were shepherds. b.      Moses before he returned to Egypt was a shepherd. c.       David was a shepherd. d.      It was a common occupation at that time, but one that was considered ceremonially unclean. e.       Yet, as we continue on our journey in John we see that Jesus uses it as an example for Himself. 3.      The events in chapter 10 take place immediately after chapter 9. 4.      John 10:1-2 a.       If we put this in our own context, someone who enters by our front door with our permission belongs. b.