What are You Looking For?: That's a Good Question: Sunday Service 4/19/26

Devotional

Day 1: Lamb and the First Question

John’s disciples froze when Jesus turned. Dust swirled as He asked, “What are you looking for?” Their mumbled reply—“Where are you staying?”—masked deeper hunger. Jesus didn’t scold their fumbling words. He invited: “Come and see.” The Lamb who takes away sin opened His life to questioners. [51:24]

Jesus’ first words in John’s Gospel pierce our distractions. He knows our surface requests often hide soul-deep needs. When He asks, “What do you want?” He isn’t interrogating—He’s making space for honesty. The disciples’ halting response still led them to Messiah’s side.

You’ve likely asked God for directions, solutions, or relief. But what if He redirects your focus from outcomes to His presence? Today, when you pray, pause after speaking. Let His question—“What are you really seeking?”—uncover your heart’s cry. What would change if you prioritized abiding with Him over quick fixes?

“The next day John was standing with two of his disciples, and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, ‘Behold, the Lamb of God!’ The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. Jesus turned and saw them following and said to them, ‘What are you seeking?’”
(John 1:35-38, ESV)

Prayer: Ask Jesus to reveal the true longing beneath your most recent prayer request.
Challenge: Write down one practical need you’ve prayed about this week. Beside it, write the deeper desire it represents.

Day 2: Boy in the Temple

Twelve-year-old Jesus sat circled by teachers, His questions filling the temple courts. When frantic parents found Him, He countered their relief with two questions: “Why were you looking for me? Didn’t you know I’d be in my Father’s house?” Even as a child, He reoriented others to God’s priorities. [38:31]

Jesus’ first recorded words set a pattern—He redirects earthly concerns to eternal purposes. Mary and Joseph saw a missing child; Jesus revealed the Son faithful to His mission. His questions still reframe our crises: not abandonment, but divine appointment.

How often do you interpret God’s silence as absence? When life feels unanchored, hear Jesus asking: “Where did you expect to find Me?” His ways often look different than our search parameters. What situation feels like “three days lost” to you right now? How might Christ be present there?

“After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. And his mother said to him, ‘Son, why have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been searching for you in great distress.’”
(Luke 2:46-48, ESV)

Prayer: Confess one situation where you’ve struggled to trust God’s presence.
Challenge: Text a friend: “Where have you unexpectedly sensed God’s presence recently?”

Day 3: Tears at the Tomb

Mary Magdalene wept at the empty tomb, mistaking Jesus for the gardener. “Why are you crying?” He asked. Grief blinded her to resurrection. But when He said her name, she saw—the questioned became the answer. Her tears turned to testimony: “I have seen the Lord!” [40:07]

Jesus meets our despair with questions, not platitudes. He didn’t dismiss Mary’s pain but redirected it toward recognition. His “why” wasn’t condemnation—it was an invitation to shift focus from death’s aftermath to life’s Author.

What loss or disappointment narrows your vision today? Hear Jesus asking, “Who are you seeking?” not to minimize your pain, but to expand your hope. When has clinging to a dead version of something kept you from receiving His living intervention?

“Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?’ Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, ‘Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.’”
(John 20:15, ESV)

Prayer: Thank Jesus for His patience when grief distorts your spiritual sight.
Challenge: Light a candle tonight as a physical reminder of Christ’s living presence.

Day 4: Invitation by the Jordan

Two men trailed Jesus, hearts pounding. His sudden turn and question—“What do you want?”—could’ve paralyzed. But their halting “Where are you staying?” unlocked history’s most transformative sleepover. “Come,” He said. They stayed, and sunset found them convinced: “We’ve found the Messiah.” [11:43]

Jesus still trades interrogation for invitation. He asks not to expose ignorance but to extend fellowship. The disciples’ imperfect response didn’t disqualify them—it began their re-education. Truth is discovered not in abstract debates, but in shared journeys.

What holds you back from “coming and seeing”? Intellectual doubts? Past failures? Notice how Jesus welcomed tentative seekers before they had perfect theology. What one step could you take this week to “abide” with Christ through intentional time or service?

“He said to them, ‘Come and you will see.’ So they came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day, for it was about the tenth hour.”
(John 1:39, ESV)

Prayer: Ask Jesus for courage to voice your spiritual curiosity to a mature believer.
Challenge: Spend ten minutes today in a space where you feel God’s presence (outdoors, a chair, your car). Just sit.

Day 5: Still Haven’t Found?

Bono sang of climbing mountains and scaling walls but still seeking. Like the disciples, we chase purpose, love, security—yet often miss the Answer walking beside us. Jesus’ question—“What are you looking for?”—exposes our misdirected searches. His solution remains unchanged: “Come.” [01:16:26]

Every human ache finds its resolution in Christ. He doesn’t just answer our questions—He realigns them. The Lamb who took our place now offers Himself as our peace, identity, and home. Our restless hearts find rest only when we seek the Seeker.

Where have you been looking for life in dead ends? Career achievements? Relationships? Comfort? Hear Jesus’ question not as criticism, but as a lifeline. What would it look like to let His “Come” redirect your search today?

“I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”
(Philippians 4:11-13, ESV)

Prayer: Confess one substitute “answer” you’ve pursued harder than Christ this month.
Challenge: Replace 15 minutes of screen time today with silent prayer. Listen for His “Come.”

Sermon Summary

Jesus appears throughout the Gospels as an intentional questioner who uses inquiry to shape thought, forge relationship, and expose the heart. The textual count highlights that Jesus asks hundreds of questions, others address him far fewer times, and he answers directly only on rare occasions, which frames questioning as a primary pastoral method rather than ignorance. Early episodes show a curious boy asking and listening in the temple and a dying Son crying out in question from the cross, bookending a ministry that repeatedly presses people to examine desire and motive. Questions like Who do you seek and What are you looking for function as invitations into self-awareness and discipleship rather than mere information requests.

The narrative in John 1 places those questions into sharp focus. John the Baptist refuses messianic title and instead points the crowd to the coming One as the lamb of God who takes away sin. When two of John’s disciples follow Jesus, his first words to them ask what they seek, and his reply invites them to proximity: Come and see. That invitation frames faith as encounter and apprenticeship. The text connects Jesus’ questions to three practical effects: they create intimacy by opening conversational space, they stimulate thinking by refusing to hand over easy answers, and they disarm defensive positions by redirecting attention.

The sermon moves from analysis to application, mapping common human longings—purpose, love, security, identity, and peace—onto Jesus’ responses across Scripture. The gospels and Isaiah provide concrete promises: Jesus offers a calling that reorients work into mission, love that mirrors the Father, security through his prepared place, identity formed by divine naming, and rest for weary souls. The closing invitation centers on simple action. Those who wonder or seek receive a plain direction: come and see, ask questions, enter the community, and share in the means of grace such as prayer and communion. The narrative insists that Jesus remains both the probing questioner and the definitive answer, and that coming near to him offers clarity for the questions that live in the human heart.

Key Takeaways

1. Jesus asks far more questions Jesus frames questions as tools to guide thought and reveal hearts rather than to collect information. This pattern trains listeners to engage their own motives and to participate in forming spiritual understanding. Encountering Jesus’ questions invites active reflection instead of passive receipt of doctrine. The economy of questions reshapes discipleship into a dialogical journey. [36:23]
2. What are you looking for That single question cuts beneath surface wants to expose deep desire and need. It compels honest appraisal: is the search for status, comfort, or the Kingdom of God? Answering it starts a personal apprenticeship rather than a programmatic solution. The question functions as both diagnosis and door. [63:20]
3. John points to the lamb John the Baptist refuses attention and identifies the coming One as the lamb who takes away sin, redefining messianic hope around costly atonement. This claim ties cosmic identity to sacrificial purpose and invites recognition that true rescue costs God everything. The declaration turns curiosity into confession when heard rightly. [57:40]
4. Come and see is invitation Proximity becomes the method of knowing; Jesus invites seekers into presence rather than abstract proof. Following him reorients vocation, casts identity in divine terms, and opens participants to ongoing transformation. The invitation requires time, attention, and risk, but it promises embodied revelation over distant speculation. [71:43]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[31:52] - Gathering and announcements
[32:17] - Opening story about a squirrel
[36:02] - Counting Jesus’ questions
[37:53] - Young Jesus in the temple
[39:15] - A question from the cross
[45:04] - Why Jesus asks questions
[49:40] - The recurring question: Who do you seek
[51:24] - John the Baptist’s testimony
[57:40] - Behold the Lamb of God
[63:20] - Come and see: the first invitation
[76:42] - Invitation to respond and communion

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
John 1:35-39 (ESV)
35 The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples, 36 and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” 37 The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. 38 Jesus turned and saw them following and said to them, “What are you seeking?” And they said to him, “Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are you staying?” 39 He said to them, “Come and you will see.” So they came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day, for it was about the tenth hour.

Observation Questions

What two titles does John the Baptist use to describe Jesus in this passage, and what do they reveal about His identity?
How do the disciples respond when Jesus asks, “What are you seeking?” What does their answer suggest about their immediate desire?
What practical invitation does Jesus give in response to their question, and what does this imply about how we grow in understanding Him?

Interpretation Questions

Why might Jesus begin His interaction with these disciples by asking, “What are you seeking?” instead of immediately declaring His identity?
John the Baptist calls Jesus “the Lamb of God” (John 1:36). How does this title connect to Old Testament themes of sacrifice and redemption?
The disciples ask, “Where are you staying?” but Jesus replies, “Come and see.” How does this exchange shift the focus from information to relationship?

Application Questions

Jesus’ question, “What are you seeking?” cuts to the heart of our deepest desires. What are you truly looking for in life right now—approval, security, purpose, or something else? How might this differ from what God wants to give you?
The invitation “Come and see” requires action, not just curiosity. What practical step could you take this week to move closer to Jesus—like setting aside intentional time to pray, read Scripture, or engage with a faith community?
John the Baptist redirected attention away from himself to Jesus. Are there areas in your life where you tend to seek answers in people, achievements, or distractions instead of bringing your questions directly to God?
The sermon highlighted five universal longings: purpose, love, security, identity, and peace. Which of these feels most unsettled in your life? How could Jesus’ promises in Scripture (e.g., Matthew 11:28-30, Isaiah 43:1) address that longing?
When have you experienced Jesus answering a deep need not with a quick fix, but by inviting you into a process of trust and relationship (e.g., “Come and see”)? How did that shape your faith?

Sermon Clips

40s

#CalledByName

“To the question of your identity, who are you really? The book of Isaiah records these words. Isaiah 43, thus says the Lord, he who created you. Oh, Jacob, he who formed you. Oh, Israel, fear not. I have redeemed you. I have called you by name. You are mine. You have a question about your identity. You have a question about where you fit in this world. This world is not where you are meant to fit. Your identity, your truest identity is in the god who made you”

41s

#ComeAndSee

“And Jesus' response is beautiful. Look at verse 39. He said to them, come and you will see. Come and you will see. That's the invitation. You wanna know where I'm at? You wanna know what I'm about? You wanna know the answer to your questions? Just come and be with me. Come and see. I think the question that Jesus asks, what are you looking for? And his invitation, come and see, are still valid today.”

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What are You Looking For?: That's a Good Question: Sunday Service 4/19/26

Devotional

Day 1: Lamb and the First Question

Day 2: Boy in the Temple

Day 3: Tears at the Tomb

Day 4: Invitation by the Jordan

Day 5: Still Haven’t Found?

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

What are You Looking For?: That's a Good Question: Sunday Service 4/19/26

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