Hey Clawson Family!

Song:

Scripture:

John 15:1-17

15 “I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more. 3 You have already been pruned and purified by the message I have given you. 4 Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.

5 “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.6 Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned. 7 But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted! 8 When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father.

9 “I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love.10 When you obey my commandments, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. 11 I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow! 12 This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you.13 There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command. 15 I no longer call you slaves, because a master doesn’t confide in his slaves. Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me. 16 You didn’t choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name. 17 This is my command: Love each other.

Devotional:

The foundation of effective discipleship is relationships. And this is two-fold: our relationship with God and our relationships with others. As we grow in our intimacy with God, we will grow in our relationship with others. But we must be intentional and deliberate about this; we must have an open heart and a desire to be fruitful. The wise embrace instruction:

“Give instruction to a wise man and he will be yet wiser; teach a righteous man (one upright and in right standing with God) and he will increase in learning” (Proverbs 9:9 AMPC). 

As we grow in our relationship with God, our wisdom and insight will grow, making it easier to relate to others. We will be able to share wisdom and insight to people God placed in our lives. God’s Word will give us patience, compassion, and understanding. We will be eager to take the time to listen to their stories and encourage them to walk closer to God. This is discipleship in a nutshell: investing our lives into other’s lives. Keep in mind, this is the byproduct of our relationship with God.    

Before Jesus ascended into heaven, He gave His disciples the command to make disciples. He declared that all disciples should be made in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This is a comforting reminder that disciple-making is a team effort. We are not alone or dependent on our own power. (Pastor Lilly Montano, Word of Life Santa Barbara)

Discipleship is leading by example, the example of Jesus. When we model Christ’s sacrificial love and compassion in our relationships, we are illustrating that we have been transformed by God’s love. The way we live will invite others to experience the same love that has transformed us. We become the living letter Paul talked about in 2 Corinthians:

“You are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read by all men; clearly you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart” (2 Corinthians 3:2-3 NKJV). 

By being that living example we perpetuate the gospel on this earth. We become disciples that make disciples.

Journal: 

Write in your journal what you feel like the Lord spoke to you as you read John 15. Who in you life could you begin to disciple through relationship. Write their name down. 

Training:

Father,

I thank You for a heart that’s surrendered and established in You. I value my relationship with You above all else. I cherish and protect my time with You, Lord, because that’s the cornerstone to my relationship with others!

Amen!