The Way of Jesus | The Way of Jesus | Pastor Kerry Boone | 9am

The focus is the beauty and simplicity of Jesus’ words, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” Rather than complicating faith, the emphasis is on Jesus Himself as the center—especially experienced in the sacred gift of communion where believers tangibly encounter His presence, remember His costly sacrifice, and confess sin with confidence in His mercy. The call is to hold together reverence and welcome: this is holy ground offered with open arms.

The year’s direction is “the way of Jesus.” Before “Christian” was a label, followers were known as “the Way” because their lives moved in a clear direction. The invitation is to shift from admiring Jesus at a distance to walking closely with Him—dropping the nets of safety, comfort, and distraction. Formation happens by following: proximity to Jesus produces likeness to Jesus, and the way always moves toward real people in real need.

Returning to the Upper Room tension of John 14, Thomas’ honest question—“How can we know the way?”—meets Jesus’ seismic answer. In a world where “the way” was defined by Torah, temple, and sects claiming perfection, Jesus declares that the way is not a system to master but a person to follow. The way is guided by presence, received through relationship, and secured by grace. His claim is uncompromising and clear: there are not many paths to God; access to the Father is only through Him. This confronts modern desires for spirituality without surrender, but it is not arrogance—it is revelation.

Because the stakes are eternal, the way must be lived, not simply discussed. The early church embodied this with courage and costly love: praying boldly under pressure, opening homes, crossing social lines, caring for the sick during plagues, welcoming abandoned children, and enduring persecution with radiant hope. Their witness flowed from seeing Jesus as supremely beautiful—worth every cost. Stories like Polycarp’s clarify that Jesus was not merely believed in; He was followed to the end.

This inheritance now rests on today’s disciples. The world is not merely listening to Christian claims; it is watching for a way of life shaped by them—how believers love, forgive, serve, suffer, and stand. If Jesus is the only way to the Father, the next generation must find that way visible in a people who carry His presence into the wild with humility, clarity, and courage.

Key Takeaways

• 1. The Way is a Person. Faith is not a map to memorize or a ladder to climb; it is companionship with Jesus. Law, temple, and practices were signposts, never the destination. To walk “the way” is to walk with Him, where presence replaces performance and relationship outruns ritual. Everything changes when the path becomes a Person. [49:45]
• 2. Following demands movement and surrender. Admiration sits; discipleship steps. The invitation requires dropping familiar “nets”—security, comfort, self-sufficiency—to keep pace with Jesus into service, generosity, and sacrifice. Growth accelerates in proximity; obedience teaches what study alone cannot. The way is learned while walking it. [41:17]
• 3. Christ’s exclusivity invites clear trust. “I am the way… no one comes to the Father except through me” forces a decision: either Jesus tells the truth or He does not. Modern spirituality resists boundaries, yet rescue always names a single lifeline. Salvation isn’t comprehending everything but entrusting oneself to the One who is truth and life. [52:08]
• 4. Witness grows where love costs. The early church’s power was not volume but visibility—love that crossed divides, stayed during plagues, welcomed the vulnerable, and suffered with hope. Such beauty reveals a better kingdom and a better King. When love bears weight, the world sees the Way. [60:09]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [10:42] - Jesus: “I am the Way”
• [11:49] - Communion: sacred encounter, not ritual
• [33:08] - Vision: The Way of Jesus theme
• [35:54] - Early believers called “the Way”
• [38:08] - From admiration to actual following
• [39:47] - Drop the nets: leave comfort behind
• [44:16] - Thomas’ honest question for clarity
• [48:21] - Jesus’ exclusive claim unpacked
• [50:46] - Near the hurting is His path
• [56:55] - Stakes: reconciliation over inspiration
• [59:06] - The Way lived in Acts
• [63:19] - Polycarp’s witness and focus
• [66:30] - Inheritance: live the Way today
• [68:29] - Invitation to believe and blessing

1. In John 14:5, what does Thomas actually ask, and what does his question show about how the disciples were feeling in that moment?
2. In John 14:6, what three identities does Jesus claim for Himself, and what boundary does He set around how someone comes to the Father?
3. “The law was often referred to as the way. To walk with God meant to walk the way of the Torah.” What did “the way” mean in that Jewish context? [45:44]
4. “The way is no longer achieved through your perfection; it is received through relationship.” What shift is being described here? [49:45]

1. If “the way” is a Person to follow, not a system to master, how should that reshape what spiritual maturity looks like day to day? [49:45]
2. Jesus’ claim is exclusive—“No one comes to the Father except through me.” How is this not arrogance but revelation, and why does that difference matter for trust? [55:31]
3. If Jesus is usually heading toward the hurting and the lost, what does that imply about where His followers will most often find Him—and what might be missed if they avoid messy places? [51:06]
4. Communion was described as a sacred welcome where believers confess sin and encounter Jesus’ presence. How does holding both reverence and welcome together protect us from empty ritual on one side and casualness on the other? [12:56]

1. Move from admiration to movement: Where have you been “moved by Jesus but not moving for Jesus”? Name one specific step you will take this week to follow Him more closely (a conversation, an act of service, a change in habit). [38:08]
2. Drop the nets: What is one “net” you need to lay down—security, comfort, distraction, self-sufficiency, fear of not being good enough? What concrete action will dropping it look like in the next 7 days? [39:47]
3. Near the hurting: Who is one person or place of pain you can intentionally draw near to this week? What is one small, tangible act of presence you can offer (a meal, a visit, a ride, prayer on the spot)? [51:06]
4. Communion practice: Before you next come to the Table, what sin or burden do you need to bring into the light? How will you approach with both confession and confidence, “going before the throne boldly”? [14:39]
5. Clarity with compassion: Since “no one comes to the Father except through” Jesus, who is one person you will pray for and gently share your hope with this month? What would humble clarity look like in that conversation? [53:21]
6. Love that costs: Choose one “costly” expression of love this month—opening your home, caring for someone sick, crossing a social divide, giving sacrificially. What will you do, and when? [01:00:09]
7. A visible way of life: If the next generation is watching how believers love, forgive, serve, suffer, and stand, what is one practice you will build into your home or weekly rhythm so the Way is visible there? [01:07:19]