Loving and Serving Others

John 13: 34 "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."

• Why is love the mark of a disciple?

1 John 3: 16 This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.

• In what ways does the Lord want us to lay down our lives?

1 John 4: 7 Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.

• Verse 7 says, “let us love one another.” What must you do to obey this command?

Philippians 2: 4 Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.

• How can you obey this command?

1 Peter 4:10 Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms.

• What gift has God given you? Are you using it to serve others?

1 Thessalonians 5: 11 Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.

• How can you build others up? Are you doing it?

Hebrews 10: 24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. 25 Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

• How can you spur others on to love and good deeds?
• What is the importance of meeting together?

The Vine and the Branches

John 15: 1 "I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

• What does Jesus command us to do in this passage?
• Why would God cut off branches that are not fruitful? What does this mean?

5 "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. 8 This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

• By calling us branches, what kind of relationship does Jesus show us He wants to have with us?
• What is the one thing we have to do to bear much fruit?
• What does it mean to remain in Jesus? What do you have to do to obey this command?
• What happens to people who don’t remain in Jesus?
• Under what conditions does Jesus say we will see answered prayer?
• Who is glorified when we bear much fruit?

9 "As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10 If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. 11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.

• What does it mean to remain in Jesus’ love?
• What do we have to do to have Jesus’ joy?

What is the Purpose of Water Baptism?

Matthew 28: 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

• Where does Jesus want His followers to go make more disciples?
• What is a disciple?
• Who did Jesus say to baptize?
• Should babies be baptized? Why or why not?

• The word “baptize” comes from the Greek word, baptizo, which means to immerse or submerge. Based on this passage, what would you say is the main reason that followers of Jesus should be baptized?

Acts 8:26 Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, "Go south to the road—the desert road—that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza." 27 So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians. This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship, 28 and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the book of Isaiah the prophet. 29 The Spirit told Philip, "Go to that chariot and stay near it." 30 Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. "Do you understand what you are reading?" Philip asked. 31 "How can I," he said, "unless someone explains it to me?" So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.

• This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship, but he didn’t understand the Scriptures and didn’t know Jesus. How do you think God looks at a man like that?

32 The eunuch was reading this passage of Scripture: "He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before the shearer is silent, so he did not open his mouth. 33 In his humiliation he was deprived of justice. Who can speak of his descendants? For his life was taken from the earth."
34 The eunuch asked Philip, "Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?" 35 Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus.

• Would you be able to do what Philip did? Would you be able to tell someone the good news about Jesus, beginning from the passage in Isaiah 53 that this man was reading?

36 As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, "Look, here is water. Why shouldn't I be baptized?" 37 Then Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” And he answered and said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” 38 And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him.

• Does a person need to be baptized in a church?
• Does water baptism have to be done by a pastor?
• What changes need to take place in a person’s life before they are baptized in water?
• What is the purpose of water baptism?

God’s Grace

The Greek word “charis” is usually translated “grace,” but it is sometimes translated “favor” or “credit”. In each of the Scriptures below, the word that is in bold type is translated from the Greek word “charis.”

Ephesians 2: 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.

• What part did God’s grace play in our being saved?

Romans 11: 6 And if by grace, then it is no longer by works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace.

• Why can’t we be saved by grace and works?

Luke 2:40 And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon him.
52 And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.

• If grace (or favor) is a free gift that you can’t work for, how can Jesus grow in God’s favor?

2 Peter 3: 18 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.

• What do we need to do to grow in grace?

Hebrews 4:16 Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

• If grace (or favor) is a free gift that you can’t work for, why do we need to come to the throne of grace to find it?

1 Peter 5: 5 Young men, in the same way be submissive to those who are older. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble."

• Will we receive more grace if we are humble? What will happen if we are proud?

2 Corinthians 9: 7 Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.

• According to this passage, what does God’s grace allow us to do?

1 Peter 4: 10 Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms.

• What does it mean to administer God’s grace? Are you doing it?

Biblical Attitudes Toward Money

Honor God
Proverbs 3:9 Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops.

• What do you have to do to honor God with your wealth?

Share
Ephesians 4: 28 He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need.

• Why would God want you to share with those in need?

Give Thanks and Praise
Deuteronomy 8: 10 When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the LORD your God for the good land he has given you. 11 Be careful that you do not forget the LORD your God, failing to observe his commands, his laws and his decrees that I am giving you this day. 12 Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down, 13 and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied, 14 then your heart will become proud and you will forget the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.

17 You may say to yourself, "My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me." 18 But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your forefathers, as it is today.

• Verse 11 warns against forgetting God when you are satisfied. How can you avoid forgetting God?
  
• Why is essential that we remember that God gives us the ability to produce wealth, rather than thinking we did it with our own hands?

Investing in Heaven
Matthew 6: 19 "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

• How do you lay up treasure in heaven?
  
• Are you doing it?

Trust
Matthew 6: 25 "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?

33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

• What does it mean to seek first His kingdom and His righteousness?
  
• Is there anything you need to change to put God first?

Contentment
Hebrews 13: 5 Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." 6 So we say with confidence, "The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?"

• What must you do to keep your life free of the love of money?
  
• What basis does this passage give us for being content?