Our purpose and design is to glorify God.
That which Glorifies God is what Magnifies Jesus and dignifies humans.
All this is done through the power of the Holy Spirit. Resulting in Lives Changed By Christ.
Jesus calls us to follow Him.
Join us in this year long study in the Life of Jesus by visiting here or join the email list at
https://groups.google.com/g/magnify-jesus for emails.
18“If the world hates you, understand that it hated Me before it hated
you. 19If you were of the world, the world would love you as its
own. However, because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of
the world, this is why the world hates you. 20Remember the word I
spoke to you: ‘A slave is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they
kept My word, they will also keep yours. 21But they will do all
these things to you on account of My name, because they don’t know the One who
sent Me. 22If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have
sin. Now they have no excuse for their sin. 23The one who hates Me
also hates My Father. 24If I had not done the works among them that
no one else has done, they would not have sin. Now they have seen and hated
both Me and My Father. 25But this happened so that the statement
written in their law might be fulfilled: ‘They hated me for no reason.’
26“When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father—the
Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father—He will testify about Me. 27You
also will testify, because you have been with Me from the beginning.
Jn 16:1“I have told you these things to keep you
from stumbling. 2They will ban you from the synagogues. In fact, a
time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering service to
God. 3They will do these things because they haven’t known the
Father or Me. 4But I have told you these things so that when their
time comes you may remember I told them to you. I didn’t tell you these things
from the beginning, because I was with you.[1]
Jesus Teaches About The Vine and The Branches
John 15:1-17
Jn 15:1“I
am the true vine, and My Father is the vineyard keeper. 2Every
branch in Me that does not produce fruit He removes, and He prunes every branch
that produces fruit so that it will produce more fruit. 3You are
already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4Remain in
Me, and I in you. Just as a branch is unable to produce fruit by itself unless
it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in Me.
5“I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in Me and I
in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without Me. 6If
anyone does not remain in Me, he is thrown aside like a branch and he withers.
They gather them, throw them into the fire, and they are burned. 7If you remain in Me and My words remain
in you, ask whatever you want and it will be done for you. 8My
Father is glorified by this: that you produce much fruit and prove to be My
disciples.
9“Just as the Father has loved Me, I also have loved you. Remain in My
love. 10If you keep My
commandments you will remain in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s
commandments and remain in His love.
11“I have spoken these things to you so that My joy may be in you and
your joy may be complete. 12This is My commandment: that you love
one another just as I have loved you. 13No one has greater love than
this, that someone would lay down his life for his friends. 14You
are My friends, if you do what I command you. 15I do not call you
slaves any more, because a slave doesn’t know what his master is doing. I have
called you friends, because I have made known to you everything I have heard
from My Father. 16You did not choose Me, but I chose you. I
appointed you that you should go out and produce fruit, and that your fruit
should remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in My name, He will give
you. 17This is what I command you: that you love one another.[1]
In a time of growing isolation and individualism, we are
reminded of how important it is to stay connected to God and to each other.
Jesus’ metaphor of the vine and branches calls us into a life of connection
over production as we abide in Him.
Opening Thoughts:Jesus makes it clear-our connection to him and to each other is rooted in
genuine, sacrificial love. We are called to a "greater love."
9 “As
the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10 If
you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s
commands and remain in his love. 11 I have told you
this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 12 My
command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13 Greater
love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14 You
are my friends if you do what I command. 15 I
no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s
business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned
from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did
not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and
bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the
Father will give you. 17 This is my command: Love
each other.
Summarize the main story: Describe the events of the story in your
own words.
vReview and
retell the story.
Reflections for applications:
vSimon Sinek book title: Start
with Why
oWhat is your Why?
vJesus’ Teaching on Love:
oJesus loves us as the Father loves Him (v. 9)
oWe remain in Jesus’ love by keeping His commands (v. 10)
oObeying Jesus’ command to love leads to His joy filling us (v. 11)
oWe are to love others as Jesus has loved us (v. 12)
oJesus-style love is selfless and sacrificial (v. 13)
vWhat is your WHY?
oPutting others before yourself in a ME-FIRST world.
§Picking up a family to take to church.
oThe ME-FIRST
Mindset:
§Craving recognition, admiration, and applause.
§Taking credit for what others have done.
§Becoming defensive when differing views are presented.
§Rarely acknowledging sins or mistakes.
§Blaming others for your own failures.
§Resisting advice, new insights, or ideas.
·1 John 3:16–18 NIV - 16 This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his
life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.
17 If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but
has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? 18 Dear
children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.
oThe OTHERS-FIRST Mindset:
§Put the spotlight on others.
§Give others credit even when you’re being applauded.
§Listen carefully to others. Stay teachable!
§Confess your sins and acknowledge wrongdoing.
§Share your resources easily and cheerfully; live from abundance, not scarcity.
o“No one ever changed the world by doing what the world was already
doing.” – Ian Simpkins
Philippians 2:5–11 NIV - 5 In your
relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: 6 Who,
being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be
used to his own advantage; 7 rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very
nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in
appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death--even
death on a cross! 9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him
the name that is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee
should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue
acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
==============================
Digging Questions:
·How
will you respond to making “Connection to Jesus”? What transformative move
needs to be made?
·What do these biblical texts tell you about God and His nature?
·What is God calling us (me and you individually) to do?
Take Away Challenges
·What has the Holy Spirit revealed to you in
this passage? How will you apply it to your life this week?
·Whom do you know who needs to hear this?
·What is God bringing to your attention in this discussion? What
beliefs, thoughts or actions need to be addressed or changed?
In a time of growing isolation and individualism, we are reminded
of how important it is to stay connected to God and to each other. Jesus’
metaphor of the vine and branches calls us into a life of connection over
production as we abide in Him.
15 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He 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. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, as I also 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 you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
Summarize
the main story: Describe the events of the story in your own words.
vReview and
retell the story.
Reflections
for applications:
vIdentifiers
oJesus = The Vine
oDisciples = The Branches
oGod = The Gardener
§Isaiah
5:2, 7 NIV - 2 .... Then he
looked for a crop of good grapes, but it yielded only bad fruit. ... 7 The
vineyard of the LORD Almighty is the nation of Israel, and the people of Judah
are the vines he delighted in. And he looked for justice, but saw bloodshed;
for righteousness, but heard cries of distress.
§HEADLINE: A California woman cared for her ‘perfect’
succulent plant for two years. Then she found out it was fake.
vWe
are expected to bear fruit
oThe fruit we bear comes from the connection we have.
§As you pour yourself into producing,
are you investing the same energy into connecting?
·Luke 10:38-42 NIV - As Jesus and his disciples
were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her
home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening
to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to
be made. She came to him and asked, "Lord, don't you care that my sister
has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!" "Martha, Martha," the
Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, but few
things are needed--or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it
will not be taken away from her."
oFocus
on connection before production
§Luke 24:50-51 NIV - When he had led
them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them. While he was blessing them,
he left them and was taken up into heaven.
§Matthew 28:20 NIV - … And surely I am with you always,
to the very end of the age."
==============================
Digging
Questions:
·How will you
respond to making “Connection to Jesus”? What transformative move needs to be
made?
·What do
these biblical texts tell you about God and His nature?
·What is
God calling us (me and you individually) to do?
Take
Away Challenges
·What has the Holy Spirit revealed to you in this passage?
How will you apply it to your life this week?
·Whom do you know who needs to hear this?
·What is
God bringing to your attention in this discussion? What beliefs, thoughts or
actions need to be addressed or changed?
15“If you
love Me, you will keep My commandments; 16and I also will ask the
Father, and He will give you another Counselor to be with you forever. 17He
is the Spirit of truth, whom the world is unable to receive because it doesn’t
see Him or know Him. But you do know Him, because He remains with you and will
be in you. 18I will not leave
you as orphans; I am coming to you.
19“In a little while the world will see Me no longer, but you will see
Me. Because I live, you will live too. 20In that day you will know
that I am in My Father, you are in Me, and I am in you. 21The one
who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me. And the one who
loves Me will be loved by My Father. I also will love him and will reveal
Myself to him.”
22Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, “Lord, how is it You’re going to reveal
Yourself to us and not to the world?”
23Jesus answered, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word. My Father
will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. 24The
one who doesn’t love Me will not keep My words. The word that you hear is not
Mine, but is from the Father who sent Me.
25“I have spoken these things to you while I remain with you. 26But
the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom
the Father will send in My name, will
teach you all things† and remind you of everything I have told
you.
27“Peace I leave with you. My
peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Your heart must
not be troubled or fearful. 28You have heard Me tell you, ‘I am
going away and I am coming to you.’ If you loved Me, you would have rejoiced that
I am going to the Father, because the Father is greater than I. 29I
have told you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you may
believe. 30I will not talk with you much longer, because the ruler
of the world is coming. He has no power over Me. 31aOn the contrary,
I am going away so that the world may know that I love the Father. Just as the
Father commanded Me, so I do.
