❖ 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…

❖ Video ❖ Audio (Message) ק (Qoph) Call out to the Lord with all my heart　 Series: Finding the Gospel in Psalm 119 – A Hymn to the Law (19/22) Psalm 119:145–152 Andy Nagahrara We continue with Psalm 119, which I have been talking about in a series for a while. Today we will take up verses 145-152, where the 19th letter of the Hebrew alphabet, “ק (Qoph),” is placed at the beginning of each line of the 19th paragraph. What is impressive in today’s part is how the psalmist repeatedly calls out to God. Have you ever had the experience of calling out to God or crying out to…

❖ Video ❖ Audio (Message) Jesus Is God’s Truth (John 3:31-36) Mari Ikeda Continuing from the Gospel of John, today we will read 3:31-36. This section is like a summary of chapters 1 to 3 so far. Like verses 16-21, which we read last time, it is considered to be the narration part by John, who wrote this gospel. John’s sole purpose here is to reemphasize to the readers that Jesus, as a historical figure, is God Himself, who created the world, and that He is the one who reveals God’s truth. It’s a short section, but I’d like to divide it into two parts and read it. First, verses…

❖ Video ❖ Audio (Message) צ (tsadeh) Righteousness Series: Finding the Gospel in Psalm 119 – A Hymn to the Law (18/22) Psalm 119:137–144 Andy Nagahrara Now we continue with Psalm 119, which I have been talking about in a series for a while. Today we will focus on verses 137-144, where the 18th letter of the Hebrew alphabet, “צ (tsadeh),” is placed at the beginning of each line of the 18th paragraph.Although the origin of the letter is not clear, the name of the letter is also tsadek (צדיק/tsadík), which means the righteous one, or righteous, and in fact many words translated as “righteous” appear in today’s texts. I…

❖ Video ❖ Audio (Message) We Cannot Replace Jesus (John 3:22-30) Mari Ikeda      Today we are reading the continuation of the Gospel of John series, 3:22-30. This is actually the last time John the Baptist appears in this gospel. Appropriate for his final appearance, John’s words in this passage teach us something very important, as if they are his testament. That is today’s title, “We cannot replace Jesus.”      We are told to love the people around us as Jesus loves us, and we can say in a way we are given the role of loving them on behalf of Jesus. But no matter how far we…

❖ Video ❖ Audio (Message) פ（Pe) Seek to be filled with the Holy Spirit Series: Finding the Gospel in Psalm 119 – A Hymn to the Law (17/22) Psalm 119:129–136 Andy Nagahrara We are continuing our series on Psalm 119.Today, we will take up verses 129-136 where each line of the 17th paragraph begins with the 17th letter of the Hebrew alphabet, “פ（Pe)”.Today is Pentecost, the church has begun with the Holy Spirit poured out on the disciples who have been praying and waiting. It is, so to speak, the birthday of the Christian Church. Chapter 1 of Acts of the Apostles tells us that the resurrected Jesus appeared to…