John 1:1-14
Jesus Is the Word and the Word is with God
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
6 There was a man sent from God whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. 8 He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.
9 The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.
14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
When I read the first chapter of Joh's Gospel, they tell us about how Jesus has been with God from the beginning...In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God...He was with God in the beginning...Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made...In Him was life, and that life was the Light of all mankind...The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it...The true Light of Jesus gives light to everyone was coming into our world...He was now in the world, and though the world was made through Him, the world did not recognize Him, when He walked the earth...Jesus came to that which was His Own and who He had created, but His Own did not receive Him...Yet to all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His Name, He gave the right to become children of God—children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God...The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us...We have seen His glory, the glory of the One and Only Son, who came from the Father, full of Grace and Truth...God is the purpose of life and when He sent His Son to earth, we got to see a human side of our Father in Heaven, who had created us in Hos Own Image...Jesus helps us better understand His Father and to better understand life...Jesus is a Perfect Reflection of His Father...He is the Perfect Human...Jesus gives us significance, purpose, and hope...
Pastor and author Rick Warren writes from his book the Purpose Driven Life these things about life and its purpose...His statements are centered around God and His Son...“True humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less.”...“Humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less. Humility is thinking more of others.”...“Humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less. Humility is thinking more of others. Humble people are so focused on serving others, they don't think of themselves.”...
Warren adds: “We are products of our past, but we don't have to be prisoners of it.”...“Time is your most precious gift because you only have a set amount of it...You can make more money, but you can't make more time...When you give someone your time, you are giving them a portion of your life that you'll never get back...Your time is your life...That is why the greatest gift you can give someone is your time...It is not enough to just say relationships are important; we must prove it by investing time in them...Words alone are worthless..."My children, our love should not be just words and talk; it must be true love, which shows itself in action."...“Relationships take time and effort, and the best way to spell love is "T-I-M-E.”...“Forgiveness must be immediate, whether or not a person asks for it...Trust must be rebuilt over time...Trust requires a track record.”...“Resentment always hurts you more than it does the person you resent...While your offender has probably forgotten the offense and gone on with life, you continue to stew in your pain, perpetuating the past...Listen: those who hurt you in the past cannot continue to hurt you now unless you hold on to the pain through resentment...Your past is past!...Nothing will change it...You are only hurting yourself with your bitterness...For your own sake, learn from it, and then let it go.”...“Those who have hurt you in the past cannot continue to hurt you now unless you hold on to the pain through resentment.”...“We are products of our past, but we don't have to be prisoners of it.”...
And Warren continues: “Trusting God completely means having faith that He knows what is best for your life...You expect Him to keep His promises, help you with problems, and do the impossible when necessary.”...“Experience is not what happens to you...It is what you do with what happens to you...Don’t waste your pain; use it to help others.”...“Other people are going to find healing in your wounds...Your greatest life messages and your most effective ministry will come out of your deepest hurts.”...“God intentionally allows you to go through painful experiences to equip you for ministry to others.”...“Why is this happening to me?...Why am I having such a difficult time?...One answer is that life is supposed to be difficult!...It’s what enables us to grow...Remember, earth is not heaven!”...“If not to God, you will surrender to the opinions or expectations of others, to money, to resentment, to fear, or to your own pride, lusts, or ego...You were designed to worship God and if you fail to worship Him, you will create other things (idols) to give your life to...You are free to choose, what you surrender to but you are not free from the consequence of that choice.”...“You weren't put on earth to be remembered...You were put here to prepare for eternity.”...“We’re not completely happy here because we’re not supposed to be!...Earth is not our final home; we were created for something much better.”...“You cannot fulfil God's purposes for your life while focusing on your own plans. ”...“The only really happy people are those who have learned how to serve.”...“If you want God to bless you and use you greatly, you must be willing to walk with a limp the rest of your life, because God uses weak people.”...“Those who follow the crowd usually get lost in it.”...“If you have felt hopeless, hold on!...Wonderful changes are going to happen in your life as you begin to live it on purpose.”...“A pretentious, showy life is an empty life; a plain and simple life is a full life.”...“It’s not what you do, but how much love you put into it that matters.”...“Life is a gift...Life is a test...Life is temporary assignment.”...“Because God is with you all the time, no place is any closer to God than the place where you are right now.”...“Life minus love equals zero.”...“Frankness is not a license to say anything you want, wherever and whenever you want...It is not rudeness.”...“If you are a member of a small group or class, I urge you to make a group covenant that includes the nine characteristics of biblical fellowship: We will share our true feelings (authenticity), forgive each other (mercy), speak the truth in love (honesty), admit our weaknesses (humility), respect our differences (courtesy), not gossip (confidentiality), and make group a priority (frequency).”...“Your value is not determined by your valuables, and God says the most valuable things in life are not things!”...“Without God, life has no purpose, and without purpose, life has no meaning...Without meaning, life has no significance or hope.”...