Author: David Ellis

In Genesis, we hear four voices: God’s, Adam’s, Eve’s, and the serpent’s: Then the Lord God called to the man, and said to him, “Where are you?” He said, “I heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself.” (Genesis 3:9-10) Then to Adam…

Don: When Jesus’s sheep hear the voice of the shepherd—God—what does it sound like? If we tell people God told us to do something, they are usually sceptical. But we all tend to think that if we do hear directly from God, our lives will be richer, better, and easier. Your ears will hear a…

Don: Scripture has many references to door. The only legitimate way into the sheep pen is through its door. Any other entry is illegitimate—the way of the thief and robber. “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter by the door into the fold of the sheep, but climbs up some other…

Don: The brevity of the I Am statements belies their complexity and ambiguity. They caused confusion even among Jesus’ contemporary audience: This figure of speech Jesus spoke to them, but they did not understand what those things were which He had been saying to them. (John 10:6) This only goes to reinforce that God does…

Don: We pause from our discussion of the “I Am” statements that tell us about the nature of God as described in 2,000-year-old scriptures, to reflect on what they might mean to people of the distant future—say, a thousand years from now (assuming Armageddon does not come first). What if this class were still running…

Don: “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter by the door into the fold of the sheep, but climbs up some other way, he is a thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is a shepherd of the sheep. To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep…

Don: Last week, Michael asked: How can we be sure the light we think we see is the true light? In the story of the blind man, the Pharisees had the spiritual arrogance to believe that they knew the light—they knew God—because of their belief system. The blind man had the humility to admit that…

Don: In the story of the blind man, the disciples saw the blind man as an opportunity to discuss theology, by asking “Who sinned?” It’s a common trait of humanity to seek judgment. Jesus, however saw in the situation an opportunity to be re-creative, to heal the blind man and bring him into the light….

Don: Here is the scriptural context for our continuing discussion of God as Light: “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.” (John 8:12) In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. The Light shines…