YEARNING TO BE KNOWN IN A DIGITAL DELUGE

•    missing life when don’t look up from our smartphones
•    narcissism contagious: everybody else checking their “likes”

“HOW DO YOU KNOW ME?!”

•    Pascal: infinite abyss within can be filled only by God
•    Jesus instantly knows and renames Simon “Peter”
•    calls Nathanael “true Israelite” (true trickster?)
•    saw him (somehow) under fig tree
•    Jesus knew what was in a person: familiar with all our ways

TRANSFORMING POWER: “YOU WILL BE CALLED...”

•    sees foundational “rock” potential in Simon, despite early flip-flops
•    Nathanael’s prejudices: against neighbour town, region - turns to praise
•    Jesus can redeem our own prejudices

COMING SOON TO A FIG TREE NEAR YOU

•    Jesus deliberately went in search of Philip
•    invited to communication with God through Jesus: Jacob’s Ladder
•    Follow Him: “come and see”
•    Find a friend: personal encounter trumps objections
•    Find a fig tree: like Nathanael, cultivate secret fellowship