The Search for Home

Paul Delashaw

Description

Through insights from John 1–4, this spiritual book offers one hundred devotionals and commentaries to help Christians mature in their relationship with God.
Do you want to find rest? Do you want to enter the place you belong? Jesus gives you grace to take the necessary steps. In The Search for Home, author Pastor Paul Delashaw presents an intriguing devotional and commentary that provides insights into John 1-4, and facilitates your path to maturity. While serving as a teaching aid for individuals and groups, it challenges you to grow and love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.
Offering a mix of one hundred devotionals and commentaries, The Search for Home introduces you to basic principles and vocabulary of inductive Bible study and helps you structure your devotional life. It focuses on John because it’s the most unique of gospels. Written last, it’s a product of careful reflection, and through the power of the Holy Spirit offers a way back to the true origin of life found only in Jesus Christ.
A coming-of-age from a Christian perspective, Delashaw details practical steps for intellectual growth and character development: faith, hope, and love.

Sujets

• Discipleship
• Christian Living
• Inspirational
• Philosophie et théologie
• Devotional
• Jesús de Nazaret
• Devotion
• Jesus
• Disciple (Christianity)
• Commentary
• Religion
• Born Again
• Grace
• Life
• Jésus de Nazareth

Informations

• Publié par: LifeRich Publishing
• Date de parution: 19 juillet 2022
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781489741035
• Langue: English

Extrait

THE SEARCH FOR HOME
 
Steps of Grace in John 1-4
 
 
 
 
PAUL DELASHAW
 
 
 
 

 
Copyright © 2022 Paul Delashaw.
 
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
 
LifeRich Publishing is a registered trademark of The Reader’s Digest Association, Inc.
 
LifeRich Publishing
1663 Liberty Drive
Bloomington, IN 47403
www.liferichpublishing.com
844-686-9607
 
Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.
 
Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.
Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.
 
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®). ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved.
 
ISBN: 978-1-4897-4102-8 (sc)
ISBN: 978-1-4897-4101-1 (hc)
ISBN: 978-1-4897-4103-5 (e)
 
Library of Congress Control Number: 2022911577
 
LifeRich Publishing rev. date:  07/12/2022
 
 
Unless otherwise noted, all English Bible quotes are taken from English Standard Version ® (ESV). Copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission.
Other English Bible quotes are taken from:
The New American Standard Bible ® (NAS), Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.
All Greek New Testament quotes are taken from Nestle-Aland, Novum Testamentum Graece, 28 th Revised Edition, edited by Barbara and Kurt Aland, Johannes Karavidopoulos, Carlo M. Martini, and Bruce M. Metzger in cooperation with the Institute for New Testament Textual Research, Münster/Westphalia, © 2012 Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart. Used by permis sion.
Italic formatting in the English and Greek Bible verses has been added by the author for emphasis.
 
 
 
Yet it was I who taught Ephraim to w alk …
Hosea 11:3
 
Invocation of the Holy Spirit
Gentle Spirit,
Gentle Holy Spirit,
            We welcome You in this place.
            We welcome You in our lives.
            We welcome You in our hearts.
So come in,
Make your home in us,
            Direct us to the Father.
            Direct us to the Son.
            Direct us to You.
We thank you for your word of grace.
We pause to hear your word of love.
[Quiet Space and Time]
Now begin to wash us,
Make our hearts clean.
Now begin to teach us,
Make our minds clear
Now begin to lead us,
Make our paths straight.
For the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord,    Amen
Contents
Foreword
Preface
Introduction
Chapter 1Incarnation and Declarations, John 1:1-51
Subchapter A – John 1:1-18
Step 1—The Desire to Create: Welcome to My Family
Step 2—Let’s Talk About Genre
Step 3—Worldview, Light, and Darkness
Step 4—Witness, Faith, and John the Baptist
Step 5—Darkness and Jesus the Super-True Light
Step 6—New Testament Development: Christ as Creator and God
Step 7—God as a Social Being
Step 8—“Dad, Can I Be a Bigfoot?”
Step 9—God’s Mysterious Methods: God and Human Interrelation
Step 10—The Word Becomes Flesh: What Just happened?
Step 11—The Word Becomes Flesh: In the Neighborhood
Step 12—The Word Becomes Flesh: Marshmallows in Glory
Step 13—The Word Becomes Flesh: Seeing on the Roof
Step 14—The Word Becomes Flesh: Incarnation
Step 15—Brothers Who Fight. Brothers Who Support
Step 16—The Old Covenant’s Relation to Grace upon Grace
Step 17—Moses Sees God’s Back
Step 18—Progressive Revelation
Step 19—God’s Only Begotten Son
Observing the Path—The Prologue, John 1:1-18
Subchapter B—John 1:19-51
Step 20—Meeting the Religious Elite
Step 21—Confessing Christ
Step 22—Motion Sickness and the Bible
Step 23—The Wilderness and the Retreat Experience
Step 24—Standing against the Current
Step 25—Jesus the Lamb of God
Step 26—The Purpose of the Baptist’s Work
Step 27—Pastors and Preachers
Step 28—Being Alive in Jesus
Step 29—The room
Step 30—Invitations and Clark Potter
Step 31—Adventures in Jesus: The Great Treasure Hunt
Step 32—Our New Name
Step 33—Gasification
Step 34—Deception
Step 35—Being Known
Step 36—Thoughts from Camp
Step 37—Jesus satisfies
Step 38—The Arch ē of John 1:1
Observing the Path—John 1 as a Whole
Chapter 2Geography and Personalities, John 2
Step 39—The Third Day
Step 40—The Mother of Jesus
Step 41—The One in Charge
Step 42—Party Failures
Step 43—Waterpots
Step 44—The Master of the Feast
Step 45—He Manifested His Glory
Step 46—Attachments
Step 47—Context is King
Step 48—Love and Meekness
Step 49—Passion
Step 50—Piaget
Step 51—Thinking in New Ways
Step 52—God’s View of Greatness
Observing the Path—A Broader View, John 2
Chapter 3New Birth, John 3
Step 53—School of the Pharisees
Step 54—The Pharisaical Opportunity Association
Step 55—Inadequate Identity
Step 56—Born from above
Step 57—Beginning to See
Step 58—Coming Home
Step 59—Prevenient Grace
Day 60—Born of Water and the Spirit
Step 61—Bob Dylan and the Holy Spirit
Step 62—Some Words on Teaching
Step 63—The Heavenly Word
Step 64—A Word on Wisdom
Step 65—Atonement
Step 66—God Loves the World
Step 67—Coming out of the World
Step 68—God’s Fight for Repentance
Step 69—Only Love
Step 70—Gaining a Response
Step 71—Plastics
Step 72—Eternal Life
Step 73—Gaining our Freedom
Step 74—Peanut Butter Behind the Couch
Step 75—Inward freedom
Step 76—Making Room for Jesus
Step 77—Friendship
Step 78—Charismatic Influencers
Step 79—Heavenly Testimonies Looking Down
Step 80—Being Spiritual
Step 81—Our First Down Payment
Observing the Path—Nicodemus, John 3:1–21
Chapter 4Woman at the Well, John 4
Step 82—Passing through Samaria
Step 83—Competing Narratives
Step 84—Christ’s Humanity and Divinity
Step 85—The Wall
Step 86—The Gift of God
Step 87—Experience
Step 88—Broken Windows
Step 89—Locution and a Couple Other Words
Step 90—Finding What You’re Not Looking For
Step 91—A New Day
Step 92—Worshiping in Spirit and Truth
Step 93—Taking God’s Nature for Granted
Step 94—Making Space One Case at a Time
Step 95—Bringing Down the Walls
Step 96—Toward Maturity
Step 97—Procrastination
Step 98—Perspectives
Step 99—Savior of the World
Step 100—Christ’s Patience
Observing the Path—Back in Cana, John 4:46-54
Epilogue
Appendix
Bibliography
Foreword
Don’t you just love curveballs? You are at the plate, ready to knock it over the fence. The pitch … and wham ! Well, unfortunately not. You are now the proud owner of yet another strike. The all-famous by-product of the curveball.
Life happens far too often in just the same fashion. The all too familiar experience of blindsiding crazy chaos comes across our plates, and oftentimes we are left with zero answers and zero knowledge as to how to cope. Confusion, nine times out of ten, sets in.
It’s a good thing we have grace . It’s an amazing thing that we have the Holy Spirit. Because within the bigger picture we, as bodies , can rest our hearts on the confident reassurance that Christ has our backs. His word tells us a couple of very important things related to these crazy curveballs. All throughout the Word, the message about curveballs is clear. From Isaiah 43:2, Psalm 46:1, 2 Corinthians 12:8–9, we learn that G od has our backs. And just when we are truly up against it, he still has our b acks!
Pastor Paul is a has-your-back kinda dude. The strength and knowledge that this true prince in the Kingdom of God has is powerful and comforting all at the same time. Please enjoy this book and allow it the opportunity to touch your heart. Give it room to speak to your soul. Most importantly, though, let the words that follow equip you for those crazy curveballs we call life.
Take care and e njoy !

Preface
Some have said in our postmodern era that we should no longer share the gospel one verse or one step at a time. We are told we shouldn’t break scripture down into a set of to-do lists. These to-do lists, or direct applications, make the message dry, like a stack of saltine crackers we are commanded to swallow. It is implied that God’s love cannot be tasted this way but is like the salt from those crackers fallen on the floor. “You are the salt of the earth,” Jesus said, “ but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet” (Matthew 5:13). If salt is a metaphor for love, we need to consume this love the best way possible, and