The Vineyard- March 22, 2015

The Vineyard

I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. – John 15:5

 

Religion and the Gospel

Pray that God will speak to you through the reading of His word.

-          Avoiding Jesus

o   One way to avoid Jesus is to refuse to make Him your Lord.  In what ways are you holding on to control of your life?

o   Another way to avoid Jesus is to refuse to allow Him to be your Savior.  In what ways are you still trying to “earn” God’s forgiveness?

-          The Only Way to Embrace Jesus

o   We often try to come to God on our own terms.  We feel like if we obey, we will be accepted.  Instead, our obedience should be motivated by the fact that God accepts us because of what Jesus did on the cross.  Is your obedience to God motivated by a desire to win God’s acceptance, or is it motivated by God’s grace in accepting us through Jesus Christ?

-          The Challenge of Grace

o   Many feel like if we make too much of grace, people will feel like their actions no longer matter.  However, when grace is rightly understood, it motivates us in a way the law never could.  Why is love a greater motivating force than the law?

Pray for the courage to accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior.

Pray that our obedience will be motivated by grace.