Scripture References

  • Exodus 3:13-14
  • John 8:58-59
  • John 6:35
  • John 6:47-51
  • Matthew 6:33

Introduction

  • New spring series: the seven “I AM” statements in John, running through Easter. Leader: Caleb.
  • Ice-breaker: each man completed “I am ___” (e.g., “cool dude,” “loved,” “so grateful,” “duck-hunter,” etc.).
  • Purpose: last summer’s seven signs revealed Jesus’ divinity; the seven “I AMs” show how that divinity meets human need.

Key Points / Exposition

1. Cultural Longing

  • Quotes and songs that capture restless desire: “To thine own self be true” (Hamlet), “I Can’t Get No Satisfaction” (Rolling Stones), “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” (U2), “Boulevard of Broken Dreams” (Green Day), Coldplay’s “The Scientist.”
  • Observation: society keeps admitting, “I’m not content.”

2. Humanity’s Contingency

  • Every personal “I am” statement is dependent on something outside ourselves (success, ducks, candy, etc.).
  • Question raised: “Are we contingent beings?” Consensus: yes – ultimately dependent on God.

3. God’s Self-Disclosure (Exodus 3:13-14)

  • Moses asks God’s name; God replies, “I AM WHO I AM.”
  • “I AM” (YHWH) is simultaneously complete and open-ended: God is self-existent, the answer to every “Are you…?” question.

4. Jesus’ Claim (John 8:58-59)

  • Jesus: “Before Abraham was, I AM.”
  • Pharisees attempt to stone Him because He unequivocally claims deity.

5. First “I AM” – Bread of Life (John 6:35, 47-51)

  • “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.”
  • Contrast with manna: ancestors ate and died; Christ offers eternal life.
  • Jesus is not offering symbolic motivation but true, self-sustaining nourishment.

6. Testimony (Jason)

  • Years spent chasing money, status, and especially pornography.
  • Hidden sin wrecked marriage; confession led him to Christ, recovery ministry, genuine relationship with God.
  • Illustration: any vice can replace pornography in his story – the need and the remedy are identical.

Major Lessons & Revelations

  • “I AM” (YHWH): a deliberate, self-referential, circular expression affirming God’s eternal, self-sufficient being.
  • Jesus as fulfillment: each “I AM” in John answers Israel’s wilderness needs (bread, light, shepherd, etc.).
  • Bread motif: physical bread gives temporary energy; Christ supplies eternal life.
  • Matthew 6:33 connects longing and priority: seeking God first aligns all other needs.
  • “The problem is not that we want too much; the problem is that we settle for too little.”

Practical Application

  1. Identify “what you’re currently feasting on that leaves you starving.”
  2. Action step from John 6:35 – “Whoever comes to me…”:
  • Turn away (repent) from the empty source.
  • Come to Jesus daily in Word, prayer, and dependence.
  1. Replace isolation with community: confess to trusted brothers and invite accountability.
  2. Seek first His kingdom (Matthew 6:33); allow God to reorder lesser desires.
  3. Group discussion: participants named cultural “indulgences” (food, alcohol, status, possessions, etc.) – most admitted never fully experiencing satisfaction apart from brief glimpses.
  4. Practical brainstorm: confession, surrender, repentance, Scripture intake, godly community, accountability groups (e.g., Regen).

Conclusion & Call to Response

  • Jesus is the only “I AM” who fully satisfies; every other identity anchor is contingent and will eventually fail.
  • The spring series will trace each “I AM” statement through to Easter, showing how Christ meets every dimension of human need.

Prayer

  • Freedom from addictive indulgences (pornography, materialism, etc.).
  • Deeper hunger for Christ as true bread.
  • Courage for honest confession and sustained repentance among group members.

References & Resources

  • Seven “I AM” statements series in the Gospel of John
  • Regeneration (Regen) recovery ministry

Insights

  1. Because Jesus is the timeless I AM, He alone defines life, value and you; no other voice has the authority to tell you who you are, so rest your identity in His name.
  2. Every playlist and purchase shouts that we are hungry, yet only Christ whispers satisfaction; the Bread of Life fills the ache consumer culture keeps exposing, leaving hearts nourished instead of endlessly craving.
  3. Jesus invites weary strivers to trade circular tail-chasing for communion, promising, ‘Whoever comes to Me will never hunger or thirst again’; approach Him today and discover rest that performance can’t deliver.
  4. Confession turns us from empty man-made delicacies to a feast of grace; when we come away from sin and toward Jesus, our starving souls finally taste real life and learn freedom’s flavor.
  5. We are fragile, contingent breaths, but He is self-existent, needing nothing; leaning on the One who cannot fail transforms dependence from weakness into worship and lifts us above every shifting circumstance.
  6. The tragedy of sin is not wanting too much but settling for crumbs; Christ spreads an eternal table where holy abundance replaces the glazed-croissant crash of worldly pleasure, inviting us to feast deeply.

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