John 10 – Defining Words

It doesn't always work but there are the rare occasions when the light bulb goes on…

John 10:1-42

Reference:  v. 11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep." (NIV Bible)

Explore:  Whilst doing her homework, my daughter will often ask me the definition of a word.  Most of the words she asks me about I know and could even place them in a sentence, but to actually explain what they mean to a teenager is a whole different story.  Finding examples that would relate to a young person is very challenging when she's starting to read more mature words.  My examples usually start off with, "Well, say you were at school and you had a falling out with a friend…"  It doesn't always work but there are the rare occasions when the light bulb goes on inside her head and the word finds new meaning.

Application:  When it comes to learning about God we often find ourselves asking questions.  Let's face it we will never fully be able to understand all there is to know about God.  However, when Jesus explained new understandings He would use stories and objects that were well-known to the people: sheep, yeast, coins…  When we are asked to explain our faith or our understanding of God, what do we say?  We will never be as articulate as Jesus but let's take a leaf out of His book.  He spoke simply and plainly and used examples that were well-known.  When you are in the moment and someone suddenly asks you about your faith, it is hard to be simple yet creative.  Maybe we should all start thinking of ways to explain our faith to people who may not even know who Noah is.

Prayer:  Lord, thank you for your words of wisdom.  May you guide our words as we aim to tell more people about you.  Amen.

How would you explain your faith to someone who did not know anything about God?

John