Can God Use Even Me? (Another setback in my quest to love like Jesus)
“I will turn aside to see this great sight, why the bush is not burned.”
Exodus 3:3
Another Setback In My Quest To Love Like Jesus
The Secret Of Life–John 15:12-13
“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.”
John 15:12-13
How To Live The Big Abundant Life Jesus Wants For You–John 15:7-11
If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.
John 15:7-11
“Ask Whatever You Wish . . .” Read More
What Happens To Unfruitful Branches–John 15:6
If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.
John 15:6
The Meaning Of Fire
Connecting with Jesus (on Kurt and Kathy’s wedding anniversary)–John 15:4-5
“Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”
John 15:4-5
Love Letters From Kathy Read More
“Already you are clean…”–John 15:3
“Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you.”
John 15:3
In the last few posts from the book of John we talked about how every branch that does bear fruit, he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. That word “prune” from last post’s text, in the original Greek, is the same word that’s used in today’s verse for the word “clean.”
I think cleaning is another way God can help us to become more fruitful. But I don’t think it’s an either or situation. To me it seems apparent that God uses both pruning, or taking things away from us (as we discussed in the last post from the book of John) to help us become more fruitful, and, He uses cleaning too. Read More
“So this is what it feels like to lose my mind.”–John 15:2
“. . . every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.”
John 15:2
Jesus Interrupted: Frustrations, Interruptions, and the Love of Christ
Welcome Interruption
So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them, and he stayed there two days.
John 4:40
He Is Risen
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“Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen!”
“He is risen.”
Optimisfits: Igniting a Fierce Rebellion Against Hopelessness — A Book Review
A Source Of Great Hope Read More
“Where this controversy is concerned, I only know that I don’t want to find out the hard way which interpretation is correct.”
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away . . .”
John 15:1-2
I’ve been researching these few verses today.
That Jesus is the true vine is irrefutable.
What Jesus means when he says that those branches which don’t bear fruit are “taken away” is debated among Bible teachers and scholars. The two English words “taken away”are communicated with one Greek word in the original, and that Greek word is airo. It usually means “to lift up”. Some scholars say Jesus means that if you don’t bear fruit you’ll be taken away. Others say if you don’t bear fruit you’ll be lifted up in a way that will help you to connect with the vine better, so you can begin to bear fruit. Read More
