Resources

Latest Resources

The Day Jesus Made the Best Wine

Purpose To discover and experience Jesus Christ in our midst To cultivate mutually encouraging relationships To participate in God’s mission to the world Opening Prayer Responsive Prayer — Psalm 16 I bless the Lord who gives me counsel;     In the night also my heart instructs me. I have set the Lord always before me;     Because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices;     My flesh also dwells secure. For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol,     Or let your holy one see corruption. You make known to me the path of life;     in your presence there is fullness of joy;     At your right hand are pleasures forevermore. Summary This week we have begun a Lenten series entitled A Day in the Life of Jesus, during which we are exploring brief vignettes from the Gospels, seeking a realistic glimpse into a typical day in Jesus’ earthly ministry. Our passage this week records Jesus’ first public sign at the wedding in Cana, where he turns water into wine and thereby reveals his glory so that his disciples believe in him (verse 11). The event stands against a rather deep Old Testament backdrop in which the prophets described the coming messianic age as a time of restoration, divine presence, and abundant blessing, often symbolized by overflowing wine (Isaiah 25:6-8; Amos 9:13-15; Joel 2:24). By providing an extraordinary abundance of fine wine, Jesus signals that the long-anticipated era of salvation has begun in his person. Further, the new age is signaled by a reversal of Moses’ first public miracle of turning water into blood (Exodus 7:14-24), indicating a movement from the judgment associated with the law to the joy and life associated with grace (John 1:17). As one commentator put it, Moses’ sign was a signal to Egypt of their coming judgment, but Christ’s sign is a signal to the world that the age of restoration and the coming of joy and celebration are on the horizon. All of this helps us see the initiation of Christ’s ministry as ushering in a renewed order of redemption (Westminster Confession of Faith 8.2). Yet the narrative maintains a tension between present fulfillment and future completion. Jesus’ remark that his “hour has not yet come” (verse 4) introduces a forward-looking dimension that prevents us from assuming the messianic age has arrived in its fullness. This theme carries throughout John’s Gospel, anticipating the climactic hour of his death and glorification (John 12:23; 13:1), through which the full messianic blessing is secured. The sign at Cana then offers a genuine foretaste — a glimpse behind the curtain — of the coming kingdom without pulling the curtain back entirely, showing us that the abundance promised points beyond itself to the resurrection and the future order it heralds. In other words, Cana is both fulfillment and promise at the same time. Scripture consistently presents the kingdom as inaugurated but not yet fully realized (Hebrews 2:8-9; Revelation 21:1-4). Believers therefore live in hopeful anticipation of its consummation, praying for its fuller realization (Westminster Larger Catechism 191). Finally, the sign at Cana highlights the character and purpose of Christ’s ministry in general. As John writes near the end of his Gospel, everything in the book is meant “so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” (John 20:31). The transformation of water into abundant wine functions precisely in that way. It reveals Christ’s glory so that faith might arise (verse 11). The superabundance of wine (around 150 gallons) is not simply incidental information but is part of the manifestation of Jesus’ glory. It is a visible disclosure of his divine sufficiency and generosity, and it only heightens the anticipation of the fullness of blessing that will be at the marriage supper of the lamb, the final messianic banquet (Revelation 19:6-10). The fact that the sign occurs at a wedding feast ties all of this imagery together. The Cana sign looks beyond itself to the person of Christ, in whom all of the promises of God find their fulfillment. It declares that the joy and abundance symbolized in the wine are not ends in and of themselves but rather a foretaste of the greater life secured through Christ’s death and resurrection. As with the disciples who have faith after seeing, we should be moved toward faith, trusting in the one who alone brings the true messianic feast. As we follow him, we live in hope of that final celebration when what was glimpsed at Cana will be fully realized in the kingdom of God. Discussion Questions 1. Looking at the Bible Share with the group some key phrases or ideas that stood out to you from the passage. 2. Looking at Jesus Read Exodus 7:14-20. What can we learn about Jesus by contrasting his first miracle to that of Moses? What can we learn from Christ’s provision of over 100 gallons of wine, despite the fact that the wedding was nearly over? 3. Looking at Our Hearts The miracle we see here signifies Christ’s giving of himself, and that in abundance. How have you seen Jesus’ immense generosity in your own life? How should this image of Jesus inform our approach to him in prayer? 4. Looking at Our World We live in a time where many people might expect religion to turn their water into blood rather than wine — to take their circumstances and make them harder, rather than more joyful. How might you use your Christian testimony to proclaim truth in the face of this view? Prayer Pray for each other: Share any prayer requests you have. Spend some time together thanking God for his abundant blessing in your life. Ask him to keep this in the forefront of your mind as you interact with those around you who don’t know him.

February 22, 2026 | Read

Sermon

The Day Jesus Told a Story

February 18, 2026 | Watch

Study Guide

In Christ Alone

Purpose To discover and experience Jesus Christ in our midst To cultivate mutually encouraging relationships To participate in God’s mission to the world Opening Prayer Responsive Prayer — Isaiah 65 They shall build houses and inhabit them;     They shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit. They shall not build and another inhabit;     They shall not plant and another eat; For like the days of a tree shall the days of my people be,     And my chosen shall long enjoy the work of their hands. Before they call I will answer;     While they are yet speaking I will hear. The wolf and the lamb shall graze together;     The lion shall eat straw like the ox. They shall not hurt or destroy,      In all my holy mountain. Summary This week’s passage is a standalone covering John 15:1-11, sometimes referred to as the “vine discourse.” This passage presents union with Christ as the indispensable foundation of the Christian life. Jesus declares himself as the “true vine,” the Father as the vinedresser, and believers as the branches, illustrating the fact that fruitfulness depends entirely upon abiding in him and in the mission the Father has sent him to accomplish. Therefore, apart from Christ, spiritual life and productivity are impossible (verse 5; cf. Galatians 2:20). The movement outlined in this passage — abiding in Christ (verses 1-4) leads to bearing fruit (verses 5-7) which results in God’s glory (verse 8) in which the believer finds their ultimate joy (verses 10-11) — provides the biblical basis for humanity’s purpose as articulated in the first question of the Westminster Shorter Catechism: The chief purpose for life “is to glorify God and to enjoy him forever.” Joy is therefore not pursued independently but arises necessarily out of communion with Christ and participation in the Father’s glory (verse 11; Psalm 16:11). The Old Testament background helps us to understand the metaphor being employed by Jesus in this passage. Israel was repeatedly described as God’s vine or vineyard (Psalm 80:8-19; Isaiah 5:1-7; Jeremiah 2:21), yet these passages largely portray a fruitless people facing judgment. Prophetic hope anticipated a future fruitful vine (Isaiah 27:2-6) which Jesus now fulfills by identifying himself as the true vine — indeed, the true Israel who accomplishes what the nation failed to achieve. Only those united to Christ constitute God’s fruitful people (Romans 11:17-24). Entrance into this union occurs through receiving Jesus’ words (verse 3; cf. Romans 10:17), and then the Christian life is one animated by the continued indwelling of and adherence to his teaching (John 8:31; Colossians 2:6-7; Westminster Confession of Faith [WCF] 26.1). Abiding, therefore, is neither a mystical vagueness nor a passive sentiment. Scripture consistently defines it as a living union expressed through faith and obedience (John 14:21; 1 John 2:3-6). It requires active obedience shaped by Christ’s Word. As theologian Sinclair Ferguson observes, abiding means allowing “Christ’s word to fill the mind, direct the will, and transform the affections.” The Father, as divine vinedresser, sovereignly grafts believers into Christ (John 6:44; WCF 10.1), thereby enabling them to live a life of obedient faith, producing good works which in turn manifest gratitude, strengthen assurance, and above all glorify God (Ephesians 2:10; WCF 16.2). Such obedience mirrors Christ’s own loving submission to the Father, even unto death (Philippians 2:8), and leads to true freedom and joy (verses 10-11; John 8:31-32). The practical force of this passage, then, is that God’s primary purpose for his people is not earthly ease or success (though these are not bad secondary things) but the fruit-bearing that glorifies him (verse 8; Matthew 5:16). As commentator Matthew Henry notes, “From a vine we look for grapes, from a Christian we look for Christianity; this is the fruit, a Christian temper and disposition, a Christian life and conduct.” If that is the nature of the fruit that abiding in Christ produces, we should remember that it comes only by our union with him. Fruitfulness, then, is only properly understood as the result of sustained communion with Christ rather than human techniques or religious activity alone. Our abiding falls decisively on Christ himself, his person, his Word, and our faithful response to him. Where communion with him is cultivated, fruit follows, God is glorified, and the promised joy of Christ becomes an experiential reality for his people. Discussion Questions 1. Looking at the Bible Share with the group some key phrases or ideas that stood out to you from the passage. 2. Looking at Jesus Read Isaiah 5. How is Israel described there as God’s vineyard, and what fruit was God expecting? How does Jesus, the “true vine,” succeed where Israel failed? 3. Looking at Our Hearts If faithfulness is tied directly to abiding in God’s Word (verse 7), what does your current relationship to Scripture suggest about your own spiritual dependence on Christ? 4. Looking at Our World According to a recent New Yorker article, the most popular class in Yale University’s 300-year history has been Laurie Santos’ course entitled “Psychology and the Good Life.” In this course, it is suggested that human happiness can be engineered through habits, mindset, and/or circumstances. How does John 15 challenge this cultural understanding? In what ways do you see people around you searching for joy but looking in insufficient places? How might the image of the vine help communicate the gospel to those longings? Prayer Pray for each other: Share any prayer requests you have. Pray for each member of your group to find deeply fulfilling spiritual communion with Christ. Pray especially for those who may be experiencing pruning.

February 15, 2026 | Read

Post

Grace, Then Gratitude

For many of us, the thing that we fear the most is being insignificant. This is why we are so driven and ambitious—we think that we have to do everything we can to prove that we are significant and that our life counts for something. We scramble to find whatever meaning, value, and purpose this world alone can offer.  Although it is true that there is no good or fulfilling life without significance, through Jesus we are offered not only significance but grace. While we may be tempted to try and prove our worth to God or others, God relates to us not on the basis of merit, but on the basis of grace. Our life is simply a response to his love. Accepted First God showers his love upon us simply because he loves us—not because of what we have done, will do, or what potential he may or may not see within us. This is what gives us absolute and utter security. If we do not do anything to win God's love, there is nothing that we could ever do to lose it either. Furthermore, grace means there is nothing we could ever do to make God love us more, and there is nothing we could ever do to make God love us less. His love for us is immovable. This is the difference between Christianity and every other religion. Religion requires you to obey before you are accepted. But the message of Christianity is that you are accepted in and through Jesus Christ first, despite all your faults and failures, and therefore, you obey—not in order to try to win God's love or out of obligation, but out of gratitude for the love you have first been shown. Consider the Exodus story. God could have given his people the Ten Commandments while they were living in bondage in Egypt and required them to follow the law before he rescued them. But instead, he rescues his people first. It is only after he delivers them from their bondage that he then gives them the law in order to show them how to live their lives in response to his love.  It is not law, then grace. It is grace, then gratitude. Contra-Conditional Love Grace is the most powerful force in the world. And yet, at the very same time, it is the most difficult thing for us to accept because it is an affront to our pride and self-sufficiency. When we accept God’s grace, we acknowledge that we cannot save ourselves.  Years ago I had a conversation with a college student who told me, “I hate the very concept of grace because I want God to love me for me. I want God to love me for the things I do for him because then I know what I'm worth. Then I know that I'm valuable.” I tried to help her see that grace is far better. Consider the words of Victor Hugo who said, “The greatest happiness of life is the conviction that we are loved—loved for ourselves, or rather, loved in spite of ourselves.” God's love is not conditional or even unconditional. His love is contra-conditional. In Jesus Christ, he does not merely love us as we are. He loves us despite who we are and despite what we have done. That is why Pastor Jack Miller used to say, “Cheer up! You're worse than you think! But in Jesus Christ, you are more loved than you could ever imagine.” The House of David In 2 Samuel 7 we read that several decades after God raised David up to be the prince over Israel, David decides to build a house for the Lord. David is living in a luxurious house with paneled walls made out of fine cedar, and he realizes that by contrast, the Ark of the Covenant—the place where God said that he would dwell in the midst of his people—is being kept in a tent. It suddenly dawns on him that his housing is better than God’s! David, understandably, wants to do something for God by building him a permanent house.  But rather than allowing David to follow through with his plans, God responds by saying God is going to make a house for David, and David's son, in gratitude, will be the one who builds a house for the Lord. In 2 Samuel 7:16 God says, “Your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever.” God makes this unconditional promise to David—not because of any merit on David's part but out of sheer grace. This is how God works with all of us. Like David, we might want to go out there and do something great for God as a way to prove our worth or win other’s respect and admiration. But God’s grace always precedes our work. He makes the first move and takes the initiative. His grace comes first.  If you continue reading through the Bible, you discover the house of David eventually comes crashing down. The kingdom is plagued by civil war, and eventually, the Babylonians conquer David's kingdom, setting fire to the temple that Solomon builds and carrying away the last kings in the line of David into exile. And yet centuries before, the prophet Isaiah promises that one day a child will be born who will establish and uphold the throne of David with justice and righteousness forever.  The promise made to David in 2 Samuel 7 points us forward to Christ, the true son of God, who knows God as Father. That is why Jesus is repeatedly referred to as the Son of David. When Jesus begins his public ministry, he proclaims: “the kingdom of God is at hand.” And when Jesus establishes the kingdom of God, he says that he will build a house for the Lord in the midst of his people, not in a temple made out of human hands. This means that the moment we put our faith in Jesus, we become a temple of the Holy Spirit. Building for the Kingdom After becoming a Christian, we might start talking about bringing the kingdom, building the kingdom, advancing the kingdom, expanding the kingdom. But “bringing the kingdom” is precisely the one thing that we cannot do. Only Jesus can do that.  Matthew 6:33 tells us we are called to “seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness.” We are called to proclaim the good news of the kingdom, to testify to the kingdom, to inherit the kingdom. The kingdom is not something that we achieve through our own effort but rather something we receive as a gift of grace. But that does not mean that we are supposed to sit back and passively await the coming of the kingdom in its fullness. We may not be able to build the kingdom of God, but we can and must build for the kingdom of God. New Testament scholar N.T. Wright writes, “The final coming together of heaven and earth is, of course, God’s supreme act of new creation, for which the only real prototype—other than the first creation itself—was the resurrection of Jesus. God alone will sum up all things in Christ, things in heaven and things on earth. He alone will make the ‘new heavens and new earth.’ It would be the height of folly to think that we could assist in that great work. But what we can and must do in the present, if we are obedient to the gospel, if we are following Jesus, and if we are indwelt, energized, and directed by the Spirit, is to build for the kingdom…You are—strange though it may seem, almost as hard to believe as the resurrection itself—accomplishing something that will become in due course part of God’s new world.  Every act of love, gratitude, and kindness; every work of art or music inspired by the love of God and delight in the beauty of his creation; every minute spent teaching a severely handicapped child to read or to walk; every act of care and nurture, of comfort and support, for one’s fellow human beings and for that matter one’s fellow nonhuman creatures; and of course every prayer, all Spirit-led teaching, every deed that spreads the gospel, builds up the church, embraces and embodies holiness rather than corruption, and makes the name of Jesus honored in the world—all of this will find its way, through the resurrecting power of God, into the new creation that God will one day make. That is the logic of the mission of God.” The kingdom of God is a present reality because the kingdom is present in Jesus. It is a kingdom of grace, which means that it can only be received. That is why Jesus said in Luke 12:32, “‘Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.’” He went on to say that only those who receive the kingdom like a child will ever enter it. How does a child receive the kingdom? With empty hands. Our faith does not add or contribute anything to our rescue. Faith is simply empty hands which receive what Jesus gives. And what Jesus gives us is himself. Wherever Jesus is, there is the kingdom. There is grace. ___ Adapted from David and The Good Life: Grace, a sermon delivered by Jason Harris on October 23, 2022. Listen to the sermon or read the full transcript. Christ and Contemporary Culture is a journal written by Jason Harris which reflects on the intersection between Jesus Christ and our contemporary culture. If you are skeptical or resistant to Christianity, the hope is that you might pause to reflect on your pre-existing ideas about the way things are and perhaps think again. For those who have embraced Christianity, these posts will serve to encourage you in your ability to communicate the gospel in a way that takes our current cultural context seriously. Produced by Mary-Catherine McKee

August 9, 2023 | Read

Post

Beyond Morality: Living a Life of Worship

When most of us think of the “good life,” we are not merely imagining an ethical or moral life but a life that is truly worth living, even in the face of the existential problems with which we must contend. Luc Ferry, a French philosopher and self-proclaimed atheist, offers this interesting thought experiment: Imagine we could wave a magic wand and cause everyone living today to begin treating one another perfectly, with equal dignity and respect. There would be no more war, genocide, racism, or xenophobia. There would be no need for a police force or a standing army. Our judicial system and prisons would eventually disappear. And yet, Ferry suggests that even if we were to wave that magic wand, the most profound existential challenges we face would still not be resolved. This is how he puts it,  “Still—and here I have to weigh each one of my words—none (I really mean none) of our most profound existential problems would be resolved if this came to pass. Nothing, even in a perfect realization of the most sublime morality, would prevent us from aging; from witnessing, powerless, the appearance of wrinkles and white hair; from falling sick, dying, and seeing our loved ones die; from worrying about the outcome of our children’s education or from struggling to achieve what we want for them. Even if we were saints, nothing would guarantee us a fulfilled emotional life.” The point is that morality is indispensable to human life. And yet, it is not enough.  We read in the story of David in 1 and 2 Samuel about the importance of living a life of worship before God. David is far from perfect, but that is not what matters. What matters is that whether winning a great victory or committing an egregious sin, David lives a life of repentance and faith. Whether in triumph or defeat, hope or despair, David does not run away from God. He runs towards God. And that is what fills his life with enduring meaning, value, and purpose. What Is Worship? The problem with religion is that it leads us to think of God like a genie in a bottle—rub the lamp and out will pop God to grant you your wishes. Religious people tend to think God is there to serve us, to fulfill all our dreams, and to make us feel good about ourselves. We assume that if we are good enough, pious enough, zealous enough, devout enough, if we say all the right prayers, observe all the right rituals, and keep all of the right rules, then God is obligated to bless us and to make our life go well. We are not really interested in God for who he is—we are merely using God to get whatever we want. And if God does not deliver, then we become angry, bitter, and resentful because he did not fulfill our expectations.  It is critical to realize that the real God will challenge our dreams, not merely fulfill them. The poet W.H. Auden once wrote that a Christian is someone who says, “I believe because He fulfills none of my dreams, because He is in every respect the opposite of what He would be if I could have made Him in my own image.” God is not here to serve us. We are here to serve him. In fact, in Hebrew the word “worship” and “serve” are the very same word. God is not here to worship us. We are here to worship him. God is not supposed to follow us according to our terms. Rather we are supposed to follow God on his terms. And if we do, then he promises that he will bless us—not out of necessity, but as a pure gift.  Christianity offers this unique view of salvation: God relates to us on the basis of sheer grace, which means that a relationship with God is not something that we achieve through our own efforts, but something we can only receive with empty hands. Religion leads us to say, “I obey, and therefore, God accepts me.” But the gospel tells us, “God accepts me, despite my sin, through the substitutionary sacrifice of another, and therefore I obey.” We strive to love, serve, and honor God, not motivated by mere duty or obligation, but motivated by gratitude and joy for what he has first done for us—not as a way to try to win God's love, but in order to demonstrate that we already have it. If we know that God has done absolutely everything that is necessary in order to cover our sin and put us in right relationship with himself, then that will infuse our life with insuppressible joy, regardless of our life circumstances or personal challenges. There is, of course, a rightful place for lament as we mourn those aspects of our lives or within the wider world that are not yet in line with his purposes. Nevertheless, the foundation of a Christian’s’ life must be one of joy. The English author G.K. Chesterton once wrote, “Man is more himself, man is more manlike, when joy is the fundamental thing in him, and grief the superficial. Melancholy should be an innocent interlude, a tender and fugitive frame of mind; praise should be the permanent pulsation of the soul.” Why Worship Matters When Isaiah has a vision of the Lord seated enthroned above the ark of the cherubim in Isaiah 6:5, he immediately says, “‘Woe is me! For I am lost!’” Isaiah acknowledges that he is a sinner and “a man of unclean lips.” But despite Isaiah’s sin, God does not strike him down. Instead, one of the seraphim flies to the altar, the place of the sacrifice, and removes one of the burning coals and places it on the lips of Isaiah saying: “‘Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.’” God has now made Isaiah clean.  This, of course, was just a vision. We get something far better. There are only two places in the New Testament where the Greek word for “mercy seat” or “place of atonement” is used—once in Romans 3 and once in Hebrews 9. In both cases, “mercy seat” or “place of atonement” is used not to describe a place but a person. Hebrews 10 tells us that the blood of bulls and goats could never do anything to actually take away people's sin. This is just a symbol meant to prepare us for the ultimate high priest who does not enter the most holy place within a humanly constructed temple, but rather he enters into the presence of the divine being himself. And there he offers not the sacrifice of an animal, but rather the sacrifice of his very own self. He gives himself for us so that our sin might be covered by his blood, and so that God in his mercy might forgive us and cleanse us so that we can enter into his holy presence and live. Jesus is the mercy seat and the place of atonement. He is the true prince of peace and the one who makes it possible for us to approach the throne of grace and live. And the mercy seat is open, still.  The gospel tells us that God is so holy and you and I really are so flawed that Jesus had to die. There was no other way for us to be able to enter into God's holy presence and live. And yet, at the same time, God is so loving and you and I are so valuable, that Jesus was willing to die for us. When you take these two truths deep into your heart and into your life, then that is what unlocks the joy. Morality and ethics are essential and important, but they are not sufficient to actually live the “good life.”  The Westminster Shorter Catechism, a historic document of faith from the 1600s, begins with this question: What is the chief end of man? In other words, what is the meaning of life? The answer is short: To glorify God and to enjoy him forever. As C.S. Lewis astutely observed, those two commands are actually one and the same. In commanding us to worship him, God is inviting us to enjoy him. The only way in which we truly learn to live the “good life” is through worship, by living our lives before the God of grace. And when we do, it will fill our lives with insuppressible joy.  ___ Adapted from David and The Good Life: Worship, a sermon delivered by Jason Harris on October 16, 2022. Listen to the sermon or read the full transcript. "Christ and Contemporary Culture" is a journal written by Jason Harris which reflects on the intersection between Jesus Christ and our contemporary culture. If you are skeptical or resistant to Christianity, the hope is that you might pause to reflect on your pre-existing ideas about the way things are and perhaps think again. For those who have embraced Christianity, these posts will serve to encourage you in your ability to communicate the gospel in a way that takes our current cultural context seriously. Produced by Mary-Catherine McKee

May 18, 2023 | Read

Resources

In the Spotlight

The Promised King

Latest Resources

The Day Jesus Made the Best Wine

The Day Jesus Made the Best Wine

The Day Jesus Told a Story

In Christ Alone

Is Christianity Escapist?

Can We be Good Without God?

Grace, Then Gratitude

Beyond Morality: Living a Life of Worship

View All Resources