John 1:3-8

1) Silence, Stillness and Centering before God (2 minutes)

2) Scripture Reading: John 1:3-8
All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.  4In him was life,and the life was the light of men. 5The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. 8He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.

3) Devotional 
All I heard was the word, "CURB!" but it was already too late!  I had driven my 1983 Dodge Mirada onto the sidewalk, hitting the curb and nearly missing the jogger that had jumped into the bushes to escape my beast of a car.  Both of the tires on my right side were completely damaged.  I was commuting to my college with my roomate when this whole incident occurred.  It was the morning and as we went down the street the sun glare was so strong I couldn't see the curb jutting out, and the damage was already done.  Light can be a good thing, but it can also be a damaging thing depending on who you are.  When you or I are in sin, hiding from God, the last thing in the world that we want is to have the light shine on us.  But if we are in utter darkness wandering and looking for hope, light is the very answer to the question we have been seeking.  As Christians, we are called to simply bear witness to the light.  For some it will be a glare that they will want nothing to do with, but for others it will be a source of joy and peace.  We can't change how the light will be received, but simply let the light of Christ shine through our lives in every day and situation.

4) Questions to Consider
Is being in the light a source of hope and joy, or of shame and despair?  What would it look like for you to be in the light?  What steps would you need to take today to get there?

5) Prayer
Lord Jesus, I desire to be in the light.  Search me and know my heart, test me and know my anxious thoughts, see if there is any offensive way in me and lead me in the way that lasts forever.

Conclude with Silence (2 minutes)

John 1:1-2

1) Silence, Stillness and Centering before God (2 minutes)

2) Scripture Reading: John 1:1-2
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was with God in the beginning.

3) Devotional
“Word”. “A man is only as good as his word”.

How many of us were raised by a parent that reminded us of that truth growing up?  It is interesting that Jesus is described in John 1:1 as “The Word”.  He also calls us to be like him in word and in deed.

Every year in this country:
• 3,500 churches die,
• 1,200 churches are planted.
• Up to 80 percent of those fail.
• That means we’re losing 3,000 churches a year.
• We’re losing 60 churches a week—a week, just dying and getting buried, every year.
• What is desperately needed in our world of multiple cultures and multiple understandings and multiple realities, is people like John the Beloved, author of John’s Gospel.   For they are people who understand Jesus well enough and can understand the world well enough to be able to take a simple concept like the Logos and use that as a means of articulating the whole that brings the parts together.

And so, that’s what we exist for.
• Stonecrest is a (little w) word of God.
• You are a (little w) word of God.
• Not that you are divine,
• but that you are a speech,
• you are a statement sent into the darkness of this world to communicate the truth that there is light.
• God has sent you into the world as a (little w) word of God to speak about grace and to show it, and to speak about truth and to show it, and to speak about Jesus, and to be a witness pointing to him.
• How does God get his things done in this world? How does God get his word spoken in this world? That would be through us. That would be through you and me, just like he did it through John the Beloved.

And so, that’s what we strive to be. That’s what we are about. Word is produces word does.  When the Word (Logos) changes us on the inside, our “word” is in daily life.  That’s the most important thing.

4) Questions to Consider
How has the Word changed you?  How has God used you for His glory?

5) Prayer
Lord Jesus, thank you for your Word.  Help me to hide your Word within my heart in order to know you more and to know your heart.  In Jesus' name, Amen.

Conclude with Silence (2 minutes)