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Easter is easy to summarize and strangely hard to see. We all know the lines: Jesus died, Jesus rose, sins are forgiven. But I want to slow down and ask the question that keeps pressing underneath the familiar story: why did God choose the cross at all, and why this moment in history?

Starting in John 12, we listen to Jesus name his purpose at the edge of the cross: “For this purpose I have come to this hour… Father, glorify your name.” From there, we follow the Bible’s thread through Romans, Acts, Isaiah, Ephesians, and Corinthians to show that the “why” of Easter is the glory of God. Sin is described as exchanging that glory, so redemption is not just fixing our behavior; it is restoring our orientation. And God doesn’t act because he needs anything from us. He acts to reveal who he is, most clearly in the face of Jesus Christ.

We also talk about what that means for daily life: union with Christ, raised life right now, and why prayer “in Jesus’ name” is aimed at the Father being glorified. Abiding produces fruit, fruit makes God visible, and joy becomes the overflow of living for what we were created for. Even our weakness matters, because we’re “jars of clay” on purpose so God’s power gets the credit.

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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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A crowded temple, songs still ringing, and a golden pitcher just poured out—then a voice rises above the feast: “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink.” We step into John 7 on the great day of the Feast of Tabernacles and follow Pastor Harry Barrens as he draws a straight line from Israel’s wilderness thirst to Jesus’ bold claim to be the source of living water. This is more than a lesson in ancient ritual; it is a summons to face our own dryness and discover how belief moves from ideas to dependence.

We unpack the water ceremony that remembered the rock in Exodus, prayed for rain and leaned into prophetic hope from Isaiah, Ezekiel and Zechariah. Against that backdrop, Jesus declares that the thirst beneath every other longing finds its answer in him. Pastor Harry clarifies the crucial shift from seeking on our terms—evaluating Jesus by our preferences—to coming in need, where belief looks like drinking, not debating. And when we drink, Jesus promises more than relief; he promises rivers. John names those rivers as the Holy Spirit, given after Christ’s death, resurrection and ascension, turning symbols into substance and scarcity into overflow.

Along the way, we trace John’s pattern: the well that could not satisfy, the pool that could not heal, the ceremony that could not save. Each sign points beyond itself to the Savior who gives life from within. If you feel dry, distant or distracted, the path back is not performance but proximity—returning to first love and drawing from the source. Come and see how living water renews joy, sharpens clarity and bears lasting fruit when the Spirit indwells and overflows.

If this message stirred your thirst for Jesus, subscribe, share it with a friend who needs encouragement and leave a review to help others find the hope of living water.

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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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Some words refuse to soften. “You will seek me and you will not find me; where I am, you cannot come.” We walk through John 7:32–36 to uncover why Jesus says this, how it confronts flesh-driven religion, and what it means to belong to where he is going rather than simply follow where he is walking. As the religious leaders move to arrest him, Jesus ties his destination to his origin: he came from the Father and is returning to the Father. The question is no longer geography but access. Do we belong to the life of God, or are we trying to manage Jesus as a helper to stabilize our world?

We explore how Jesus handles confrontation without self-defense. Instead of fighting or fleeing, he reveals what lies beneath: unbelief, false confidence, and misplaced authority. That exposure is uncomfortable, yet it is mercy. Drawing on the formation of David and Joseph, we show how calling often precedes context and how the gap shapes integrity and dependence. From there we press into the tension many feel: Scripture offers a real, wide invitation to repent and believe, while insisting that no one can come unless the Father draws. Rather than cancel responsibility, this centers grace as the initiator and sustainer of faith.

Urgency and assurance meet here. Seek the Lord while he may be found, not because the promise is fragile, but because conviction is a gift. If you sense exposure, respond. If you hunger for more than comfort, ask for life. We ground hope in clear promises: confess Jesus as Lord and believe God raised him, and you will be saved; his sheep hear his voice and no one can snatch them from his hand. The living evidence is not perfection but ongoing hunger to draw near. Join us as we examine motives, surrender timing, and trade proximity for belonging. If this moved you or raised questions, share it with a friend, subscribe for more, and leave a review to help others find the show.

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."