Jesus Came So That ...

MEMORY VERSE: MEMORY VERSE: FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD THAT HE GAVE HIS ONE AND ONLY SON, [SO] THAT WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM SHALL NOT PERISH BUT HAVE ETERNAL LIFE.

—John 3:16 (NIV; emphasis added)

MESSAGE FROM MY HEART

God's Word is my most cherished possession, and each book I write emerges from the fruit of God's work in and through my time with Him in His Word. My deepest desire as you journey through this book is for you to gain great confidence in your ability to read, understand, and practically apply God's Word.

Every time I open my Bible to write a new book, I invite God to do a "new thing." He is always faithful, and this book is no different. As God birthed Living So That, He worked each and every lesson in my own heart before I crafted a single page.

Be encouraged as we begin, my friend. Whether it is your first time studying the Bible or your tenth, God will be at work in our midst. Why? Because His Word is living and active, sent to transform us from the inside out. The Bible is not just a history book. It's not just a biography. It's not a "how to" book. It is a living book from our Father in heaven, filled with truths and promises intended to speak not only to its original audience but to us today.

But for His Word to work from the inside out in our lives, we must first take it into our hearts. Listen to the words of the prophet Jeremiah:

When I discovered Your words, I ate them up: they were my great joy and my heart's delight. I am Yours, and I bear the name of the Eternal God. (Jeremiah 15:16)

Allowing God's Word to work in us requires digesting His Word. But digestion can only occur by first ingesting God's Word. Yes, we must read God's Word. But more than that, we must study it and allow it to permeate our hearts and minds. Sometimes it's hard to discipline ourselves to do this. We struggle to remember items on our grocery lists, friends' cell phone numbers, and activities on our "to do" lists, so we think, How could I ever memorize God's Word? To help us in this endeavor, I included a memory verse in each chapter. My prayer is that you will make every effort to prayerfully commit these verses to memory and hide them in your heart.

When I began writing this book, I invited my family to participate in the scripture memory portions. They moaned and groaned. Their excuse: "I can't memorize scripture." I quickly pointed out how they constantly belt out lyrics to their favorite songs, entertain me with lines from their favorite movies, and recite hilarious skits from their favorite YouTube videos.

Really, these are things we all do. I share with you what I shared with my family: If we can so easily remember catchy lyrics and memorable movie lines, how much more should we seek to remember the precious words of our Lord and Savior?

So, as a family, we committed to memory the verses in this book. Each week I wrote the verse on a plate in our kitchen. We divided the verse into sections to make it easier to memorize and repeated each section to one another, adding a new part each day. At the end of the week, we recited the full verse and celebrated together the promise we now had hidden in our hearts. (Okay, my fifteen-year-old son did not necessarily celebrate, but I did!)

Will you join us in doing the same? If you don't have a plate like ours, post the verse in places around your house where you spend the most time. Then, using the same tactic we did, memorize a few sections at a time. We have friends who painted a door in their kitchen with chalk paint and posted their weekly verses on the door. Another friend bought an index card notebook for each family member. They wrote each week's verse in their binders and kept them in the kitchen. Find the way that works best for you. Invite a friend, family member, roommate, spouse, or another Bible study member to join you. This is not a requirement, my friend. But if you decide to say yes, I promise that God will richly bless you as you hide His Word in your heart.

PRAYER:

Father, today begins a new day in my spiritual journey with You. Thank You for bringing me to this book ... for setting apart this time and place for me to be in Your Word. As I begin my first chapter, I come boldly before Your throne, asking to be filled with the full, deep, and clear knowledge of Your will for me in this season of my life. Please use my time here to invigorate, refresh, strengthen, and renew me. Father, speak truth into my life ... even hard truth. Your Word calls me to action. You call me to a life that will make a difference for You and Your kingdom. Open my eyes to see that life. Give me a heart that desires that life above all else.

If I am not living in a way that pleases You or loving others in a way that honors You or studying Your Word in a way that changes me, convict my heart by speaking truth in love. Make my heart tender to receive Your rebuke and discipline. You have drawn me here, and I want to receive ALL You have for me!

Father, bring Your living and active Word alive in my heart. Invade every part of my being. Transform me from the inside out! Amen.

PART ONE: Introduction

As I sought direction for my next Bible study, God began to impress two words on my heart: "so that." Sounds strange, doesn't it? I thought so, too, because in response to past prayers for direction on study topics, God had always led me to a book of the Bible. It was clear. But not this time. This time it was just two simple words. "So that." I hesitated. Lord, how can I write an entire book based on only two words?

The words were not random. A few years ago, my church began a campaign to raise money to plant two new churches. The project's name was "So That." The goal, and the message that accompanied it, was not only to raise funds, but to challenge our church body to live a "so that" life rather than a "so what?" life. Meaning: our lives should not be self-centered and static; rather, they should be others-centered and active, making a difference for the kingdom of God.

At the time, I listened to the sermons, faithfully wore my "So That" bracelet, and gave financially. When the campaign was over, those two little words never left me. The question lingered. What does it really mean to live a "so that" life? Was it simply a catchy campaign slogan, or was it something to which God truly calls us?

The question led me to research, as it often does. My educational background is in law, and I worked as a lawyer for about four years, so researching comes naturally to me. I dug into God's Word, searching for as many "so that" verses as I could find. It became a monumental task, so I quickly limited my research to the New Testament. And it was there that God began a most amazing and life-changing journey.

"So that" verses came alive to me as never before. In fact, the number of verses I found in the book of John alone blew me away! Though I had read this gospel through many times, and had...