Reading the Bible Everyday – John 15

Joy: You’re listening to the Lifting Her Voice podcast, Episode #83.  Today we’ll read John chapter 15 together:  Jesus is the vine and we are the branches; He truly desires that our joy be complete; and now persecutions are predicted for the disciples and us.

Welcome to the Lifting Her Voice podcast.  I’m your host, Joy Miller, and I invite you to grab your Bible and join me as we simply read God’s word together.  Some things require discipline and sometimes that’s just not easy to muster by yourself, no matter how badly you want to do it or how much you know you should.  It’s just easier to do it with a friend.  So refill your coffee or tea, get comfortable in your favorite chair and follow along as I read aloud.  I’m so glad you’re here!

You may not know that I have long been committed to accessibility for all.  I first became immersed in accessibility when my first child suffered a circulatory collapse within days after being born.  As a result, she had profound developmental disabilities and was cerebral-palsied.  I will tell you that story someday but for now, I want you to know that my team at Bet Hannon Business Websites has worked hard to make liftinghervoice.com easy to navigate with large fonts and color contrasts for our friends with visual impairments and transcripts for those who either would prefer to read the podcast or are deaf and hard of hearing.  My irreplaceable Editor-in-Chief/Husband transcribes every episode with all of you in mind.  If you ever have suggestions or corrections for how to make our site more accessible, please don’t hesitate to let me know.  You can let me know thru Facebook, Instagram, or at liftinghervoice.com.  Thank you.

John Chapter 15:  1 “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vineyard keeper. 2 Every branch in Me that does not produce fruit He removes, and He prunes every branch that produces fruit so that it will produce more fruit. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in Me, and I in you. Just as a branch is unable to produce fruit by itself unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in Me. 5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in Me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without Me. 6 If anyone does not remain in Me, he is thrown aside like a branch and he withers. They gather them, throw them into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If you remain in Me and My words remain in you, ask whatever you want and it will be done for you. 8 My Father is glorified by this: that you produce much fruit and prove to be My disciples. 9 “As the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you. Remain in My love. 10 If you keep My commands you will remain in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commands and remain in His love. 11 “I have spoken these things to you so that My joy may be in you and your joy may be complete. 12 This is My command: love one another as I have loved you. 13 No one has greater love than this, that someone would lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are My friends if you do what I command you. 15 I do not call you slaves anymore, because a slave doesn’t know what his master is doing. I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything I have heard from My Father. 16 You did not choose Me, but I chose you. I appointed you that you should go out and produce fruit and that your fruit should remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in My name, He will give you. 17 This is what I command you: love one another. 18 “If the world hates you, understand that it hated Me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love [you as] its own. However, because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of it, the world hates you. 20 Remember the word I spoke to you: ‘A slave is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will also keep yours. 21 But they will do all these things to you on account of My name, because they don’t know the One who sent Me. 22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have sin. Now they have no excuse for their sin. 23 The one who hates Me also hates My Father. 24 If I had not done the works among them that no one else has done, they would not have sin. Now they have seen and hated both Me and My Father. 25 But [this happened] so that the statement written in their law might be fulfilled: They hated Me for no reason. 26 “When the Counselor comes, the One I will send to you from the Father-the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father-He will testify about Me. 27 You also will testify, because you have been with Me from the beginning.

Do you ever feel like you have to second-guess Jesus?  Do you believe if you could only figure out what He wants from you or how you’re supposed to act, you can relax?  You can check off that Please Jesus box?  I have to confess to you, that I get caught up in that sometimes.  Not as much as I used to, to be sure, but once in awhile, it sneaks up on me.  When I read this chapter, I am reminded that it’s already done.  I just need to stick close to Jesus.  You know, it’s weird…I don’t need to be reminded to stick close to Mitch in a crowd.  I don’t need to be reminded to lock the door before I go to bed or even to eat dinner.  But apparently, I need to be reminded that I can’t do this life without Jesus.  And we were never meant to.  If we have invited Jesus to be the Lord of our lives, we have the Holy Spirit living inside each of us every second of every day.  And God is pleased.  What a beautiful assurance.  Let’s pray.  Ohmygoodness, Lord…we really are like sheep.  We need You to lead us.  We need to be reminded that we must stay connected to You like a vine to a branch.  But perhaps more than that Lord, we need to be reminded that if we stay connected to You, we can rest.  It is thru You that we have life and we don’t have to struggle so much.  It’s already done.  Thank You.  Amen.

Thank you for joining me here today.  I pray God will grow in you what has been planted and watered here.  In this time of unprecedented struggle worldwide, we can look to God for guidance and comfort.  Be sensitive to those in your circle of influence who need a word of encouragement and invite them to join us.  If you like this show, it would be great if you give it a five-star review.  Don’t forget to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.  See you right here tomorrow.  Be well!

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Christian Standard Bible(r), Copyright (c) 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible(r) and CSB(r) are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.