Month: April 2021

Our Gospel lesson for this week is John 15:1-8, taken today from the Christian Standard Bible (CSB).

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 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. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 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. 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. 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. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you want and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this: that you produce much fruit and prove to be my disciples.

Jesus tells us that through living by His word, we can produce fruit for the kingdom of God. He shares God’s love, teaches us a better way to treat each other, and sends us to show others the joy we have found. Being part of God’s work strengthens our relationship with Him and His children.

Jesus reminds us that it only works when we are connected. We do good things not to fulfill a quota or check off requirements, but to demonstrate God’s love shared through us. Nothing we can do will ever be enough to save us, only the sacrifice Jesus made for us brings salvation. That is why it is so important for us to be in relationship with Him, because as He tells us “you can do nothing without Me” (v. 5).

It doesn’t matter what we do if we are not part of the vine. We were created in His image to live for Him. Without knowing God through Jesus, our lives lose their meaning.

Gracious God, we pray for Your strength to do what is asked of us in the world. Bless our work that we may show Your glory to all people. Amen.

Our Gospel this week is John 15:1-8, taken today from the New American Standard Bible (NASB).

“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples.”

Jesus uses an example from nature to help His followers understand the importance of our connection to God through Him. Just as branches cannot survive on their own, we are lost without our relationship with our Creator. When we abide in Him, we are nourished and grow in grace.

This connection is not only for us, but as a vine and healthy branches spread, so does the kingdom of God. Through our relationship we are taught and strengthened that we might spread the Good News in the world. This is God’s plan for us, to be part of His work through faith.

Growing in God’s love enables us to live more fruitful lives, reaching out to those who do not know Him. Sharing our story with others deepens our trust as He leads us to those who need to hear it. God’s grace is for all who will accept Christ as our Savior and follow Him.

Loving Lord, we want to be fruitful branches of Your vine. Help us to learn and grow that Your truth may be known by all. Amen.

Our Epistle this week is 1 John 4:7-21.

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love. By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has seen God at any time; if we love one another, God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. We have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son to be the Savior of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love. We love, because He first loved us. If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God should love his brother also.

In this passage the apostle John recalls the Great Commandment given to us by Jesus, that “the one who loves God should love his brother also” (v. 21). We are called to show our faith through the love of God given to others. Our words and our actions are the way the world can know the joy of a relationship with Him.

John reminds us that “the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen” (v. 20). God wants us to love each other in the same way we love Him. This is why Jesus tells us as part of the Sermon on the Mount “First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift” (Matthew 5:24). We cannot be in full connection with God if we are not in full connection with each other.

God calls us to show the world the truth of His love through the giving of ours. When we act out of anger, we grieve Him. Let His love and peace fill you today, and prove to others that love is the greatest gift.

Heavenly Father, You show us Your love in all that we have been given. Help us to share that gift with all Your children everywhere. Amen.

Our First Reading this week is Acts 8:26-40.

But an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip saying, “Get up and go south to the road that descends from Jerusalem to Gaza.” (This is a desert road.) So he got up and went; and there was an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure; and he had come to Jerusalem to worship, and he was returning and sitting in his chariot, and was reading the prophet Isaiah. Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Go up and join this chariot.” Philip ran up and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and said, “Do you understand what you are reading?” And he said, “Well, how could I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. Now the passage of Scripture which he was reading was this: “He was led as a sheep to slaughter; And as a lamb before its shearer is silent, So He does not open His mouth. In humiliation His judgment was taken away; Who will relate His generation? For His life is removed from the earth.” The eunuch answered Philip and said, “Please tell me, of whom does the prophet say this? Of himself or of someone else?” Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning from this Scripture he preached Jesus to him. As they went along the road they came to some water; and the eunuch said, “Look! Water! What prevents me from being baptized?” And Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” And he answered and said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” And he ordered the chariot to stop; and they both went down into the water, Philip as well as the eunuch, and he baptized him. When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away; and the eunuch no longer saw him, but went on his way rejoicing. But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he passed through he kept preaching the gospel to all the cities until he came to Caesarea.

The Book of Acts is intended to remind us of what the disciples did after Jesus was no longer with them physically. It should also energize our discipleship to go and do what Jesus has asked of us. These lessons show that those who followed Jesus accepted the Great Commission to make disciples of all nations and went with joy to share the Good News.

In this passage Philip is directed to a person who is seeking to understand God’s Word. We have all experienced trying to find the meaning in Scripture and how difficult it may be. Having another believer to share with is essential. Quiet time alone with God is needed for prayer but serious study requires explanation and discussion.

God calls us to spread His love in the world and to be ready to talk about Scripture and our faith with those who are searching for a connection with Him. Jesus left His ministry in our hands. It is up to us to do the kingdom work here until we are called home.

Loving Lord, we are grateful and humbled to be part of Your plan of salvation. Help us to be strong in faith, gentle in spirit and bold to go where You send us in Your name. Amen.

Our call to worship this week comes to us from Psalm 22:25-31.

From You comes my praise in the great assembly; I shall pay my vows before those who fear Him. The afflicted will eat and be satisfied; Those who seek Him will praise the Lord. Let your heart live forever! All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord, And all the families of the nations will worship before You. For the kingdom is the Lord ’s And He rules over the nations. All the prosperous of the earth will eat and worship, All those who go down to the dust will bow before Him, Even he who cannot keep his soul alive. Posterity will serve Him; It will be told of the Lord to the coming generation. They will come and will declare His righteousness To a people who will be born, that He has performed it.

You might not remember that this psalm opens “My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?” What sounds like despair at the beginning has become confidence and joy at the end. The psalmist reminds us that on our own we are weak but the Lord is mighty and merciful.

We are told that “All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord, And all the families of the nations will worship before You” (v. 27). This is hope for everyone, everywhere, not merely a select few. God is ready and waiting for us to renew our relationship.

There is an important responsibility for us given here: “Posterity will serve Him; It will be told of the Lord to the coming generation” (v. 30). We are charged with sharing His love and truth with those who haven’t heard. We accept a connection with God in order to connect the world to Him.

Gracious God, our faith is in You, and without You we are lost. Keep us close to You and make us the voice of invitation to all Your people. Amen.

Our Gospel is John 10:11-18, taken today from the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV).

I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away—and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again. I have received this command from my Father.

Jesus uses this example to show how He loves and cares for us, as a shepherd tends and defends the flock. Like the sheep, we are unable to save ourselves but Jesus stands between us and the evil that waits for us. We must listen to His voice and stay with the flock.

The Good Shepherd leads us to safety and rest. When we wander off, we place ourselves in danger. If we choose our own path, we lose the safety of the flock.

The Good Shepherd comes after those who are lost, seeking to save us from sin and the price it exacts from us and others. He is willing to take the risk in order to rescue us. When we obey Him and remain on the path He has shown us, we are blessed to be part of His kingdom work and help other lost sheep return to the flock.

Shepherd of us all, we are amazed and thankful that You come to save us. Help us to stay near You in safety, away from the danger of sin. Amen.

Our Gospel lesson this week is John 10:11-18, taken today from the New American Standard Bible (NASB).

I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. He who is a hired hand, and not a shepherd, who is not the owner of the sheep, sees the wolf coming, and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. He flees because he is a hired hand and is not concerned about the sheep. I am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me, even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice; and they will become one flock with one shepherd. For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life so that I may take it again. No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father.

Jesus tells us “I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice; and they will become one flock with one shepherd” (v. 16). This points to the Great Commission, by which we are instructed to bring all the world to Christ. No one is to be left out.

While Jesus appeared at the time and place appointed by God, His message is to all people across time. Everyone is blessed by Jesus’ teaching and His sacrifice for us. It is our task to share His love with all people, no matter their location or situation.

Jesus told us it wouldn’t be easy, that we would face opposition just as He did. However, that doesn’t change the call He has placed on our lives. We are the living story of Christ’s love in the world and it is up to us to bring His love to all.

Wise and wonderful God, You sent Your son to save us and make us part of Your kingdom work. Help us to live in faith and love each other as we love You. Amen.

Our Gospel lesson is John 10:11-18, taken today from the Christian Standard Bible (CSB).

I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand, since he is not the shepherd and doesn’t own the sheep, leaves them and runs away when he sees a wolf coming. The wolf then snatches and scatters them. This happens because he is a hired hand and doesn’t care about the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my own, and my own know me, just as the Father knows me, and I know the Father. I lay down my life for the sheep. But I have other sheep that are not from this sheep pen; I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. Then there will be one flock, one shepherd. This is why the Father loves me, because I lay down my life so that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down on my own. I have the right to lay it down, and I have the right to take it up again. I have received this command from my Father.

Jesus says something very interesting about His sacrifice for us in verse 18: “No one takes it from me, but I lay it down on my own. I have the right to lay it down, and I have the right to take it up again”. Jesus was fully aware of the choice He was making and chose to endure this for us. It is hard to understand that He died for our sake, and harder yet that He died for all.

That’s the part that trips me up sometimes. Jesus dying to forgive me is one thing, that His sacrifice was for even those who executed Him is something else completely. Yet we hear His words “Father, forgive them, because they do not know what they are doing” (Luke‬ ‭23:34‬).

Jesus teaches us a double lesson here – He died for the whole human race and we have no say in who is forgiven. Jesus promised salvation to any that believe in Him, no strings attached. Our opinion has no bearing on this fact.

Gracious God, You sent Jesus to save any who confess Him as Lord. Help us to share the joy of our salvation with the world that all may know Your saving grace. Amen

Our Gospel lesson is John 10:11-18, taken today from the New International Version (NIV).

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.”

Jesus taught us about His role in the kingdom and our relationship with Him using examples from life we could understand. One He used frequently was that of a shepherd and the flock. It gives us a picture of how much He loves us and how much we need His care.

He tells us “the good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep” (v. 11), a distinct reference to what He has come to do for us. Jesus was fully aware of how God’s plan for salvation would work and that it would result in His death. However He loved God and us so much He was willing to obey.

We may never be called to lay down our lives for God and others, but we must be willing to make the everyday sacrifices necessary. Jesus calls us to change our hearts and lives and help others find the courage to do so as well. Following the path Christ has shown us is the only way we can be saved.

Gracious God, we are thankful for the gift of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Help us to be strong in our faith, sharing the truth of the resurrection with all Your children. Amen.

Our Epistle this week is 1 John 3:16-24.

This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth. This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence: If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him. And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. The one who keeps God’s commands lives in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us.

John tells us something absolutely amazing – “if our hearts condemn us, we know God is greater than our hearts” (v. 20). He reminds us that no matter how badly we fail, God is ready to forgive us when we go to Him in faith. This is the most wonderful promise of all, that Jesus came to save us all from all our sin.

When we accept His forgiveness, we turn from sinful ways and follow His example. Our actions are a response to the love and compassion shown to us, not a payback or a quota of good deeds to be accomplished. Jesus forgave the thief crucified beside Him (Luke 23:43), knowing that he was about to die and would never go to do good deeds.

It’s not about what we do, but what Jesus has done for us. We can never repay His sacrifice, but we have the opportunity to live as He did, loving God and each other. In this way we honor the gift we have been given, salvation in His name.

Gracious God, we are grateful for Your plan to save us from our sin. Help us to live for You, forgiving others as we have been forgiven. Amen.