“You didn’t choose me. I chose you. John 15:16-17 Today, We are going to focus on choice. Who chooses and why it matters. In the above verse, Jesus said we didn’t choose Him. In the Jewish religious culture, a student would pick a rabbi. In return, the Rabi then has to choose the student back or not to choose the student. There is a whole process to go through—interviews, tests, and applying for such training. Jesus, though turns this process upside down. He chose His disciples, and then in return; they chose Him back by abiding in Him for the long haul. Let’s look at some scripture verses on who…
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Jesus My Friend
“There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friend. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you slaves because a master doesn’t confide in his slaves. Now you are my friends since I have told you everything the Father told me.” John 15:13-15 Kindness! We all want to receive kindness. Yet there are times when we are kind to others; there is a rejection. For example, have you ever went to shake someone’s hand, and they turned and walked away. Or try to give a gift to a friend and they decline…
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You Are My Friends
Now you are my friends since I have told you everything the Father told me. John 15:13-15 Do you have a friendship that you cherish? When we are friends with Jesus, we get a treasure of the life-giving wisdom of the Father. Let’s read some scripture about some of the treasures to be discovered from these words for your own life? Matthew 6:1-4 Matthew 6:9-15 Luke 12:31-32 John 6:44 John 10:28-30 John 11:25-27 In Colossians 2:2-3 is says, “I want their hearts to be encouraged and joined together in love, so that they may have all the riches of assured understanding and have the knowledge of…
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No Longer Slaves
“I no longer call you slaves because a master doesn’t confide in his slaves. John 15:13-15 In this verse, Jesus takes us from slaves into friendship. He invited His friends to vital inside information. What important truths did he reveal from the following verses? Matthew 6:6-8, 16:21, 18:3, 12:36 Matthew 6:25-34 Mark 12:30-31 John 3:3-8 John 14:1-6 These words of Jesus and the eternal truths revealed have become very familiar to us. However, can you imagine hearing them for the first time? According to 1 Peter 1:12, the king told commoners wondrous things even the angels long to know. Jesus broke the mold of unapproachable, unknowable leadership in other ways.…
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You Are My Friends
“You are my friends if you do what I command.” John 15:13-15 Let look at the word “friend”. In verse John 15:13, a friend in Greek is a philon. It refers to associates for whom there are affection and personal regard . . . and conveys a greater sense of intimacy than does our modern use of friend. Obedience to Jesus doesn’t allow us to be His servants or disciples. Obedience also opens the door to a true friendship with Jesus, His highly regarded associates, The recipients of His affection. We will read the following verses about some friendships in the Old Testament that had…
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Lay Down One’s Life
“There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. John 15:13-15. What kind of friendships do you have? Or maybe I should ask, “What kind of relationships do you have?” Do you have friends from childhood? or high school, college? Or how about adult life? Ones that pray with you? Friends that would be willing to do anything for you? Do you have that one friend that you know would lay down their life for you? What do the following verses say about Christ’s death for us and what was the motivation behind His sacrificial death? John 10: 11-18 John 12:23-24,27…
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Love Livingly
“When you obey my commandments, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow! ‘This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you.” John 15:10-12 Living a life of obedience, love, joy, and more love brings fullness to one’s life. Read Luke 1:26-56. What are expressions of obedience, trust, love, and joy? Do you see from this passage of scripture? We have a hard time telling the difference between the words…
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Love Each Other
This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. John 15:10-12 Do you know that Jesus loves you? He does, and with that love, we are to love others. In John chapter 15, we see a progression of this love. The father loves the Son. The Son remains in the Father’s love through obedience. The Son loves us in the same way the Father loves him. We remain in Son’s love through obedience. We love each other in the same way the Son loves us. By loving each other, we are obeying the specific commandment of Jesus; thus,…
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Filled With My Joy
I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow! John 15:10-12 How much do you love our Lord and Savior? Does your life show it? Today, we will focus on the result of having steadfast obedience for Jesus out of our tenaciously abiding love for Him. Have you ever put abiding and obedience together to be filled with joy? I sure haven’t. Let’s look at the following verses: John 4:31-34, Philippians 2:5-11, and Hebrews 12:2. What can we learn from these verses about the connection between obedience and joy from the life of…
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Remain In His Love
“just as I obey my Father’s commandments and remain in his love.” John 15:10-12 How much do you trust God? Do you ever feel like you are stepping off the ledge when He asks you to do something that is not you? Let’s read Hebrews 4:14-16 and 5: 4-9. How does Jesus help us hold firm to what we believe? What did Jesus face? What difference might it make to consider Jesus facing a struggle with similar roots? What is the invitation given in Hebrews 4:16? What is offered after the invitation? In chapter 5:4-9, how does this show the humility of Jesus and His…