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JOHN 15  “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 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, 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.

–Christian Standard Bible

Highlights:

• The concept of pruning seem counterintuitive- but it works!
• Our heavenly Father is the all knowing, perfect, wise gardner. He alone knows how best to prune each one of his followers. When it comes to pruning God will precisely cut out things in our lives that would inhibit our spiritual growth or usefulness. Sometimes this things are outright sin…patterns of behavior that are contrary to God’s Word and character. Other times “neutral” things may be pruned. These are things that aren’t necessarily sin, but they are still stunting spiritual growth. Another way God shapes our character is by using effects of the fall (bad things that we all experience in this temporary broken world) to grow us closer to him. Here is an article that touches on how God uses suffering in this way.
• A Christ-followers focus should be on the day by day, second by second relationship with Jesus. If the relationship is right the fruit will come. That’s the way healthy branches work.
• Matt. 7:16 “you will know them by their fruits”.
• Gal. 5:22 . The fruit of the spirit are character traits that Jesus grows in one of his followers as they are in relationship with him.
• John 4 People that have yet to be saved were described by Jesus as fruit waiting to be gathered.
• More thoughts on “thrown into the fire and burned”…
• God is glorified when we (Christ-followers) do what we were created to do- enjoy a relationship with Jesus and allow him to flow/grow through us as he wills.

#onpurpose Thanksgiving tips:

1. Make your family Thanksgiving feast thankful #onpurpose. (2:05)
2. Send notes of thanks to people who have blessed your life. (4:02)
3. Spend time with the Lord thanking him for blessinging. Take your time. Be as specific as possible. (4:44)

Believe it or not, the word “holidays” is an old mash up word that means “holy days”.  How about that? 

#onpurpose Christmas tips:

1.  Go look at Christmas lights together.
2. Watch Christmas movies together (both newer & classic).
3. Go visit someone.
4. Give as a family in some sort of way.  Angel Tree, Golden Angels, volunteer at a local food pantry, Operation Christmas Child…something that underlines giving.
5. Be #onpurpose with family devotion time.
6. Give some gifts away.

Our blessing for Anden Mae:

Here are 13 things I am praying for you- especially for your teenage years.  I am praying that…

1. …as the days, weeks, months, and years go by you continue to grow deeper in love with Jesus.  This only happens #onpurpose.
2. …that you will always be a great big sister to Gray.
3. …you would give and receive an outrageous amount of family love.
4. …you always stay close to us.  We are your biggest fans & will always love you so good.
5. …that you will “guard your heart above all else, for it is the source of life.” (Proverbs 4:23).
6. …your kind soul will be a bright light to others wherever you go.
7. …you will have friends who love you for just for being you (& you are pretty awesome).
8. …your days have plenty of laughter and fun.
9. …your creativity and intelligence would flourish and be a blessing to others.
10. …you would live wisely and make your days count (Ephesians 5:15-16).
11. … your driving doesn’t make your mother have an ulcer.
12. …you get equipped and prepared for life- but still have plenty of fun as a teenager.
13. …these teenage years don’t go by too quickly.  We need as many hugs, kisses, and good times with you as possible.

“Pay careful attention, then, to how you live—not as unwise people but as wise— making the most of the time, because the days are evil. “

–Ephesians 5:15-16

Highlights:

• For young children bedtime can be an extra tender time when it may be easier for them to hear you pray for them, talk about their day, or just express deep love. Sending notes with lunches or backpacks can also be another avenue to do this.
• I want to make sure my children know that we value them- not just for what they do, but for who they are.
• I want to make sure our children know they are loved unconditionally.
• I want to make sure our children know we are praying for them in some very specific ways.  No, we don’t know what occupation they will choose, if they will marry or not, where they will live- but there are some very important things about their spiritual development that I have a vision for (maybe a bigger vision than they can see right now).

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Jesus gave THE mission & order. Who will follow?

Highlights:

• The word “Christian” appears 3 times in the New Testament.
• The word “disciple” appears over 260 times in the New Testament.
• The primary descriptor of Jesus’ followers is “disciple”.
• The “Great Commission is about being a disciple of Jesus and helping others become disciples of Jesus.

¹⁸ Jesus came near and said to them, “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. ¹⁹ Go, therefore, and make disciples of  all nations,baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,²⁰ teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Matthew 28:18-20

Encouragement on how to stay #onmision:

1. Train. 1 Timothy 4:8
2. Make war. Galatians 5:16
3. Avoid “mission drift”. 1 Corinthians 6:12

Resources:

• The Subtile Danger of Mission Drift (Gospel Coalition article)
• The Silent Crisis of Mission Drift (article by Robert Ferguson)
• Mission Drift (book by Peter Greer)

Highlights:

• “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” was quoted by Jesus on the cross to point people to the prophecies being fulfilled.
• Psalm 22 is a Messianic prophecy written 1000 years before Jesus’ earthly ministry, and about that far before crucifixion was devised.

Resources:

• The Suffering and the Glory of Psalm 22; Ligoniere article
• More about “O God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”; Desiring God article/podcast

Easter is the highest day on the Christian calendar, so make the most of it!

Three practical ways to prepare for Easter (Resurrection Sunday):

1. You need a personal plan. If you aren’t already having personal devotion / quiet time with the Lord you aren’t likely to follow through with any other plans either. Walk with Jesus!
2. You need a family plan. Parents/grandparents, use this “natural” rhythm of the year to point to Jesus. I was at a city Easter Egg hunt today at the park meeting people and I overheard a grandmotherly lady say “this is what Easter is all about”, referring to kids gleefully hunting eggs. Hey, it was cute to see them scurrying around…but that is NOT what its all about. How will your the children in your life know what its all about? Answer: by your actions.
3. You need a church plan. If your church already has special Easter plans your family can assist with- fantastic. If not, here there are practical ways you could help (listed below).

Highlights:

• In this podcast I quoted research that 72% of the unchurched are likely to attend church if a friend, co-worker, neighbor or family member invites them. Well, I made a mistake… I mis-spoke. It’s actually 82%. Sorry about that. Here is an interesting article about church invites.
• Some practical ways your family could roll into your “church plan”:
  1. Invite specific people. If 8 of of 10 spiritually unconnected family/friends would attend if invited (see above stat & article) this is huge! If you church has invite cards with your address & service times- use them. If they don’t, make some. It doesn’t have to be fancy because it really your invite that counts. The card is just a reminder of the times.
  2. Easter morning at your church…be in the parking lot before services. This might mean you need to duck out of your small group early. If so, do it! Tons of new people will be trying to find their way in for worship so help them. If you talk with your small group / Sunday school class in advance they might help as well. Meet people in the parking lot. Introduce yourself. Show them where to go. If its raining, meet people with umbrellas. Invite people to sit with you . Introduce them to others. Help wrangle their kids. If you want to be really swanky set up a place near the front door (but not in the way of traffic) to take family pictures of folks (use their phones). Most moms love this! And the vast majority of folks have a camera/phone, but just not someone offering to take the pic.

Some Jesus/resurrection movies:

• Risen (2016)- This is an interesting movie because it starts with the resurrection and the storyline after is a Roman soldier trying to come to grips with what happened. It is a great conversation starter.
• The Passion of the Christ (2004)- This is a beautifully filmed movie- very realistic…which also means quite gruesome in the crucifixion. Parents, beware…personally, I’m not rolling this one out until my children are in their teens. There is also some odd scenes that push artistic license, but all in all it captures the culture of the time and the weight of the crucifixion. The original version of the movie received an R rating for violence…& no doubt it is brutal. Director Mel Gibson came back and made a slightly less gory version called “The Passion Recut”. In this DVD package it seems that both versions are included, but I’m not positive. I have not seen the “recut” version myself.
• The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965)
• King of Kings (1961)
• The Robe (1953)
• Son of God (2014)
• The Jesus Film (1979)

More resources:

Resurrection Eggs
Chronological Bible
Episode #2 Bible Reading Help
Episode #6 Spiritual Awakening
Episode #4 Church Chat- Does the church really matter?

How do people get to the idea that God is angry?

1. Maybe they’ve met an angry Christian (layperson or preacher) who seemed excited about delivering bad news (like condemnation).
2. Pop culture is filled with imagery of God as a mean old man who enjoys chunking lighting bolts at mortals.
3. And finally, the Bible. Yes, the Bible does speak of God’s anger, or wrath, toward sin.

Highlights:

• It is possible to be angry and not sin (Ephesians 4:26-27).
• Anger can be just. Anger can move one to appropriate action.
• Anger can be just. But anger can also move one to inappropriate (unjust) action. Humans really struggle with this. God does not struggle with this at all.
• God’s anger towards sin is just- it is the right response because sin destroys everything.
• And while God hates sin, he is merciful to sinners (Romans 5:8).
• God has done everything to reach out to sinners and rescue them. Only the ungrateful will refuse to be rescued.
• Every sin will be dealt with by God’s wrath. Either the sinner pays, or Jesus pays- but every sin debt gets paid.

More resources:

Five Truths About the Wrath of God (short article)
*The Fair Use audio clip in this episode is from the Disney movie “The Little Mermaid“

These things are descriptive- not prescriptive.  What I mean is, I’m not suggesting that this list is the authority.  What I am trying to do is help folks see that their own spiritual growth takes thought & action.

How does a Christ-follower develop daily spiritual rhythms?

1. Start early.
2. Set a time and place to spend one on One time with God.
3. Pray before meals.
4. Involve the spiritual with the every day.

Highlights:

• Early doesn’t come easy for every person, but for most people early is the best shot at carving out some solitude- which is desperately needed when trying to spend meaningful time with Jesus.
• If you value Bible reading you really need to set a normal time and place or its just not likely to happen. 
• Meals are often a social time as well, shared with family, friends, or co-workers.  What a great time to acknowledge God together.
• A word of warning…praying at any set time like this can become an empty ritual IF you are not genuinely talking to God.  And by ritualistic prayer, I mean meaningless…like just mumbled on auto-pilot with little thought to what is being said or who it is being said to.
• We would all be better off living life with no separation between sacred and secular.

More resources:

Episode 2 – “Bible Reading Help”

What does revival really look like?

Here are some of Claude King’s questions used in this podcast. The complete list with extra notes can be found here.

1. Am I quick to recognize when I have sinned and agree with God in confession?
2. Am I more grieved over how my sin has offended a holy God (repentance) than I am over the consequences that I have reaped for my sin (remorse)?
3. Do I have regular, concentrated times of prayer, when I am alone with the Lord?
4. Do I faithfully pray for the needs of my mate, children, and other family members?
5. Do I pray specifically for those around me who are lost and in need of a Savior?
6. Have I completely surrendered to Jesus Christ as the Master and Lord of my life?
7. Am I willing to sacrifice whatever God asks to see Him move in my life and church (time, convenience, comfort, reputation, pleasure, etc.)?
8. Do l love to read and meditate on the Word of God?
9. Does my life change in response to what I read in the Bible?
10. Do I spend time each day sitting at the feet of Jesus, listening to His Word and worshiping Him?
11. Do I freely and regularly express my love, devotion, and praise to the Lord Jesus?

Highlights:

• It is possible to have revival meetings and not experience a spiritual awakening / spiritual renewal.
• Walking with Jesus is an hour by hour, day by day, week by week trajectory.
• Don’t wait for a [revival] meeting to being walking with Jesus.

More resources:

Consecrate The People : Renewing Our Covenant Commitments to Jesus Christ
by Claude King
This 8 day devotional challenge is an excellent way to get on the road of spiritual renewal. Thanks to Claude King for making this little e-book so accessible.

Sinners In The Hands of an Angry God
This is the classic sermon preached by Jonathan Edwards on July 8, 1741 in Enfield, Massachusetts (now Connecticut).