A brief prayer is offered that you can add to your daily
prayers this week. The scripture is from our Sunday Service Bulletin. We
conclude a seven Sunday series on “Making Disciples”. Today, we discuss the final step in a
nature-based four step metaphor for making disciples: Plant, Sprout, Grow, Bear
Fruit. One of the ideas in the devotion comes from Constable’s notes in www.net.bible.org.
Gospel Reading- John
15:7-17
7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask
whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 By
this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my
disciples. 9 As the Father has loved me, so
have I loved you. Abide in my love. 10 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. 11 These
things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your
joy may be full.
12 “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have
loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than
this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. 14 You
are my friends if you do what I command you.15 No
longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his
master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard
from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You
did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go
and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you
ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. 17 These
things I command you, so that you will love one another
Devotion: Bear Fruit
I really admire the way Jesus says in
verse 16: “I chose you” likely he said it this way because in their culture,
most folks chose their rabbi, even today students tend to gravitate to a teacher
of choice if this is possible. Jesus is turning it around though and sometimes
the words of this verse have a special meaning for me, when I begin thinking
about why I am choosing the way of life I try to lead. Verse 16 also talks about
the fruit they can bear if they abide, of course the fruit of their mission is
new converts. Which is the task we acknowledge is now our mission today. I’d
like to point out that the last words of the passage are “love one another”. If
you will go back and re-read verses 13-16 you may be able to pick up these five
characteristics of genuine love: 1- sacrificial, 2- demonstrated in obedience to
Christ, 3- always communicates truth, 4- tries to meet the needs of others, and
5- will always bear fruit with abiding results. Let’s share that love!
We pray: “Lord make
us more like you – help us love one another.
Amen”
