The importance of connection
The Importance of Connection
Key Bible Verses
John 15:5-12
Galatians 5:22-23
Psalm 27:3-4
Digging Deeper
John 15:5-12 instructs us to remain connected in God’s love and bear much fruit as disciples of Jesus Christ. As we remain in God’s love, we are to keep His commandments so that God’s joy may be in us and so that our joy may be complete. This connection is a source of great joy and inspiration for us, knowing that we are deeply loved by God.
Remaining connected with God means developing a personal and intimate relationship with Him. How can we deepen and maintain this loving relationship with God? Here are a few ideas:
Connecting with God by praying.
Connecting with God by reading His Word.
Connecting with someone else, loving them like Jesus loves them.
Connecting with God by learning what God commands us to do.
Connecting with God by spending time serving people.
Then, as we remain in God, we bear fruit as we impact the world around us. We share our story and His Story with those whom God places in our path and who need to know about Jesus and His love. Jesus commands us to “Love each other as I have loved you.” This radical love makes us stand out and be different from the world and its ways. We are set apart as followers of Jesus, sharing a life of transformational living that we can accomplish only through the power of the Holy Spirit.
As we demonstrate this life-giving and selfless love, we are a testament to the transformative power of God’s love. Others will be drawn to be connected to Jesus as we love and serve them. We will be empowered to leave a legacy as we draw people to come to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior.
What Not To Miss
The Importance of Connection
“I AM”
Jesus used the same “I AM” phrase in seven declarations about Himself.
Jesus combined “I AM” with metaphors about His saving relationship toward the world.
Jesus made the “I AM” statements for a reason, and this reason was so that we would not miss who He is.
I am the Vine! (John 15:5)
Apart from me, you can do nothing.
Chapter 15 in John is a dinner conversation between Jesus and the disciples. (It is between John Chapter 13, the Last Supper, and John Chapter 18, when Jesus is arrested.)
It is Jesus' last dinner conversation with the disciples, so it is intentional and powerful.
Why is being connected to the Vine so important?
Jesus is the true Vine. (We don’t want to attach ourselves to false vines.)
Only when we attach ourselves and stay connected to the true Vine is fruit produced.
When I stay connected, I produce fruit.
What is fruit? Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23)
Jesus promised that if we abide in Him and remain in Him, we will produce fruit.
Key points
Stay connected, and God will take care of the rest. Everything is dependent on Him.
When we are connected to the Vine, when Jesus is in our lives, we are much stronger than we realize.
What else matters other than dwelling in the presence of God and staying connected to the Vine?
In Psalm 27:3-4, David understands that staying connected and dwelling in the presence of God is what matters in life.
We have one overarching problem with staying connected: we lack the motivation to do so.
Being disconnected produces nothing! (John 15:6)
If we are disconnected and don’t abide in the Vine, we will be thrown away and burned.
We get disconnected when we get judgmental.
We get disconnected when we forget that we are just a branch and think we are the vine.
John 15:7-12 narrows the focus of what we do to stay connected.
The two marks of connection. (John 15:10)
Obedience
Love
We have to do what Jesus says.
Love like Jesus loves. (John 15:12)
Jesus is calling all of us to kick it up a notch and love as He has loved us, which is not subjective.
We cannot do this on our own and are incapable of doing this without Jesus.
By staying connected, we can begin to love others the way Jesus loves us.
It is impossible to have an increasing love for Jesus and not have an increasing love for people!
Love is the mark of a disciple; it blooms in the soil of abiding.
What fruit is being evidenced in your life?
You can’t do anything without Christ, so abide in Him.
Your fruit and existence depend on Jesus. There are no branches without a vine.
You can’t do anything apart from Christ. (When this passage says anything, it means anything.)
Abide in Him for your life, your fruit, your all.
Let’s grab on and link arms and see where Jesus takes us.
Life Application
This week, list a few ways you can remain connected in God’s love. Then, list some ways to reflect God’s love as you connect with others and love them. Pray that God will open your eyes so you can practice one way from your list as you can remain in God’s love. Also, pick one way to love and serve someone else whom God places in your path. Consider keeping a “God Journal,” where you can record the incredible things God is doing in your life as you abide in Him, mature in your faith, and love others.
Small Group Discussion Questions
What is your favorite way to connect with other people?
What does it mean to remain in and be connected to Jesus?
How do believers bear fruit?
How do you define being a faithful disciple of Jesus?
What does this passage teach about loving God and loving others?
Daily Devotional Bible Passages
Day 1: Remaining-1 John 2:24-25; Colossians 2:6-7; Ephesians 3:16-17
Day 2: God’s Commandments-John 14:15; Matthew 19:17-18; 1 John 5:2-3
Day 3: Obedience-John 14:15; Deuteronomy 11:1; 2 John 1:6
Day 4: Joy-Psalm 16:11; Zephaniah 3:17; Romans 15:13
Day 5: Love-John 3:16; Romans 8:28; 1 John 4:7-8
Prayer
Lord, I am so joyful and thankful for the love and grace you provide me each day. Your love is so wonderful that it goes beyond anything I can understand. I am overwhelmed and humbled at how greatly and deeply You love me. Your love lifts me up when I face difficulties and things beyond what I can handle in my own strength. Help me abide in You, pay attention to You, and spread Your love to others as I connect, care, forgive, and show kindness to those You place in my path. Let me be a light shining in a dark world that is so in need of Your love and forgiveness.
