Over the next 7 weeks, we're walking in the footsteps of Jesus! Throughout God of Miracles, our Spring Churchwide Groups series, I'll lead us through a virtual tour of Israel, the Holy Land, and we'll be digging deeper into the miracles of Jesus to build your faith. My wife Colleen and I visited Israel this January, and it was the trip of a lifetime! One of the main takeaways from our journey was seeing how the Bible is actually geographical.
1) The Bible Is Geographical
Did you know? The events recorded in the Bible do not take place long ago in a galaxy far, far away. In fact, everything in the Bible is directly connected to a specific slab of land... the nation of Israel in the Middle East! This incredible country dates back to the very beginning of the Bible in the Old Testament. Before it was called Israel, it was actually referred to as "The Promised Land" by God to His children, the Jewish people. As soon our plane landed in Israel, the Bible came to life... and we literally got to walk in the footsteps of our Biblical Ancestors!
Now, you may be thinking...Can you really prove Jesus walked the dusty dirt roads of Nazareth and sailed on the Sea of Galilee? Absolutely! See, what's really life-changing about this type of pilgrimage is that the proof is tangible and the evidence is archaeological.
2) The Evidence Is Archaeological
The historic sites we visited in Israel are not just from 2,000 years ago... they are actively being uncovered today! In fact, one of my favorite stops was the ancient city of Magdala, which was just uncovered in 2009. The Catholic Church bought a small piece of land on the Sea of Galilee, and when they began construction, they uncovered a 1st Century synagogue where it is certain that Jesus taught. Today, it's an active archaeological site where you can walk through and even volunteer to help dig deeper and discover!
AN INVITATION TO YOU
Just like how Jesus called his disciple Peter to follow him out on the deep waters of the Sea of Galilee in Matthew 14, Jesus is always calling us - his disciples - to go out deeper in our faith. See, our journey in Israel was not simply a vacation... it was a spiritual pilgrimage that changed our lives! So, throughout this series, together we're going on our very own Spiritual Pilgrimage - without any need for a plane ticket!
Each Sunday, I'll be your tour guide to a new location plucked right out of the Gospels in the life of our savior, Jesus Christ. Then, during the week, your Liquid Small Groups will go on a pilgrimage of the heart... digging deeper into the life and miracles of Jesus to apply the truths of the Bible to your life today. Are you ready to encounter the God of Miracles? We're looking forward to going on this journey with you!