John 15 Part 3 - Study and Reflection

 

This study was done at Word Of Grace Church in groups on July 13th 2025. For the audio & video please click here.  For the worship please click here.

Bible Study Questions: 

John 15:9-17

PART 3

As we conclude this study on John 15, it is essential to remind ourselves of the purpose behind studying scripture. John reminds us at the end of his book in chapter 20:31 Even these are written, so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and when you believe you shall have life everlasting in his name.  We are told that the Word or scripture has life-giving power. How that power comes when the word is experienced or put into action. That has always been the understanding in biblical thought that upon hearing, one puts it into practice, and only then can it be said that you have truly understood.

Jesus finishes His Sermon on the Mount with a similar warning. It's like Him saying: “Now you have seen how you ought to apply the law to your lives, you have heard me say how you need to forgive, love and live. Now, I expect you to put this into practice. If you do not, then you are like that foolish man who built his house on the sand (Matt 7:24-27).

So our prayer is that as you study, meditate and reflect upon this passage that you will ask the Holy Spirit to shed His light upon your heart on areas that need to be reshaped to conform to the likeness of Jesus.

 

 

 Reflective Questions

1.   “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you” (v.9).

·         How would you describe the quality and depth of the Father’s love for Jesus?

2.   Remain in my love” (v.9).

·         What helps you stay rooted in the love of Christ and identify your distractions?

3.   “If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love…” (v.10).

·         How do you understand the connection between obedience and abiding in love?

4.   “I have told you this so that my joy may be in you…” (v.11).

·         What is the connection between love, obedience, and joy in this passage?

·         Can you think of a time when obeying Jesus brought deep joy?

5.   “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.” (v.12)

·         How did Jesus love His disciples?

6.   Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (v.13).

·         What does sacrificial love look like in everyday life?

7.   Jesus calls His disciples “friends” (v.15).

·         How does it impact your relationship with Jesus to know He calls you, His friend?

·         Do you relate to Him more as a servant, a friend, or something else?

Application Questions

1.   In what ways can you intentionally “remain” in Jesus’ love this week? (Consider Scripture, prayer, community, gratitude, or confession.)

2.   How can you grow in joyful obedience to Jesus’ commands, especially to love others? Is there a command of Christ that feels challenging to obey right now?

3.   Is there someone in your life right now who needs to experience Christ-like love from you? What is one way you can serve, forgive, or encourage that person this week?

4.   Are you willing to love others sacrificially—even when it costs you comfort or convenience? What does that look like in your current season of life?

5.   Jesus chose and appointed us to bear lasting fruit (v.16). What kind of fruit do you sense God wants to develop in your life right now?

6.   Jesus commands us to love one another (v.17). How can your local church, small group, or ministry better reflect this love? What part can you play in cultivating a loving, Christ-centred community?

 Word of Grace is an Evangelical (Born Again),  Spirit-filled (Charismatic), Reformed, English-speaking church in Pune that upholds the Bible as God's inspired Word for life. We are a church community that has people from every part of India and parts of the world. We are here to put the Great Command and the Great Commission into practice by equipping and releasing every member into works of service.  Word of Grace is part of a wider international family of Churches called RegionsBeyond.To know more about us please log onto www.wordofgracechurch.org. 

 

John 15 Part 2 - Study and Reflection

 

This study was done at Word Of Grace Church in groups on July 6thh 2025. For the audio & video please click here.  For the worship please click here.

JOHN 15 Sunday Study Part 2

John 15:3-8

INTRODUCTION

 Traditionally, the Gospel of John is attributed to John the Apostle, the son of Zebedee and brother of James. As one of Jesus’ twelve disciples and part of His inner circle alongside Peter and James, John had a front-row seat to Jesus’ ministry.

The Gospel of John is distinct from the Synoptic Gospels—Matthew, Mark, and Luke—in both content and style. Here's a breakdown of how it differs, as well as its historical and cultural context and the original language in which it was written.

Before we dive into Jon 15, let us look at the significance of the use of the word Logos/Word.

It is interesting to note that John does not start by mentioning Jesus’ name. He calls Him the Word, which the Jews associate with Gen 1:1. John makes it clear that he is not talking about the beginning of creation, but rather about a time before anything came into existence, when there was the Word.

The Significance of Logos in John 1:1

John 1:1 – “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

Introduction

The Gospel of John begins not with a narrative but with a profound theological declaration: “In the beginning was the Word (Logos), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

John’s use of the term Logos bridges two worlds—Greek philosophy and Jewish theology, both of which carried deep significance for his audience. Understanding what Logos meant to these audiences reveals the richness of John’s opening statement.

 What Logos Meant to the Greeks

- Logos Reason, Logic, Universal Order
- Thought to be the rational principle that governed the cosmos
- Seen as an impersonal force or bridge between the divine and the material.

Therefore, in this opening John said to both Jews and Greeks: “For centuries you’ve been talking, thinking, and writing about the Word (the logos). Now I will tell you who He is.” John met both Jews and Greeks where they were and explained Jesus in terms they already understood. – David Guzik ( commentary on John)

 “John was using a term which, with various shades of meaning, was in common use everywhere. He could reckon on all men catching his essential meaning.” (Morris)

John’s Radical Claim:

V4. In Him was life. So, Jesus is not only the source of biological life but also the very principle of life.
This Logos is not a force—it’s a Person. He is God, eternal, and has now taken on flesh in Jesus (John 1:14). From the Greek perspective, they thought of God as too lofty, i.e., gods like Hercules, who were superhuman but men all the same. John is saying this ‘divine reason’ became flesh.

For the Jew, they think of God as too high, so a great God of the Old Testament becoming Flesh was hard to swallow.

What Logos Meant to the Jews

- Hebrew equivalent: Dabar = word, action, or matter
- God created the world by His Word (Psalm 33:6)
- God revealed His will through His Word to prophets
- Targums used Memra (Word) as a way of speaking about God's presence and power

John’s Bold Assertion:
Jesus is the very Word of God—His creative, powerful, self-revealing expression in the world.

   

  Reflection Questions

1. Why do you think John starts his Gospel with the concept of Logos?
2. How does this portrayal of Jesus as Logos shape your understanding of His divinity?
3. What does it mean that the Logos "became flesh" and lived among us (John 1:14)?
4. How does Jesus embody both God’s wisdom and power in your life today?

 Application

- Reflect on Jesus as God’s Word to you today.
- Read John 1:1 18 slowly and prayerfully.
- Ask: Where do I need to let the Logos—God’s living Word—speak into my life?

 

 JOHN 15: 2-8 Bible Study

Reflective Questions

1.   In verse 3, Jesus says we are 'already clean' because of His word.
   - How do you understand being spiritually 'clean'?

2.  Do you understand the distinction between pruning ( katharie)  and being clean (katharoi)?

3.   'Remain in me, as I also remain in you' (v.4).
   - What does it look like for you to remain (or abide) in Jesus daily?
   - Are there specific practices or moments where you feel especially connected to Him?

4.   'Apart from me, you can do nothing' (v.5).
   - Have you experienced moments of striving without abiding?

5.  What is the ‘nothing’ that Jesus is referring to?

6.   Jesus uses the image of branches withering and being burned (v.6).
   - What warning or invitation do you hear in this verse?
   -What things in your life pose danger to you, withering?

7.   'If my words remain in you…' (v.7)
   - What does it mean for His Word to 'remain' in you?

8.   Bearing much fruit brings glory to the Father (v.8).
   - What kind of fruit is growing in your life right now (e.g., love, peace, patience—Galatians 5:22-23)?
   All of us are bearing fruit- What kind of fruit are you bearing, ones that glorify God or..?

Application Questions

1.  1. What role has God’s Word played in cleansing or shaping your heart recently?

2.   Where in your life right now do you sense God inviting you to deeper abiding?
   - Is it in prayer, Scripture, surrender, trust, or obedience?

3.   Is there any 'fruitlessness' in your life that may be a result of disconnecting from the Vine? - What needs to be realigned or surrendered?

4.   What practical rhythms can you build to help you remain in Christ and His Word?
   - (Examples: daily quiet time, Scripture memory, journaling, listening prayer)

5.   Think about a situation where you’ve tried to do something 'apart from Jesus.'
   - What was the result, and what did you learn about abiding?

6.   How can your life this week actively bring glory to the Father through bearing fruit?
   - Is there a relationship, task, or opportunity where you can show evidence of abiding?

7.  Can you see God’s Grace in this passage?

 

 Word of Grace is an Evangelical (Born Again),  Spirit-filled (Charismatic), Reformed, English-speaking church in Pune that upholds the Bible as God's inspired Word for life. We are a church community that has people from every part of India and parts of the world. We are here to put the Great Command and the Great Commission into practice by equipping and releasing every member into works of service.  Word of Grace is part of a wider international family of Churches called RegionsBeyond.To know more about us please log onto www.wordofgracechurch.org. 

Who am I? My Identity Part 1

 

This message was preached at Word Of Grace please click here.Church on  April 27th 2025 by Navaz D. For the audio & video please click here.  For the worship please click here.

INTRODUCTION

What are some of the things that have shaped or formed your identity? Think back to your childhood, school days, neighbourhood, etc. For me I grew up in Bandra West, Mumbai, which was predominantly a Catholic, Goan, East Indian neighbourhood. What about you?

How many forms of ‘self’ have you gone through? X the sporty type, or the Nerd or the fighter or the joker or the bully, etc., etc.

These are all false selves we put on to cope with our environment and give us a sense of worth. It comes from what is affirmed by our culture, environment, family, education, and significant others say about you.

So, we are multidimensional beings; besides that, have a body, soul, and spirit. Life is not black and white and does not move in one straight line. Many things shape us, colour our lenses, and create filters for how we perceive information. For example, there is a yellow board, but if you look through red lenses, you will see orange; if you look through blue lenses, you will see green.  (SHOW SLIDES)

However, there is an identity which, when we find, we can truly begin to thrive, flourish and come into all that God has ordained for us. Before you dive into how to find our identity in Christ, we must first see what is wrong with the ones we have formed that are not shaped by Christ. We can't fix what we don’t know is broken.

Ps 139:13-16

Eph 2:10

Rom 8 :14-16

As followers of Christ, other worldviews can still shape our Christian thought and beliefs without us even realising it. We don’t recognise them because they are cloaked in Christian language. For example: find your calling and pursue your destiny in God. I am a winner, I am the head, I am blessed. You don’t need anyone to tell you what you should do; God has put His Spirit in you! How would you evaluate these statements?

These statements are all true, but they are not the whole truth. We will examine them in detail and unpack them as we go along. When taken out of context, these can become selfish, individual pursuits. At the outset, I want to say that our identity, purpose, calling, and destiny are all part of  a grand design of God that is much bigger than just you.  So, we need to get out of tunnel vision called Me and come up higher so that you can see the grand picture with WE in mind. We will zoom out before we zoom in.  

Your design: who created you and how you were created determines your purpose and destiny.

LET US QUICKLY LOOK AT SOME EXAMPLES IN THE BIBLE:

Adam and Eve were created with the identity of image bearers to rule, dominate, and subdue the earth. At its heart was a grand design to crush and defeat the fallen angel Lucifer. 

Abraham 

Jacob to Israel 

David 

Simon to Peter 

Saul to Paul

So, I want to start by laying a foundation of true biblical identity—its purpose and destiny.

God’s ways have always been contrary to the world. We cannot wipe down and makeover the world's belief systems and call it Christian. 

Jesus says that if you want to find yourself, you must first lose yourself." he who wants to find his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it" is 

THE CHRIST FOLLOWER

So let us begin to understand who we are in Christ, what it is, and what it is not.

Col 3:3-5 (READ) V8 – put off, v12 – put on. What are some of the false selves we need to put off and put on our new self in Christ? Even though it is known to you to ask the Holy Spirit to highlight some things, because we are all a work in progress. Amen! 

 As New Creations, we have a new DNA (Divine Nature Activated). We are called to put off our old self and put on our new self. There is something we need to do. His Spirit in us changes our propensity – once we could not help but sin, but now, when we sin, we feel horrible because it is not in our nature to do so. The inclinations of the heart have changed.

WHAT IS THE GOAL OF OUR FAITH IN JESUS?

Salvation 1 Peter 1:9

Reconciliation with God  2 Cor 5:18-19 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation."

Transformed new life 2Cor 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!"

Freedom from Sin Rom 6:22 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life."

Participation in God’s Kingdom 1 Pet 2:9-10

IDENTITY and SELF & WORTH

All this is great news. But why do I still struggle with self-worth, competition, jealousy, comparison, perfectionism, addictions, etc., etc.

 Self is who you are at the core, what you live for, and what matters most to you. That will always come through in whatever you do.

Worth comes from who validates you and whose validation matters the most! Who affirms what you live for, your ideals, is good or bad.

We all need validation from outside. If you don’t believe it, look at advertising. It appeals to your need for validation.

A note on self-validation

Self-validate: You must be 100% consistent, correct, and constant. Do you know any humans like this? Do you know anyone who fits this description? Yes, only God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Only He is perfect in all that He says and does, and only He is 100% reliable. 

Consciously or not, we all have a plumb line outside of ourselves. For a Christ follower, it is Jesus Christ in you. That is why we must learn to walk or live being led by the Holy Spirit and remaining close to Jesus.

Our identity formation is not about self-actualisation but about conforming into His Son's likeness.

So, when God says something about you, who you are meant to be, etc., it is the highest form of validation you can ever receive. This validation is in sync with your design and your purpose or destiny. It cannot be worked out in isolation but in the community and for the community, and it is a part of a much bigger and grander design than yourself. God called a person, but his destiny was fulfilled in community and never in isolation or independence.

The Christian worldview is this: 

There is a creator. There is His creation. It has a design, and the design determines the purpose. God is our creator. We are His creation, designed or fashioned in His image, and we aim to show His glory through how we live.

The Cross changed our identity and destiny in an instant. It also changed our position as children of God. 

You may say all this is very good, but right here and now, I am struggling with many issues. Today I want to talk about Identity that comes from Intimacy with the Father. So now we are zooming in on you as an individual.

 Jesus came to give us life in all its abundance. The devil wants to steal, kill and destroy. Jesus came to reveal the Father, and His main mission was to reunite us with Him.

There has been a steady shift in our culture worldwide in the past few decades. Never have we seen the issue of fatherlessness in our life experiences as we see it today. Fathers are absent because they have fathered children but not out of covenant. Fathers are lacking because of addictions. Fathers are absent because of their jobs, where they work long hours and sometimes 7 days a week. We are Fathers who are emotionally and mentally absent from the home. This has given rise to a whole generation of young people who do not have a healthy relationship with their fathers.

Nobody has had perfect parents or fathers. Say I have not had perfect parents, say I am not a perfect parent, say I will never be a perfect parent. But we aim to become healthier ones. We have only a good and perfect Father, and that is Father God. Today, we all carry a father wound that was knowingly or unknowingly inflicted upon us by our earthly fathers.

Today, I want us to look into the face of the Father and tell me what you see there. Growing up, several things could have tainted our view of the father.

FATHER	EFFECT
Distant and uninvolved	become independent and self-reliant.
Angry man	relate to him in fear, guilt and shame, and had to manage his anger.
Negligent in providing,	insecure and with a poverty mindset that there will never be enough
Cold and distant	grew up not knowing how to bond
Never affirmed you	You struggle to know who you are and what you are capable of.
Always critical	You grew up with poor self-esteem and learned to defend, justify and cover up your mistakes
Physically or sexually abusive	You grew up with fear, shame and a deep distrust for authority because the one who should have protected you violated you.
Showed approval only when you did things right	learn that acceptance is based on performance and would work hard to please and earn his love.

Any combination of these sets off a whole pattern of thinking and behaviours that can start very early in life. As adults, we sometimes don’t know why we are fractured in certain areas or cannot respond healthily in relationships or to authority. The father is not necessarily a good word for you.

Today, God wants to heal that wounded heart and reveal his father's heart to you—that is for you, who loves you with an everlasting love and gives you more than you can ask or imagine. His love is unconditional.

The Bible tells us that when we are born again, we become children of God. We are adopted into his family.  But we carry some of the ways and effects of the old kingdom into the new kingdom, and those ways must be replaced. We are children of God, but deep down, we struggle to comprehend that God loves us.  We need to be healed from those effects. The orphan heart is one of them. It is not cast out; it gets replaced by truth, truth that transforms the way we think, which affects how we behave.

Satan fears our relationship with the Father and uses orphan thinking to create distrust and distance. He makes us believe God is holding out on us and not giving us the best. Part of orphan thinking is when we feel God is not looking after our best interests, we feel jealous, envious, and bitter toward others. We must recognise, repent, and replace those thought patterns with Christ-like ones. This is a daily, ongoing process of renewing the mind.

We must choose to embrace sonship, i.e., what we have optionally, and now we need to walk out experientially. Through the cross, we are reconciled to the Father. We can be Christians but still function like orphans. More about this next week.

Word of Grace is an Evangelical (Born Again),  Spirit-filled (Charismatic), Reformed, English-speaking church in Pune that upholds the Bible as God's inspired Word for life. We are a church community that has people from every part of India and parts of the world. We are here to put the Great Command and the Great Commission into practice by equipping and releasing every member into works of service.  Word of Grace is part of a wider international family of Churches called RegionsBeyond.To know more about us please log onto www.wordofgracechurch.org. 

Know, Show Grow - Book Release

 

We are excited to announce our first book release.

It gives us great joy to announce the release of Navaz DCruz’s first book titled “Know Grow Show”, a devotional based on John 15.

Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.” John 15:4

Change of cosmic proportions was standing on the cusp of history. Jesus knew that what He said in these last hours would be critical to the survival of His ragtag crew. It was crucial for them to understand their identity, destiny, and the way they could get there was by staying in intimate connection with Him.

John 15 is a part of the last conversation Jesus has with His disciples. It is one of the most challenging passages of scripture that takes us into the heart of what  He wants for each of us. Jesus wants us to enjoy an intimate relationship with Him. It is only from that place that we can love others as Jesus does and go on to produce lasting fruit.

 

 

This book is about discovering your intimacy, identity, and destiny in Jesus through John 15.

We cannot produce lasting fruit without abiding in Jesus. We all produce fruit in our lives, by design or default. To produce fruit that will last into eternity takes intentionality. It comes from a delightful abiding in Jesus’ presence that transforms us from the inside out. 

Two things are required of us as Christ followers: to love God and love people. Neither can truly happen without the other. This devotional helps us to journey into our own hearts and into the heart of God.

Some of the topics covered in the book are:

• How the orphan heart disconnects us from God
• Jesus came to restore us to the Father
• What is remaining in Jesus?
• Is Pruning a punishment or a reward for growth?
• What are the consequences of not remaining?
• The two most important commands are capsulated in John 15
• Why is loving one another important?
• The cause of love, the composition of love, cancer to love and the cure.
• Cultivating lasting fruit in our lives and many more related topics.

The book is available on various online sites like Amazon and Kindle, Flipkart, and Notionpress. 

International readers, please visit your country's Amazon website.

Please leave a review on these sites once you have read the book. Thank you.

Book Release - Know Grow Show - Discovering your intimacy, identity and destiny in Jesus through John 15

 

We are excited to announce our first book release.

It gives us great joy to announce the release of Navaz DCruz’s first book titled “Know Grow Show”, a devotional based on John 15.

Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.” John 15:4

Change of cosmic proportions was standing on the cusp of history. Jesus knew that what He said in these last hours would be critical to the survival of His ragtag crew. It was crucial for them to understand their identity, destiny, and the way they could get there was by staying in intimate connection with Him.

John 15 is a part of the last conversation Jesus has with His disciples. It is one of the most challenging passages of scripture that takes us into the heart of what  He wants for each of us. Jesus wants us to enjoy an intimate relationship with Him. It is only from that place that we can love others as Jesus does and go on to produce lasting fruit.

This book is about discovering your intimacy, identity, and destiny in Jesus through John 15. 
We cannot produce lasting fruit without abiding in Jesus. We all produce fruit in our lives, by design or default. To produce fruit that will last into eternity takes intentionality. It comes from a delightful abiding in Jesus' presence that transforms us from the inside out. 

Two things are required of us as Christ followers: to love God and love people. Neither can truly happen without the other. This devotional helps us to journey into our own hearts and into the heart of God.

To order a copy of the book click here 📘

To order on Amazon or Kindle click here