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Spiritual Fruitfulness and Unfruitfulness
In "Word Focus" Darrell Grimm writes:
The contrast between the branches is illustrated in the husbandman's actions toward each. The word translated as husbandman not only indicates ownership but labor as well. So Christ said that “He,” the Father, cuts away those who bear no fruit. Christians are not fruitless because of some defect in their graft to the Vine, but because of the choice of their free will. Likewise the fruitful branch is so because of a desire to be so. Instead of being cut away completely, this branch undergoes a pruning which cuts away all that hinders fruitfulness. This pruning has been likened to the experience of sanctification. The heart must be purged of the old nature, or stunted growth and unfruitfulness will follow.
Discussion: Fruit is a natural by-product of a healthy tree or vine. If a Christian is unfruitful spiritually, what does that say about his or her heart?
Source: Jesus, Son of God: Adult Teacher's Insights, page 58.
Source of Fruitfulness
“If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;” (v.23)
“Mommy, pick me up.” I hear that a lot from my youngest child. She throws her arms around my neck and clings to me, as if she is certain I will never let her fall.
Sometimes, I whisper this to my heavenly Father. “God, pick me up. Hold me. Don’t let me fall.”
This world is a scary place. Every day, I hear more and more news of Christians falling away from the faith, of wars being fought and battles lost, both spiritually and politically. If I only looked around, I would tremble and fall. But I look up.
Our faith is grounded in Christ. He is our security and our strength when the world rises against us and a war is waged for our soul. Through Him, we have the ability to bear fruit even in the most desolate of seasons and through the darkest of nights. Out of His amazing life comes our abundant life, rich and overflowing with His goodness and bringing forth abundant fruit. (Stephanie Carey)
Because Christ lives, we have abundant life that bears fruit in Him.
This devotional is the Tuesday, May 3, 2016 entry of Opening the Word.
Teaching is Connecting
Putting a puzzle together can be an extremely enjoyable activity. It can also be very frustrating. Have you ever tried to put together a puzzle only to declare that some of the pieces must be missing? One puzzle strategy is to gather all the pieces with straight edges and attempt to construct the frame of the puzzle before filling the inside.
In a similar way, teaching is like putting a puzzle together. Your students come to you with a variety of backgrounds, issues, concerns, and cultural ways of understanding life. Scripture was written to and about people with very different issues, concerns, and culture. Yet throughout scripture we find biblical principles that transcend time and culture. The challenge we face is how to interpret and apply those biblical principles to contemporary life. And so we are putting a puzzle together. Help your students discover the joy of putting together the puzzle of biblical application this week!
New Life in Christ
Lesson 10 - May 8, 2016
Focus Text: John 15:1-17
Central Truth: We live spiritually through the life Christ gives us.
Objective: By the end of this lesson my students should be able to name two evidences of the abundant life in Christ.
Lesson Outline:
- The Vine and the Branches (John 15:1-6)
- The Lord and His Followers (John 15:7-11)
- The Believer and Fruit Bearing (John 15:12-17)
Prayer – Lesson 9, The Foundation of Hope
Heavenly Father, we live in a broken, messed-up world. Encourage our classes today as they learn about the foundation of Christian hope. May our hope in You be rekindled and may we be challenged to live boldly for Jesus! Amen.
Teaching is Questioning
An essential aspect of good teaching is well-placed questions. Teaching necessarily involves giving out information, but questions help students to internalize truth and apply it to their lives. Criticalthinking.org notes that every textbook basically contains answers to questions but this does not mean answers are more important than questions. Instead, this source asserts:
"Thinking is not driven by answers but by questions. ... To think through or rethink anything, one must ask questions that stimulate our thought. Questions define tasks, express problems and delineate issues. Answers on the other hand, often signal a full stop in thought. Only when an answer generates a further question does thought continue its life as such. This is why it is true that only students who have questions are really thinking and learning." (http://www.criticalthinking.org/pages/the-role-of-questions-in-teaching-thinking-and-learning/524)
Does your teaching style assume students will learn if you give them the right answers, or are you attempting to help them ask the right questions?