When we imagine a reset in life, we can come up with lots of excuses.  Here’s the story of an interaction between one man and Jesus:

Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.” Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” (John 3:1-8 ESV)

Nicodemus is a Pharisee, a religious law expert.  He lives by the book, is religious authority and example to others.  So why does he come speak to Jesus like this?  One opinion is that he has sinister motives: he’s sucking up to someone famous by saying nice things.  Or worse, he is trying to draw Jesus into saying something wrong or illegal.

But another, more likely opinion notes that he comes to visit Jesus by night.  He’s truly intrigued, and is scared of the consequence if anyone realizes.  It seems like that’s how Jesus treats him, like anyone else who comes to him asking questions.

Jesus makes it clear that following his teachings won’t just be adding a new religious layer on top of Nicodemus already impressive religious portfolio.  It means a complete reset of his life, which is costly considering all he’s already invested.

Jesus uses the imagery of the ultimate reset – being reborn, when he says, “unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

This is where we get the terminology of being “born again”.  Maybe you react to this word, or don’t like it, because it conjures up images of pushy evangelists.  But it’s great image, and Jesus’ image, so we shouldn’t be too quick to dismiss it.  He’s saying that following him means a new life, 100%.

Nicodemus, though, misses the point.  For one reason or another, he takes it quite literally.   He’s probably not that naïve to think Jesus means he needs to climb back in the womb – he’s probably just shocked and confused so he argues with it, and tries to argue with the imagery rather than the concept.

Question: What does “born again” evoke for you?  Do you embrace it, or challenge it?

Reminder: Coffee hours are this Wednesday Thursday night at 7:30pm at Starbucks in the Ajax Chapters Store.

Reminder: We are reading the Bible in sync as one community – so check out today’s reading here.

Reminder: The best way to grow spiritually this year is to join our Christianity 101 in the Cafe Course in Pickering starting January 22nd. Register for you and a friend today!

Read the Bible in Sync Today

Ryan Sim - March 6, 2014

Thursday - Act On It - Reset Family

Families learn through routines. One blog author wrote: “What families regard as important is evidenced by the manner in which they spend their time.” How do we spend our time? Watching TV, playing video games, or shopping? Sadly, many families devote more time to these things than they do teaching their children about God, or just simply spending quality time together.” http://theresurgence.com/2009/08/19/discipleship-starts-at-home-part-1 Yesterday we talked about teaching Christian values in day to day life, but what about teaching them the source of those values? Today we’ll focus on reading the Bible together. Here are some tips from http://theresurgence.com/2009/08/22/discipleship-starts-at-home-part-2 Find a good children’s Bible. Remember to have fun with your children while learning the Bible. Keep the time brief to hold the child's attention. Recite the verse several times a day in your child's presence so it becomes familiar to them. Make flash cards with Scripture on one side and the book, chapter, and verse on the other. Put the verse to music or rhythm. Your child will enjoy singing and clapping their hands. Think of fun activities to make the verse fun and easy to remember. Tell them you are proud of them and have them recite it to someone else, like a grandparent or teacher. Pray with your children every day at meals and before they go to bed at night. Some other resources: http://www.sermons4kids.com/ and http://www.dltk-kids.com/ Challenge: What routines will you introduce into your personal and/or family life to practice Christian faith? How can RTC support you as a family? What kind of church community would help you disciple your children? Complete our survey here: Survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/8TS7K93

From Series: "Reset"

When our computers get bogged down and unmanageable, we know to hit a reset button to simply start over. Wouldn't a reset button be great in life? We know it would be complicated, with all our responsibilities and routines to consider, but imagine the freedom and refreshment of a new start in life! What would you do differently? What would you pay more attention to, and what would you ignore? How would you avoid getting bogged down and broken again? The great news is, in coming to earth as Jesus Christ, God has begun to "reset" our universe, our world, and even us. We're invited to start over with him, in what he calls his kingdom. We're invited to start a new life with a clean slate. What gets wiped clean, and lived differently, when God resets our lives? We'll explore how God resets these key areas of our lives: Reset: Goals Reset: Time Reset: Money Reset: Work Reset: Body & Food Reset: Sex & Marriage Reset: Family Reset: Compassion Reset: Nature Reset: Society Reset: Death Join us for the next several weeks, and invite God to reset your life.

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