A message based on Luke 8:26-39 (Inclusive Bible):Jesus and his disciples came to the region of the Gerasenes, which is opposite Galilee. Jesus was stepping from the boat when he was met by a person from the town who was possessed by demons. The demoniac had not worn clothes for a long time, and was homeless, living among the tombs instead. Seeing Jesus, the individual cried out and fell at Jesus’s feet, shouting loudly, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Only Begotten of the Most High God? I beg you, don’t torture me!” – for Jesus was ordering the unclean spirit to come out of the person. This spirit had seized the demoniac many times in the past, who then needed to be restrained with chains and shackles and kept under guard—yet every time, the possessed person would break the bonds and be driven by the demon into deserted places. “What is your name?” Jesus asked. “Legion,” it replied, because many demons had entered the person. And they pleaded with Jesus not to order them to depart into the abyss.

A large herd of pigs was feeding nearby on the hillside. The demons pleaded with Jesus to allow them to enter the swine, and Jesus gave them permission. The demons left the person and entered the pigs, and the herd rushed down the hillside into the lake and drowned.

When the swineherds saw what had happened, they ran to tell the story in town and throughout the countryside. The local residents came out to see what happened. And as they approached Jesus, they saw the exorcised person sitting at Jesus’s feet, clothed and of right mind. And they were afraid. Those who had witnessed it told the others how the possessed one had been made whole. Panic overcame the whole population of the region of the Gerasenes, and they asked Jesus to leave them. When Jesus had gotten into the boat to leave, the person who had been healed asked to go with Jesus. But Jesus said, “No, go back home and tell everyone what God has done for you.” So the one who had been made whole went off and proclaimed throughout the region what Jesus had accomplished.

A message based on John 16:12-15 (Spark Bible): Jesus loved his disciples. He knew he was going to heaven soon and wanted to make sure they weren’t afraid. Jesus and his friends sat down on the soft grass. Jesus said, “It’s important to remember all I’ve taught you. Love God. Love other people. Help each other. Remember, God is most important. God will always love you.”

Jesus looked at each of his friends’ faces. He cared so much for each of them! “I promise I’ll always love you and everyone who comes after you. I won’t be here much longer. But don’t worry! God’s Holy Spirit will be with you always. The Holy Spirit will help you and God’s children forever.” The disciples trusted Jesus and the promise he made.

A message based on Acts 2:1-21 (Inclusive Bible):

When the day of Pentecost arrived, they all met in one room. Suddenly they heard what sounded like a violent, rushing wind from heaven; the noise filled the entire house in which they were sitting. Something appeared to them that seemed like tongues of fire; these separated and came to rest on the head of each one. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages as she had enabled them.

Now there were devout people living in Jerusalem from every nation under heaven, and at this sound they all assembled. But they were bewildered to hear their native languages being spoken. They were amazed and astonished: “Surely all of these people speaking are Galileans! How does it happen that each of us hears these words in our native tongue? We are Parthians, Medes and Elamites, people from Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya around Cyrene, as well as visitors from Rome—all Jews, or converts to Judaism—Cretans and Arabs, too; we hear them preaching, each in our own language, about the marvels of God!”

All were amazed and disturbed. They asked each other, “What does this mean?” But others said mockingly, “They’ve drunk too much new wine.”

Then Peter stood up with the Eleven and addressed the crowd: “Women and men of Judea, and all you who live in Jerusalem! Listen to what I have to say! These people are not drunk as you think—it’s only nine o’clock in the morning! No, it’s what Joel the prophet spoke of:

‘In the days to come—

it is our God who speaks—

I will pour out my Spirit

on all humankind.

Your daughters and sons will prophesy,

your young people will see visions,

and your elders will dream dreams.

Even on the most insignificant of my people,

both women and men,

I will pour out my Spirit in those days,

and they will prophesy.

And I will display wonders

in the heavens above

and signs on the earth below:

blood, fire, and billowing smoke.

The sun will be turned into darkness

and the moon will become blood

before the coming of the

great and sublime day of our God.

And all who call upon the name

of our God will be saved.’”

A messaged based on John 17:20-26: [Jesus prayed:] “I ask not only on behalf of these but also on behalf of those who believe in me through their word, that they may all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given them, so that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become completely one, so that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. Father, I desire that those also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory, which you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.

“Righteous Father, the world does not know you, but I know you, and these know that you have sent me. I made your name known to them, and I will make it known, so that the love with which you have loved me may be in them and I in them.”

A message based on John 5:2-9: Now in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate there is a pool, called in Hebrew Beth-zatha, which has five porticoes. In these lay many invalids—blind, lame, and paralyzed. One man was there who had been ill for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had been there a long time, Jesus said to the man, “Do you want to be made well?” The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; and while I am making my way, someone else steps down ahead of me.” Jesus said to the man who was sick, “Stand up, take your mat and walk.” At once the man was made well, and he took up his mat and began to walk.

Now that day was a sabbath.

A message based on John 13:33-35: Jesus said, “Little children, I am with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come.’ I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

A message based on John 10:22-30: At that time the Festival of the Dedication took place in Jerusalem. It was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the portico of Solomon. So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.” Jesus answered, “I have told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name testify to me, but you do not believe because you do not belong to my sheep. My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, in regard to what God has given me, is greater than all, and no one can snatch them out of the Father’s hand. The Father and I are one.”

A message based on John 21:1-19: After Jesus appeared to his followers in Jerusalem, he showed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias, and he showed himself in this way. Gathered there together were Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples. Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We will go with you.” They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.Just after daybreak, Jesus stood on the beach, but the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to them, “Children, you have no fish, have you?” They answered him, “No.” He said to them, “Cast the net to the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in because there were so many fish. That disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment, for he had taken it off, and jumped into the sea. But the other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, only about a hundred yards off. When they had gone ashore, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish on it, and bread. Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.” So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, a hundred fifty-three of them, and though there were so many, the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” Now none of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you?” because they knew it was the Lord. Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them and did the same with the fish. This was now the third time that Jesus appeared to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” Simon Peter said to Jesus, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my lambs.” A second time Jesus said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Simon Peter said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Tend my sheep.” Jesus said to Simon Peter the third time, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter felt hurt because Jesus said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” And Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep. Very truly, I tell you, when you were younger, you used to fasten your own belt and to go wherever you wished. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will fasten a belt around you and take you where you do not wish to go.” (Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which he would glorify God.) After this Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Follow me.”