September 13, 2026

Preached from John 1:35-42, this sermon explores the personal nature of John the Apostle's encounter with Jesus and the theological purpose behind John's gospel. The speaker emphasizes that John wrote his gospel some 60 years after Jesus' earthly ministry, as the last surviving apostle, with the specific intent of countering Gnostic teachings that denied the physical, bodily reality of Christ. John's account is not merely theological or abstract -- it is the testimony of a young man, approximately 19 years old, who walked with, talked with, and spent time with Jesus in the most ordinary and human of settings. The sermon draws out three core truths: Jesus is a real, knowable person; meeting Jesus compels us to introduce others to him; and following Jesus, while not an easy path, is the only path that offers true hope and purpose.