Daily Bread Pastor Mike Anderson 2026

John 8 - NIV John 8 - Enduring Word Commentary Key Verses 31 To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. 32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” 33 They answered him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?” 34 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. 35 Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. Commentary When Jesus said, " If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples ", he meant that being his follower is not just about words but about a way of life. It seems as though these Jews had already taken a step toward believing in Jesus. Now he lets them know that if they are going to follow him, they are going to need tol make a commitment to obeying his teachings. Their thoughts, wo...

John 7 - NIV John 7 - Enduring Word Commentary Verses of the Day - John 7:14-18 Jesus Teaches at the Festival 14 Not until halfway through the festival did Jesus go up to the temple courts and begin to teach. 15 The Jews there were amazed and asked, “How did this man get such learning without having been taught?”  16 Jesus answered, “My teaching is not my own. It comes from the one who sent me. 17 Anyone who chooses to do the will of God will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own. 18 Whoever speaks on their own does so to gain personal glory, but he who seeks the glory of the one who sent him is a man of truth; there is nothing false about him.  Commentary You may not be familiar with the Feast of Tabernacles, so here are some facts about it.  1. It was a seven day feast, celebrated 5 days after Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) in the Fall. 2. The tabernacles were symbol of the the booths God provided for the Israelites to live in the wilde...

John 6 - NIV John 6 - Enduring Word Commentary Key Verse - John 6:35 "Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty." Commentary This is one of seven "I am" statements that Jesus made about himself in John's gospel. They not only reveal Jesus' divine nature, but also reveal the role he plays in our lives. Today, Jesus says, after feeding the the 5,000, "I am the bread of life. " Although Jesus met a very important physical need when he fed the 5,000, they would get hungry again. But if they believed in Jesus, they would never be hungry again.  Bread was a staple in Jesus' life and very symbolic in Israel's history, as when the Israelites wandered in the wildnerness, God provided daily manna for them. They were a sign of God's provision and also an affirmation of Moses' leadership.  A little earlier in this passage Jesus describes the unique na...

John 5 - NIV Enduring Word Commentary - John 5 Verses for the Day - John 5:24-30 24 “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life. 25 Very truly I tell you, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live. 26 For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. 27 And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man. 28 “Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice 29 and come out—those who have done what is good will rise to live, and those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned. 30 By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me. Commentary In verse 16, Jesus starts teaching about the authority that He and ...

John 4 - NIV John 4 - Enduring Word Commentary Key Verses 9 The Samaritan woman said to him, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans 10 Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.” 11 “Sir,” the woman said, “you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? 12 Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his livestock?” 13 Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” Commentary One of the things I love about Jesus, which reveals the nature of God, is how inclusive he is. He seems to love the " underdog ...

John 3 - NIV Enduring Word Commentary - John 3 Key Verses - John 3:3-8 3 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.” 4 “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!” 5 Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. 6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit[b] gives birth to spirit. 7 You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You[c] must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” Commentary This is one of my favorite stories of the bible, although I always say that. We so often hear someone say, " He or she is a born-again Christian" ! I almost want to say, " Is there any other type of Christian?" I was par...