Victory Groups

English

The Word Became Flesh

𝗪𝗔𝗥𝗠-𝗨𝗣 • What is one new skill or hobby you want to pick up? Why? • Tell us about one or two people you look up to and would want to know more. • What does it feel like to meet someone for the first time? How is it different when you meet them again? 𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗗 𝘐𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘞𝘰𝘳𝘥, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘞𝘰𝘳𝘥 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘎𝘰𝘥, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘞𝘰𝘳𝘥 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘎𝘰𝘥. 𝘏𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘎𝘰𝘥. 𝗝𝗢𝗛𝗡 𝟭:𝟭–𝟮 (Read also 𝗝𝗢𝗛𝗡 𝟭:𝟯–𝟱, 𝟵–𝟭𝟰, 𝟭𝟲–𝟭𝟴.) Many times in our life of faith, we have different misconceptions of who God really is. Sometimes, we may even feel that God is distant from us because of our misunderstanding of Him. We wonder about the best way to reach God among the seemingly different options available. Despite all these, God has made Himself present and approachable through His Word made flesh, in the person of Jesus. Today, we will look at how Jesus—the living Word of God desires for us to be in a relationship with Him through His redemptive work. 𝟭. 𝗝𝗲𝘀𝘂𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗚𝗼𝗱 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗰𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝗮𝗿. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘞𝘰𝘳𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘧𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘩 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘥𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘵 𝘢𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘶𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘨𝘭𝘰𝘳𝘺, 𝘨𝘭𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘢𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘚𝘰𝘯 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘍𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳, 𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘵𝘩. 𝗝𝗢𝗛𝗡 𝟭:𝟭𝟰 Jesus becoming God’s eternal Word in the flesh is an affirmation of His longing to be intimate with us. For many years, the Israelites had to follow a strict practice before they could stand in God’s presence. Only the High Priest could enter the Holy of Holies in the Tabernacle or in the Temple. When the appointed time came, Jesus became a real person that anybody could get to know. He meets us where we are, regardless of our circumstances in life, and is closer to us than we think. Was there a time when you felt far from God, only to realize He was near to you? What happened? 𝟮. 𝗝𝗲𝘀𝘂𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗚𝗼𝗱 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗻. 𝘕𝘰 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘎𝘰𝘥; 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘎𝘰𝘥, 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘍𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳'𝘴 𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦, 𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘯. 𝗝𝗢𝗛𝗡 𝟭:𝟭𝟴 When Jesus came into the world, many people did not know who He was. Some thought of Him as a wise teacher, while others saw Him as a political threat. It was only when people received a personal revelation that they understood who He truly is. One of the reasons Jesus came to the earth is to reveal God to man. As the second person of the Trinity, He is the perfect revelation of God. By believing and receiving this, we become naturally inclined to follow Him and know Him more. We do this through reading, preaching, and living out God’s Word. In fact, the whole Bible is the recording of the life and teachings of Jesus. As a believer, how did you come to know God and what have you learned about Him? 𝟯. 𝗝𝗲𝘀𝘂𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗚𝗼𝗱 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗱. 𝘏𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘩𝘪𝘮, 𝘺𝘦𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘩𝘪𝘮. 11𝘏𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘰𝘸𝘯, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘮. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘮, 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘦, 𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘎𝘰𝘥 . . . 𝗝𝗢𝗛𝗡 𝟭:𝟭𝟬–𝟭𝟮 During His ministry, Jesus called several people to follow Him as His disciples. A handful of them left their old lives because they witnessed God in person. As they walked with Him, the disciples got to know Him more, each in their own unique way. In the same manner, Jesus invites us to have a relationship with Him, not just as His disciples but more so as His brothers and sisters, as children of God. When we receive Jesus, by believing in Him, we are given the right to become children of God. We grow in our relationship with Him as we continue to receive His word. According to Romans 8:16–17, who does God say we are? 𝗔𝗣𝗣𝗟𝗜𝗖𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡 • Every day is a new opportunity to go deeper in our relationship with Jesus. What is one thing you can do differently starting today to know Him? • Were there moments in your life that you misunderstood God or felt that He was distant? Ask God to show you more of who He is and to remind you that He is always with you. • Think of someone close to you who has yet to have a personal relationship with Jesus. How can you be a living testimony of the word and lead this person to Jesus? 𝗣𝗥𝗔𝗬𝗘𝗥 • Thank God for sending Jesus as the fulfillment of His word in person. Thank Him that He can be known and we can draw near to Him. • Pray for a deeper revelation of who God is and who you are in His eyes. Pray for a renewed desire to read and live out His word. • Ask God for wisdom and courage to share His word with the people you encounter. Ask Him for strength to proclaim His goodness and love in your community.

The Word Gives Life

𝗪𝗔𝗥𝗠-𝗨𝗣 • What was the best thing that happened to you recently? • If you could pick only five things you could live on, what would they be and why? • Name a country you want to visit or give us a picture of your dream house. 𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗗 “𝘛𝘳𝘶𝘭𝘺, 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘭𝘺, 𝘐 𝘴𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘸𝘩𝘰𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴 𝘮𝘺 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘮𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦.” 𝗝𝗢𝗛𝗡 𝟱:𝟮𝟰 (Read also 𝗝𝗢𝗛𝗡 𝟱:𝟮𝟭–𝟮𝟯, 𝟮𝟱–𝟮𝟵.) Every day, we probably think about the kind of life we want to live. We surround ourselves with confidants and secure more things to improve the quality of our lives. While these are good, there is a deeper hole that needs to be filled. All of us are looking for a life that has meaning and purpose. The world we live in cannot give this to us. The good news is that we don’t have to look too far to experience the fullness of life. Today, we take a look at the kind of life Jesus is inviting us to have as we abide in His word. 𝟭. 𝗝𝗲𝘀𝘂𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲. “𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘍𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘴𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦, 𝘴𝘰 𝘢𝘭𝘴𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘰𝘯 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘸𝘩𝘰𝘮 𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭.” 𝗝𝗢𝗛𝗡 𝟱:𝟮𝟭 God is the source of all life. He has given His Son, Jesus, the authority to judge, raise the dead, and give life to those who believe in the Son. Just as we need food to sustain our physical bodies daily, we need Jesus to sustain our very lives. Whenever we feel dry or lost, we can always look to Jesus as the one who gives us life and can renew our spirit. What does Jesus say in John 10:28–30 about eternal life? 𝟮. 𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗝𝗲𝘀𝘂𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲. “𝘛𝘳𝘶𝘭𝘺, 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘭𝘺, 𝘐 𝘴𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘸𝘩𝘰𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴 𝘮𝘺 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘮𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦. . . . 𝘋𝘰 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘷𝘦𝘭 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴, 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘪𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘰𝘮𝘣𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘷𝘰𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘰𝘶𝘵, 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘭 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘫𝘶𝘥𝘨𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵.” 𝗝𝗢𝗛𝗡 𝟱:𝟮𝟰, 𝟮𝟴–𝟮𝟵 The kind of life Jesus offers is different from what the world offers. It is an eternal one, where we get to experience the fullness of His love. He gives this to us not because of the good works we have done, but simply by receiving and believing in Him. We can respond to this invitation and experience a resurrected life with purpose. As believers, why can we look to the end of our lives and the end of the world with hope? 𝟯. 𝗘𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗹𝘂𝗱𝗲𝘀 𝗯𝗼𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆. “𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦, 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘦 𝘎𝘰𝘥, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘑𝘦𝘴𝘶𝘴 𝘊𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘰𝘮 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵.” 𝗝𝗢𝗛𝗡 𝟭𝟳:𝟯 The eternal life Jesus gives does not begin when we will die physically. Eternal life refers to the life that God wants us to experience in His kingdom, both in the present age and for eternity. So if we put our faith in Jesus, we can experience eternal life starting today. We are not just to know of Jesus; He invites us to follow and walk with Him, having a relationship with Him. When we experientially know Him, we can live the life He has called us to—a victorious Christian life. Why do you think some people only associate eternal life with life after death? How does understanding that eternal life involves the here and now change your perspective? 𝗔𝗣𝗣𝗟𝗜𝗖𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡 • Have you fully trusted in Jesus as your Lord and Savior and committed to follow Him? If not, would you like us to pray with you to receive the eternal life He offers you? • What are some areas in your life that need to be restored? What is your prayer for that area of your life? • Think of a family member or friend whose life is headed away from God. What can you do to tell him or her about the eternal life we have in Christ? Ask someone in this group to listen to you as you prepare what to share with this person. 𝗣𝗥𝗔𝗬𝗘𝗥 • Thank God for the eternal life found in Jesus. Thank Him that we can experience this life today. • Ask God for a deeper revelation of Him as you continue reading His word. Pray that your relationship with God would grow as each day passes. • Meditate on how you can take part in building God’s kingdom here on earth and affect the community and industry you are involved in.

The Word Feeds Our Spirit

𝗪𝗔𝗥𝗠-𝗨𝗣 • What is your favorite food? Why do you enjoy eating it? • What is one dish you can’t eat without rice or bread? • Tell us about your daily routine and which part you find most satisfaction or comfort in. 𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗗 “𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘤𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘯, 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘢𝘵𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘥𝘪𝘦𝘥. 𝘞𝘩𝘰𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳.” 𝗝𝗢𝗛𝗡 𝟲:𝟱𝟴 (Read also 𝗝𝗢𝗛𝗡 𝟲:𝟱𝟳–𝟲𝟵.) During the time of Moses, God provided the Israelites with manna from heaven. It was the food that sustained them daily in the wilderness. They would gather manna and turn it into cakes (Numbers 11:7–8). They could get as much as they wanted every morning, but they could not store it until the next day because it would rot and stink. Everyone had enough manna for each day. This picture is a powerful representation of the bread that Jesus gives. While the food we eat is earthly and temporary, the kind of bread Jesus gives is from heaven and is eternal. Today, we will look at how Jesus sustains us in our present lives and the life to come. 𝟭. 𝗝𝗲𝘀𝘂𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲. “𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘤𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘯, 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘢𝘵𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘥𝘪𝘦𝘥. 𝘞𝘩𝘰𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳.” 𝗝𝗢𝗛𝗡 𝟲:𝟱𝟴 The physical food we eat nourishes our bodies and prevents us from being hungry. It is part of the natural flow of life and crucial for our sustenance. But just as food is from the earth and is only temporary, our bodies will also come to pass. The good news is that Jesus Himself is the bread of life who 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥 (John 6:33). He is the giver of life who sustains us eternally, not just temporally. While it is essential for us to have physical sustenance, our spiritual sustenance is of first importance. Jesus is offering today bread that is better than the manna the Israelites received. How has God’s word nourished you and changed the way you live? 𝟮. 𝗪𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝗝𝗲𝘀𝘂𝘀. “𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘺 𝘍𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳, 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘶𝘱 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘥𝘢𝘺.” 𝗝𝗢𝗛𝗡 𝟲:𝟰𝟬 Partaking of the bread is putting our faith in Jesus and His redemptive work. It also means walking in relationship with Him. As we continue to feed on His word that gives us life, we learn to crave it more and do away with things that are detrimental to our spirits. The Father’s will is that whoever believes in Jesus will experience the fullness of life and life everlasting. How did you come to put your faith in Jesus Christ? 𝟯. 𝗪𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗮 𝗱𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘆 𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗛𝗶𝗺. 𝘚𝘰 𝘑𝘦𝘴𝘶𝘴 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘷𝘦, “𝘋𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘨𝘰 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘢𝘴 𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘭?” 𝘚𝘪𝘮𝘰𝘯 𝘗𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘪𝘮, “𝘓𝘰𝘳𝘥, 𝘵𝘰 𝘸𝘩𝘰𝘮 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘸𝘦 𝘨𝘰? 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘥, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸, 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘏𝘰𝘭𝘺 𝘖𝘯𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘎𝘰𝘥.” 𝗝𝗢𝗛𝗡 𝟲:𝟲𝟳–𝟲𝟵 When Jesus spoke about being the bread of life, many people could not accept His words. They turned their backs on Him because it was a difficult teaching. Yet, the disciples chose to stay because they knew Jesus and had a personal encounter with Him. In the same manner, we have a choice to feed on His word and experience the life He gives. By communing with God, reading His word, and sharing life with fellow believers, we grow in faith and gain a deeper desire to follow Him. What are some of your habits or practices that help you experience God daily? 𝗔𝗣𝗣𝗟𝗜𝗖𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡 • What do you normally look to in order to feed your inner being? What is one thing you will do differently starting today to feed on God’s word instead? • What does it mean to follow Jesus every day? How do you think you would respond if you heard a hard teaching from Jesus and He asked you if you want to go away as well? Spend some time this week meditating on Simon Peter’s response to Jesus’ question. • Do you make a conscious effort to spend time with God on a daily basis? How do you think this could affect other areas of your life, including your relationships? 𝗣𝗥𝗔𝗬𝗘𝗥 • Thank Jesus that He is the true bread of life that sustains our spirits. Thank Him that His word is available to us every day. • Ask God for a renewed desire to feed on His word on a daily basis. Ask Him for greater understanding of His nature and ways. • Pray for someone who is struggling in their walk with Christ. Ask God that you may be a channel of His love to this person and point him or her back to Christ.

The Word Sets Us Free

𝗪𝗔𝗥𝗠-𝗨𝗣 • When you want to relax or release stress, what do you do? • Name someone you trust. When did you discover you could trust him or her? How did it make you feel? • Have you ever felt trapped in a situation and then you found yourself free of it? How did that happen? 𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗗 𝘚𝘰 𝘑𝘦𝘴𝘶𝘴 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘑𝘦𝘸𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘪𝘮, “𝘐𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘺 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘥, 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘭𝘺 𝘮𝘺 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘪𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘵𝘩, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘵𝘩 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘴𝘦𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘦.” 𝗝𝗢𝗛𝗡 𝟴:𝟯𝟭–𝟯𝟮 Jesus called upon the Jews to believe in Him, or they would die in their sins. Many put their belief in Him that day. However, even if they were freed from slavery to sin by believing in Him, Jesus knew living as free people, not as slaves, would be a journey for them. It would take abiding, growing, and trusting God. In this lesson, we will look at how Christians can live and experience freedom as Jesus’ disciples. 𝟭. 𝗝𝗲𝘀𝘂𝘀’ 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗛𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗱. 𝘚𝘰 𝘑𝘦𝘴𝘶𝘴 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘑𝘦𝘸𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘪𝘮, “𝘐𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘺 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘥, 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘭𝘺 𝘮𝘺 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘪𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘴 . . .” 𝗝𝗢𝗛𝗡 𝟴:𝟯𝟭 To abide in God’s word is firstly to know it, then to believe in it, and act according to it. Abiding in and obeying His Word are not possible without first believing in and trusting Jesus. Share about a time you acted in faith according to God’s word, even when it did not seem to make sense. What happened? 𝟮. 𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘁𝗵. 𝘚𝘰 𝘑𝘦𝘴𝘶𝘴 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘑𝘦𝘸𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘪𝘮, “𝘐𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘺 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘥, 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘭𝘺 𝘮𝘺 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘪𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘵𝘩 . . .” 𝗝𝗢𝗛𝗡 𝟴:𝟯𝟭–𝟯𝟮 When we believe in and trust Jesus, we can abide in His word by faith. Our assurance from Jesus is that when we act according to His word, we will know the truth. We will not fly blind or act without understanding. Was there a time you acted according to God’s word, and it opened your eyes to the truth of your situation? Share your story. 𝟯. 𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘁𝗵 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗳𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗼𝗺. “. . . 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘵𝘩, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘵𝘩 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘴𝘦𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘦.”𝗝𝗢𝗛𝗡 𝟴:𝟯𝟮 How can we as Jesus’ disciples experience freedom? When we believe in Him and abide in His word, Jesus assures us that we will know the truth. Through this truth, we will experience freedom. Why is freedom not possible without knowing the truth? How has knowing the truth set you free? 𝗔𝗣𝗣𝗟𝗜𝗖𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡 • Have you come to a place of believing and trusting in Jesus as your Lord and Savior? Would you like to put your faith in Him today? • What does it mean for you to abide in God’s word? Is there any part of your life that you are not yet living in accordance with His word? What can you do differently beginning this week? • Do you have family members or friends you need to share God’s truth and freedom with? How can you open the conversation with them this week? 𝗣𝗥𝗔𝗬𝗘𝗥 • Thank God for His Son and His word. Thank Him for freeing us from slavery to sin. • Pray that you will continuously abide in His word day by day. Pray that He will continually keep His word in your heart and call it to mind. • Ask God for opportunities to share His truth and freedom with your family members and friends this week. Pray for the right words to use to open the conversation.

The Word Bears Fruit

𝗪𝗔𝗥𝗠-𝗨𝗣 • Have you ever tried taking care of a plant? How was your experience? • When you experience a difficulty or roadblock, how do you respond? Recall an instance explaining this. • Share a time when you felt like you lost your way. How did you get back on track? 𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗗 “𝘈𝘣𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐 𝘪𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶. 𝘈𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘩 𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘧𝘳𝘶𝘪𝘵 𝘣𝘺 𝘪𝘵𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧, 𝘶𝘯𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘪𝘵 𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘦, 𝘯𝘦𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘶𝘯𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘦. 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 𝟭𝟱:𝟰–𝟱 (Read also 𝗝𝗢𝗛𝗡 𝟭𝟱:𝟭–𝟭𝟭.) Jesus describes Himself as the true vine, and God the Father as the vinedresser. The role of the vinedresser is to care for the vine so that it could grow and bear much fruit. In this imagery, Jesus’ followers are the branches in the vine. God our Father cares for the vine and shows His love by tending to those who abide in Jesus. In this lesson, we will go deeper into these truths. 𝟭. 𝗝𝗲𝘀𝘂𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗲 𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗲. “𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘦 𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘺 𝘍𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘳.” 𝗝𝗢𝗛𝗡 𝟭𝟱:𝟭 Branches draw upon a vine for life and growth. By calling Himself the true vine, Jesus describes Himself as the only source we can draw true life and growth from. Have you ever found yourself depending on a false source of life and growth? What happened? How did you respond? 𝟮. 𝗪𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗳𝗿𝘂𝗶𝘁 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘄𝗲 𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗝𝗲𝘀𝘂𝘀. “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 We bear much fruit only when we abide in Jesus. Abiding in Jesus means to believe in Him, know His word, and continually act according to His word. Fruitfulness is the result of that relationship with Jesus, not the other way around. If we were to focus on bearing fruit more than abiding in Christ, what do you think would happen? Why? 𝟯. 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘄𝗲 𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗝𝗲𝘀𝘂𝘀, 𝘄𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗷𝗼𝘆. “𝘈𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘍𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘦, 𝘴𝘰 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘐 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶. 𝘈𝘣𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘺 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦. 𝘐𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘬𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘮𝘺 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴, 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘺 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦, 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘢𝘴 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘬𝘦𝘱𝘵 𝘮𝘺 𝘍𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳'𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦. 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘬𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘮𝘺 𝘫𝘰𝘺 𝘮𝘢𝘺 𝘣𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘫𝘰𝘺 𝘮𝘢𝘺 𝘣𝘦 𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘭.” 𝗝𝗢𝗛𝗡 𝟭𝟱:𝟵–𝟭𝟭 Jesus says that He loves us just as God our Father loves Him. He cares for us and wants us to experience the fullness of joy in Him. When we abide in Jesus, we become fruitful, bring glory to God, and experience the fullness of His joy in our lives. What do you think it means to experience the fullness of God’s joy in your life? What would it look like for you? 𝗔𝗣𝗣𝗟𝗜𝗖𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡 • What has been your experience of Jesus as the true vine (John 15:1)? How can you grow in your relationship with Him every day? • When you are continually abiding in Jesus, what fruitfulness do you see in your life? How can you use this awareness to continually abide in Him? • Abiding in Jesus leads to fruitfulness and God being glorified. How can you share this truth with your friends and family this week? 𝗣𝗥𝗔𝗬𝗘𝗥 • Thank God for caring for us as the vinedresser, and for the love He pours into His Son, Jesus, and into our lives. • Pray that you will continually abide in Jesus. Ask Him to strengthen you in the spiritual disciplines of prayer and abiding in His word. • As you abide in Jesus, ask God for more opportunities to bring glory to His name. Pray that you will have opportunities to share His joy with your family and friends this week.

The Word Keeps Us from Evil

𝗪𝗔𝗥𝗠-𝗨𝗣 • What is one gift you were very grateful to receive? Why did it mean so much to you? • When you are experiencing a challenge, who is the first person you think of calling? Why would you choose him or her? • Share about when you were going through a difficult time and someone was there for you. What happened? 𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗗 “𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘨𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘮𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐 𝘤𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘺𝘰𝘶; 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘮𝘦. 𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘱𝘳𝘢𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮. 𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘱𝘳𝘢𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰𝘮 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘮𝘦, 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴.” 𝗝𝗢𝗛𝗡 𝟭𝟳:𝟴–𝟵 In the book of John, chapter 17 is the prayer of Jesus for His disciples before His arrest and crucifixion. Knowing that His time with them on earth was ending soon, Jesus prayed for His disciples and sent them into the world. Jesus, our Lord and Savior, prays for us, His disciples, to be delivered from the evil one and sanctified as we carry out His mission for us. Let’s look at this prayer today. 𝟭. 𝗝𝗲𝘀𝘂𝘀 𝗽𝗿𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗛𝗶𝘀 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗸𝗲𝗽𝘁 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗹 𝗼𝗻𝗲. “𝘐 𝘥𝘰 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘢𝘴𝘬 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘬𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘭 𝘰𝘯𝘦. 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥, 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘢𝘴 𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥.” 𝗝𝗢𝗛𝗡 𝟭𝟳:𝟭𝟱–𝟭𝟲 As Jesus’ disciples, we will experience hardship, persecution, and even bodily death while we live on this earth. However, Jesus prays that God will protect our hearts and minds through His love and presence in every situation we encounter. What challenges did the apostle Paul and other believers encounter in 2 Corinthians 1:8–10? How did they overcome the affliction? 𝟮. 𝗝𝗲𝘀𝘂𝘀 𝗽𝗿𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗛𝗶𝘀 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝗻𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗱. “𝘚𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘵𝘩; 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘥 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘵𝘩.” 𝗝𝗢𝗛𝗡 𝟭𝟳:𝟭𝟳 The second part of Jesus’ prayer is that we would be sanctified by the word of God. As we abide in the word of God, we can continuously experience salvation from the power of sin. Through the sanctifying and transforming power of God's word, we become more like Jesus every day we live. Why do you think this was one of the last prayers of Jesus before His arrest (John 18)? After praying for His disciples to be kept from the evil one and to be sanctified by the word, Jesus said to the Father: “𝘈𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘮𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥, 𝘴𝘰 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥” (John 17:18). It was no longer a prayer; it was a statement of fact. Jesus’ followers are to go into the world and proclaim His truth wherever we go. While this mandate is daunting, it comes with an assurance of God’s protection and power, as revealed in Jesus’ prayers for us. God gives us everything we need to obey and proclaim Him to the world. 𝗔𝗣𝗣𝗟𝗜𝗖𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡 • How do you imagine Jesus feeling and looking as He prayed for His disciples? What is your response to His prayer? • The essence of Christlikeness is a growing and deepening relationship with God. What is something you can do to abide deeper in His word today? • While we are no longer of the world, we are still in the world and sent into the world by Jesus. What does that mean for you? 𝗣𝗥𝗔𝗬𝗘𝗥 • Thank God for His Son, Jesus, who prays for us and asks the Father for our deliverance and sanctification as we abide in the truth. Thank Him for His great and lasting love for us. • Pray that you will continue to experience the truth as you abide in God’s word and carry out His mission. Pray that your relationship with God will grow ever deeper. • Ask God for His protection and deliverance as you carry out His mission for your life. Pray that you will experience His presence in a deeper way every day and make Him known to others.