Alive - by Dave Smith

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vital that we don’t let it stop us from moving forward into a better future. Right now, you may be living in the consequences of past failure and have wondered whether you can ever get beyond it. I’ve got some great news for you: not only does Jesus help us in our present frustration, but he also comes to free us from our past failures. This is what he did for Simon Peter. One can only imagine how deeply Peter must have been affected by his three-fold denial of Jesus. It was not likely something that would have simply mended itself or ‘got better over time’. No, he needed the freedom and forgiveness that only Jesus could bring. BIBLE EXTRACT: JESUS REINSTATES PETER 15 When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?’ ‘Yes, Lord,’ he said, ‘you know that I love you.’ Jesus said, ‘Feed my lambs.’ 16 Again Jesus said, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me?’ He answered, ‘Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.’ Jesus said, ‘Take care of my sheep.’ 17 The third time he said to him, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me?’ Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, ‘Do you love me?’ He said, ‘Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.’ Jesus said, ‘Feed my sheep. 18 Very truly I tell you, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.’ 19 Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, ‘Follow me!’ 20 Peter turned and saw that the disciple whom Jesus loved was following them. (This was the one who had leaned back against Jesus at the supper
and had said, ‘Lord, who is going to betray you?’) 21 When Peter saw him, he asked, ‘Lord, what about him?’ 22 Jesus answered, ‘If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me.’ 23 Because of this, the rumour spread among the believers that this disciple would not die. But Jesus did not say that he would not die; he only said, ‘If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you?’ (John 21:15–23) Jesus began by helping Peter to face up to what had happened. He did this utilising both symbols and words. For example, Jesus had been cooking fish on a fire of burning coals (literally a ‘charcoal fire’). The only other place that this word is used in the New Testament is earlier in John’s Gospel when Peter warmed himself by the ‘charcoal fire’ – and then denied Jesus (John 18:18). Also, Jesus seemed to have deliberately addressed him as ‘Simon, son of John’ – not Peter, the ‘rock’ – highlighting his failure to act in a ‘rock-like’ way. Finally, Jesus asked Peter the same question in three slightly different ways – ‘do you love me?’ – as a reminder of how Peter had denied him three times. No wonder Peter ‘was hurt’. Now, it’s important to realise that Jesus wasn’t being deliberately ‘hurtful’: he was not reminding Peter of his past failure to make him feel worse, but to help him get better! If you’ve ever received counselling, as I have, you’ll be aware that buried pain doesn’t just go away – it stays there, often largely hidden, causing internal damage and ready to pop again when we least expect it. Hence the importance of facing up to what’s gone on, especially in the care of an experienced counsellor – even if that can seem especially painful at the time. Just as Alcoholics Anonymous start by helping an alcoholic face the facts of their addiction, so Jesus helped Peter to
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Dave Smith invites us on a journey
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and fulfilled. A life where it’s
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I want to say a huge thanks to a nu
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Instagram a while back: ‘You wake
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eyond our physical and psychologica
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4. A future life in heaven Widely a
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only £150?’ The wife replied,
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3. On the first Easter morning, the
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second question of how Jesus’ res
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At 2.20pm, 5 April 1982, I ‘fell
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used to refer to romantic or sexual
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and controversial biblical characte
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teach us about the seeming absence
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testimony of female witnesses would
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16 Jesus said to her, ‘Mary.’ S
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What’s clear is that this was not
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THE ETERNAL DIMENSION OF LOVE One o
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know how much, in Christ, we are
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FURTHER REFLECTION 1. In the light
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It was a day not to be forgotten in
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group that didn’t survive: ‘The
Page 44 and 45: an all-loving, all-powerful God who
Page 46 and 47: 25 He said to them, ‘How foolish
Page 48 and 49: By the end of the journey, their
Page 50 and 51: deliverer had just suffered the mos
Page 52 and 53: of Paul’s conversion on the road
Page 54 and 55: HE’S WELCOMED Despite Jesus being
Page 56 and 57: Presumably there was something abou
Page 58 and 59: FURTHER REFLECTION 1. Take a moment
Page 60 and 61: The longing for inner peace is univ
Page 62 and 63: For example, it may be that as you
Page 64 and 65: True peace was at the heart of God
Page 66 and 67: sense of release, turn your palms u
Page 68 and 69: esponse to a perceived threat or po
Page 70 and 71: Spirit.’ The word ‘righteousnes
Page 72 and 73: To fulfil this new purpose, we must
Page 74 and 75: encounter may be of special encoura
Page 76 and 77: Spirit) when his followers are meet
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Page 80 and 81: CHAPTER FOUR LIVING IN FREEDOM
Page 82 and 83: • Sweetheart died in 1835. • Ha
Page 84 and 85: est predictor of future behaviour i
Page 86 and 87: completely implausible to think tha
Page 88 and 89: FISH Afterward Jesus appeared again
Page 90 and 91: PAUSE AND PONDER If you are current
Page 92 and 93: Bible, he also speaks specifically
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Page 98 and 99: ock on which he would build his Chu
Page 100 and 101: Peter clearly took Jesus’ advice
Page 102 and 103: FURTHER REFLECTION 1. Are you strug
Page 104 and 105: I’ve always been a bit of a dream
Page 106 and 107: Neither - Emmons had hit the wrong
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Page 110 and 111: 1. A TRANSFORMED MOTIVATION Saul’
Page 112 and 113: you may be aware of the Lord drawin
Page 114 and 115: that was going on in his mind or he
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Page 118 and 119: fallen asleep in Christ are lost. I
Page 120 and 121: of what that this will look like. T
Page 122 and 123: PATHWAY So far we’ve established
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Page 126 and 127: just that we can meet with the rise
Page 128 and 129: CONCLUSION FULLY ALIVE, FOR THE RES
Page 130 and 131: utilise the prayer of invitation th
Page 132 and 133: Even if you are convinced in the re
Page 134 and 135: his death under Pilate and his gath
Page 136 and 137: APPENDIX B: HISTORICAL FACTS ABOUT
Page 138 and 139: to the fact he was about to suffer
Page 140 and 141: TOMB As we look at the accounts of
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them by others. The apostles died f
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ENDNOTES INTRODUCTION: FULLY ALIVE
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The book is also the basis for a sm
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Demands a Verdict (Nashville, Tenne
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FURTHER ALIVE RESOURCES Now you hav
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Alive - by Dave Smith

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