April 17

Read John 14:15-31
 ^23-24"Because a loveless world," said Jesus, "is a sightless world. If anyone loves me, he will carefully keep my word and my Father will love him—we'll move right into the neighborhood! Not loving me means not keeping my words. The message you are hearing isn't mine. It's the message of the Father who sent me. (The Message)

Some thoughts to ponder and share with others:

• What do you think love meant to the disciples?
• What moment did you find it easiest to love someone? The most difficult?
• What good is the Holy Spirit to you? To the church?
• If the world was filled with God's love how would it look different than it does today?

April 10

Read John 14:1-14
^11-14"Believe me: I am in my Father and my Father is in me. If you can't believe that, believe what you see—these works. The person who trusts me will not only do what I'm doing but even greater things, because I, on my way to the Father, am giving you the same work to do that I've been doing. You can count on it. From now on, whatever you request along the lines of who I am and what I am doing, I'll do it. That's how the Father will be seen for who he is in the Son. I mean it. Whatever you request in this way, I'll do.


Some thoughts to ponder and share with others:

• Why do you think the disciples still are unsure about Jesus?
• When Jesus tells the disciples that they will do even greater things than he has done what do you think their responses might have been?
• When you request something of God why do you not receive it?
• How might you develop a deeper trust level in Jesus and begin to do great things for and with Jesus?

April 3

Read John 13: 31-38
 ^34-35"Let me give you a new command: Love one another. In the same way I loved you, you love one another. This is how everyone will recognize that you are my disciples—when they see the love you have for each other."

Some thoughts to ponder and share with others:

• What were the commandments that the disciples would have known came from God?
• In what ways might the disciples have assumed that they were already loving one another?
• What are some of the best and most visible ways the followers of Jesus love each other today?
• In what ways is Jesus inviting you to love others these days? In what ways might Jesus be inviting us to love others?