You Didn't Choose Me, I Chose You

In one paragraph

This week's message came from John 15:18-27, the second half of a chapter the group has been working through together on Monday nights. The pastor walked through Jesus' warning that the world will hate his followers just as it hated him first, and he ended with the encouragement that the Holy Spirit is with us to help us testify. The study picked up where last week left off. Jesus had been telling...

Read together

1. John 15:1 Jesus says I am the vine, you are the branches, remain in me and I in you
2. John 15:17 this is my command, love each other, where last week's study ended
3. John 15:18-27 main text read aloud, Jesus warns about the world's hatred and promises the Holy Spirit
4. John 13:1 Jesus knew his hour had come, loved his disciples to the very end
5. John 1 he came into the world he created but the world did not recognize him
6. John 10 Jesus says I am the good shepherd, my purpose is to give you a rich and satisfying life
7. Isaiah 28:16 a firm and tested cornerstone in Jerusalem, whoever believes need never be shaken
8. Matthew 5:3-10 the Beatitudes listed as the opposite of the way the world works
9. Philippians 3:20 our citizenship is in heaven, raised in conversation about being in the world
10. Isaiah 1:17 learn to do good, seek justice, correct oppression, bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow's case
11. John 15:16 you did not choose me, I chose you, to produce lasting fruit

Talk about it

1. The pastor described his own testimony this way: when Jesus says in John 10 that He is the good shepherd whose purpose is to give a rich and satisfying life, that was enough for him to stay and remain. What has been enough for you, or what are you still wrestling with when it comes to remaining in Jesus?
2. The sermon pointed out that the Beatitudes from Matthew are pretty much the complete opposite of the way the world works, and asked whether being humble or merciful is usually our first instinct. Where do you find the biggest gap between the way God's kingdom works and the way your daily life actually goes?
3. One person in the group raised the struggle of loving people biblically when the world defines love as acceptance of whatever someone is doing. Have you felt that tension, and how have you tried to navigate it?
4. Nick brought up how hard it is for someone born into a particular faith tradition to follow Jesus when it means walking away from their people, and said Jesus leads by that example. Has following Jesus ever cost you a relationship or a sense of belonging, and what helped you through it?
5. Blake drew a contrast between just believing in Jesus to punch your ticket to heaven and actually following Jesus to help bring His kingdom here on earth, pointing to the line from the Lord's Prayer, 'your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.' What does following Jesus, not just believing in Him, look like in a practical way for you right now?