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. 

 

But the Lord Remembered

 

This message was preached at Word Of Grace Church on February 5th 2023  by Benny Thomas. For the audio & video please click here. To listen to the worship please click here.

Prophetic Words over Word of Grace Church:

The 5 Rs -

1. A collective Realization of grace resting on you

- honouring diversity yet merging to be one

- celebrating differences yet celebrating identity as one

2. A Realigning to thrive 

- with every battle fought, we conquer a new ground

3. A Rising of champions for a cause

- for recognizing and releasing a cause

- each of you has a passion. Through you, God is going to do something

4. Rejoicing in change

- people don't like change

- but in change, God is developing an attitude of celebrating risk, failure and success

5. A Restructuring to pastor

- a restructuring to pastor our areas of influence

- exploring ways to disciple our world

For 60 years, lady Peggy waited to hear about her husband who went on his last mission, World War II.

Her husband Billie never returned from the war and went missing for 60 years. Usually, such people are listed as Killed In Action (KIA) or Missing In Action (MIA). Bille was listed as MIA for decades. Later it was found Bille before going down with his warplane made sure it crashed far away from a city to avoid loss of lives. He took it all on him to save others.

Similarly, we remember someone else who took it all on himself. Yes, it's Jesus.

Right from day 1, He decided to send his son for us to die.

The title of my sermon is -

BUT THE LORD REMEMBERED

But God remembered Noah and all the wild animals and the livestock that were with him in the ark, and he sent a wind over the earth, and the waters receded. - Genesis 8:1 NIV

One day this was my daily meditation and I kept going back to this line, "But God remembered Noah". So finally I decided to stay on this line. I started to do some research.

The meaning of "Remember" is to have somebody or something in mind and not to forget to go what you need to do.

The word “Remembered” is past tense. However, what we need to pick up is that because of this past activity something is about to happen or is in the process of already happening
What a God we have! He tattooed our names on his hands. Every time he lifts his hands, he remembers you and he knows he wants to do something for you.

Kabir says, "The essence of life is remembering God"
Bible says that the essence of life is not just to remember God but to remember that God remembers us.

How many verses are there in the Bible where we see "God remembered"
Gen 8:1, Gen 19:29, Gen 30:22, 1Sam 1:19, Exo 2:24, Jer 31:20, Acts 10:31

1. The "But God remembered" statement reminds us of God's character
Gen 8 and Gen 19
Noah was told to build a boat. He was the first one to make a proper vehicle to travel. 150 days passed. Noah n his family had to go through that time. I wonder what they would've been thinking about God. How did they manage sanitation for carnivorous animals? How did they sleep with all that sound going on? Was there any entertainment? Did they go through any depression? How did they all hear each other in the midst of all the noise of animals and continuous rain?
Noah never lost his faith in God and focus on God.
When the rain stopped, there was nothing. They had to step out into a world which had absolutely nothing.
Abraham never asked God how he was going to do things.

My times are in your hands; deliver me from the hands of my enemies, from those who pursue me. - Psalms 31:15

He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart, yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. - Ecclesiastes 3:11 NIV

Times are in God's hands and he does everything in His time.

What did Abraham and Noah know about God?
* He is all-knowing
* He doesn't forget or abandon people he calls
* He has a PPT - Plan, Purpose Time for each of our situation
* He controls every aspect of our lives
* He's a giver of everything we need in the most trying and comprehensible situations
* He is a God who resets our lives - Beauty in Ashes

2. The "But God remembered" statement reminds us of the reason why He remembered us
But God remembered Noah and all the wild animals and the livestock that were with him in the ark, and he sent a wind over the earth, and the waters receded. - Genesis 8:1 NIV
But God remembered Noah because of his obedience - Yes, righteousness was seen in how totally he obeyed the Lord

So when God destroyed the cities of the plain, he remembered Abraham, and he brought Lot out of the catastrophe that overthrew the cities where Lot had lived. - Genesis 19:29 NIV
But God remembered Abraham because of his word to him and his friendship with him.

Then God remembered Rachel; he listened to her and enabled her to conceive. - Genesis 30:22 NIV
Early the next morning they arose and worshipped before the Lord and then went back to their home at Ramah. Elkanah made love to his wife Hannah, and the Lord remembered her. - 1 Samuel 1:19 NIV
God remembered Rachel and Hannah because of their attitude towards him and their intercession. In spite of being barren, they kept holding onto God. They never got offended.
Learn to hold onto God.

God heard their groaning and he remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac and with Jacob. - Exodus 2:24 NIV
God remembered the Israelites because they were His people

Is not Ephraim my dear son, the child in whom I delight? Though I often speak against him, I still remember him. Therefore my heart yearns for him; I have great compassion for him,” declares the Lord. - Jeremiah 31:20 NIV
God remembered because His heart yearns for Ephraim

and said, ‘Cornelius, God has heard your prayer and remembered your gifts to the poor. - Acts 10:31 NIV
God remembered Cornelius because of his giving.
God remembers your giving. Giving demonstrates humility. Don't stop giving. He remembers your giving, generosity and kindness.

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 a part of a wider international family of Churches called RegionsBeyond.To know more about us please log onto www.wordofgracechurch.org.