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LEARN & GROW
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Week of November 1, 2009
KEY VERSE
By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. (John 15:8 / ESV)
CENTRAL TRUTH
Jesus is the vine, we are the branches, and when we yield to Him, His life flows through us, and we bear fruit.
DEVOTION
I came to the church one Saturday morning to counsel with a Latino man. Since I was not fluent in Spanish, his seventeen-year-old son had accompanied him as our translator. As I walked through the Galleria, I noticed three Latinos at the security desk having trouble communicating. I spoke with them and discovered that the young man and his bride-to-be had come to Calvary to inquire about getting married. Her mother had accompanied the handsome couple. With the seventeen-year old translating, I explained to them that we cannot marry a believer to an unbeliever. Neither had received Christ, but her mother was a believer. I led them both to Christ, and they prayed to receive Jesus into their hearts. They left with some follow-up material and a promise to attend the Spanish service the next morning and to make a public profession. Sunday morning, when the invitation was given, the couple came forward, along with her sister. Pablo, the father of one of our Latino ladies who was visiting from South America, and whom I had led to the Lord early in the week, came forward also to make a public profession. The father of my young translator had whispered to me before the service that his son, who had translated the gospel for the young couple, had never asked Jesus into his heart. I walked down the aisle and invited him to come forward to receive the Lord as his personal Savior. So these five dear Latino people stood before the congregation, claiming saving faith in Christ. What a time of rejoicing that was, both here on earth and in heaven."There is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents/" (Luke 15:10b) Let us allow the life of the vine to flow through us and to bear fruit that will glorify God.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
- How would you answer these questions from the songwriter? I wonder have I done my best for Jesus? How many are the lost that I have lifted? How many are the chained I've helped to free?
- When Jesus said that the Father is glorified by his followers bearing much fruit, what did he mean by much fruit?
- Since we branches are enabled to bear fruit by "abiding in Him," what does "abiding" mean?
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