Loving God & One Another Through our Work

Bible Study 1: Love God and One Another

8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. 9 “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10 If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept 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. 12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command. 15 I no longer call you servants, because servants do not know their master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. 17 This is my command: Love each other.

— John 15:8-17

Introduction

When Jesus gathers his twelve disciples together in this Upper Room just before his death and resurrection, we learn what Jesus is keen for them to know, understand and live out in their day to day lives. In John 13 we see Jesus begin this time together by washing his disciples’ feet and asking them,

“Do you understand what I have done for you? 13 “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. 14 Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. 15 I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. 16 Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.

Discussion Questions

What Jesus desires for his disciples:

  1. Jesus begins and ends this section with longing for his disciples to bear much fruit:
    • What kind of fruit might he have in mind?
    • What is “fruit that will last”?
    • How would bearing fruit bring glory to God? Joy to us?
    • Why does He include a promise of answered prayer?
       
  2. As higher education professionals, in what ways do we long to see more fruit?

What Jesus demands of His disciples:

  1. How have God the Father and the Son modelled what they demand of the disciples?
  2. What would it mean to “remain in someone’s love”? What would it mean to lay down your life for someone?
  3. In what ways as SA pros can we remain in God’s love? In what ways can we lay down our lives for others?

Jesus calls us friends:

  1. What impact might these words have on the disciples?
  2. What impact do these words have on us as SA pros?
     

Learn more about the Four Loves of the Student Affairs Christian Network here.

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