Daily Bible Reading “Love One Another” (John 15:12-27)

Love One Another

Today’s Daily Bible Reading is from John 15:12-27. In this Scripture, Jesus is talking to His disciples; right before He went to be crucified. Jesus tells them, “This is my commandment, that ye love one another, as I have loved you.” He didn’t tell them to love each other if they felt like it. Jesus wanted them to commit to love each other.

Make the decision to love someone whether you feel like it or not. Even in our families there might be times when we don’t feel like loving each other. But we should love each other anyway, because we are committed to love them.

Even so, we should love our brothers and sisters in Christ because Jesus tells us to love one another. What better example than that of Jesus who taught us how to love others? This kind of love is not an emotional love, but rather a decision to love one another.

Jesus reminds His disciples, “Greater love has no man than this that He lay down his life for his friends.” Jesus says, “You are my friends if you do what I command you.” He tells the disciples they didn’t choose Him, but He chose them and ordained them to bear fruit, that whatever they ask the Father in His name, He may give it to them.

Not everybody we meet is going to love us. Jesus reminds the disciples of this by telling them if the world hates them or mistreats them they should not be dismayed because they knew the world hated Him and His Father before it hated them. Jesus explains to them that since He came into the world and told the world about their sin, they had no covering for their sin.

Those who didn’t want to accept Jesus as their Savior hated Him and His Father. Not everyone you try to share the gospel with will accept Jesus, and they may not like you for sharing it, even though you are trying to help them.

Another way God showed His love for us is by sending the Holy Spirit to dwell with us. Jesus promises the disciples that He will send the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of truth, unto them from the Father and He will testify of Jesus. He tells them they also will bear witness of Him, because they were with Him from the beginning. God didn’t want to leave us alone so He sent the Holy Spirit to dwell with us.

God wants us to have this same kind of love for one another that He has for us, the kind of love that cares for one another.

 

Daily Bible Reading:

John 15:12-27

12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.
13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
14 Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.
15 Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.
16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.
17 These things I command you, that ye love one another.
18 If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.
19 If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.
20 Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.
21 But all these things will they do unto you for my name’s sake, because they know not him that sent me.
22 If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloke for their sin.
23 He that hateth me hateth my Father also.
25 But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated me without a cause.
26 But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:
27 And ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning.

 

Things to think about:

  • Why does Jesus want us to love one another?
  • How do you know you have the love of Jesus in your heart?
  • When do you find it hard to love others?

 

Prayer of the Day:

Dear God,

Please help us to love one another as Jesus commanded in this Scripture. Help us not to go by our feelings, but to make a decision in our hearts and lives to love anyway. As we live in this world help us to bear witness of You and Your Son, and share Your love with others. In Jesus’ name, we pray. We love You, LORD. Amen.

 

Daily Bible Verse:

Excerpt from God Is Love ~ Deborah H. Bateman

 

Christian Music Video: “Love One Another” – Michael W. Smith

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Featured Book:

godislove25

God Is Love

by Deborah H. Bateman

About the book:

God is Love is a Daily Bible Reading Study by Deborah H. Bateman. It contains 19 daily devotionals on Scriptures about love from the Bible: including God’s love for us, the love relationship between a husband and wife, love and honoring our parents, and much more.

This devotional would be great for either a personal daily devotions or group Bible studies, including small groups, and Sunday school classes. Each devotional contains a brief commentary by the author, the daily Bible Scripture, a prayer of the day, and several questions for personal reflection or group discussion.

In God is Love, Deborah strives to show you not only what love is, but that love comes from God, as well as the love of God surpasses all imagination. Her goal for you as you read this book is that you would realize how much God loves you.

Benefits of reading God is Love
• You will learn what love is
• You will learn about different kinds of love
• You will learn how much God loves you
• You will learn of the sacrifice made by God because of His love for you

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Deborah

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Daily Bible Reading “I Am the True Vine” (John 15:1-11)

I Am the True Vine

Today’s Daily Bible Reading is from John 15:1-11. “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing” (John 15:5).

In this Scripture Jesus is telling His disciples the parable of the vine. He tells them He is the true vine, and His Father is the husbandman (gardener, vinedresser). Believers are considered to be the “branches.” Branches in Him which don’t bear fruit He cuts off. Branches that bear fruit, He prunes, so they will bear more fruit. There are many references to the word “fruit” in the Bible. As believers we are expected to bear fruit for the Lord.

One of the references to “fruit” is the fruit of the SpiritGalatians 5:22-23 says,But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.” This is what we should produce if we are abiding in the vine.

Ephesians 5:9 and 10 says, “For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth; Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. You are clean through the Word I have spoken to you.” This is why it is important for us to study the Bible so we will know the Word. It will purify our hearts and lives so we can produce good fruit.

Jesus says, “Abide in me, and I in you. Just as the branch can’t bear fruit by itself, it must abide in the vine, and so it is for us we have to abide in Him. If you don’t abide in me, you will be like a branch that withers and is cut off and burned in the fire.”

Think of this parable as if you had a vine growing in your yard and there are branches coming off the main vine. As the gardener, you cut off the branches that are dead and prune the branches that are producing fruit so they will produce more fruit.

In this parable, God the Father is the gardener, Jesus is the main vine, and as Christians we are the branches. First Corinthians 3:11 says, “For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.”  In John 15: 7 Jesus says, “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.” What do you think the word abide means? Maybe it means to stay close, or continue in Him.

Jesus tells the disciples, His Father will be glorified, and they will bear much fruit; and they will be His disciples. He says, “Just as the Father has loved me, so have I loved you: continue in my love.” He wants us to come to Him, worship Him and pray to Him. Jesus tells them in the same way He loves His Father and keeps His commandments; we too should keep His commandments and abide in His love. He tells them, “These things I have told you, that my joy will remain in you, and that your joy will be full.”

 

Daily Bible Reading:

John 15:1-11

1 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.

2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.

3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.

4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.

5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.

7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.

8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.

9 As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.

10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.

11 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.

 

Things to think about:

  • What do you do to the dead branches on your vines?
  • As Christians why should we abide in Jesus?
  • In this Scripture, who is the gardener?
  • What does this Scripture say will happen if we don’t bear fruit?

 

Prayer of the Day:

Dear Heavenly Father,

We thank You for Your Son, Jesus, who in this parable is the true vine. As Christians we are the branches, thank You that He is our source of strength and provision. Help us to abide in Him so our joy might be full. Help us to produce good fruit. In Jesus’ name, we pray. We love You, LORD. Amen.

 

Bible Verse for Journaling and Memorization:

I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

– John 15:5

Excerpt from I AM: Jesus, the Son of God

 

 Christian Music: I Am the Vine


 

PS. Thank you for coming to DeborahHBateman.com to study the Bible with us. Please come back again tomorrow and invite your friends and family to join us as well.

 

Featured Book:

I AM: Jesus, the Son of God

By Deborah H. Bateman

About the Book:

Jesus asks his disciples the question, “Who do men say that I am?” Then, through different metaphors, He describes who He is.

In I AM: Jesus, the Son of God, Deborah H. Bateman shares biblical illustrations on each of these topics and includes the reason God sent Jesus to the world. This book will help you more fully grasp who Jesus is and His purpose in your life.

I AM: Jesus, the Son of God is the thirty-third book in the Daily Bible Reading Series. The book contains ten Daily Bible Reading lessons. Each lesson consists of a brief commentary by the author, the Daily Bible Reading Scripture, a few questions for consideration or discussion, a prayer, and a Bible Verse to journal or memorize. This book is great as a personal devotional or a group Bible Study. Get your copy today. You will be glad you did.

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Deborah

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