Discussion Questions for “The 11th Commandment”
by: Jinha Kim
"But those who drink the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life." John 4:14
Some of the comments from the rest of the devotional readings – thanks all for contributing, and keep on reading/praying! Click here for the reading plan.
by: Jinha Kim
"But those who drink the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life." John 4:14
My favourite moment in the U.S. Presidential Inauguration was when Amanda Gorman, aged 22, recited a powerful poem about unity (full video here):
We close the divide, because we know to put our future first,
We must first put our differences aside.
We lay down our arms
So we can reach out our arms to one another…
Scripture tells us to envision
That everyone shall sit under their own vine and fig tree,
And no one shall make them afraid.
If we’re to live up to our own time,
then victory won’t lie in the blade but in all the bridges we’ve made.
What a courageous call to come together.
by: Jinha Kim
"But those who drink the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life." John 4:14
Children run.
Last Sunday our family was able to go to Werribee Zoo and finally see the robotic dinosaurs Joshua had waited over 3 months to see.
He was so excited that as soon as we entered the zoo gates, he ran towards the exhibit, not stopping to see the impressive gorillas or cuddly koalas along the way. When he entered the exhibit, he squealed with delight and ran from one dinosaur to another, barely pausing until he got to his favourite – the large, roaring tyrannosaurus rex.
I had to run to keep up with him, amazed at how joy lit up his whole body.
by: Jinha Kim
"But those who drink the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life." John 4:14
We have a little boy who is 4 years old. He has taught me many things in his short life time. But one thing parenthood has shown me is the wonder of a father’s love and how it is a reflection of God’s love for us.
by: Bronwyn
As we finish our series on 1 John, we are going to examine why we need Jesus, not only for avoiding sin, but for experiencing love.
“If anyone claims, ‘I am living in the light,’ but hates a fellow believer, that person is still living in darkness” (1 John 2:9 NLT). What does it mean to live in the light? Explore with us as we continue our series on the book of 1 John.
I wish there were more answers to how to raise children. How hard is too hard? How soft is too soft? How much is too much?
by: Bronwyn
This past weekend we went to Philip Island for our church camp. Saturday afternoon we strolled along the Nobbies boardwalks and saw spectacular views of the coast. We also saw several fairy penguins in their little burrows as well as under the boardwalk.
These little penguins are not only adorable, but they’re unique. This particular specie of penguins is not only the smallest, but also the only penguin with blue and white feathers. They can spend over 4 weeks out at sea fishing for anchovies, squid, and even sea jellies. Once they’ve found enough food, they wait in groups for dusk, when they can hide from predators, and then they waddle across the shore to find their way home.
Using unique calls, the parents call for their chicks, who cheep back until they are reunited. The parent then regurgitates the food and feeds the hungry baby who has been patiently waiting all day (or several days) for a feed. Then they nest together in their burrows for a rest.
Through nature we can see the devotion of parents towards their young and the total dependence of the young in their parents. It is a lovely picture of the kind of love and trust that can develop between God and His people.
Psalm 36:5-9
Your love is faithful, Lord,
and even the clouds in the sky
can depend on you.
Your decisions are always fair.
They are firm like mountains,
deep like the sea,
and all people and animals
are under your care.
Your love is a treasure,
and everyone finds shelter
in the shadow of your wings.
You give your guests a feast
in your house,
and you serve a tasty drink
that flows like a river.
The life-giving fountain
belongs to you,
and your light gives light
to each of us.
Psalm 63:7,8
You have helped me,
and I sing happy songs
in the shadow of your wings.
I stay close to you,
and your powerful arm
supports me.
Waiting can be hard. While we wait for our needs and desires to be met, it can be lonely in our burrow. But God is not inactive nor ignorant. He is working hard to give us the desires of our hearts – and He will come to us in the dusk, calling for us to answer His voice and rest in the shadow of His wing.
by: Jinha Kim
"But those who drink the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life." John 4:14
“There is nothing more healing to the sinful heart than to be fully known and yet fully loved” (Ty Gibson).
Who knows you best? Your mum? Your best friend? Your partner?
We cherish those who know us intimately and yet love us, warts and all. We don’t have to contrive small talk or put on masks – we can just be ourselves.
by: Jinha Kim
"But those who drink the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life." John 4:14