Spiritual Growth Session 3 Knowing Jesus by Robby Gallaty

John 15:1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser.”

God takes away anything that doesn’t accomplish the most growth in our lives.

The Difference Between Pruning and Discipling:  

Pruning is for when you see potential. 

Discipline is for when you see sin.

Both are equally painful, but they are for different purposes.

“If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.”

John‬ ‭15:7

The more you abide, the more you desire to pray. The more you pray, the more you want to abide.

The busier Jesus got, the more He prayed.

Pray 

Many Christians seem all too eager to break out of the world to get to Heaven. What Scripture reveals is the opposite. His is a coming-down God.

• God came down and walked with Adam in the garden.
• God came down and made His residence in the camp of His people.
• God came down and guided His people out of captivity.
• God came down and met with Moses on top of a mountain.
• God came down and gave His word to the prophets.
• God came down and wrapped Himself in flesh to dwell among us and to die for us.

How do you experience this coming-down God in your life today?

Make a list of distractions that keep you from seeing God. 

Memorize: “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.”

‭‭John‬ ‭15:7-8‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Scripture this week:

Sunday: John 8:1-11

Monday: John 8:12-30

Tuesday:  John 8:31-59

Wednesday: John 9:1-12

Thursday: John 9:13-27

Friday: John 9: 28-41

Saturday: John 10:1-21

May God bless you and keep you!

Peace and grace,

Connie

Knowing Jesus by Robby Gallaty Session 2--The Power of Faith

Before you begin, pray the Lord will open your heart and minds to the message from His Word.

 Click for video:

Knowing Jesus, Session 2 The Power of Faith

What we Know:  John's Gospel was written to prove that Jesus is the Messiah. John used testimony of Jesus, testimony of witnesses, and the actions of Jesus to testify to His divinity.

In the time between the last video and today's event: Jesus has called 5 of His disciples. He has performed a miracle at a wedding, taken a trip to Capernaum, attended Passover in Jerusalem, met a religious leader, journeyed into the Judean countryside, and taken a short-term mission trip to Samaria.

He has begun making a name for himself as a miracle worker, a teacher with authority, and a the Savior of the world.

From last week:  Last week we explored the incredible truth that Jesus is who He says He is.  THAT changes everything! The way we see Jesus changes the way we live our lives.

Now if we know he is our Savior:  We begin to deal with FAITH. Today lets talk about what FAITH looks like. 

Notes from Video: 

Faith is believing and having confidence that God's word is true and understanding that when you act upon that faith, it brings God's blessing.

Faith is founded upon the Word of God.

Faith in God is always expressed in ACTION.

The opposite of faith is not disbelief. The opposite of faith is disobedience.

Faith is not just believing in spite of evidence. Faith is obeying in spite of the consequences.

God's divine instrument for conforming us to the image of Jesus is pain and suffering.

Trials are used by God not to make us bitter. God uses trials in our life to make us better.

Memory Verse for the week: 

Consider it a great joy, my brothers, whenever you experience various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.  James 1:2-3

Scripture Readings for the Week:

Sunday:  John 5:1-30

Monday:  John 5:31-47

Tuesday:  John 6:1-21

Wednesday: John 6:22-59

Thursday: John 6:60-7:9

Friday: John 7:10-24

Saturday: John 7:25-52

Have a good week. 

Peace and grace,

Connie

Knowing Jesus, Living by His Name by Robby Gallaty

Notes from Book and Video Sessions

Why did John write his gospel? 

There were already three accounts of the life of Jesus circulating when John wrote this fourth account. 

1. Matthew - a former tax collector and one of the original 12 apostles. This document was full of details for a Jewish audience.

2. Mark - Some think this could have been dictated by Peter because Mark traveled with Peter. But it may be that he just wrote what he learned from Peter. Mark was not an apostle, but he followed the actions of Jesus' ministry as Jesus traveled between towns healing, casting out demons, and preaching about the kingdom of God. (If you want to read through the Bible, Mark is good book to start with. It is very short and easy to read through.)

3. Luke - probably a Gentile doctor. Luke gives lots of details and obviously had taken meticulous notes. He interviewed and researched many people and gathered their stories. He wrote to convince Gentiles that this Jewish man, Jesus was the Son of God.

(Disciple is a "student'. There were many disciples of Jesus. Also, the followers of John the Baptist were his disciples, students. An apostle is "one who is sent out by Jesus". You can research this, but the apostles were sent with authority. This is the original 11 which excludes Judas, the betrayer. Paul and James the brother of Jesus are also apostles since Jesus appeared to them and sent them.) 

So, what is different about John? What could he add to these documents? 

John wrote this book to correct the heretical teachings being taught. Some believed Jesus was a good teacher, but they didn't believe He was the Son of God. John examines the nature of Jesus and his attributes. He tells the identity of Jesus and brings our focus back on to who Jesus really was, both fully man and fully God."

My first description of the Book of John years ago was John is just "more". It is about the 'love'. Our friend, Carla Guthrie told me John is the Masters class of the gospel. She loved this book and she loved the Lord. But we are going to find the identity of Jesus as we study through this book. John gives us proof that Jesus is the Son of God, he was more than a man or teacher. And by believing in Him, we have eternal life.

The INTRODUCTION to the Video from Robby Gallaty (paraphrased to save space)

John's Gospel starts as Genesis does in the beginning. (We studied this in our Genesis study. You can go back and read Wiersbe's account of Jesus being there in the beginning.)

Creation is the bedrock of a biblical worldview for it's the first ultimate truth: God made everything. He wove it like fabric.  He spun it like clay. He breathed it into formation like glass.

More remarkable than what God did is the way He did it: His tool was His Word. He spoke, and it was. The apostle John traced this Word through time.

John the Baptist announced that this Word that gives light to everyone was coming into the world wrapped in human flesh.

A remarkable claim like this requires remarkable evidence, and John provided it for us.  In John's Gospel we come to know Jesus in the same way evidence is presented to a jury in a courtroom. John introduced witnesses who testified of the Word made flesh. He examined the words Jesus said about himself, He described the things Jesus did that testified of His divinity.

Everything you're about to see points to one conclusion: Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and by believing, you can have life through Him.

Statement about Jesus in opening of the Video

The more we know Him, the more we love Him. The more we love Him, the more we obey Him. The more we obey Him, the more he manifests Himself.

Scripture Readings for the Week

Day 1:  John 1:1-28

Day 2:  John 1:29-31

Day 3: John 2:1-12

Day 4: John 2:13-25

Day 5: John 3:1-21

Day 6: John 3:22-36

Day 7: John 4

QUESTION TO SIT IN THIS WEEK:

Do you have a situation where you are struggling this week? Do you need to be still and listen to Jesus say, "Fear not, for I AM"?

Memory Verse for this week: John 6:20 "But he said to them, "It is I, do not be afraid!"

Love and grace,

Connie

Link to Video

Knowing Jesus by Robby Gallaty Session 1