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Step into the scene where the religious leaders thought they were trying Jesus, and watch as he takes the judge’s seat and calls five witnesses that leave no doubt about his identity. We walk through John 5 with open eyes and open Bibles, tracing how the prophetic voice of John, the public power of Jesus’ works, the Father’s own testimony, the witness of Scripture, and Moses’ covenantal authority converge into a complete and compelling case. Along the way, we unpack how first-century Jewish courts worked, why multiple witnesses mattered, and how Jesus honors the very law he gave while exposing the deeper roots of unbelief.

What emerges is both piercing and hopeful. The problem isn’t that evidence is thin; it’s that hearts crave human glory more than God’s. Jesus names the motive behind resistance, then offers mercy. The Judge who can condemn is the Savior who calls: Come to me, that you may have life. We reflect on how Scripture functions as a signpost to Christ, why the Father’s witness sits at the center of the fivefold testimony, and how Moses’ writings anticipated the Messiah from the very beginning. This isn’t a distant legal drama; it’s a present summons to trust, to lay down our defenses, and to receive the righteousness we could never earn.

We close by looking ahead to John 6, where the same Jesus who judges with perfect righteousness provides with perfect compassion, feeding the hungry and keeping his people. If this journey deepened your understanding and stirred your faith, follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a quick review. Your support helps more people hear the gospel and find hope in Christ.

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What if the miracle was only the opening act—and the real shock was what Jesus said next? We walk through John 5 as Jesus moves from healing to declaring divine authority, claiming unity with the Father and staking out two breathtaking prerogatives: to give life and to judge. This is not a teacher asking for a hearing but the eternal Son defining himself, inviting awe that matures into worship and assurance that steadies the soul.

Together we read John 5:19–29 and unpack why “the Son can do nothing of his own accord” signals perfect oneness, not weakness. We explore how the Father’s delight in the Son overflows into creation, why “the Son gives life to whom he will” reveals sovereign grace, and how eternal life is a present possession for those who hear and believe. We also press into the hard edge of glory: all judgment entrusted to the Son so that all may honor him, the spiritual resurrection that happens now through his voice, and the future resurrection to life or judgment that no one will escape.

If you’ve wondered whether salvation can be secure, this conversation anchors hope in the authority and faithfulness of Christ. If you’ve wrestled with the nature of judgment, it shows how justice and mercy magnify Jesus together. And if your heart needs worship more than more facts, John 5 leads you onto holy ground—where curiosity gives way to conviction and conviction becomes adoration.

Listen, share with someone who needs clarity and hope, and help us spread the word. If this message helped you, subscribe, leave a review, and tell us what part of John 5 reshaped your view of Jesus.

If The Takeaway has encouraged you, we’d love to hear how you found the podcast or how God is using it in your life. You can reach out anytime through the “Text Us” link in the episode description.

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What if the very words of Jesus don’t just tell you what to do, but give you the power to do it? We step into John 5 and the crowded colonnades of Bethesda, where a man has waited thirty-eight years for change. Jesus sees him, knows him, and speaks a simple command that carries resurrection weight: “Get up, take up your bed, and walk.” That moment moves beyond a healing story into a revelation of who Jesus is and how grace truly works.

Across John’s Gospel, a pattern emerges—command, revelation, grace, and glory. We connect “Follow me,” “Fill the jars,” “You must be born again,” and “Go, your son will live” to this scene, where Jesus directs grace toward the helpless rather than the seeking. The result is transformation that precedes understanding, exposing the limits of religious effort and the futility of waiting for the “water to stir.” Then the tension rises as the healing collides with Sabbath rules. Instead of worship, leaders deliver accusations, and Jesus answers with a claim that brings the real issue to light: “My Father is working, and I am working.” Authority, not mats or timetables, sits at the center—Jesus openly identifies as the Son who shares the Father’s work.

We also explore the second command, “Sin no more,” and why mercy is not leniency but power for holiness. Healing is the gift; holiness is the call; grace is the engine for both. Along the way we surface key themes for your walk with Christ: why divine commands expose inability and then supply ability, how worship grows when we see grace initiate, and what it means that the Son gives life to whom he will. This is a story about legs, yes, but even more about life—life spoken by the One who made the world and now makes the helpless stand.

If this message helped you take a step closer to Jesus, follow the show, share it with someone who needs hope, and leave a quick review so others can find it too. Your voice helps spread the good news of grace that still speaks today.

If The Takeaway has encouraged you, we’d love to hear how you found the podcast or how God is using it in your life. You can reach out anytime through the “Text Us” link in the episode description.

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When the cheers of Samaria fade, Galilee greets Jesus with polite admiration and cold hearts—and that tension exposes a deeper question: what sustains faith when the signs stop? We trace John 4:43–54 with Pastor Harry Behrens as a royal official rushes to Cana, not with polished theology, but with the ache of a dying child. One sentence from Jesus—“Go, your son will live”—becomes the dividing line between sight and trust, asking us to walk on a promise while the outcome remains unseen.

We unpack why familiarity can numb reverence, how sign-chasing belief stalls growth, and why Jesus’ words carry authority across distance and time. The father’s long road home becomes a living parable: each mile an act of obedience anchored to a spoken word. When the servants confirm the healing at the exact hour Jesus spoke, private faith ignites public fruit as an entire household believes. Along the way, we connect Cana’s two signs—water to wine and a child restored—to a single thread: the Word reveals Christ’s glory by transforming emptiness into joy and bringing life where death had the final say.

If you’ve been waiting for proof before you move, this message invites you to a sturdier foundation—God’s character and God’s Word. We talk spiritual complacency, the cost of obedience in resistant places, and the freedom of trusting the Speaker more than the signs. Walk with us through the text and consider where God is asking you to take the next step without seeing the finish line yet. If this encouraged your faith, follow the show, share it with a friend who needs hope, and leave a quick review so others can find the message and walk with us.

If The Takeaway has encouraged you, we’d love to hear how you found the podcast or how God is using it in your life. You can reach out anytime through the “Text Us” link in the episode description.

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A single conversation at a well turns into a townwide awakening—without a strategy meeting, a platform, or a polished script. We follow the Samaritan woman’s journey from shame to fearless witness and explore why Jesus calls obedience his food, not his reward. It’s a story that refuses to stay in the past, because the pattern still plays out in our lives: command reveals need, grace redeems the heart, and glory sends us into a harvest already ripening around us.

We unpack the power of a simple testimony—come and see—and why authenticity resonates more than arguments. As the disciples debate lunch, Jesus points beyond the immediate to fields white for harvest, reminding us that some sow, others reap, and God gives the growth. The woman’s invitation draws her neighbors near, but the word of Christ anchors true belief. Along the way we address ministry weariness, the trap of outcome-driven joy, and the liberating shift to obedience as nourishment. Expect practical insight on how to recognize divine appointments, how to share your story without performance pressure, and how to cultivate spiritual vision for the people already walking toward you.

By the end, you’ll have a renewed sense of calling and a clear next step: lift up your eyes. Whether you feel unqualified, unseen, or unsure where to begin, this conversation shows why God delights to send imperfect people filled with perfect grace. If this message encourages you, follow the show, share it with a friend who needs hope, and leave a quick review to help more listeners discover the gospel’s living water.

If The Takeaway has encouraged you, we’d love to hear how you found the podcast or how God is using it in your life. You can reach out anytime through the “Text Us” link in the episode description.

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A midday encounter at Jacob’s well becomes a masterclass in how God rescues hearts. We walk through John 4 with Pastor Harry Behrens to uncover a striking pattern at the core of the gospel: God commands, sin is exposed, grace is offered, and glory rises in worship. From the quiet urgency of he had to pass through Samaria to the gentle yet piercing Go call your husband, this conversation reveals a Savior who meets us where shame hides and makes a spring where we expected only another empty bucket.

We start by contrasting Nicodemus in John 3 with the Samaritan woman in John 4, showing why salvation begins with God’s initiative, not our effort. The simple request Give me a drink opens a door to a deeper gift: living water that becomes a spring within, not a task we perform but a life we receive. Along the way, we challenge a common drift toward the mechanics of faith—isms and debates that can eclipse the joy of knowing God—with a call to lift our eyes to the why of redemption. Jesus redirects a debate about worship locations to the heart of the matter: the Father is seeking worshipers who honor him in spirit and truth.

The episode reaches its high point when Jesus says, I who speak to you am he—a revelation that turns a hidden life into a witness. She arrives at noon to avoid people and leaves with a testimony that stirs a village. If you’ve felt the weight of failure, the dryness of religion, or the ache of isolation, this story invites you to hear the command that reveals, receive the grace that empowers, and step into worship that satisfies. Subscribe, share with a friend who needs hope, and leave a review telling us where God met you this week.

If The Takeaway has encouraged you, we’d love to hear how you found the podcast or how God is using it in your life. You can reach out anytime through the “Text Us” link in the episode description.

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Please visit www.chosenbydesign.net for more information on Pastor Harry’s new book, "Chosen By Design - God’s Purpose for Your Life."

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What if the problem isn’t that we talk about God’s love too much—but that we talk about it without His glory? We dig into how a well-meaning focus on feelings and personal fulfillment quietly turned worship into a performance and faith into self-help, and why Scripture’s story pulls us back to a far better center.

With Andrew Fuentes, who leads a young adult gathering in Millville, we explore how modern church culture often equates worship with music and emotion, and how that shift leaves people asking the wrong questions: How do I get saved? What is my calling? We reframe the conversation with Jesus’ own words: with man salvation is impossible, but with God all things are possible. From the Reformation’s five solas to the rise of prosperity preaching, we map the path from God-centered to man-centered—and chart a return through truth, Spirit, and surrender.

We unpack why God’s motive is His glory and how that actually magnifies love. At the cross, justice, wrath, mercy, and love meet; heaven and hell make sense; and worship becomes our response to revelation, not a mood we manufacture. The Samaritan woman shows what this looks like in real life: exposed by truth, met by grace, overflowing with joy that tells others, come and see. Purpose then moves from stage to street—whatever you do, do it to the glory of God—anchored by Romans 12 and 1 Corinthians 10.

Ready to trade hype for holiness and sentiment for Scripture? Press play, share with a friend who loves deep theology with practical stakes, and tell us how you’re recentring your daily life on God’s glory. If this conversation challenged you, subscribe, leave a review, and join us next week as we keep pursuing truth and joy together.

If The Takeaway has encouraged you, we’d love to hear how you found the podcast or how God is using it in your life. You can reach out anytime through the “Text Us” link in the episode description.

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Please visit www.chosenbydesign.net for more information on Pastor Harry’s new book, "Chosen By Design - God’s Purpose for Your Life."

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What if the greatest joy in ministry is learning to step aside? We walk through John 3:22–36 and watch John the Baptist face the moment many leaders fear: the crowds shift, influence fades, and another rises. Instead of clutching the spotlight, John rejoices. His secret is simple and searching: every gift comes from heaven, and the friend of the Bridegroom delights in the Bridegroom’s voice. That vision dismantles comparison, heals rivalry, and reframes success around one aim—Jesus must increase.

We retrace the overlap between John’s and Jesus’ work to expose the pressure points that provoke envy and burnout. From “A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven” to “He must increase, but I must decrease,” we explore a framework for humble leadership that frees us to celebrate others’ growth, welcome pruning, and measure fruit by faithfulness rather than fame. Along the way, we center our hearts on the supremacy of Christ: the One from above who speaks the words of God, bears the Spirit without measure, and holds all things in His hand. Ministry becomes clarity when the message is not our story but His grace.

We also face John’s closing line with honesty and hope: whoever believes the Son has life; whoever refuses remains under wrath. Belief is both command and invitation, and the God who calls also awakens. If you’ve wrestled with comparison, platform, or the fear of becoming less, this conversation will steady your steps and renew your joy in serving the One who is above all. Listen, reflect, and consider where God might be asking you to release control so Christ becomes visible.

If this encouraged you, subscribe, share it with a friend, and leave a review to help others find the show. And tell us: where do you sense Jesus inviting you to decrease so His life can increase?

If The Takeaway has encouraged you, we’d love to hear how you found the podcast or how God is using it in your life. You can reach out anytime through the “Text Us” link in the episode description.

Support the show

Please visit www.chosenbydesign.net for more information on Pastor Harry’s new book, "Chosen By Design - God’s Purpose for Your Life."