Learning to Care Like Christ!

Pastor Nathan will be bringing the Word to us this week. Let’s be praying for him! He will be preaching from John, Chapter 3, which, I am certain, is a familiar passage for many of you, with the focus centering around the theme of soul care.

I encourage you to take some time in advance to read through John 3 and prayerfully consider how God might speak to you this Sunday as we gather for worship. Let’s come ready with hearts open and prepared, to receive and respond to what God is doing in and among us.

Series: Single
Nathan Hooper
Message: Learning to Care Like Christ!
Harvest Alliston
Text: John 3:1-17
July 6, 2025

When you look at your own history of having been helped, it’s likely you’ll notice very few experts among those who helped you…Most often they were friends—the regular, everyday people in your life. Friends are the best helpers. They come prepackaged with compassion and love. All they need is Wisdom and that is available to everyone.
Ed Welch, Side By Side

Beneath what our culture calls psychological disorder is a soul crying out for what only community can provide…Damaged psyches aren’t the problem. The problem beneath our struggles is a disconnected soul.
Larry Crabb

Caring for others like Christ does, means I will…

…focus on their heart condition (v. 1-3)

1 Corinthians 2: 12-13,16

2 Peter 1:3

2 Timothy 3:16-17

…recognize that all change comes from the Holy Spirit (v. 4-8)

Ezekiel 36:25-26

I used to impress a lot of people and helped very few. People would leave my office at times saying, “Man, you can really think things through and what you come up with, boy, it’s terrific,” but they weren’t helped. And they weren’t drawn close to the Lord and that struck me as a rather significant observation. That made me think a little bit…I’ve come to a very much stronger conviction that a counselor’s job is not to help a person find themselves, but a counselor’s job is to direct a person to find the Lord.
John Piper, Desiring God 1992 Conference for Pastors

…understand that all people need help (v. 9-15)

The great illusion of leadership is to think that man can be led out of the desert by someone who has never been there.
Henri Nouwen, The Wounded Healer

…base my counsel in the Gospel (v. 16-17)

God is most glorified in us, when we are most satisfied in him.”
John Piper