Jesus wraps up his conversation with the disciples with a beautiful 3-part prayer – Part one for himself, part 2 for the disciples, part 3 for all who would believe. Key takeaway: Jesus wants us to know the Father, to know his love, and to be unified with each other.
Jesus warns the disciples that when he goes back to the Father, the “world” (anyone who rejects Jesus as God’s Messiah) is going to turn and aim their hostility at Jesus’ followers instead. But even though they will face all kinds of hardship, they can be confident that they are never alone. The Counselor will be right there with them wherever they are.
Josh Krueger, one of our Men's Ministry leaders, brings the message today from John 15, under the main idea that "Mandated, glory producing fruit can be produced one way: sap from the true vine." Throughout the message, Josh will address these questions: What is fruit and how is it produced? What is sap and how do we get some? Why are fruit and sap so important?
If you’re seeing a counselor, the idea is that you’ve called in someone to help you do something you are unable to do on your own. To help you. To intercede for you. An advocate that fights for you. That’s the word Jesus uses to describe the Holy Spirit. So, according to Jesus, the Holy Spirit is like having a perfectly wise Counselor, who knows everything about you and everything about God and his commands, his plan, and his will, which means he’ll only ever give you perfect advice, inside of you to help you live your life and obey Christ’s commands. You never need to schedule an appointment!