Breaking Bread

  A DULT BIBLE STORY SERIES: THE JOURNEY HOME I NTRODUCTION: BECOMING AS LITTLE CHILDREN   W elcome back. When we were little children, many of us sat at the feet of a teacher or a parent and listened to Bible stories. We heard about Noah’s ark, David and Goliath, or Daniel in the lions' den. Back then, the stories were simple, and we listened with hearts full of wonder. But as we grew up, life got complicated. The world got louder, the shadows got darker, and many of us found ourselves trapped in places we never intended to go. We stopped listening to stories because we were too busy trying to survive the "prisons" of our own lives. T oday, we are starting a new journey together. We are going to use the "Adult Bible Story" format. This isn't because we are being childish, but because Jesus told us in Luke 18:17: "Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." We are going to stop trying t...

Last time, we followed the journey from Prison to Presence, discovering that Jesus is our ultimate destination. This week, we look closer at the walls that keep us back and the light that leads us home. THE STONE WALLS OF THE OLD NATURE Every one of us was born inside a prison we didn’t build. These  are  the heavy stone walls of the Outer Prison—the fallen world. Because of the inheritance of sin passed down from Adam, we began our lives as legal captives, separated from  God  by a nature that could not please Him. As Romans 5:12 tells us, sin entered the world through one man, and death spread to all because all sinned. We weren't just struggling or having a hard time; we were, as Ephesians 2:3 describes, "by nature children of wrath." This was a state of being that began at our very conception, a spiritual inheritance of separation and captivity. THE KNOCK AT THE WINDOW Though the walls  are  thick, they  are  not silent. Jesus stands at the wi...

  Last week, we began our journey from Prison to Presence. Today, we look at a real-life journey through the stone walls, the inner cages, and the final surrender that leads to true freedom.                            My Testimony  THE OUTER PRISON: THE WALKING DEAD In the early nineties, the "fallen world" was written across my face in every mugshot—the bruises, the emptiness, and the hollow eyes of active addiction. I was the living dead. My life was a physical and spiritual prison of homelessness and bankruptcy. But on July 22, 1992, I walked out of jail and stood at a fork in the road. To the right was the dope house; to the left was a new life. By the grace of God, I chose left. I chose recovery. On July 23, I woke up to my first 24-hour chip and a taste of peace I had never known. The outer gates had finally opened. THE INNER PRISON: THE IDOLS OF COMFORT Over the next decade, I built a life that looked...

  From Prison to Presence: Encountering Jesus Beyond the Written Word How Scripture Leads Us from Spiritual Captivity to Intimate Relationship Have you ever wondered if reading the Bible alone is enough to experience the fullness of God’s presence? Many believers find themselves stuck, knowing the words but longing for something more—a real, living encounter with Jesus. Today, let’s explore the journey from simply reading Scripture to stepping into the vibrant presence of Christ Himself. The Divine Inspiration Behind Scripture The Bible isn’t just a collection of manmade philosophies. It’s the living, God-breathed record of His voice, captured through the hands of inspired writers and brought to life by the Holy Spirit. This means Scripture isn’t merely informational—it’s supernatural, designed to connect us to the heart of our Creator. Scripture: The Map, Not the Destination Think of the Bible as a map pointing us to the ultimate destination: Jesus Christ, the Living W...