The right frame of mind
Before you start to dive into this week’s bible study, take a few moments to calm your spirit. Get comfortable with your beverage of choice, your bible and something to write with. Pray that God would give you the time to study and put to one side the concerns of the day. Breathe deeply for a few seconds and focus on who Jesus said he was…. When you are ready move on…
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Over the last few weeks scripture has been repeatedly leading us back to our identity in Christ. One of the descriptors from last week was branches – Taken from John 15 Take a couple of minutes and read it through. First time quickly and then more slowly one verse at a time.
This passage contains one of the seven ‘I am’ statements of Jesus.
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- “I am the bread of life.” (John 6:35, 41, 48, 51) As bread sustains physical life, so Christ offers and sustains spiritual life.
- “I am the light of the world.” (John 8:12) To a world lost in darkness, Christ offers Himself as a guide.
- “I am the door of the sheep.” (John 10:7,9) Jesus protects His followers as shepherds protect their flocks from predators.
- “I am the resurrection and the life.” (John 11:25) Death is not the final word for those in Christ.
- “I am the good shepherd.” (John 10:11, 14) Jesus is committed to caring and watching over those who are His.
- “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” (John 14:6) Jesus is the source of all truth and knowledge about God.
- “I am the true vine.” (John 15:1, 5) By attached ourselves to Christ, we enable His life to flow in and through us. Then we cannot help but bear fruit that will honour the Father.
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Borrowed from the TNBibles website
Life flowing through us:The passage immediately follows Jesus telling the disciples about the Holy Spirit being given to them, so it’s an easy jump to assume the sap of the vine is analogous to the Spirit flowing through us. Acts 1
True Vine: as distinct from what? What is the significance of putting ‘true’ in at this point? The Bible suggests there are other sources of apparent sustenance – other places we can try to get our ‘identity’. None of them work and all of them leave us feeling empty and unfulfilled – John 10:10
Abide (remain) in Me. What exactly does this mean? Notice: Whilst the grafting is something that we don’t have anything to do with other than to ask for it, the abiding is something we are told to do. It’s our responsibility to abide. Take a moment to meditate and write down what it is to ‘abide in Him’. 1 John 2:5-6
The Fruit
The bible talks very clearly about the fruit of the Spirit; how many of them can you recall? It also talks about the kind of activities that are opposed to the life in the Spirit – those that will result in pruning! how many of them can you recall? Gal Ch 5:16 What may pruning look like? Feel like? What things might God be asking you to give up? / stop doing? / start doing? Note that: Pruning takes place once we are securely grafted on to the Vine not before, and not immediately (although it sometimes can be) – it is a gradual process of encouragement and challenge.
A healthy plant grows toward the light – see above – John 8:12 Not only did Jesus say I am the light of the World, but as we become more like Him, it also says that our light should shine out, encouraging and challenging others. Jdg. 5:31, Matt 5:16 Do a search for passages on light and see what God leads you to.
Read Ephesians Ch 5… and reconsider the questions on pruning.