“”I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. 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 ‭15:1-5‬ ‭ESV‬‬
http://bible.com/59/jhn.15.1-5.esv

All,

This stands out because Jesus says, “Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”  Jesus makes a pretty clear choice here. Bear much fruit or do nothing. Both of these choices are God-centered as opposed to self-centered. We may “think” we can do stuff without God, but can we?  Also ask our motivation for not abiding in Jesus?  He has given us this incredible opportunity, but sometimes we miss it. Please pray that we and our friends choose to abide in God today and enjoy the fruit He produces. Please pray for Phil’s group as it’s forming. 

“Little children, yet a little while I am with you. You will seek me, and just as I said to the Jews, so now I also say to you, ‘Where I am going you cannot come.’ A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.””
‭‭John‬ ‭13:33-35‬ ‭ESV‬‬
http://bible.com/59/jhn.13.33-35.esv

All,

This stands out because Jesus says, “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”  Do Christians have love for one another?  Do we have love for our neighbor?  Does love mean we approve of one another. Does it even mean we are to like one another?  Do we see others as a child of God that He loves dearly?  Let’s don’t let the world tell you that toleration is love. Let the Bible define love for you.  The early Christians cared for people that hated them when their own people left them for dead. Please pray that we and our friends have love for one another. Please pray for Melissa. 

“He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, do you wash my feet?” Jesus answered him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand.” Peter said to him, “You shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.” Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!” Jesus said to him, “The one who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but is completely clean. And you are clean, but not every one of you.””
‭‭John‬ ‭13:6-10‬ ‭ESV‬‬
http://bible.com/59/jhn.13.6-10.esv

All,

This stands out because Peter says, “Lord, do you wash my feet?”  Do you ever feel unworthy of God’s love?  Are there certain deeds you repeat often and think Christ has to get tired of my repentance on this one?  Jesus wants us to go to Him every time and His power transforms us, not our power. Please pray that we and our friends accept God’s Grace today. Please pray for Melissa’s surgery today. 

“So the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered the council and said, “What are we to do? For this man performs many signs. If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.” But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all. Nor do you understand that it is better for you that one man should die for the people, not that the whole nation should perish.” He did not say this of his own accord, but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation,”
‭‭John‬ ‭11:47-51‬ ‭ESV‬‬
http://bible.com/59/jhn.11.47-51.esv

All,

This stands out because Caiaphas says, “Nor do you understand that it is better for you that one man should die for the people, not that the whole nation should perish.”  Caiaphas seems to get Jesus’s purpose here, but obviously forgets it later. The whole Old Testament points to Jesus’s purpose, but even the High Priest is either blinded by power or just doesn’t get it. Please pray that we and our friends seek to understand what the Bible says. Please pray for Melissa as she battles cancer. 

“Now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet, saying to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled. And he said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” Jesus wept. So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man also have kept this man from dying?””
‭‭John‬ ‭11:32-37‬ ‭ESV‬‬
http://bible.com/59/jhn.11.32-37.esv

All,

This stands out because John says, “Jesus wept.”  Didn’t Jesus know He was about to raise Lazarus from the dead?  Why did He weep?  Even though He knows a outcome, He is still moved when those He loves are hurting and sad. How much more does He want us to put our trust in Him at those times?  Please pray that we and our friends put our trust in Jesus and submit our will to His. Please pray for Phil’s group as it’s forming. 

“The disciples said to him, “Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone you, and are you going there again?”

After saying these things, he said to them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him.” The disciples said to him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.” Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he meant taking rest in sleep. Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus has died, and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” So Thomas, called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.””
‭‭John‬ ‭11:8, 11-16‬ ‭ESV‬‬
http://bible.com/59/jhn.11.8,11-16.esv

All,

This stands out because Thomas says, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”  Does Thomas think that Jesus is going to die when he heals Lazarus since the Jews tried to stone Jesus last time?  What a small sentence to describe Thomas’s love for Jesus. Are we willing to walk into a dangerous situation with Jesus?  Jesus doesn’t seem to be concerned about the Jews at all. Can we be scared of man when there is actually a greater miracle to behold?  Please pray that we and our friends trust God’s nudges and see opportunities we didn’t know existed. Please pray for Doug’s group as they go on their overnight. 

“do you say of him whom the Father consecrated and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’? If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me; but if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.” Again they sought to arrest him, but he escaped from their hands.”
‭‭John‬ ‭10:36-39‬ ‭ESV‬‬
http://bible.com/59/jhn.10.36-39.esv

All,

This stands out because Jesus says, “even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.”  Can unbelievers start to believe when they see the work of the Father through His children?  Isn’t that how the early church grew? What “works” can we do today?  How do we love God with all our heart and love our neighbor?  I’m positive God will prompt you when you ask. Please pray that we submit to God’s purpose today. Please pray for John’s group as it’s forming. 

“So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them.”
‭‭John‬ ‭10:7-12‬ ‭ESV‬‬
http://bible.com/59/jhn.10.7-12.esv

All,

This stands out because Jesus says, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”  As my friend Jeremy G. will attest, this is one of my favorite verses in the Bible. We all have many choices throughout the day and we can’t stay in neutral. We will either listen to the thief or the Shepherd. The thief deceives us into thinking we will do something good, but his path leads to destruction. Jesus gives us life abundantly. Please pray that we and our friends listen to the good Shepherd today. Please pray for Phil as he builds his group. 

“Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died? And the prophets died! Who do you make yourself out to be?” Jesus answered, “If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. It is my Father who glorifies me, of whom you say, ‘He is our God.’ But you have not known him. I know him. If I were to say that I do not know him, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and I keep his word. Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day. He saw it and was glad.” So the Jews said to him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?” Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple.”
‭‭John‬ ‭8:53-59‬ ‭ESV‬‬
http://bible.com/59/jhn.8.53-59.esv

All,

This stands out because Jesus says, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.”  Once again, either Jesus is crazy or He is the Son of God. Is this the non-judgmental Jesus that the world likes?  Are there times when we need to speak the truth in love?  Or is it better to just sit back and let religious leaders lie? What did Jesus do?  Please pray that we and our friends speak truth. Please pray for Connor as he is forming his group.  

“He said to them, “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins.” So they said to him, “Who are you?” Jesus said to them, “Just what I have been telling you from the beginning. I have much to say about you and much to judge, but he who sent me is true, and I declare to the world what I have heard from him.””
‭‭John‬ ‭8:23-26‬ ‭ESV‬‬
http://bible.com/59/jhn.8.23-26.esv

All,

This stands out because Jesus says, “I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins.”  So is Jesus crazy?  C.S. Lewis says, “we have never met a mere mortal.  Everyone you know will live for eternity”.  He is either crazy or He is the Christ. Do we have any friends that disregard His statement above?  Please pray that we and our friends answer our belief in Jesus with gentleness and kindness. Please pray for Doug and Michael’s group.