Thirty Days in John 15, Day 4: You

We’ve made some initial observations about God the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. We’ll spend much more time with those markings and observations in future lessons. Today we’re going to continue marking, this time looking to see what Jesus says to His disciples and us, His present-day disciples.

Assignment: Jesus tells us in verse 26 of our chapter, that the Holy Spirit teaches us about Him. If we fail to look to the Holy Spirit as we study, we will only have a bunch of pretty colors in our Bible when we are all done. Pray, asking for guidance and understanding as you begin your study today.

• Then read all of John 15 again (we’ll be reading this chapter a lot of times) and highlight the words you and your (and ye and thy, if you’re studying in the King James Version) with a green pencil.
• When you have finished, skim back over the chapter and choose one of those verses addressed to you, and meditate on its meaning throughout the day. How does “you are the branches” affect the way you live?  Does “apart from me, you can do nothing” change the way you view your mission today? Can you “ask whatever you wish,” knowing that your desires are governed by Jesus’ words abiding in you? How does “I chose you” influence how you see yourself?
• Encourage the rest of us by posting your insights in the comments here or on the Busy Mamas Facebook group.

(Don’t forget, you can join the Facebook group for some fellowship with others who are studying along with you, and/or follow doorpostslady on Instagram for additional thoughts on our study of John 15.)

For your children:

• Older children can mark the word you in green, as you did in your lesson. Discuss any new observations they make as they do this.
• For younger children, remind them that Jesus is talking to His disciples in this chapter, and that we are His disciples now, so His words apply to us as well.
• Then read verses 1-11 again, this time asking them to stand up and point to themselves every time they hear the word you.Discuss any questions they bring up, but at this point they’re simply hearing the passage over and over, becoming familiar with it, just as they would start to become familiar with one of their storybooks when you read it repeatedly. We’ll talk more about the meaning of the verses as we continue studying.