Remain In Me. John 15:1-8

It's good news that the one who is in Christ is made fruitful by Christ. If we remain in him then he will use us; make us fruitful. It's bad news if there has never been any fruit in your life.

This passage brings new meaning to the idea that there is no life outside of Christ. This verse seems to suggest that not only is there no life outside of Christ, but there's promise of fire outside of Christ. I'll take life.

John 15:1-8
1"I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. 3You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

5"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. 8This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

Questions
1. What did you learn about God?
2. What did you learn about yourself?
3. What should you change?

Hard Teaching. John 6:56-69

This is a good passage to read every so often to remind us of how radical it is to follow Christ. Christianity is very socially acceptable in our culture (Bible Belt), but I wonder if this teaching would be socially acceptable. I wonder if we stood in the pulpit and said, "You're not worthy of Jesus unless you eat his flesh and drink his blood," would people be deserting the churches in masses?

Obviously Jesus did not want the people to come up and take a bite out of his arm, but that doesn't take away from the severity of the call. Jesus was teaching that life comes from him and nowhere else. He is like the manna God sent from heaven for the Jews in the wilderness, only better. Because the one that feeds on Jesus will never die. Jesus call is a call of surrender, giving up everything else and living on him alone.

John 6:56-69
56Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him. 57Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. 58This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your forefathers ate manna and died, but he who feeds on this bread will live forever." 59He said this while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum.

60On hearing it, many of his disciples said, "This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?"

61Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, "Does this offend you? 62What if you see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before! 63The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life. 64Yet there are some of you who do not believe." For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him. 65He went on to say, "This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled him."

66From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.

67"You do not want to leave too, do you?" Jesus asked the Twelve.

68Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God."

Questions
1. How do you think you would have responded if you were in the crowd that day?
2. What did you learn about Jesus from this passage.
3. Is there anything you should change because of what you learned?

The Law of the Lord. Psalm 119:97-104

Here's a passage to take you through the weekend. The word of the Lord is good and it will take you great places.

Psalm 119:97-104
97 Oh, how I love your law!
I meditate on it all day long.
98 Your commands make me wiser than my enemies,
for they are ever with me.

99 I have more insight than all my teachers,
for I meditate on your statutes.

100 I have more understanding than the elders,
for I obey your precepts.

101 I have kept my feet from every evil path
so that I might obey your word.

102 I have not departed from your laws,
for you yourself have taught me.

103 How sweet are your words to my taste,
sweeter than honey to my mouth!

104 I gain understanding from your precepts;
therefore I hate every wrong path.

Turn My Head. Psalm 119:33-40

There's a wonderful life for you inside the way of the Lord. His ways are blameless and pure and lead to life everlasting. God has set up boundaries for us because they keep us where life can be found. Moving outside the boundaries takes you into darkness, and while the night may be exhilarating for a moment despair is right around the corner. The way of the Lord is not burdensome, it's the darkness that will break your back.

Psalm 119:33-40
33 Teach me, O LORD, to follow your decrees;
then I will keep them to the end.
34 Give me understanding, and I will keep your law
and obey it with all my heart.
35 Direct me in the path of your commands,
for there I find delight.
36 Turn my heart toward your statutes
and not toward selfish gain.
37 Turn my eyes away from worthless things;
preserve my life according to your word.
38 Fulfill your promise to your servant,
so that you may be feared.
39 Take away the disgrace I dread,
for your laws are good.
40 How I long for your precepts!
Preserve my life in your righteousness.

Questions
1. What did you learn about God?
2. What did you learn about yourself?
3. What do you need to change?

Understanding Love. Luke 7:36-47

You love as much as you've been shown love. If you've never seen love then you won't be a loving person. However, those that have been taught love by seeing love are much more likely to love.

When the Pharisee saw Jesus, he didn't see the love of Christ. The Pharisee instead was threatened as he sought to uphold his own righteousness in the face of someone who was condemning it. In the situation below the prostitute got it. She understood who Jesus was and who she was in light of him. She loved him so much because he first loved her.

Perhaps the reason we don't always love as we should is because we don't always understand how much we've been loved. Sometimes it's easy to forget where we'd be without the grace that God had on us.

Luke 7:36-47
36Now one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, so he went to the Pharisee's house and reclined at the table. 37When a woman who had lived a sinful life in that town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee's house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume, 38and as she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.
39When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, "If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner."

40Jesus answered him, "Simon, I have something to tell you."
"Tell me, teacher," he said.

41"Two men owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he canceled the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?"

43Simon replied, "I suppose the one who had the bigger debt canceled."
"You have judged correctly," Jesus said.

44Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. 46You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. 47Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little."

Questions
1. What did you learn about Jesus from this passage?
2. Why do you think we don't always love well?
3. What do you think you need to change related to this passage?

Want to read more? Click here for the rest of the chapter.

There Is No Other. Isaiah 46:9-11

God knows the beginning and the end of all things. This includes you, it includes our church, it even includes our country. It doesn't stop there though. God also has a plan and he will carry out that plan. This is good news for those who follow the Lord and are called children of God. This means we have nothing to fear. This means we should not worry about tomorrow. It also means we should purpose our life to be about what God is about. The last thing we want to do is find ourselves working against God. That's a losing battle. Take this verse with you today and let it be your source of strength when you're facing trials, or your source of conviction when you're trying to go your own way.

Isaiah 46:9-11
9Remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me,10declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, 'My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose,'11calling a bird of prey from the east, the man of my counsel from a far country. I have spoken, and I will bring it to pass; I have purposed, and I will do it.

Questions
1. What did you learn about God?
2. What do you need to change?
3. How does this passage relate to worry and anxiety?

Want to read more? Click here for the whole chapter.

God Is Light! 1 John 1-7

While we may have never touched Jesus or seen him with our eyes, all that follow him have experienced him. Now that we have experienced Jesus we have a duty, and hopefully a passion, to make him known. We do so by the way we love each other and people still trapped in this world. Let's cast off the sin that entangled us when we were in the world. May we no longer pick up the chains from our past. Instead, let's bask in the light of the glory of our God who saved us, who calls us his children.

1 John 1-7
1That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. 2The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. 3We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. 4We write this to make our joy complete.

5This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. 6If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. 7But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.

Questions
1. What are you still holding onto that God wants you to get rid of?
2. What did you learn about God from this passage?
3. What should you change in light of this passage?

Want to read more? Click here for the rest of 1 John 1