Lake Deaton at Home

Greetings Lake Deaton Family,

I hope you are all well. I had my surgical procedure on Monday, and all went well. I will now wait until next week to find out if the cancer had spread through my lymph nodes, but I am anticipating that it had remained localized and that all is complete. Thank you all so much for your prayers and cards!!!

The scripture from yesterday’s and today’s reading is pretty much in-your-face Jesus 101! The people want Jesus to perform miracles like he is a carnival side show. Jesus is trying to point them to real life, which is found through complete surrender to Himself. Often, we read things like this and think those people are all messed up, don’t they know who it is standing before them? But I think we haven’t changed much in 2,000 years. Today we are looking at a different kind of show, but many of us still are in it for the show. We talk about the music, it was too loud, or not loud enough, it didn’t speak to me, or the pastor’s comments didn’t grab me. The list can go on and on. We live in a consumerist world and we take our consumerism with us as we enter into the church. 

You may need to read the first part of John chapter 6 again today, before reading the scripture below. As you read think about why some people left Jesus, and then think about what Jesus was offering to the people that we might desperately need today. 

As you read, I invite you to open your heart to being messed with. Maybe some of us are looking at Jesus and wanting the wrong thing, let’s open our hearts to the real Jesus and the real message of the Gospel. 

Read: John 6:60-71

Questions to Consider:

1. Why did the people leave Jesus? (Vs 66)
2. What do you think it means when Jesus says that he is the bread of life and that unless we eat his flesh and drink his blood, we cannot have eternal life?
3. What would it mean for you today to eat his flesh and drink his blood? What does that look like in the 21^st century?

So What Activity:   Spend some time today in quiet meditation before Jesus. As you spend this time write down any areas in your life where you feel you may be looking at Jesus (or the church) as a carnival side show. Then write down what Jesus is asking of you in order to move into a deeper surrender into discipleship. 

Blessings,