Lara Howard

Words in Red | John 7

January 2, 2026 By Lara Howard

This week’s suggested reading: John 7

This week’s question to ponder: What are you “waiting” on God to do? What are some truths about God you want to remember when you’re struggling to accept his timing?

God's timing is not our timing. But he's always on time.

I don’t like to wait. You? I can’t count the number of times I’ve actually had the nerve to say to God, “Ok, God, it’s time. Time to do your thing. Time to answer this prayer.” As if I’m hyping him up for a big game. He’s so patient with me.

But God’s timing is not our timing. His ways are not our ways. He sees the beginning and the ending of everything. He’s working all things together for the good of those who love him. He’s trustworthy, faithful, and perfectly loving. And he stays on his eternal timetable…which often doesn’t align with our short-sighted timeline.

There have already been a number of times in these early chapters of John that we read statements like, “My (Jesus’) time has not yet come…” (John 7:6a; see 7:30) Jesus moved and lived on the Father’s timeline. Jesus didn’t push ahead or lag behind of God’s timetable. People couldn’t force him to do something outside of the Father’s timing. Why? Because Jesus knew that God’s timing was perfect. And until it was God’s time, it wasn’t time.

We may not always like God’s timing. We may not understand it. But I have learned to trust it…often after a momentary freak out. Because our God is always on time.

Jesus' claims naturally cause division.

We’re starting to see how Jesus’ claims naturally cause division among people. As if we couldn’t see that even today in our own cultural context.

“And there was much muttering about him among the people. While some said, ‘He is a good man,’ others said, ‘No, he is leading the people astray.’ 13 Yet for fear of the Jews no one spoke openly of him.” (John 7:12-13)

Then further in the text, “When they heard these words, some of the people said, ‘This really is the Prophet.’ 41 Others said, ‘This is the Christ.’ But some said, ‘Is the Christ to come from Galilee? 42 Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the offspring of David, and comes from Bethlehem, the village where David was?’ 43 So there was a division among the people over him.” (John 7:40-43)

Bottom line, the gospel message is divisive. Jesus’ claims naturally cause separation among people because he says some difficult things. He explains the state of mankind as condemned before a holy God, in need of a Savior. He confronts those who claim to know God, yet are missing the point. He calls people to believe in him for salvation, rather than religiously “working” their way to good standing with God. All of those things can be divisive.

But just because the gospel message of Jesus is divisive doesn’t mean we should be divisive. What do I mean? Welp, take a quick stroll down Facebook lane. In 2.3 seconds it’s obvious, we live in an extremely divisive culture. Nauseatingly. But as followers of Jesus, we’re called to unity. We’re called to love, not fighting and quarreling.

“What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? 2 You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.” (James 4:1-3)

Jesus’ claims are naturally divisive because people don’t like to be told…well…anything. But the calling on us as followers of Jesus is unity, not division. We’re called to share the message of Jesus in love because it’s out of love he came to save.

The Holy Spirit indwells believers.

When I was at seminary, I remember saying to God, “God, I feel like I’ve started to know you as Father. I feel like I’ve started to know Jesus your Son. But I don’t know you very deeply as Holy Spirit. Will you teach me?” He’s kind to answer that prayer.

“37 On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, ‘If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’ 39 Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.” (John 7:37-39)

Jesus tells us in this text that those who believe in him would receive the Holy Spirit. I don’t have time to go into a long dissertation on the doctrine of the Holy Spirit, though that would be fun. But I do think it’s vitally important to remind us that the Holy Spirit literally comes to live within those who believe in Jesus. Literally.

We read about the first coming of the Holy Spirit in the book of Acts. He came after Jesus ascended into heaven. And he came with great power. The Bible teaches that the Holy Spirit comes to “seal” followers of Jesus, permanently. When we put our faith in Jesus, the Holy Spirit makes his home within us. He then guides us. He comforts us. He strengthens us. He empowers us. He’s truly an invaluable gift from God, given to help us walk out our days on this earth with love and grace.

He’s living water to the soul.

Jesus came to earth at the exact right time with the message of God’s love and salvation. Yes, his message caused division, just as it does today. But if we’ve put our faith in him, the Holy Spirit comes to indwell and empower us as we aim to live out our faith in love. And that’s what the world desperately needs.

Disclaimer: Words in Red is a devotional blog series created for personal reflection and spiritual encouragement. All writing is original and created solely by the author, Lara Howard—AI was not used in the development of this content. All content in this series is copyrighted and may not be reproduced, distributed, or used without written permission. © Think True Things

Words in Red | John 6

December 29, 2025 By Lara Howard

This week’s suggested reading: John 6

Tip: Aim to read the suggested chapter once per day, with a goal of reading the chapter at least 5 times this week. As you read, keep a running list of anything the passage teaches you about Jesus – i.e. his commands, his example, his words, his convictions.

A second tip: Before you start reading the chapter each day, talk to God.
Praise him for his goodness and faithfulness. Tell him the concerns on your heart. And ask him to speak to you as you read his Word.

This week’s question to ponder: What physical solution am I seeking that might actually need a spiritual solution?

This week we talk a lot about bread. I love bread.

We as humans often look for physical solutions to spiritual problems.

Hopefully by now you’ve seen that Jesus often asked questions for the listener’s sake, not because he had a need for information. He did this again in this week’s text when he asks, “‘Where are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?’ He said this to test him (Philip), for he himself knew what he would do.” (John 6:5-6) We then read of Jesus miraculously feeding 5000+ people from five loaves and two fish.

The thing that got my attention in this chapter is how often the people who interacted with Jesus wanted a physical answer to their spiritual problem. In trying to answer the question Jesus asked, Philip looked to the physical, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread would not be enough for each of them to get a little.” (John 6:7) And then further in the text, when speaking to crowds, they too looked to the physical for answers.

So they said to him, “Then what sign do you do, that we may see and believe you? What work do you perform? 31 Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” 32 Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” 34 They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.”

John 6:30-34

The people wanted physical bread to solve their physical hunger. But Jesus came to offer spiritual food to give spiritual life. They missed the point. And so often we do the same. Today, we can just as easily fall into a rut of asking God (over and over and over) for a physical solution when in actuality we’re dealing with a spiritual problem.

Jesus is stronger than any storm we may face.

As I write this point, it sounds so cliche, “Jesus is stronger than any storm we may face.” Like it would be a good quote on a Christian coffee mug with a picture of a tree on it in a storm. But cliche comments about Jesus annoy me. Saying “Jesus is bigger than any storm” while patting someone on the back who’s going through their own personal hell feels trite. So please know that when I say this, I’m saying it while holding the tension of a very fallen world.

In John 6, Jesus literally walked on the sea in the midst of a storm to reach his disciples in their boat. And the text says, “But he (Jesus) said to them, ‘It is I; do not be afraid.’ 21 Then they were glad to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land to which they were going.” (John 6:20-21) The boat and the people in it immediately transported to land.

Jesus is stronger than weather. He can defy physics. We’ve seen him heal disease and read the heart of man. There’s nothing we may face on this planet stronger than him.

But here’s the tension: you and I are probably in the middle of a trial (or have been through a trial) that feels bigger than him. I get it. I really do. I don’t understand why God allows all the things he allows on this planet. But when we face trials that we don’t understand, we have to be careful not to define God through the lens of our circumstance.

Let me explain. If in the middle of a painful season of life, I begin with the pain and try to define God through it, I will likely come up with a wrong definition of God. It might sound something like, “I’m in this painful season of life that God doesn’t seem to be fixing. Therefore, God must not be stronger than this trial or else he’d take it away.” Hopelessness and despair quickly follow.

But if we begin with the character of God and then define the storms of life through the lens of his character, we come to a very different ending. It might sound something like, “God, I know you’re stronger than everything. There isn’t anything stronger than you. And I know you love me – you have told me over and over again and even sent your Son to give me eternal life. So even though I don’t understand why you’re allowing what you’re allowing, I’m declaring my trust in you. You are faithful. You are good. Please give me wisdom and strength to get through this as only you can.” Do you hear the difference?

Jesus is stronger than any storm we may face. And if he doesn’t calm the external storm we face in the timing we want, for whatever reasons he may have, he promises to calm our internal storm with peace that only comes through faith in him.

Our "work" is to believe in Jesus.

I love to-do lists. Love them. I’m one of those who will even make a to-do list at the end of the day with all the things I accomplished earlier in the day, just so I can check them off. It’s a disease. But let’s be real. To-do lists are often tied to my own need to prove accomplishment to myself…or to others.

Jesus strips that all away. There’s no “doing” of a bunch of things to reach or impress Jesus. We can’t work our way into the eternal life he offers. We can’t go to church enough or feed the hungry enough or stand for justice enough or any other “good” thing enough. Because the ultimate problem we face isn’t physical, it’s spiritual. According to Jesus, the “work” we have to do is believe. Everything else flows from there.

25 When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?” 26 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. 27 Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.” 28 Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” 29 Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.”

John 6:25-29

They wanted a to-do list. But he called them to faith – believe in Christ, the Son of God who came to save us.

Jesus is the Bread of Life.

The chapter began with Jesus miraculously providing physical bread to physically feed the crowd. The chapter ends with Jesus explaining that he is the bread of life. “Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.'” (John 6:35) Again, Jesus was speaking of a spiritual reality while they were listening with a physical mentality.

We feast on a lot of things on this planet in efforts to find “life.” We feast on money and fame. We feast on image and power. We feast and feast and feast and in the end, we’re left hungry. Even after I get that pair of wide-legged jeans I’d been wanting for weeks, I still want something else 5 minutes later. Feasting and feasting. And left hungry.

We as humans naturally look to this world for help, hope, security, and satisfaction. But Jesus speaks of spiritual realities. He has spiritual solutions to things we can sometimes confuse as physical necessities.

Disclaimer: Words in Red is a devotional blog series created for personal reflection and spiritual encouragement. All writing is original and created solely by the author, Lara Howard—AI was not used in the development of this content. All content in this series is copyrighted and may not be reproduced, distributed, or used without written permission. © Think True Things

Words in Red | John 5

December 22, 2025 By Lara Howard

This week’s suggested reading: John 5

This week’s question to ponder: What are you tempted to worship other than God? Need help identifying? Search your heart for what causes you the most stress. Typically, these “smaller gods” reveal themselves through the stress in our lives.

In John 5, we read about Jesus healing an invalid man in Jerusalem on the Sabbath which turns into a huge indictment upon the Jewish leaders of the time. Let’s chat about it.

The human heart will always be tempted to worship something smaller than God.

We meet a man in John 5 who had been an invalid for 38 years. (John 5:5) We don’t get any indication that at this point in his life this man was actively trying to be healed in this Bethesda pool. My guess (though it’s not in the text) is that hopelessness had settled deep into his soul. As far as he was concerned, paralysis was his lot…until Jesus showed up.

Jesus asks the paralyzed man if he wants to be healed. (Which, sidenote, he didn’t actually answer. I’ll talk about this in my Thursday email.) Then Jesus says, “‘Get up, take up your bed, and walk.’ And at once the man was healed, and he took up his bed and walked.” (John 5:8-9)

Then we learn that this occurred on the Sabbath. And the Jews reprimanded this newly healed man because “it is not lawful for you to take up your bed (on the Sabbath).” (John 5:10)

Are you picturing this? Jesus healed a man who had been paralyzed for 38 years, which must have been absolutely astounding to the man. And the Jewish leaders were concerned about this newly healed man breaking the law of carrying his bed on the Sabbath. Do you feel the disconnect?

Let’s look at the law the Jewish leaders claim this man broke. In Exodus 20, God gives the 10 commandments. Generally speaking, the first 4 commandments are vertical, informing our relationship to God. The last 6 are horizontal, informing our relationships with other humans. But the law that the leaders claim he broke was a rabbinical law inspired by God’s commandment about the Sabbath. Here’s what the Exodus text actually says regarding this command from God about the Sabbath:

8 “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. 11 For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

Exodus 20:8-11

The man wasn’t breaking the commandment of God. He was breaking the Jewish leaders rabbinical laws that stated what was and was not allowed on the Sabbath. Here’s the problem. These leaders were seemingly missing the point of God’s commandments, which is love. The 10 commandments ultimately show us how to love God and love people.

Love is the basis of everything…even the commandments of God. He created us, which means he knows humans perfectly. He loves us, so he wants to guide us. His commandments reveal his instruction on how to live on planet Earth in relation to God and man.

But these leaders were so focused on the rules they had created, they missed the point of God’s original commands. In fact, it appears they loved their laws more than the One who gave the ultimate law. But they’re not alone.

We as humans do this every single day. We love, and in turn worship, things and people smaller than God. Why? Because we were designed to worship. And if we don’t worship God, we will worship something or someone else. In this situation, it appears that the Jewish leaders loved their rabbinical laws, and possibly the power that came from implementing them, more than they loved this man whom Jesus healed.

Jesus' teachings force a response.

By calling God his Father, Jesus was making himself equal to God. And that’s one of the reasons why the Jews of the time wanted to kill him. (John 5:18) His teachings were not fitting inside their religious box.

Jesus’ teachings are simple, but not easy. In love, we see his teachings confront the selfishness of man and the pride of life. He calls out hypocrisy and idolatry. And everyone who hears his teachings responds in one way or another. These Jewish leaders responded to his teachings with hate. They wanted him dead. But even today, Jesus’ teachings force a response in us.

I love what C.S. Lewis said in his book Mere Christianity. (I’m paraphrasing.) Lewis says there are only 3 options when it comes to our response to Jesus. We either declare him “a liar, a lunatic, or Lord.”

These leaders declared him a liar and a lunatic. Many others bowed to him as Lord. Now, you and I get to choose our response to Jesus. Is he a liar, a lunatic, or Lord?

Humans naturally crave human approval more than God's approval.

The chapter continues with Jesus explaining his authority on earth – its origin and extent. And the chapter ends with Jesus declaring four clear judgments over these religious leaders.

They had never heard or seen God. (5:37)
They didn’t have God’s Word abiding in them. (5:38)
They don’t have God’s love in them. (5:42)
They valued man’s approval above God’s. (5:44)

Jesus told these leaders that, though they claimed to know the Scriptures, they were missing the point. The Old Testament continually tells of the coming of Jesus. From Genesis onward, Jesus’ character and future coming are alluded to. But these religious leaders were blind to who Jesus was. And Jesus tells us the reason for their lack of faith: They valued man’s approval above God’s approval.

Jesus boldly addressed the unbelief in these religious leaders. Their idea of God didn’t align with the actual God of the Bible. They craved man’s approval more than God’s. And as the story unfolds, we’ll see that unbelief fuel the brutal crucifixion of Jesus.

Words in Red | John 4

December 15, 2025 By Lara Howard

This week’s suggested reading: John 4

This week’s question to ponder: Journal about a time when you couldn’t help but tell someone about Jesus’ love. If you can’t think of a time, that’s ok. Instead, journal a prayer asking God to overwhelm you with his love to the point that you can’t help but tell someone.

Lara Howard · Words in Red | A Think True Things Series | John 4

The bulk of John 4 details Jesus’ interaction with a Samaritan woman. One vital thing to remember as we wade through this text: “Jews had no dealings with Samaritans.” (John 4:9) Bottom line, within the context of the racial and social divides of the day, Jesus’ interaction with, not only a woman but, a Samaritan woman, would have been absolutely shocking at the time…which leads to my first observation.

Jesus often disrupted the status quo with radical displays of the Father's love.

In John 1, Jesus enters the scene of humanity as an act of love by the Father. In John 2, Jesus cleansed the Jewish Temple out of love for the Father. In John 3, he shocked the Jewish leader, Nicodemus, with the radical teaching of being born again – a gift of love from the Father. And now in John 4, he purposefully interacted with someone the religious elite would deem inferior – an act of love as a representation of the Father.

Jesus often disrupted the religious and social status quo with radical displays of the Father’s love.

Love drives Jesus. Everything he does – even correcting his own people – flows from his love from and for the Father, and his love for creation. He invaded the status quo with love. And in John 4, he crossed racial and social divides with love.

We read in John 4 that Jesus “had” to go through Samaria. I’m convinced that he “had” to because he had a divine appointment with this Samaritan woman. Logistically, he didn’t have to go through Samaria. Though it was the quickest route from Judea to Galilee, Jews had created other routes in efforts to avoid going through Samaria. But Jesus had an appointment with this seemingly insignificant woman of racial descent that Jews historically despised.

He had to pass through Samaria.

When he got there, he sat beside Jacob’s well to rest while his disciples went to get some food. It was about the “6th hour” – which would have been 12 noon, the hottest part of the day. While sitting there, a woman came to draw water.

Typically, women went to draw water in groups at the cooler part of the day. However, this woman came to the well alone at the hottest part of the day. Why? With clues we read later in the text, we can deduce that most likely her reputation had isolated her from other women.

But Jesus had to pass through Samaria to meet with her because God’s love was breaking through the walls of hostile divide.

Worship isn't about where; it's about how.

When this Samaritan woman mentioned the “where” for worship, Jesus explained that true worship comes from the heart. It’s not about where you worship. It’s not about your familial line. It’s not about the color of your skin or the traditions you keep. The Father is seeking those who worship him in “spirit and truth.”

Humans love tradition. And traditions aren’t all bad. But when tradition drives our actions to the neglect of truth, confusion and corruption will follow. Imma say that again…

When tradition drives our actions to the neglect of truth, confusion and corruption will follow.

Jesus tells her, “the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him.” (John 4:23) God isn’t looking at the external. He’s not looking at our church traditions. He’s not looking at our family’s faith as a whole. He looks at the individual heart. And he’s looking for worshippers who worship him in spirit and truth.

Jesus reveals what steals from us.

We’ve already seen examples in these early chapters of John that remind us: there’s no fooling Jesus. He can see our heart. He knows everything about us. And he has a way of addressing the very thing in our lives that steals freedom from us. He did it with Nicodemus. And he did it with this Samaritan woman when he says to her, “Go, call your husband, and come here.” (John 4:16)

At first glance it may seem like his request came out of left field. But Jesus interacts with people intentionally, out of love. So we know there’s purpose. Jesus didn’t bring up the topic of this woman’s husband to shame her. He brought it up as a pathway to free her.

All of us have things that steal our focus. All of us have blind spots. All of us are in process. But in his kindness, Jesus reveals the things that steal the peace and freedom he died to give us. And we see the results of this kind of revelation in the response of the Samaritan woman.

The love of Christ is stronger than shame.

This Samaritan woman responds to Jesus’ knowing of her with an overflow of evangelism. I use the word “evangelism” because in it’s purest sense, it means to spread the good news, the “gospel,” of Jesus. She had an interaction with Jesus that led her to conclude, “This is the promised Messiah.” And she couldn’t keep it in. The good news of Christ overflowed from her lips to this town of people who had rejected her.

The love of Christ is stronger than shame.

Humans crave to be known and loved. We search for that “knowing” here on planet earth through lots of avenues – relationships, successes, social media… the list goes on and on. But we often put on masks because we’re afraid that if someone actually knew us, flaws and all, they wouldn’t love us.

When this Samaritan woman realized she was fully known and fully loved with an invitation into this gift of living water from the long-awaited Christ, she couldn’t help but tell others…even those who had shamed her.

Christ’s love breaks through walls of hostility – racial, social, and economic divides – to offer the gift of hope to those who worship the Father in spirit and truth. May that truth of Christ’s love actually affect and inform us today.