You can't produce fruit if you're disconnected from Christ. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 64 Q. But doesn’t this teaching (that our works do not contribute to our salvation) make people indifferent and wicked? A. No. It is impossible for those grafted into Christ by true faith not to produce fruits of gratitude. Summary There are two words the Bible uses to describe how to live a fruitful life. The word used most often to describe successful Christians is the word Jesus uses in the example of a grape plant which bears fruit. This word has a passive feel to it. Jesus explains that as long as a branch remains connected to the vine, it will bear fruit. In other words, the fruit is going to come as long as the connection is maintained, just like a grape branch, when given the proper inputs, can't help but bear fruit. Sadly this isn't the case for every branch. Some grow off as long, wild shoots with lots of stem but no leaves or flowers. Others bury themselves under other branches, hidden from the sunlight. Still others seem to be in just the right condition, getting plenty of water, nutrients and sunlight, but for whatever reason nothing comes out of them. In each of these cases the unfruitful branches are cut of and thrown into the burn pile. In the second half of this passage, Jesus puts 'flesh' on this metaphor so to speak. He is the vine, and you and I are the branches. As long as we remain connected to Him - that is, as long as His Word and Spirit are flowing into our lives - He assures us that we will bear fruit. But some people are not content with this relationship, and shoot off on their own. Many bury themselves in the busyness of life, and although connected to the nutrients, do not absorb them. Apart from me, Jesus says, these people can do nothing, and their unfruitful lives will be cut off and thrown away. Dig Deeper Our instinct is to prefer the other word the Bible uses in regards to fruitfulness. We want to be people who produce fruit in our lives. Produce is a much more active word, and conjures up images of hard work, resourcefulness, and downright determination. Those are all good things, but most of the time the Bible uses the word produce, it does so in a negative way. Pharisees are quite often the people the Bible speaks of in connection with trying to produce fruit. They work super hard to impress their neighbors and appease their own consciences, but their reliance is totally on themselves, disconnected from the nutrients of the the true vine. The result is often like a Red Delicious apple: it looks really good and shiny on the outside, but not very appealing when the skin is peeled back. You've been created to be fruitful - to do and make things that reflect and glorify the image of God that you've been created in. Most of this world, separated from the vine by sin, is either desperately expending energy trying to produce fruit on their own, or they've given up trying and consequentially have very little meaning in their lives. So stay connected to the Vine - Jesus Christ. As you immerse yourself in the nutrients that flow from His Word, your life will naturally bear fruit. NOTE: The English Bible translations often use 'bear' and 'produce' interchangeably (even the Catechism uses the word produce). The contrast is much more noticeable in the Greek. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, the gardner, who cuts away unfruitful branches; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you remain connected to the vine so that your life bears the fruit it was designed for. ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Philippians 2

John 3:19–21 (NIV) 19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead Here John calls men “darkness.” Summary Two words. That's all it took. Two single syllable words. Dig Deeper The context of today's passage from John 3 is fascinating. Christians, on the other hand, defined by John here as "people who live by the truth," seek to "come John never makes clear whether or not Nicodemus ever fully stepped out of the darkness and into this

Throughout John’s gospel Jesus has been talking to us... in fact, by the power of the Holy Spirit, He's When you find yourself doubting your faith, reread the gospel of John - it will only take half an hour After all, John tells us exactly why he wrote these words down in v31: "So that you may believe that

That mistaken swap of punctuation was costly as various fruits had previously carried 10-20% tariffs. We see that with 1 John 1:5-7. ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Hebrews 10

If you're a Christian, you're a born-again Christian. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 70 Q. What does it mean to be washed with Christ’s blood and Spirit? A. To be washed with Christ’s blood means that God, by grace, has forgiven my sins because of Christ’s blood poured out for me in his sacrifice on the cross. To be washed with Christ’s Spirit means that the Holy Spirit has renewed me and set me apart to be a member of Christ so that more and more I become dead to sin and increasingly live a holy and blameless life. Summary Nicodemus was a Pharisee who had shown respect for Jesus because of the signs, also known as miracles, that Jesus had done. It was during this discussion that Jesus explained to Nicodemus how he needed to be born again. This rebirth was not a second physical birth, but a birth of water and spirit. Jesus makes this spiritual rebirth an absolute necessity, proclaiming that “unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God." Unless is a strong word, setting an absolute condition that must be met for one to enter the kingdom of God. This spiritual rebirth is not an optional addition to one’s faith, instead this rebirth has been set apart by Jesus as an essential part of following Him. Without this spiritual rebirth, one cannot enter God’s kingdom. Dig Deeper Regeneration is the theological term we use to describe this spiritual rebirth. Much like how Jesus’ physical body had died and was raised to new life on the third day, regeneration points to one’s spiritual death and new life in Christ. This is not an action you take as a believer, since regeneration is the work of the Holy Spirit. This regeneration, or rebirth, is more than a change of heart; it is an entrance into a new life. Where you were once spiritually dead in your trespasses and sins, you are now made alive. This spiritual rebirth is your entryway into a new life, one receptive and inclined towards God. Regeneration originates with God, it is not something we can initiate for ourselves or for others. While this lack of personal control may spark different feelings in various individuals, I feel an appropriate response to this regeneration is to turn to God in prayer. For those who have either a long held or newly formed faith in Christ, we pray out of gratitude for God’s work of regeneration in their lives. For those who do not yet have faith in Christ, we pray that God may work in their lives, planting a desire for Christ where there previously was none. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, the King, whose kingdom we long to enter into; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will recognize and live into the regeneration (rebirth) you've been given by the Holy Spirit signified and sealed in your baptism ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Luke 1

Mark 10:41-45 (NIV) CONTEXT: Two of Jesus' disciples, James and John, had asked Jesus for the honor of 3:16-18 - Simple Beauty 1 John 4:8-10 - This Is Love Psalm 103 - Praise the LORD! ​ Rom 10:14-17 - The Power of Preaching 1 Cor 1.23-24 - God's Foolishness Psalm 93 - Mightier Than Chaos 10:22-30 - Listen Up! Psalm 91 - The Shelter of the Most High Article 10: Election Based on God’s Good Pleasure Luke 2:13-

John records that they began to "argue sharply among themselves" about what Jesus just said.

Summary A of the primary themes in the book of 1 John is love. John talks about God’s love for us, and how amazing it is. Reading that reminds me of Romans 5:10 For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him

Summary John 17 is known as Jesus' High Priestly Prayer, which He prays right before being arrested and that's been added to the famous hymn Amazing Grace should be modified a bit: When we've been there 10,000

John brings up this anointing in this passage of his first letter. claims faced opposition through false teachers who tried to lead these young Christians astray that John So, John directs them to abide in the truth of God’s Word that they have been taught from the beginning We face different opponents and false teachers than John’s audience did in the first century, but his