❖ Video ❖ Audio (Message) Believing Without Seeing (John 4:43-54) Mari Ikeda      Today we will read John 4:43-45 as we continue reading John’s Gospel. Today’s passage teaches us that when we believe in God, we don’t believe because God has done something for us. Faith is trusting that God will lead us in the right direction at all times, whether the reality we see is good or bad. Let’s start reading. I’d like to read it in two parts. First, verses 43-45.  A. People seek what they can see (43-45, 2:23-25) 43 After the two days he left for Galilee. 44 (Now Jesus himself had pointed out that…

❖ Video ❖ Audio (Message) ש（Shin) Love for law Series: Finding the Gospel in Psalm 119 – A Hymn to the Law (21/22) Psalm 119:160–168 Andy Nagahrara Today is the 21st in a series on Psalm 119. We will cover verses 161-168, where the 21st letter of the Hebrew alphabet, “ש (Shin)” is placed at the beginning of each line of the 21st paragraph.The reading of this letter is said to be related to the Hebrew word for tooth (שן šen), but there are different theories.Today, let’s consider what it means for us to “love the law,” which appears three times in this text. 1. The word of the Lord,…

❖ Video ❖ Audio (Message) The Joy That Fills and Moves Our Hearts (John 4:27-42) Mari Ikeda Continuing from last time, today we will read the second half of the story of the Samaritan woman and Jesus. It’s John 4:27-42. Today’s keyword is “joy.” As you read today’s section, you can see the joy and excitement of everyone involved, including Jesus. First, in verses 27-30, we see the joy of the Samaritan woman. Her joy was her surprise and excitement, joy and anticipation that Jesus knew her so well. It is also the joy that all of us get when we meet Jesus. Let’s read verses 27-30. A. The joy…

❖ Video ❖ Audio (Message) ר（Resh) Preserve My Life Series: Finding the Gospel in Psalm 119 – A Hymn to the Law (20/22) Psalm 119:153–160 Andy Nagahrara Today we continue with the very long Psalm 119 that I have been sharing with you in the series, and we will take up verses 153-160, where the 20th letter of the Hebrew alphabet, “ר（Resh)” is placed at the beginning of each line of the 20th paragraph.The character is derived from the Hebrew: ראש roš, which depicts a head.　Today’s text is characterized by the repetition of the wish, “Preserve my life according to __.”　Last week, we thought about the water of life that…

❖ Video ❖ Audio (Message) Jesus Values Encountering Each Person Personally (John 4:1-26) Mari Ikeda Today we will read 4:1-26 as a continuation of the Gospel of John. 4:1-42 is actually one story, but since it is so long, I decided to read it in two parts. Even so, today’s verses 1-26 are long enough, so today I would like to read them by omitting some of the detailed explanations. Today’s passage depicts an encounter between a woman and Jesus. I think it is shown here that Jesus is the one who values the encounters with each one of us. Now, let’s start reading, firstly verses 1-6. A. God’s plan…