Follow Me

Most assuredly, I say to you, when you were younger, you girded yourself and walked where you wished; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish.” This He spoke, signifying by what death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, “Follow Me.” Then Peter, turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following, who also had leaned on His breast at the supper, and said, “Lord, who is the one who betrays You?”Peter, seeing him, said to Jesus, “But Lord, what about this man?” Jesus said to him, “If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you? You follow Me.” John 21:18-22 NKJV

Jesus’ gentle reminder to Peter is a reminder for us as well. How often do we as humans, get distracted by what is going on with other humans, when we are supposed to be following Jesus? In John 5:1-15, a man is distracted by the pool, and those getting in before him, and wondering why no one would help him. Finally he takes his eyes off the pool and those around him. He casts his eyes on Jesus and finds healing. In Matthew 11:1-11 John the Baptist begins to doubt when his faith could not see beyond the prison walls. John may have wondered, “Am I going to be left here to die? Why doesn’t God senfd a chariot of fire to come pick me up like He did for Elijah? Surely I deserve to be lifted up above the crowd in the same fashion as Elijah? Why wouldn’t God do for me the same as He did for Elijah? “Granted, I don’t know if John the Baptist ever thought that or not, but it sure seems he could have. If so, he would have just been human like the rest of us, including Peter, who was wanting to compare his fate to the fate of the other disciple.  Thus Jesus’ simple yet profound reminder to Peter and the rest of us, “What is that to you? You follow me.” 

When I was young, you never even heard the term “turnover rate” used for pastors. If someone was a pastor you knew they would be a pastor for life. Now there is such a thing as a turnover rate  for pastors. With respect for the office diminishing, (Some of which is deserved but that is another lesson for another time.) increased conflict arises between congregations and pastors.  Overwhelming stress, lack of support and feelings of isolation, like I am sure John the Baptist felt, have many pastors leaving for greener pastures.  Now I have no doubt God may lead some pastors into another realm of service, but in most cases could it be the pastor is looking at greener pastures instead of looking to Jesus? Could it be the pastor is looking at the conflicts in the church instead of looking to Jesus? Could it be the pastor is comparing the respect given to pastors years ago with the respect he is given today? Could it be the pastor simply needs to do what the man  in John 5 did and take his eyes off the pool and everyone around him, and place them on Jesus?  Jesus, who was spit upon, beaten and crucified, does not tell us to compare ourselves to other pastors. He tells us to follow Him. Where did Jesus go? He went to the cross. Again I do not know what John the Baptist was thinking while confined by those prison walls, but I sure hope he was not comparing his ministry to Elijah and that chariot of fire that came and took him away. I hope he was looking to Jesus, as John did in a real sense follow Christ to the cross. 

I know I am not telling you anything new, but today you may just need to be reminded, when you were baptized you did not give your heart to man, you gave it to Jesus. If people are letting you down in your ministry, rest assured people were never meant to be your solution. Has the church let you down? No worries, the church was never promised to be there for you. Psalm 46:1 tells us God is our ever present help in times of trouble.  Don’t feel betrayed if the conference did not come through for you on a benefit you thought you were entitled to. The conference did not call you into ministry, God did, and the only benefit He promised you was a cross. You work for God and not for man. See Ephesians 6:7. When you were baptized Jesus did not promise you a chariot of fire. He did not promise you special honor and privilages, He did not promise everyone would love you. On the contrary He told you all would hate you for His sake. See Matthew 24:9. When Jesus asked you to follow Him the only thing He promised you was a cross. 

Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.Luke 9:23 NKJV

You may be reading this thinking, “But I am not a pastor” but you are! The New Testament teaches the priesthood of all believers, and you have been called to pastor in some realm, which could be an actual church, or classroom, workplace or neighborhood.  Wherever God is calling you to serve, please take your eyes off the “pool,” take your eyes off that other disciple who you think may have been given a better deal. Take your eyes off the people who are not cooperating and supporting you as you think you deserve. Place your eyes on Jesus, the Lamb who was freshly slain, and as He becons you with His nailed scarred hands, drown out all the noise from the crowd around you as He pleads, “Follow me.” 

Will you? 

13: Epilogue: Knowing Jesus and His Word-Sabbath School Lesson Teaching Plan

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Prepared by William Earnhardt for Sabbath School class, December 28, 2024.

Main Theme: In this, our last week in John, we will look at some of this Gospel’s key points, which can help us move beyond the mere head knowledge of Jesus to, instead, knowing Him better and more closely abiding in Him and in His Word.

Read in Class: John 21:1-25. Have the class define the main idea of this chapter.

Study: What crucial truths are revealed here, especially about God’s grace—and human humility?

Apply: Why is humility so key in anyone seeking to know the Lord? In light of the Cross, what do any of us have to be proud of?

Share: Your friend points out that people jumped to the wrong conclusion about what Jesus meant in John 21:20-23. Your friend asks why people sometimes misunderstood Jesus’ words. What do you tell your friend?

Read in Class: John 1:4-10 and John 8:12. Ask the class to define the common thread of these passages.

Study: What great contrast is present here, and why is this contrast so foundational to understanding truth?

Apply: Read John 8:42-44.  How does Jesus describe the false foundation on which the religious leaders of Israel had based their faith?

Share: Your friend asks you, “How do you respond to truths that “step on your toes,” as opposed to how you should respond to those truths?” What do you tell your friend?

Read in Class: John 4:46-54. Ask the class to define the main idea of this passage.

Study: What problem brought the official to Jesus, and what was the real underlying issue here?

Apply: What is the relationship between our love for Jesus and obedience? Why is any kind of “obedience” not based on love in danger of being legalism?

Share: Your friend asks you if you believe in Jesus because you have seen signs and miracles, or because of what the Bible says about Jesus. What do you tell your friend?

Read in Class: John 12:32 and John 15:1-11. Ask the class if there is a common thread in these two passages.

Study: What is it that draws people into a relationship with Jesus?

Apply: What is the secret of spiritual growth and health?

Share: What are some fresh and new revelations you have gained studying this quarter’s lesson, “Themes in the Gospel of John?”

12: The Hour of Glory: The Cross and Resurrection-Sabbath School Lesson Teaching Plan

Prepared by William Earnhardt, for Sabbath School class, December 21, 2024.

Main Theme:  John presents the Cross as the enthronement of Jesus, particularly tied to the idea of the hour, which is referred to numerous times throughout the book (John 7:30; John 8:20; John 12:27). This idea of enthronement is an ironic picture since crucifixion was the most ignominious and shameful way to die that the Romans used. This contrast points to the deeply ironic depiction that John presents: Jesus is dying in shame, but it is, at the same time, His glorious enthronement as the Savior.

Read in Class: John 18:33-19:5. Ask the class to define the main idea of this passage.

Study: What did Pilate and Jesus talk about? How did Pilate try to persuade the people to ask for Jesus’ release?

Apply: How scary—a pagan ruler wants to release Jesus while the spiritual leaders of the nation, who should have recognized Him, wanted Him crucified instead! What lessons can we take from this for ourselves?

Share: Your friend asks you, “how do you understand the idea of Jesus as the Truth?” What do you tell your friend?

Read in Class: John 19:25-30. Ask the class what the main idea of this passage is?

Study: What touching scene regarding Jesus’ mother happened at the cross?

Apply: When Jesus said, “It is finished,” what does that mean for each of us? What was finished, and how does that apply to our lives?

Share: Your pastor friend says he wishes he had time to help his ailing mother, but his ministry just keep him so busy that he can’t be there for his mother. What do you tell your pastor friend?

Read in Class: John 20:1-10. Ask the class to define the main idea of this passage.

Study: What was the meaning of the folded face cloth?

Apply: What is the importance to us about what is depicted in these verses?

Share: Your friend asks, “when Jesus was resurrected wouldn’t it have been more advantageous for Him to have gone at once to appear before all the leaders back in Jerusalem, instead of just appearing first to a woman who had been fighting addictions?” What do you tell your friend?

Read in Class: John 20:11-18. Ask the class what the main idea of this passage is?

Study: What happened here that shows why Mary Magdalene still did not understand the meaning of the empty tomb? What changed everything for Mary?

Apply: Read 1 Corinthians 15:12-20. According to Paul, what good is our Christian faith if Christ had not been raised from the dead?

Share: Your friend asks, how you know for sure that Jesus was really resurrected? What do you tell your friend?

They Made her a Whore, Jesus Made her a Woman

Noticing that John 8:1-11 was not included in the current quarter’s study on Themes in the Gospel of John, I thought I would reshare an article I contributed in the past on the subject. 

There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. Romans 8:1 NKJV

He told her he loved her. Said she was beautiful. Promised her she would be special. Next thing she knew she was being dragged out of bed by the friends of him who had dragged her into bed, and he who had praised and flattered her just stood and watched her being dragged away.

Now she was kneeling half naked, humiliated before Jesus. Eyes closed, not wanting to see the stones that would soon be crushing her head, she waited in terror. It seemed like eternity. When would it be over?

Barely peeking through one eye she sees Jesus doing something in the sand. Not sure what. She hears footsteps as men walk away. What is going on? Then she hears a word she had not heard in years directed at her.

“Woman…”

Jesus didn’t call her a “slut,” or “whore.” He called her “woman.” He was addressing her with the same title of respect that He gave to his own mother, who spoke with angels and gave birth to the Son of God.

“….where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?” John 8:10 NKJV

She opens her eyes and looks around. They are all gone! She makes no accusations against the men. We know little about the background of this woman. She may or may not have been a victim of sex trafficking. But we do know that, terrified as she was, she was ready to face the consequences without blaming anyone else for the choices she had made, and the role she had played, which now brought her half-naked and humiliated into the presence of Jesus. Yet incredibly, as guilty as she was, it was her accusers who slunk away. As she lay helpless at His feet, there was no one to condemn her! When we fall helplessly at the feet of Jesus, there is no condemnation for us either.

He said to her, “Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?” (John 8:10 NKJV)

She said, “No one, Lord.” (John 8:11 NKJV)

What was next? A sermon? A lecture? Nowhere is it recorded, but I can imagine Jesus placing His coat over her near-naked body.

The Holy One Who would be hanging naked on a cross in front of the entire universe one day, takes off His robe and covers this woman, protecting her human dignity more than just covering her sexuality.

He doesn’t preach to her. He ministers to her.

Did you know you don’t have to be a preacher to be a minister? Ministering to sinners doesn’t always have to include a sermon. An-ill timed sermon can do more harm than good. Jesus could preach with the best of them, but He knew when to preach and when not to preach. He also knew when to minister.

He called her “woman.” He placed His coat over her near-naked body and gave her the sense of dignity she had been promised by the man who betrayed her trust. Then He did not preach to her with words, He ministered to her with words.

“Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.” John 8:11 NKJV

His words were brief and clear, yet somehow we get them mixed up. Have we ever told someone “Go and sin no more, and then I will stop condemning you?” That’s not what Jesus said.

Jesus said clearly, “Neither do I condemn you.” Present tense.

“Go and sin no more.” Future tense.

Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you. Go and sin no more.” What Jesus did not say was, “If you go and sin no more then I won’t condemn you.” 

The world told her they would stop condemning her once she stopped sinning. Jesus promised not to condemn her, so she could stop sinning.

They called her a whore and a slut.
Jesus called her a woman.

A man promised her she would be special, and then humiliated and betrayed her.
Jesus gave her dignity back and made her special.

There was no condemnation for this woman at the feet of Jesus, and there is no condemnation for you, when you kneel at the feet of Jesus.

There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. Romans 8:1 NKJV

Jesus does not condemn us, so we too may walk in the Spirit instead of the flesh.

You may Study this week’s Sabbath School lesson here.

11: The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit-Sabbath School Lesson Teaching Plan

Prepared by William Earnhardt for Sabbath School class, December 14, 2024.

Main Theme: This week’s lesson looks at how the Gospel of John presents the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, but now within the context of the farewell discourse (John 13:1-17:26).

Read in Class: Genesis 3:7-9, John 3:16-17, and 2 Corinthians 5:19. Have class define common thread in these passages.

Study: How does this reveal the breach that sin caused, and what does it mean that it was God seeking them out, not vice versa?

Apply: These verses present the Father in close connection with Jesus Christ, His Son. The Father has intimate contact with our world and a deep investment in our salvation. What does this truth teach us about God’s love for us?

Share: Your friend says, “Jesus made the greatest sacrifice to come and die for us while all the Father had to do was watch from heaven.” What do you tell your friend?

Read in Class: John 5:19, John 7:16, John 14:10,23 and John 17:3. Have the class define the common thread in these passages.

Study: What do the following texts teach us about the relationship between Jesus and the Father? 

Apply: How would your life be changed if your thoughts and actions were fully an expression of God’s will for your life? That is, how can we better live out what we know from Jesus is God’s will for our lives?

Share: Your friend asks how do we get to know God now that Jesus is up in heaven and no longer with us? What do you tell your friend?

Read in Class: John 1:10-13, John 3:5-8, John 14:26 and John 16:13. Have class define the commin thread in these passages.

Study: What do these passages teach us about the importance of the Holy Spirit for conversion?

Apply: How have you seen the Holy Spirit working in your conversion process?

Share: Your friend says that the Holy Spirit convicted her that the Sabbath is no longer binding. What do you tell your friend?

Read in Class: John 17:1-26. Have the class define the main idea of this passage.

Study: What words or phrases in this chapter express the desire of Jesus for a close relationship of love between Himself, the Father, and His disciples?

Apply: How can you better reflect the love of God, such as exists between Jesus and the Father, in your own life?

Share: Your friend asks how your church family reflects the unity of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. What do you tell your friend?

10: The Way, the Truth, and the Life-Sabbath School Lesson Teaching Plan

Prepared by William Earnhardt, for Sabbath School class, December 7, 2024.

Main Theme: This week’s lesson will begin with the purpose of the farewell discourse and its introduction with the significant episode of Jesus’ washing His disciples’ feet. Then it will turn to the “I AM” statement in chapter 14 (“I am the way, the truth, and the life”).

Read in Class: John 13:1-20. Ask the class to define the main idea of this passage.

Study: What happened here, and why is this story so important? What lessons did Jesus seek to teach?

Apply: What does the Ordinance of Humility teach you about following in the footsteps of Jesus and how to humbly serve others?

Share: Your friend says the ordinance of humility, which we do every quarter is an illustration of how we are to serve each other, but what are some literal ways you have seen church members serving each other besides the ordinance of humility? What do you tell your friend?

Read in Class: John 14:1-3. Ask the class to define the main idea of this passage.

Study: In what context did Jesus say these words?

Apply: What does the Cross teach us about the certainty of Christ’s second coming? Without the Second Coming, what good did Jesus’ death do us at the first coming?

Share: Your friend says he is not sure he will make it to heaven. What do you tell your friend, and how might you use John 14:1-3 in the process?

Read in Class: John 1:14, John 1:17 and John 14:5-11. Ask the class to identify the common thread in these passages.

Study: How does John tie the concept of truth directly to Jesus? What query did Thomas make about where Jesus was going? How did Jesus respond?

Apply: Why is it so comforting to realize that Jesus is the best revelation we will have here of what God the Father is like?

Share: Your friend says there are many world religions and ways to get to heaven besides just Christianity. What do you tell your friend?

Read in Class: John 5:38-40. Ask the class to define the main idea of this passage.

Study: What is Jesus saying here about the Scriptures?

Apply: Read Luke 24:27. What example did Jesus give us to apply when sharing the truth about Jesus with others?

Share: Your friend asks, “Are there any truths taught in the Bible that science, even in theory, can never teach us?” What do you tell your friend?

9: The Source of Life-Sabbath School Lesson Teaching Plan

Prepared by William Earnhardt, for Sabbath School Class, November 30, 2024.

Main Theme: This week continues with the revelation of God as given us in John. We will also more fully explore the flip side of things, in which, despite the powerful evidence for Jesus as the Messiah, some rejected Him. We will study this idea for two reasons: to avoid the same mistake, but also to consider how we might be able to reach out to those in danger of making that mistake, as well.

Read in Class: John 1:29, John 3:16, and john 10;10. Ask the class to define the main ideas in these passages.

Study: Why did Jesus come to this earth? 

Apply: What can we learn from the life of Jesus about the character of the Father? Why is this revelation such good news?

Share: Your friend asks, “How does Jesus saving us from our sins give us a more abundant life?” What do you tell your friend?

Read in Class: John 6:61-68. Ask the class to define the main idea of this passage.

Study:  When Jesus asked the disciples if they would leave Him, what was the meaning of Peter’s answer?

Apply: How do we receive eternal life? John 3:15-16John 5:24John 6:40John 6:47John 8:31John 12:46John 20:31.

Share: Your friend says she accepted the gift of eternal life years ago, so she knows no matter what she does today, good or bad, she is already saved. What do you tell your friend? See Once Saved Always Saved.

Read in Class: John 1:12-13. Ask the class to summarize this passage.

Study: What are the steps described here about becoming a Christian?

Apply: Read Romans 8:16. What principle about salvation in Jesus is found here?

Share: Your friend says we are either predestined to be the children of God or we are predestined to be lost. We have no choice? What do you tell your friend? See How do we Get Elected by God?

Read in Class: John 3:36 and John 8:24. Have class define the common thread of these passages.

Study: Why do people come into judgment?

Apply: Read Numbers 13:23-33. What made the difference between the two reports the spies brought back about Canaan? How do we make sure we don’t make the same mistake most of the spies made?

Share: Your friend asks, did Satan try to tempt Jesus into disbelief? Is so, how did Jesus meet that temptation? What do you tell your friend? See Matthew 4:1-4.

8:Fulfilling Old Testament Prophecies-Sabbath School Lesson Teaching Plan

Prepared by William Earnhardt, for Sabbath School Class, November 23, 2024.

Main Theme: This week we will look at more ways John revealed Jesus as the Messiah, and also, we will look at why some people still continued to reject Him—despite all the powerful reasons affirming Him as the Christ.

Read in Class: John 5:39-40, 46-47. Ask the class to define the main idea of these passages.

Study: What do these verses teach us about Jesus’ attitude toward the authority of Scripture?

Apply: Read John 19:28.What does this passage teach about the authority of Scripture as understood by Jesus and John? What should this tell us about the crucial role all Scripture must have for our faith, as well?

Share: Your friend asks, you, “What are the forces today that either subtly or openly work to undermine our faith in the authority of the Bible?” What do you tell your friend?

Read in Class: John 1:23, Isaiah 40:3, John 19:36 and Numbers 9:12.

Study: How are these New Testament and Old Testament passages linked? That is, how does the New Testament use these texts to bear witness to Jesus?

Apply: How does the fulfillment of these prophecies strengthen your faith an all Scripture, including scriptures that have not been fulfilled yet?

Share: Your friend says that every religion has its own god, how do we know our God is the real God? How can you even prove Jesus even really existed? What do you tell your friend?

Read in Class: John 12:13, Psalm 118:26, John 13:18 and Psalm 41:9.

Study: What do each of these passages from John’s Gospel reveal about Jesus as a fulfillment of Messianic prophecy?

Apply: Read Matthew 24:9. How does the fulfillment of the prophecy about Jesus being betrayed make you feel about the prophecy of what we as Christians will one day face if we are not facing it already? What comfort do you gain by knowing Jesus has already experienced being betrayed?

Share: Your friend asks you what other prophecies about Jesus being the Messiah were predicted in the Old Testament and fulfilled in the New Testament? What do you tell your friend? See The Messiah in Scripture.

Read in Class: John 8:12-30. Ask the class to define the main idea of these passages.

Study:  What is the dynamic here between Jesus and these religious leaders? Which texts best explain why many rejected Him?

Apply: What lessons do you draw from Jesus’ exchange with the religious leaders? How can we be “from above” and not “from beneath”—and how can we know the difference?

Share: Your friend mentions there were some obstacles that kept certain people from believing in Jesus in His day. What are some obstacles that kept you from first believing in Jesus? How did you overcome those obstacles? What do you tell your friend?

Fanatical and Extreme, or Just in Love With Jesus?

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He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Romans 8:32 NKJV

Was the Father being fanatical when He gave us His Son, or was He just in love with us? Is the Father being extreme when He gives us all things or is He just in love with us?

In John 12:1-8, a woman comes to Jesus with an extremely expensive bottle of perfume. She anoints Jesus with this costly perfume as an expression of her love and appreciation for the incredible sacrifice Jesus was making for her. She was a sinner, saved by the love of Jesus, and she simply wanted to give all she had for Jesus because Jesus was giving all He had for her. However, some of the disciples, including Judas, took exception to her gift. They called it a waste of money that could have been used to help the poor. John points out though that instead of helping the poor, Judas was using the poor fund to benefit himself. This leads me to a couple of conclusions.

Judas called the woman out for being “wasteful” simply because he was not as giving and did not want to look bad. So how do you make yourself look perfectly balanced while still being selfish? You label the unselfish woman as being fanatical and accuse her of extremism. Do some do this today? Others make reforms in their diet or behavior that we are not willing to make, so to make ourselves look balanced we have to make the unselfish person look unbalanced and extreme or fanatical. By pushing them into the far-right category that moves us into the perfectly moderate and balanced category. However, this woman was not being legalistic, fanatical, extreme, or unbalanced. She was simply in love with Jesus. She was simply giving all she had because Jesus was giving her all He had. This should be the natural reaction of all who have experienced the love of Christ today. Just because someone is making changes that we are not willing to make does not mean that they are unbalanced or extreme fanatics. It could just mean that they love Jesus and want to show their appreciation for His love and sacrifice by making a few sacrifices themselves. That is what love does.

Going back to Judas acting like he was really interested in the poor while only serving himself, how many times have we said, “I wish I was rich so I could give to the poor?” What are we really saying? Could we really be saying, “I wish I was rich so I could give to the poor without having to sacrifice?” Jesus pointed out to Judas that poor have always been there and he can help them anytime he wants. Likewise, we can help the poor anytime we want if we are willing to sacrifice. Do we really wish we had more money to give to the poor or do we just wish we had more money so we could give to the poor without it being such a sacrifice? Keep in mind when the Father gave everything including His son, it was a sacrifice. Is there any other way that we can genuinely respond to such love without also making a real sacrifice?

You may study this week’s Sabbath School lesson here.

7: Blessed Are Those Who Believe-Sabbath School Lesson Teaching Plan

Prepared by William Earnhardt, for Sabbath School class, November 16, 2024.

Main Theme: Who were some of these people, and why did they testify as they did to the identity of Jesus?

Read in Class: John 12:1-8. Ask the class to define the main idea of this passage.

Study: What was the significance of Mary’s actions here? How was this a witness to who Jesus really was?

Apply: Jesus knew what was in the heart of Mary and the heart of Judas. He knows what’s in your heart, as well. What should this truth tell us about the need of Christ as our righteousness, transforming us and covering us, as well?

Share: Your friend says that she wishes she had millions of dollars so she could help the poor. What do you tell your friend?

Read in Class: John 18:38 and John 19:4-22. Ask the class to define the main idea of these passages.

Study: How is Pilate’s verdict connected to the theme of John’s Gospel?

Apply: What can we learn from Pilate’s example about the dangers of allowing popular sentiment, even pressure, to keep us from doing what we believe is right?

Share: Your friend asks you if you can think of others in the Bible or life today who have “unwittingly” testified about Jesus? What do you tell your friend?

Read in Class: John 20:19-31. Ask the class to identify the main idea of this passage.

Study: What can we learn from the story of Thomas about faith and doubt? What major mistake did Thomas make?

Apply: Do you only put your faith in what you can feel or see? Can you think of a time when you put your faith in something you could feel or see and were still disappointed?

Share: If someone were to ask you Why do you believe in Jesus? what would you say?

Read in Class: John 17:20-23 and Matthew 24:14. Ask the class to identify the common thread in these passages.

Study: What are some of the things that we have today that those living at the time of Jesus didn’t have that should help us believe? 

Apply: Name specific people who helped you believe in Jesus, and tell how they helped you believe in Jesus?

Share: Who are you currently helping to believe in Jesus and how are you helping them?