Author's Preface

Author’s Preface

This book grew out of a journey that began in 2018 with my MTh research on John’s Gospel, which led to a thesis titled The Symbolism of Water in the Fourth Gospel and its Soteriological Interpretation. Over the past eight years, I have shared these insights in seminars locally and abroad, speaking with pastors, missionaries, and church leaders about how John’s Gospel can shape ministry and mission.

During one seminar in India, a simple remark changed everything: “You should put your material into a book.” Until then, I had mostly shared these insights through PowerPoint slides, never imagining that they might live beyond the screen and take shape in print.

Two months after retiring from SIM East Asia as a home-based missionary in November 2025, I decided it was time to explore this idea. The first outline came to life 30,000 feet above the earth on a four-hour flight to Yunnan. Suspended between sky and clouds, I sketched the broad strokes of a project that would eventually become this book. It is my humble attempt to bring the riches of John’s Gospel from seminar halls to the hands of readers everywhere. More than simply exploring the Gospel of John, this resource includes suggested sermons, teaching approaches, and creative ideas at the end of each chapter to help preachers apply John’s words to the lives of contemporary congregations.

I pray that this book not only informs the mind but also nourishes the heart, inspiring a deeper love for Christ and a more faithful walk in His truth.