🐑 John 10:10 | "I came that they may have life..."

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Happy Monday, {{first_name | everyone}}!

Happy Memorial Day to all who celebrate!

We're memorizing a verse this week that almost every Christian has probably heard at least once…and it's also one of the most misread verses in the Bible.

So this week we're going to slow down, take it apart, and put it back together so you can walk away with a clear understanding of what it means.

In today’s email…

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The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

John 10:10

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John wrote his Gospel later in life, likely from Ephesus, somewhere around AD 85–95. By the time he sat down to write it, he had been thinking about (and changed by) these stories about Jesus for decades.

John 10:10 sits inside what’s often called the Good Shepherd discourse (John 10:1–21).

Jesus gives this teaching directly after healing a man born blind in chapter 9. That healing ended with the religious leaders throwing the man out of the synagogue for siding with Jesus.

So when Jesus pivots into a metaphor about thieves and robbers and shepherds, he's looking those same religious leaders in the eye and naming what they just did.

The metaphor is layered.

Jesus is the door (v7, 9). Jesus is the good shepherd (v11, 14). And verse 10, our verse, is the bridge between those two claims. It's Jesus's clearest mission statement in all of John:

The contrast is sharp.

The thief comes for three things: steal, kill, destroy.

Jesus comes for one: life that overflows.

If you're newer to faith or, like me, are always in need of a regular reminder, here's the thing to hold onto…

When Jesus described his mission in his own words, he said he came to give us abundant life.

This week, I’m excited for us to dive into what that actually means for our 21st century lives.

Take a few quiet minutes today to sit with our memory verse.

🪞 Read the verse out loud twice. The first time, focus on the thief. The second time, focus on Jesus.

Where in your life right now does each line ring true? Where does it feel like something has been stolen? Where does life feel abundant?

✏️ Write down what you think "abundant life" means. Just two-three sentences or bullets. We'll come back to this on Wednesday and see if anything changes.

🤝 Pick one person to walk through this week with. Send them the verse this morning. It can be as simple as a text: "I’m studying and memorizing John 10:10 this week. Want to join me?"

🙏 Pray

Lord Jesus, you said you came that we might have life, and have it abundantly. I'll be honest: a lot of my days don't feel that way. Help me hear your voice this week. Help me notice the places the thief has been chipping away. And help me trust that the life you offer is better than anything the world has to offer. Amen.

Pay-it-forward subscribers, enjoy the song we created below to help you memorize the verse of the week!

Pay-it-forward subscribers, enjoy the song we created below to help you memorize the verse of the week!

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If John 10:10 had a soundtrack, this would be a contender.

The whole song celebrates the exact thing Jesus is promising in this verse: life that's awake and alive in him. "This is living now, ever-living God."

Listen on Spotify | Listen on Apple Music | Full Malachi Daily Playlist

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

John 10:10