Delighting in the Relationships (John 14-17)
The humanity of Jesus provides peace, joy, and delight for all believers experiencing trouble. This lesson focuses on the four relationships made possible by the man Christ Jesus so that we can delight in Him and find peace for our souls.
Application Questions:
- What kind of a theologian are you?
- What does your walk say?
- Does your obedience speak of a delight in your dependence on the Spirit?
- If not, what is preventing this?
Proclaiming Light in the Darkness (Luke 4:14-30; Mark 6:1-6)
Jesus returns to his hometown of Nazareth twice, and in both instances, His teaching is rejected. This reality demonstrates that despite Jesus’ powerful proclamation of the gospel of the kingdom, the minds and hearts of unbelievers will remain closed unless the Holy Spirit regenerates them. Observing Jesus’ persistence in preaching the gospel helps us learn how to speak the gospel truth to our friends, family, neighbors, and co-workers and persist if there is a face of rejection.
Application Questions
- Will you imitate Jesus’ example and not give up the proclamation of the good news when our family, friends, co-workers, neighbors, and unbelieving church attendees do not respond?
- Will you be faithful to proclaim the gospel as proclaimed in Scripture?
- Will you be thankful that God has graciously chosen to remove the scales of unbelief from our minds and hearts?
- Will you have compassion for the unbelievers around us who are lost in unbelief?
Who Is This Man? (John 1:19-2:11; 3:22-36; Luke 7:20-30)
The Gospels provide us the opportunity to encounter not only the humanity of Jesus but also the responses to His humanity from those who encountered and joined Him in his early public ministry. As we observe the words and actions of John the Baptist, Jesus’ first disciples, and his mother, Mary, as recorded by Luke and John, we see two righteous responses to Jesus’ humanity – humble questions and faith-filled expectations. Like these men and women, we can encounter truth and allow it to conform our minds, hearts, and lives to the obedience of Christ through the power of the Spirit.
Application Questions
- Will you believe that Jesus is who He said He was?
- Will you trust God and find your hope solely in Jesus’ righteous life and sacrificial death?
- Will you study the Old and New Testaments and take the Scriptures at face value?
- Will you honestly wrestle with the hard questions?
- When you find the truth, will you change?
- Will you proclaim it to a lost and dying world without shying away from the difficulties?
Be Humble Like Christ (Philippians 2:1-8)
- How highly do you regard the importance of church unity? What are you doing to demonstrate this?
- What is currently threatening the unity of our body, and how are you guarding against this threat?
- Will you commit to protecting the unity of the body by choosing to submit joyfully to the authority of Jesus through the elders and their exposition of the Scriptures, even if you disagree in areas of preference and application?
- Will you commit to reading the Gospels frequently and contemplating how Jesus exemplifies humility?
- Will you humble your heart by cultivating a consistent prayer life where you confess your sins and where you pray for the needs of others above your own?
- Will you ask God to give you a genuine love for other believers and help you build up your love muscle by serving others regularly?
A Pattern for Suffering (1 Peter 2:21)
- What are the ways in which you are currently suffering or have suffered in the past?
- How do these sufferings compare to the sufferings that Christ experienced in His life?
- Discuss your sufferings with other believers, and rather than complaining, talk about the ways in which sufferings enhanced your sanctification.
- When you encounter new suffering, immediately pray that God would help you endure like Jesus and follow His example for bearing up righteously.
- Refuse to accuse God of injustice and rather remember that suffering is a sign of His love toward you as sons/daughters.
- Read the Gospels regularly and remind yourself that Jesus lived a fully authentic human life more like your own than you could ever imagine.
Tension, Temptation, and Trust (Luke 4:1-14; Mark 1:12-13; Matthew 4:1-11; Hebrews 4:14-16)
The book of Hebrews counsels us to come to God for grace in times of need through the ministry of Jesus, our great High Priest, who can sympathize with us in our weaknesses. But, was he really tested in all things as we are? Is His humanity genuine? When tested, how did He respond? Examining the Gospel account of Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness helps us answer these questions. It directs us toward how we should learn to pursue obedience through Jesus in the power of the Spirit.
Application Questions
- Have you meditated on the reality that Jesus experienced the fullness of human frailty?
- When you experience times of trial or testing, do you see them as God’s gift to you as a means to draw you closer to Himself through Christ?
- Do you believe that Jesus can have genuine compassion for you in your trials?
- Do you fight temptation with Scripture? What is preventing you from doing so?
- Do you trust God enough to allow His timing to reign in your circumstances?
- Are you tempted to take matters into your own hands rather than trusting in God to provide during times of difficulty?
Obedient to the Spirit (Matthew 3, Mark 1: 1-11, Luke 3:1-22)
The Gospel accounts of Jesus’ response to John’s call to be baptized alongside His Jewish countrymen highlight His faithful obedience to the word of God through the power of the Spirit. In His baptism, we see God the Father’s approval of His faithfulness and the provision of the Holy Spirit to prepare Him for His ministry of gospel proclamation. Meditating on these episodes motivates us to entrust ourselves to the power of the Spirit to obey His Word.
Application Questions
- When you hear God’s Word, do you have a firm resolve to obey it?
- Are you aware of the Spirit at work within you to strengthen you to obey God’s Word consistently?
- Are you waiting expectantly for the next step in God’s plan to bring righteousness to earth through His kingdom?
- How well do you know the Old Testament? What is your plan for becoming more familiar with it?
- When was the last time you consciously decided to walk in obedience to God? How did you discern when and how to act?
- In what ways are you living your life dependent upon the Spirit? In what ways can you grow in your relationship and dependence upon Him?
SImon Pranaitis
Teacher
He moved to Southern California to complete his Master’s in Bioscience at Keck Graduate Institute. While in graduate school, he met and married the love of his life, Jessica. They spent the first ten years of their married life in Ontario, CA, attending Foothill Bible Church in Upland, CA, and working together in High School Ministries and Young Married Small Group Ministries.
Simon co-taught an adult Sunday School class with one of the elders, volunteered on the missions commission, took courses at Foothill Institute of Theological Training (FITT), and participated in regular evangelism outreach. Simon’s work for a medical device company moved the family to Seattle, where they continued serving in small group ministries. Simon was also a Living Hope Bible Church deacon in Issaquah, WA.
Simon, Jessica and their five kids have lived in Idaho since 2017, attended Kootenai Church since 2021, and rejoice in God’s providence of rich fellowship and opportunities for growth in Christ. Simon works remotely for Unchained, a Bitcoin financial services company, and enjoys gardening with Jessica, playing the piano, reading theology, and learning about Bitcoin.