Lenten Reading and Devotion

March 17, 2023

He looked around the table intently, all eyes fixed on him, everyone listening intently, and he said, "An Apple Tree ain't an apple tree till it produces apples...it's just a tree. The fruit tells you what kind of tree it is...same applies to us; we aren't Christians till we produce fruit for the Kingdom of God. Don't call yourself a Christian if you ain't bearing fruit folks." No one argued; we all nodded in agreement - point made.

Every time I read today's passage, I remember that moment..." you ain't a Christian till or unless you bear fruit.." All he said was what Jesus was saying in today's text. Jesus is pretty clear, those who remain, abide, and live in Him will produce fruit for the Kingdom of God. What is the fruit of the Kingdom? Introducing people to Jesus through word and deed, being a reflection of Jesus at every turn of life, come what may.

The truth is we are always living for something or someone. We are always living into what will be with our words and deeds. Jesus is challenging us to live in Him, to become like Him, and make a difference in our world for God's Kingdom.

To be sure, it is not easy living for Jesus, abiding, remaining, and living in Him. We seem to always find something or someone else to give our attention to. We are easily distracted by the world around us. If we are not careful, we can find ourselves reacting, rushing, and pushing our way through life like a bulldozer, leaving a messy trail behind us.

Jesus is calling us to be more intentional in living life for Him. Taking time every day to focus our hearts and minds on Him. Take time each day to pray, read the scriptures, and meditate on God and His goodness. Take time to abide, stay, and remain in Him each day, don't rush; just wait and listen. Let God renew, refresh, and transform you by being connected to Him. Apart from HIM, we can do nothing. Take time each day in Lent to abide, remain, stay, rest, wait for Him, and let Him work in you.

- What keeps you from abiding in Jesus daily?
- What will you do during the remaining days of Lent to abide in Him each day? We have to be intentional. It will not just happen.
- In which area of your life do you want to be more like Jesus?


The Vine and the Branches

15 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes[a] so that it will be even more fruitful.3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

9 “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10 If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love.11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command. 15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed youso that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. 17 This is my command: Love each other.

The World Hates the Disciples

18 “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. 19 If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. 20 Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’[b] If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. 21 They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the one who sent me. 22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin. 23 Whoever hates me hates my Father as well. 24 If I had not done among them the works no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin. As it is, they have seen, and yet they have hated both me and my Father. 25 But this is to fulfill what is written in their Law: ‘They hated me without reason.’[c]

The Work of the Holy Spirit

26 “When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father—he will testify about me. 27 And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning.

16 “All this I have told you so that you will not fall away. 2 They will put you out of the synagogue; in fact, the time is coming when anyone who kills you will think they are offering a service to God.3 They will do such things because they have not known the Father or me. 4 I have told you this, so that when their time comes you will remember that I warned you about them. I did not tell you this from the beginning because I was with you,