Seeing Differently

“God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him won’t perish but will have eternal life. God didn’t send his Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through him.” (John 3:16-17, CEB)

“Seeing Differently” is our Lenten sermon series inviting us to let Jesus reshape how we view God, ourselves, and the world. Each week, we explore the lenses the world uses to see God, and the lens that Jesus' life and ministry provide to help us “correct” our vision.

This Sunday, we meet Nicodemus, a respected religious leader who secretly visits Jesus at night (John 3:1-17). Nicodemus knows the Scriptures and the rules, yet he senses there is more to God than what he has experienced so far. Jesus tells him, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above” and then adds, “The wind blows where it chooses… So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit” (John 3:3, 8, NRSVue). In other words, life with God isn't something we control; it’s a gift of love and a movement of the Spirit beyond our control.

That awareness is at the heart of the Lenten journey. Many of us learned to see God as a distant rule-giver or to think that living faithfully means following a checklist: be good enough, believe the right way, work hard, and maybe things will work out. In this series, we’re allowing Jesus to challenge those views. 

This week, we’ll explore “Seeing Differently: How God Works,” and discover that “God so loved the world” is more than just a verse to memorize; it’s a truth meant to be trusted and lived (John 3:16). We will listen for how the Spirit might be stirring in our questions and “nighttime” places, just as the Spirit was moving in Nicodemus’s questions long before he fully understood.

In the coming weeks, we’ll keep “seeing differently” as Jesus encounters a Samaritan woman at a well, a man born blind, and a grieving family who thinks it’s too late for hope. Each story opens our eyes to a God who crosses boundaries, heals shame, upsets blame, and brings life out of what seems beyond repair. Our prayer is that, along the way, we will not only learn from these stories but also begin to see the same Jesus at work in our own lives. 

During this season, may we expect the Spirit’s wind to blow in new ways, and may we find ourselves, like Nicodemus, drawn closer to the One who loves the world more than we ever imagined.

I’m excited to see you on Sunday, and remember to invite a friend!