We heard last week here in John 16 of the warning Jesus gave His disciples, that they would be persecuted and some of them even put to death for following Christ and preaching the Gospel. And he had told them these things so that when it all happened they would not be shocked or dismayed […]
Have You Counted the Cost of Following Christ? – John 16:1-7
Have you ever considered what it could cost you to wholeheartedly follow Christ? On the morning of July 15th 1555 at 9am, two men were led to their execution at London’s Smithfield in the reign of “bloody Queen Mary”. They were condemned to be burnt alive as heretics. One was a young man of 19 […]
Is Persecution a Personal Offense? – John 15:21-27
Should you take persecution personally? When persecuted and ridiculed because you are living an obedient and God glorifying life, should you consider that persecution a personal offense? We saw last week that Jesus made clear that for all who keep His commandments there will be persecution in this world.
You Will Be Persecuted, So Love One Another – John 15:17-21
If you are a faithful Christian you will be persecuted. You’ve heard this before. But have you ever been told that because of persecution that will come you ought to be loving one another?
Love One Another – Here’s how – John 15:12-16
Photo by: Dawn (Creative Commons) Love one another — it’s a command we’ve noted many times before. Jesus commands His followers to love one another. We hear it again today in the passage before us in John 15:12-16. And at first glance, when you hear the command you might have one of two reactions.
The Joy of the Lord – do all Christians have it equally? – John 15:7-11
Do all Christians have the joy of the Lord in equal measure? Do all believers make the same progress in their faith? Are all believers equally committed to walking daily in obedience to Christ? How does each believer grow in the joy of the Lord?