For God loved the world in this way:
He gave His one and only Son,
so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish
but have eternal life.
John 3:16. Probably the most well-known verse in all of Scripture. A twenty-nine-word parade of hope: beginning with God, ending with life, and urging us to do the same. Brief enough to write on a napkin or memorize in a moment, yet solid enough to weather two thousand years of storms and questions. (adapted from Max Lucado’s The Numbers of Hope)
Read it again. Aloud.
Take your time. Give each word a few extra seconds to resonate within you.
If you’re brand new to Bible study, this is a great place to start. If you’ve been a student of God’s Word for years, this is always a great place to return.
As we continue our journey through John’s Gospel, highlight April 16 on your calendar. On that Sunday, the Sunday after Easter, we’ll be launching a series of messages focused on chapters 3 and 4, two of the most famous conversations in all of Scripture.
If you’re brand new to Bible study, these chapters are a great place to start. If you’ve been a student of God’s Word for years, these chapters are a great place to return… AND, they’re a great place to invite others into the conversation. That Sunday, April 16, we’ll be kicking it all off with a powerful time of music and worship led by our 3:16 Worship Choir, and I’m urging you now to bring somebody with you. Text them now while you’re reading this article. Call them this afternoon. Send an email this week. Let them know they’re coming with you that morning. Take them to breakfast beforehand. Take them to lunch afterwards.
Whatever works best.
Then… invite them back. Not just to worship with us. Not just to hear another sermon series. But invite them back with the hope and expectation that they might experience and come to know the life-changing and eternity-giving love of the Father, expressed through the Son.
And while all of that is happening, pray. Ask the Lord to speak through the music, His Word, and His messengers. Ask Him to open our hearts as well as theirs to hear and respond to all He has to say and all He wants to do.
3:16 on 4/16. See you there!