Look Beneath the Surface

In one paragraph

This Sunday Brian walked the congregation through John 7 and asked a direct question: is the picture of Jesus you carry big enough to hold everything the Bible actually says about him? The sermon used the image of a wineskin, already familiar to the Tribe fam from recent weeks, to press that question into something personal and immediate, with Tuesday's election sitting one day away. Brian opened...

Read together

1. John 7:1-36 read aloud in full as the main passage for the sermon
2. John 3:16 quoted as the familiar summary of Jesus' ministry that people already know
3. John 7:31 cited repeatedly as the verse about people believing in Jesus, used as the known baseline against which new wine is contrasted
4. John 7:24 quoted as Jesus' command to stop judging by appearances and judge correctly, tied to the sermon's theme of looking beneath the surface
5. Habakkuk 3:3-6 read as a prophecy about the manner of Jesus' return, used to show a dimension of Jesus that does not fit a felt-board image
6. Psalm 2 referenced as saying Jesus will rule from earth making enemies his footstool and smashing nations like clay pots
7. Revelation referenced for the tribulation, the wrath of the lamb, bowls filled with prayers of saints, and the spirit and bride saying come Lord Jesus
8. Romans 10:9 paraphrased as confess with your mouth and believe in your heart during the salvation prayer

What was said

• Before you go to the grocery store or run errands this week, ask the Holy Spirit to interrupt your checklist and lead you to someone who needs prayer, then actually stop and ask them.
• Sit quietly with your Bible open to Habakkuk chapter three, verses three through six, and ask God honestly whether your picture of Jesus has room for attributes of him that make you uncomfortable.
• Pick one area of your life where you have been controlling the outcome rather than surrendering it, name it out loud to God, and ask him to stretch your wineskin to receive what he is already pouring out.
• In the days following Tuesday's election, when the noise online or in conversation pulls you toward anxiety or anger, pause and remind yourself of Brian's line from John seven: look beneath the surface to see what God is actually doing.
• If you stood up during the closing prayer or quietly wanted to but did not, find one of the prayer team members at a future gathering, or simply tell God in your own words today that you are surrendering your life to him.

Talk about it

1. Brian talked about the prayer 'I want more of you, God' and said it is not a whiny request but a cry for the courage to surrender. Where in your own life do you sense God has already poured something out that you have not yet been able to receive?
2. Sarah shared a picture during worship of a bird carrying a crown of thorns and laying it on the cross. What is something you have been carrying that, according to what Jesus has already done, you no longer need to carry?
3. Brian pointed to all the words surrounding verse 31 of John 7, things like grumbling, confusion, fear, and accusations, and said that most of us only have eyes for the belief that happened inside all of that chaos. How does knowing that context change the way you read that passage?
4. Brian used the idea of a wineskin to describe the picture of Jesus we each carry, and said there needs to be room for a Habakkuk 3 verse 5 Jesus alongside a John 7 verse 31 Jesus. Is there an attribute or action of Jesus that you have found hard to hold on to, and what do you think that reveals about the wineskin you have been working with?
5. The man in the gym analogy described someone going through the motions without real strain or growth, and the challenge was whether we would step into uncomfortable obedience in everyday moments like a grocery store aisle. What would upping the weight actually look like for you this week?