Abide Until the End: Growing a Life That Bears Fruit
What Does It Mean to Truly Grow in Faith?
John 15:1–11
What does it look like when people encounter the love of Jesus? What does it mean for a church to grow—not simply in attendance or activity, but in the ways that truly matter to God?
In John 15, Jesus gives us a beautiful picture of the kind of growth He desires for His Church. He describes Himself as a vine and His followers as branches.
Jesus says:
"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, ESV)
Jesus is the source of our salvation and the source of the fruit that grows in our lives as His disciples. Through His death and resurrection, He has rescued us from sin and death. And as we remain connected to Him, He produces spiritual growth in us.
But what does that fruit actually look like?
Throughout John 15, Jesus describes a life characterized by obedience to His Word, abiding in His love, prayerfulness, and a desire for others to come to know Him.
This is the kind of growth Jesus desires—not simply for individual believers, but for the entire community of Christ.
And the invitation is simple: Abide in Christ until the end.
What Does It Mean to Abide in Christ?
Jesus uses the word "abide" repeatedly in John 15. But what does it actually mean?
One of the clearest answers comes in verse 7:
"If you abide in me, and my words abide in you..."
Abiding in Christ begins with abiding in His Word.
Think about a garden. Our front yard has a beautiful garden, and I've often wondered why it looks so good. The answer is pretty simple: Daisy spends a lot of time working on it!
She has a plan, the right tools, and a schedule for taking care of everything. Each spring, we pull back leaves and debris so that the healthy plants have room to grow.
It's intentional work.
In the same way, Jesus hasn't called us to simply sit back and hope that spiritual growth happens. He has given us His Word, and He invites us to engage with it.
Abiding in Scripture means more than owning a Bible, attending church, or occasionally listening to a sermon. It means asking questions like:

• What is God teaching me through His Word?
• What needs to change in my life?
• Is there a sin I need to turn away from?
• How can I put what I'm learning into practice?

We don't simply want to accumulate biblical information. We want God's Word to shape our hearts, our decisions, and our actions.
When we engage with Scripture in this way, the Holy Spirit works in us to produce faith, obedience, and spiritual fruit.
So here's a question worth considering: What are you abiding in?
How much of our attention is devoted to social media, entertainment, money, or the countless other things competing for our time?
Jesus reminds us that apart from Him, we can do nothing. If we want to grow in faith, we must remain connected to the source of that growth.
Spiritual Growth Requires Intention
One of the things I've learned through years of leading men's groups and life groups is that spiritual growth happens when people begin setting faith and obedience goals based on what they're reading in Scripture.
It's one thing to read a passage and understand what it says. It's another thing to ask how that passage should change the way we live.
For example, after reading a particular Scripture passage, you might identify one area where God is calling you to grow. Write it down. Put it somewhere you'll see it regularly. Pray about it and ask the Holy Spirit to produce that fruit in your life.
Sometimes growth takes longer than we expect. We might be working on the same area of our lives for months. That's okay. The important thing is that we're continuing to engage with God's Word and allowing Him to shape us.
This isn't about earning God's favor through our efforts. Jesus is the vine. He is the source of our salvation and the one who produces fruit in us.
Our responsibility is to remain connected to Him and faithfully respond to His Word.
The Danger of Becoming Disconnected
Jesus also warns us about what happens when branches become disconnected from the vine.
In John 15:6, He describes branches that no longer abide in Him as withering and eventually being thrown away.
This is a serious warning, and it's important that we don't simply skip over it.
The Christian life involves ongoing repentance. We recognize our sin, confess it, seek God's forgiveness, and continue fighting against the things that pull us away from Christ.
There is a difference between a Christian who struggles with sin, recognizes that struggle, and continually seeks forgiveness, and someone who has stopped repenting altogether and no longer cares about turning away from sin.
When we become comfortable with persistent, unrepentant sin, our faith is in danger. Sin can stunt our spiritual growth and eventually lead us away from believing in Jesus and His love for us.
But Jesus' purpose in giving this warning isn't to terrify those who are struggling and seeking His forgiveness. It is to call us back to Him.
Think again about the garden. Sometimes plants need to be pruned. Dead or diseased branches must be removed so that healthy growth can flourish.
In our own lives, there may be things that need to be pruned away: excessive self-indulgence, prayerlessness, destructive habits, or anything else that is taking the place of Jesus.
Ask yourself: What is something in my life that I need to let go of so that I can grow closer to Christ?
Jesus is calling us to a life of repentance, faith, and continued growth.
Abiding in Christ Changes the Way We Pray
Jesus continues in John 15:7:
"If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you."
At first glance, this might sound like a promise that God will give us anything we ask for. But that's not what Jesus is saying.
As we grow closer to Christ and His Word shapes our hearts, the things we pray for begin to change.
Instead of focusing primarily on temporary things, we begin praying for the things of God's kingdom—for the work of the Holy Spirit, for the salvation of others, and for people to experience the love of Jesus.
Our prayers become less about what we want for ourselves and more about what God desires to accomplish through us.
My wife and I have started praying together before bed, often focusing on two things: the discipleship of our children and the discipleship of people we hope to reach with the love of Jesus Christ.
These are the kinds of things that have an eternal impact.
Of course, it's perfectly fine to bring our everyday needs and concerns to God. He cares about every part of our lives. But as we abide in Christ, our perspective begins to change. We start to recognize that the things of God's kingdom are far more lasting than the things that occupy so much of our attention.
Prayer is also how we ask our Heavenly Father, the gardener in this passage, to protect and sustain us as we grow. Every garden faces threats: insects, disease, drought, and destructive weeds.
Our lives of faith face challenges, too. Through prayer, we seek God's help, protection, and strength to continue growing as His disciples.
Growing Closer to Christ Means Growing Closer to One Another
Jesus also teaches that abiding in Him means abiding in His love and keeping His commandments.
This has important implications for our relationships.
Over the years, one thing I've observed is that when a married couple wants their relationship to grow, both people need to be moving toward Christ.
Picture two people standing apart, with Jesus at the center. As each person moves closer to Him, they also move closer to one another.
Growing in Christ produces greater unity, intimacy, and joy in a marriage.
This doesn't mean that every marriage will have the same spiritual journey or that one spouse can control the other's faith. But it does remind us that following Jesus shapes how we love, serve, and care for one another.
And this principle isn't limited to marriage.
Whether we're married or single, the goal is the same: to become more like Jesus Christ.
The apostle Paul teaches in Ephesians 5 that marriage itself is meant to point us toward the relationship between Christ and His Church. Ultimately, the goal of Christian discipleship is to become more like Jesus.
As we abide in Him, we become more loving, more patient, more generous, and more willing to serve others.
This is the fruit Jesus desires to produce in our lives.
A Growing Church Reaches Beyond Itself
One of the fruits of abiding in Christ is a growing desire for others to know Him.
Jesus tells His disciples that He has appointed them to bear fruit, fruit that will last. A fruitful vine reproduces, and a growing Christian community should have a growing desire to see others encounter the love and grace of Jesus.
This means our faith cannot become entirely focused on ourselves.
It's easy to become consumed with our own needs, our own schedules, our own ambitions, and the things we want out of life. But Jesus invites us to look beyond ourselves.
We should be praying for people who don't yet know Christ. We should be looking for opportunities to use our gifts in His kingdom. We should care about the people in our city, our nation, and around the world who need to experience the hope of the Gospel.
At St. John's, we want to see people encounter the love of Jesus and experience His grace in their lives.
That kind of fruitfulness doesn't happen because we simply work harder or develop a better church program. It happens as we remain connected to Jesus, listen to His Word, and allow Him to work through us.
The Promise That Gives Us Strength to Endure
Following Jesus isn't always easy. There will be seasons when our faith feels difficult, when we struggle against sin, and when spiritual growth seems slower than we would like.
That's why the promise Jesus gives us is so important.
Consider the wedding at Cana in John 2. During a wedding celebration, the hosts run out of wine. In that cultural setting, this was a significant embarrassment for the family.
Jesus responds by turning water into wine, performing His first recorded miracle.
Why did Jesus choose this as His first miracle?
The miracle points to something much greater than simply solving a problem at a wedding. Jesus is revealing that He is the master of the feast, the one who will ultimately make all things right.
Scripture repeatedly uses the image of a great banquet to describe God's eternal kingdom. In Revelation 19, we see the celebration of the marriage supper of the Lamb. In Isaiah 25, we find a picture of a feast prepared by God, a celebration of His victory.
These passages remind us that our story doesn't end with the struggles we experience today.
Jesus is preparing something far greater.
There will be no more sin, no more suffering, no more cancer, no more Parkinson's, no more pain, and no more death. The old order of things will pass away, and God's kingdom will have no end.
The apostle Paul reminds us in Philippians 1:6 that the God who began a good work in us will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.
This is the hope that gives us strength to persevere.
Jesus has already won the victory through His death and resurrection. His victory is our victory. And the eternal celebration He promises is worth everything we experience along the way.
Abide Until the End
Jesus is the vine, and we are the branches. Apart from Him, we cannot produce the fruit He desires in our lives.
But when we remain connected to Him—when we abide in His Word, live in His love, pray for the things of His kingdom, and continually turn toward Him in repentance—He produces fruit in us.
Our calling is not simply to attend church, accumulate knowledge, or go through the motions of religious life. It's to grow in our relationship with Jesus and allow that relationship to transform everything about the way we live.
We will face challenges. We will struggle. We will need pruning along the way. But we have a Savior who has promised to sustain us and bring His work in us to completion.
So keep listening to His Word. Keep praying. Keep growing. Keep sharing His love with others.
And above all, abide in Christ until the end.

Face to Face: Why Relationships Matter to Jesus
Community Is Not a Commodity
Matthew 18:15–35
We love the good things about community: belonging, friendship, encouragement, and support. We love finding people who share our interests and experiences. Whether it's a life group, a church, a circle of friends, or even a group of parents who get together regularly, being part of a community can be a wonderful thing.
But here's something important to remember: Community is not a commodity.
It's easy to love community when everything is going well. When relationships are strong, friendships are enjoyable, and everyone seems to get along, community feels like something worth celebrating.
But what happens when things get difficult? What happens when conflict arises, relationships become strained, or someone disappoints us?
Too often, when community becomes inconvenient, we're tempted to put it on a shelf and look for something else.
In Matthew 18, Jesus gives us a picture of the community He desires for His Church. He doesn't envision a gathering of people who simply share similar interests or get along easily. He sees a kingdom—a community of people gathered together through Him.
But Jesus also understands something important: We are broken people. Sin, hurt, and broken relationships threaten the very community He is building.
And that's why this passage matters so much.
Sin is personal, but it's never private. And forgiveness is personal, but it's never meant to be private either.
People Matter to Jesus
Early in my ministry, I served at a church in Memphis, Tennessee, where I spent much of my time working with youth ministry.
It was an exciting season. Students were connecting with one another, inviting their friends, studying the Bible, and growing in their faith. Our youth group was growing, and there was a lot of great momentum.
At one event, two girls from different schools met and quickly became best friends. Their friendship grew, and they began learning more about God's love together. One day, they approached me with some exciting news: They wanted to get baptized together!
What a wonderful moment. Both girls were baptized on the same Sunday, surrounded by their friends and youth group celebrating with them.
But then something unexpected happened.
Attendance began to decline. Students gradually stopped participating, and people quietly started leaving the group text. I couldn't figure out what had changed. Things had been going so well!
Eventually, I asked one of our student leaders what was happening.
She explained that the two girls who had been baptized together had experienced a conflict. One had started dating a boy, and the other didn't approve of the relationship. Their friendship deteriorated, and eventually one of the girls left the youth group and started attending another church.
What struck me was that everyone seemed to know what was happening, but nobody wanted to address it.
Everyone was willing to talk about the problem, but no one wanted to help resolve it.
After 11 years in ministry, I've realized something: We don't really outgrow youth group. We just get older and start paying taxes. The same relational struggles follow us into adulthood.
We experience them in our friendships, marriages, families, workplaces, life groups, and churches.
But Jesus shows us that these relationships matter.
At the beginning of Matthew 18, Jesus describes the kind of community He wants His followers to become. He brings a child into their midst and teaches them about humility and the value of the vulnerable. He warns against causing others to stumble and tells the story of a shepherd who leaves the ninety-nine sheep to pursue the one that has wandered away.
Why?
Because people matter to Jesus.
He pursues those who are lost, hurting, and vulnerable. He doesn't simply wait for them to find their way back. He moves toward them.
And if people matter to Jesus, then our relationships with people matter to Him, too.
Stop Talking About People and Start Talking To Them
In Matthew 18:15, Jesus gives us a very practical instruction:
"If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother."
Notice what Jesus tells us to do.
Go to the person.
Too often, it's easier to talk about someone than to talk to them. It's easier to discuss the problem with everyone else, replay the situation in our minds, or share our frustration with friends than it is to have an honest conversation with the person involved.
But Jesus calls us to something different.
He tells us to approach the person directly, privately, and with the hope of restoring the relationship.
One of the most important words in this passage is "gained." Jesus says that if the person listens, you have gained your brother or sister.
The goal isn't to win an argument. It's not to prove that you're right or make the other person feel bad. The goal is to regain something valuable: a restored relationship.
Think about the shepherd who goes after the one lost sheep. That is the same heart Jesus wants us to have toward the people in our lives.
We don't approach someone in conflict because we want to defeat them. We approach them because they matter to Jesus, and the relationship matters to Him.
When Reconciliation Doesn't Happen Immediately
Jesus continues in Matthew 18 by explaining what to do when someone refuses to listen.
If the private conversation doesn't bring resolution, Jesus instructs us to take one or two others along. If the person still refuses to listen, the matter is brought before the church.
This is a difficult teaching, but it's important to understand the heart behind it.
Jesus is describing a situation in which someone continues in sin and refuses to acknowledge or turn away from it, even after others have lovingly approached them.
This process is often called church discipline, and the phrase can sound intimidating.
But the purpose of church discipline is restoration.
It's not about canceling someone, shaming them, or making an example of them. It's about taking sin seriously because sin damages people and communities. The hope is that the person will recognize the harm, turn from their actions, and be restored to the community.
And even when someone refuses to listen, that doesn't mean we abandon all hope for them.
Think about Jesus' own ministry. He continually reached out to people who rejected Him. He taught, healed, loved, and continued offering an invitation to those who had turned away.
That should be our posture, too.
We must be honest about sin and the harm it causes, while never losing sight of the person behind it.
This process is not a substitute for seeking help from appropriate authorities in situations involving abuse or other matters that require outside intervention. Those situations must be taken seriously and handled appropriately.
But in the everyday conflicts, disagreements, gossip, and relational brokenness that can develop within a community, Jesus calls us to pursue restoration rather than simply walking away.
Jesus Is Present Even in the Middle of Conflict
After describing this process, Jesus makes an extraordinary promise:
"For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them." (Matthew 18:20)
This is a verse many of us know, and we often associate it with people gathering together for worship or prayer.
But look at the context.
Jesus says these words while teaching about conflict, sin, and broken relationships.
He isn't promising that everything will always work out perfectly when Christians gather. He's promising that He is present with us, even in the middle of difficult conversations and strained relationships.
That changes the way we approach conflict.
Jesus also says that we gather in His name. His name isn't simply something we use in conversation. It's the name placed upon us in our baptism. It's our identity as people who belong to Him.
When we walk into a difficult conversation, we carry that identity with us.
When we approach someone who has hurt us, when we seek to restore a relationship, and when we extend forgiveness, we do so as people who bear the name of Jesus.
And that means our behavior should reflect His character.
Jesus fought for us. He gave Himself for us so that we could belong to Him and become part of His kingdom. He expects us to reflect that same love and concern for others.
Our disagreements don't change the value of the people around us.
Jesus fights for community, even when we find it inconvenient.
We Have Been Forgiven an Unpayable Debt
After Jesus finishes teaching about reconciliation, Peter asks a question that many of us have probably wondered:
"Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?" (Matthew 18:21)
Peter is essentially asking where the limit is. How many times should we forgive someone who keeps hurting us?
Jesus responds with a number that communicates an extraordinary amount of forgiveness—seventy-seven times, or seventy times seven, depending on the translation.
In other words, forgiveness isn't something we keep track of with a tally sheet.
Then Jesus tells the parable of the unforgiving servant.
A king has a servant who owes him an enormous amount of money—an amount so great that it would be impossible for the servant to repay it.
The servant begs the king for more time, promising to repay everything. But the king does something unexpected. Rather than simply giving him more time, he cancels the entire debt.
The servant is completely forgiven.
But then that same servant encounters someone who owes him a much smaller amount of money. Instead of showing the same mercy he received, he grabs the man, demands repayment, and has him thrown into prison.
When the king hears what happened, he is furious.
The servant had received extraordinary mercy but refused to extend that mercy to someone else.
And this is where the story becomes personal.
How often do we receive grace from God while struggling to extend grace to the people around us?
How often do we remember the ways others have hurt us while forgetting the enormous debt of sin that Jesus has forgiven in us?
We cannot fully understand the mercy we've received from God and continue treating others as though they owe us something.
Jesus Doesn't Just Teach Forgiveness. He Demonstrates It.
There's another important connection in this passage.
Peter, the very disciple who asks Jesus how many times he must forgive, would soon experience the extraordinary forgiveness of Jesus himself.
When Jesus was arrested and put on trial, Peter denied knowing Him three times.
Think about that for a moment. Peter had spent years following Jesus. He had witnessed His miracles, heard His teaching, and experienced His love firsthand. Yet when the pressure was on, Peter denied Him.
But Jesus didn't abandon Peter.
After His resurrection, Jesus meets with His disciples in John 21. He shares a meal with them and then pulls Peter aside for a personal conversation.
Jesus restores Peter's relationship with Him. He forgives him and gives him a renewed purpose.
Three times Jesus asks Peter if he loves Him, and three times Peter responds. Jesus then tells him:
"Feed my sheep." (John 21:17)
In other words, Jesus is telling Peter to care for the people who belong to Him.
Peter had received extraordinary mercy, and now he was being called to extend that mercy to others.
This is the heart of the Christian community.
We don't forgive because people always deserve it. We forgive because we have been forgiven.
We don't pursue reconciliation because it's always easy. We do it because Jesus pursued us.
And we don't fight for community because every relationship is convenient. We fight for community because Jesus first fought for us.
Three Questions to Consider
As we think about our relationships, especially as we approach seasons when families and friends gather together, there are three questions worth taking with us.

1. Who have you been talking about instead of talking to?
   Is there someone you've been discussing with others rather than approaching directly? Is there a conversation you've been avoiding?
2. Who have you written off because the relationship became inconvenient?
   Have you decided that a friendship, family relationship, or connection within your church is no longer worth pursuing?
3. Is there someone you need to approach, apologize to, or forgive?
   Is there a relationship where you need to take the first step toward healing?

Don't rush to answer these questions. Let them sit with you. Think about the people in your life and ask God to show you where He might be calling you to take a step toward restoration.
That step might be an honest conversation. It might be an apology. It might be extending forgiveness. And in some situations, it might mean seeking help from someone who can guide you through a difficult relationship.
Whatever that step looks like, remember that Jesus is present with us, even in the middle of conflict.
We Fight for Community Because Jesus First Fought for Us
Community is easy to celebrate when everything is going well. But the true strength of Christian community is revealed when relationships become difficult.
Jesus doesn't call us to abandon one another at the first sign of conflict. He calls us to pursue one another with humility, honesty, grace, and forgiveness.
He reminds us that people matter. Our relationships matter. And the community He is building is worth fighting for.
Most importantly, we don't do this on our own strength. We do it because Jesus has already shown us what love, mercy, and forgiveness look like.
He pursued us when we were lost. He forgave us when we could never repay our debt. He restored us and welcomed us into His family.
Now He calls us to extend that same mercy to others.
We fight for our community because Jesus first fought for us.

When I'm Busy: Finding Jesus in the Middle of a Full Life
Are We Getting Every Note Right but Missing the Music?
Luke 10:38–42
A few years ago, our church hired a praise band to lead worship. The musicians were talented. They hit every note and performed beautifully. But something was missing. Despite their technical skill, the beauty and emotion of the music seemed absent.
It made me think about something important: You can get every note right and still miss the music.
The same thing can happen in our lives. We can go through all the motions, accomplish everything on our calendars, and do everything we're supposed to do, yet still miss the meaning and purpose of life that Jesus offers us.
Jesus invites us into something deeper than simply doing things for God. He invites us into a personal, living relationship with Him.
That distinction matters, especially when life gets busy.
When Religion Becomes a Routine
Growing up, I attended a Catholic church. I want to be clear that the people there were wonderful; the issue wasn't Catholicism. The issue was my own understanding of faith.
There were a lot of motions involved in church life: sitting, standing, making the sign of the cross, and observing certain practices during Lent. I participated in these traditions for years, but eventually I realized that I didn't yet have the personal, living relationship with God that Jesus invites us to experience.
I thought faith was primarily about doing things for God. Then someone explained that I could actually know God personally.
That changed everything.
Christianity is not simply a list of religious activities or obligations. It's about knowing Jesus, learning what He loves, understanding His purposes, and allowing Him to transform the way we live.
We can attend church, volunteer, serve others, and remain busy with good things while missing the relationship at the heart of it all.
We can get every note right and still miss the music.
Martha and Mary: Two Ways of Being Near Jesus
In Luke 10:38–42, Jesus visits the home of two sisters, Martha and Mary. Their brother, Lazarus, is also part of this family, whom Jesus knows and loves.
As Jesus visits, Martha welcomes Him into her home. Mary, meanwhile, sits at the Lord's feet and listens to His teaching.
Martha is busy serving. Eventually, her frustration gets the better of her, and she approaches Jesus with a complaint:
“Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” (Luke 10:40, ESV)
Can't you picture the scene? Martha is working hard to take care of everything, while Mary appears to be sitting around doing nothing. Martha wants Jesus to step in and tell her sister to help.
But Jesus responds in an unexpected way:
“Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:41–42, ESV)
Jesus isn't condemning service or suggesting that practical responsibilities don't matter. The problem is that Martha has become so distracted by everything she needs to do that she's missing the opportunity to be with Jesus.
You can be close to Jesus physically or religiously and still allow other things to pull your attention away from Him.
And that's not just Martha's problem. It's ours, too.
The Distraction of a Full Life
The word used to describe Martha's distraction conveys the idea of being pulled away in different directions. Doesn't that sound familiar?
Think about how often our attention is divided. We are managing work, family responsibilities, school schedules, relationships, finances, and a seemingly endless list of tasks. Even when we're home, our minds may still be at work, thinking about the next problem to solve or the next thing on the calendar.
Sometimes the people we love most are right in front of us, but our attention is somewhere else.
I know this from my own life. There have been times when I've been so preoccupied with work that my son has tried to get my attention, only to have to say, “Dad,” more than once before I respond.
I might be sitting right there with him, but my mind is occupied with something else.
That raises an important question: What happens when someone we love is physically close to us but never really has our attention?
Now consider an even more important question: What happens when Jesus is near, but we leave Him in the background of our lives?
We can be surrounded by Christian activities and still miss the relationship Jesus wants us to have with Him.
Here in Denver, it's easy to feel pulled in a thousand directions. Our calendars fill up, our ambitions compete for our attention, and we can become so focused on what comes next that we miss what matters most right now.
That's why the St. John's mission statement begins with a reality many of us recognize: In the midst of distraction and misplaced hope, we walk together toward renewed hope and life through Jesus Christ.
We know what it feels like to be distracted. But we don't have to let distraction define our lives.
A Relationship with Jesus Requires Intention
Luke tells us that Mary sat at Jesus' feet and listened to His teaching. This was a posture of learning and attentive listening.
Mary was intentional about being present with Jesus.
Think about any healthy relationship in your life. Whether it's a marriage, a friendship, or a relationship with your children, meaningful connection requires time and attention. Relationships don't grow simply because people happen to occupy the same space.
They grow when we make time for one another, listen carefully, and remain present.
Our relationship with God is no different.
We cannot expect to grow in our knowledge of Jesus while continually pushing Him to the margins of our lives. A meaningful relationship with Him involves intentionally making room to hear His Word, learn His character, and understand His purposes for us.
That might mean setting aside time to read Scripture before the day gets busy. It might mean praying during a quiet moment rather than immediately reaching for your phone. It might mean gathering with other believers for worship and receiving God's Word together.
The goal isn't to add another obligation to an already crowded schedule. It's to make room for the relationship that gives our lives meaning.
When I began paying attention to what Jesus was teaching, I realized that I had known about Him without really knowing Him. I hadn't fully understood what He loved, what He called me to do, or how He wanted to shape my priorities.
Listening to Jesus began to change that.
The more we listen to Him, the more we begin to understand who He is—and who He is calling us to become.
More Than Knowing About Jesus
There's an important difference between knowing about Jesus and allowing Him to influence our lives.
In James 2:17, we read that faith without works is dead. Jesus also asks in Luke 6:46, “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you?”
These passages remind us that faith is meant to shape how we live. Jesus isn't simply someone we acknowledge on Sunday while leaving the rest of our lives unchanged.
But this raises another question: What is the foundation for a life transformed by Jesus?
It's not simply trying harder to do the right things. It's receiving what He has already done for us.
Jesus is our Savior and Lord. He gives us a new identity, a new purpose, and the promise of eternal life. As we receive His love and listen to His Word, our priorities begin to change. We learn to see our lives and the people around us differently.
Following Jesus is not about maintaining a religious appearance. It's about belonging to Him and allowing His love to transform us from the inside out.
The One Thing We Cannot Afford to Miss
When Jesus tells Martha that Mary has chosen the good portion, He isn't saying that work is bad or that serving others is unimportant.
He's showing Martha what matters most.
Imagine a Sunday morning at church. Musicians rehearse, slides are prepared, sound equipment is checked, greeters welcome people at the door, and volunteers prepare Communion. Many people work behind the scenes to make worship possible.
All of those things matter. But imagine if everyone were so busy preparing for worship that no one actually worshiped.
We could get every detail right and still miss the purpose.
Worship is not simply something we produce or perform. It is also an opportunity to receive from God—to hear the good news of His love, receive His forgiveness, and be reminded of what Jesus has done for us.
This is the good portion Mary chose.
And it's the gift Jesus offers Martha, too.
Jesus doesn't tell Martha that she must work harder, organize better, or finish her responsibilities before she can receive His love. He invites her to recognize what she is missing.
The same invitation is extended to us.
When our schedules become overwhelming and our minds are filled with worries, Jesus reminds us that our relationship with Him is not another task to complete. It is the place where we receive the grace, hope, and peace we cannot create for ourselves.
You Don't Have to Earn God's Love
Perhaps one of the most important things to understand about spending time with Jesus is this: You don't spend time with Him to earn His love. You spend time with Him to enjoy His presence.
Think about a healthy relationship with someone who loves you. You don't spend time together simply to earn their affection. You spend time together because the relationship itself is valuable.
God's love for you is even more secure.
Ephesians 5 describes Christ's sacrificial love for the Church. Jesus gave Himself for His people, demonstrating a love that cleanses, restores, and makes us His own.
He knows our weaknesses. He sees our sin. And yet, He came to rescue us.
Through His death and resurrection, Jesus saves us from sin and death and brings us into an everlasting relationship with Him.
You don't have to finish your to-do list before coming to Jesus. You don't have to prove your worth or make yourself good enough to deserve His attention.
His love is a gift.
And as we receive that love, it begins to overflow into the rest of our lives. We become better equipped to love our families, serve our neighbors, care for our coworkers, and show compassion to people who are hurting.
We don't serve others to earn God's love. We serve because we have already been loved by Him.
Taking a First Step Toward Jesus
What if you're not sure where to begin? What if you realize that you've been busy with life but haven't really made room to know Jesus?
Start with a small step.
Perhaps that means finding a local church where you can hear God's Word and grow in faith. Perhaps it means opening the Gospel of John and reading about who Jesus is and what He has done.
You don't have to change everything overnight. Begin by making room to listen.
Set aside a few minutes to read Scripture. Spend time in prayer. Join other believers for worship. Ask questions and seek to understand what Jesus is saying to you.
The goal isn't to add another item to your schedule. It's to discover the relationship that gives everything else its proper place.
Jesus invites you to know Him personally. His love does not run out, and His grace does not grow old.
When Life Gets Busy, Choose What Matters Most
Martha's story reminds us that even good things can distract us from what matters most. We can become so focused on serving, achieving, and keeping everything together that we forget to receive the love of the One who gives our lives meaning.
Mary shows us another way: to pause, listen, and be present with Jesus.
We will always have responsibilities. Our calendars will fill up again. There will always be another task to finish or another problem to solve.
But in the middle of all that activity, Jesus invites us to remember that we belong to Him.
He has given Himself for us. He offers forgiveness, hope, and eternal life. And He calls us into a relationship that transforms not only our Sundays, but every part of our lives.
At St. John's, we believe that even in the midst of distraction and misplaced hope, we can walk together toward renewed hope and life through Jesus Christ.
You can get every note right and still miss the music. Don't let the busyness of life cause you to miss the joy of knowing Jesus.

What Does It Really Mean to Love Your Neighbor?
Discovering the love of Christ through the Parable of the Good Samaritan
A Beautiful House with a Broken Foundation
Luke 10:25-37
About five years ago, Daisy and I were looking to buy a home in the Denver area. From the outside, the house looked great. It had wonderful curb appeal and a lovely little garden out front. But when we had the home inspected, we discovered some significant problems. The boiler was on its last legs, and parts of the house had no insulation. Heat was escaping, making it difficult to keep the home warm.
As much as we appreciated the house’s good qualities, we realized that some essential things were missing. A house can look beautiful on the outside, but without the right foundation and essential systems, it simply won't function as it should.
In many ways, our culture's understanding of love is similar. We hear a great deal about love, and some of what we hear is good. But there are also some foundational pieces missing from the way our culture defines and practices love.
So what does love really look like? Rather than relying on our culture to answer that question, let's turn to Jesus.
What Our Culture Gets Wrong About Love
Our culture has a lot to say about love, but several common messages can leave us with an incomplete understanding of what love truly means.
1. Love is primarily a feeling.
We see this idea everywhere, especially in movies and popular culture. Love is presented as something we feel, and when those feelings change, love is assumed to have disappeared.
Feelings matter, of course. But genuine love is more than an emotion. It is also committed, dependable, and loyal. Sometimes love means choosing to serve someone even when we don't feel like it.
2. Love yourself first.
Self-care and recognizing our own worth have their place. But when loving ourselves becomes our primary focus, it can easily turn into self-centeredness, greed, or materialism.
Jesus calls us to something greater than simply pursuing our own happiness and comfort. He calls us to love our neighbors, serve others, and put their needs before our own.
3. Love is someone else's responsibility.
We can debate the effectiveness of government programs and other systems designed to care for people in need. But as Christians, we must never assume that the existence of these programs replaces our own responsibility to act.
We are called to do more than support the idea of helping others. We are called to help them ourselves.
4. Love those who love you.
This is perhaps the easiest kind of love. It's natural to care for people who care for us, who support us, and who make our lives better.
But Jesus challenges us to go further. He tells us to love our enemies and pray for those who mistreat us. And He doesn't merely tell us to do this; He demonstrates it. Even while we were still sinners, Christ gave His life for us.
That is the extraordinary love of Jesus.
5. Love people who are like you.
We naturally gravitate toward people who share our interests, backgrounds, and beliefs. Even within the church, it's easy to surround ourselves with people who think like us and see the world as we do.
But Jesus asks us to look beyond our familiar circles. What about people whose backgrounds are different from ours? What about those with whom we disagree? How are we showing them the love of Christ?
6. Love means affirming everything.
Our culture sometimes treats love as though it requires us to affirm every belief, opinion, or lifestyle. But Christians are called to hold firmly to God's truth while treating every person with dignity and compassion.
Tolerance doesn't mean the absence of convictions. It means how we treat people whose convictions differ from our own.
We can disagree without demeaning one another. We can hold different beliefs without shutting down conversation or deciding that someone is no longer worthy of our friendship.
In a world increasingly divided by disagreements, Christians have an opportunity to model something different: truth spoken with grace, conviction expressed with humility, and love extended even when agreement is impossible.
The Bible challenges every one of us. It challenges those who prioritize personal freedom above serving others, as well as those who are tempted to withhold compassion from people with whom they disagree.
Ultimately, Jesus calls us beyond the incomplete definitions of love offered by our culture and toward a love that is sacrificial, generous, and rooted in Him.
Jesus Shows Us What Love Looks Like
The Apostle Paul writes in Galatians 5:6 that what counts is “faith expressing itself through love.” And in 1 Corinthians 13:13, we read that faith, hope, and love remain, but the greatest of these is love.
Jesus made this calling even clearer to His disciples on the night before His crucifixion:
“Love one another as I have loved you.” (John 15:12)
He also told them that the world would recognize them as His disciples by their love for one another (John 13:35).
That's a high calling. But how do we live it out?
During our Built for This series, we've been exploring what Christ is building among us as His people. What does it mean to be a community shaped by Jesus? And what should love look like among us?
To find out, let's revisit one of Jesus' most familiar parables.
The Parable of the Good Samaritan
In Luke 10:25–37, a lawyer approaches Jesus with a question about eternal life. He is well-versed in Scripture, and when Jesus asks him what the Law says, he correctly answers that we are to love God with all that we are and love our neighbors as ourselves.
Jesus tells him he has answered correctly and instructs him to live it out.
But the lawyer wants to justify himself, so he asks, “And who is my neighbor?”
In other words, who exactly qualifies? Is there a way to narrow the definition so that he can be confident he's meeting the requirement?
Jesus responds with a story.
A man is traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho when he is attacked by robbers. They strip him, beat him, and leave him half dead on the side of the road.
First, a priest comes along. He sees the injured man but passes by on the other side.
Then a Levite, someone who served in the religious life of Israel, comes to the scene. He, too, sees the man and passes by without helping.
Finally, a Samaritan approaches.
To appreciate how surprising this is, we need to understand the deep hostility between Jews and Samaritans during Jesus' time. These were groups with a long history of religious and cultural conflict. Jesus' Jewish audience would not have expected a Samaritan to be the hero of the story.
Yet the Samaritan is the one who stops.
He sees the injured man, feels compassion for him, tends to his wounds, and places him on his own animal. He takes him to an inn and cares for him. The next day, he gives the innkeeper two denarii and promises to repay any additional expenses when he returns.
The Samaritan doesn't simply feel sorry for the man. He takes action, gives his time, uses his resources, and accepts responsibility for the man's ongoing care.
He demonstrates a kind of love that crosses boundaries and comes at a personal cost.
Who Is Your Neighbor?
Imagine how each person in the story might have viewed the injured man.

• The expert in the Law sees him as a subject to discuss.
• The robbers see him as someone to exploit.
• The priest and the Levite treat him as an inconvenience.
• The innkeeper receives him as a customer.
• The Samaritan sees a human being worthy of care.

And Jesus sees people who are worth dying for.
It's easy to read this parable and imagine that our challenge is to identify the people around us who need help. But the story also asks us to examine our own hearts.
Do we see the people who are hurting, or do we see them as interruptions to our schedules?
Do we make time for people who need us, or do we assume someone else will take care of them?
Do we extend love only to those who agree with us, share our backgrounds, or make us comfortable?
Perhaps you have a political opponent, former friend, or family member with whom you can barely have a conversation anymore. Maybe your disagreements have become so significant that you no longer spend time together.
What if Jesus were to tell this story today and make that very person the hero?
Would we be willing to recognize their compassion? Would we be willing to learn from them? And would we be willing to extend the same love to them?
Jesus isn't simply interested in whether we know the right answers. He wants His love to transform our hearts and change the way we treat the people around us.
We Are All the Hurting Person
There's another way to understand this parable that is especially important for us as Christians.
What if, in some sense, we are the injured man on the side of the road?
Scripture tells us that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). Every one of us experiences brokenness. We carry guilt, struggle with sin, and experience seasons of loneliness, grief, and despair. We cannot rescue ourselves from the power of sin and death.
We need someone to come to our aid.
And there is someone greater than the Good Samaritan who has come to rescue us: Jesus Christ.
Jesus enters our broken world on a rescue mission. He comes to those who are hurting, those who know their weaknesses, and those who recognize their need for grace. He gives Himself for us on the cross and rises from the dead to defeat sin and death.
He doesn't rescue us only to leave us on the side of the road. He brings us into His Church, where we receive His Word and Sacraments, where we are forgiven and encouraged, and where we are surrounded by a community called to care for one another.
And His work is not temporary. Just as the Samaritan promises to return and continue caring for the injured man, Jesus promises to come again in glory. He will bring His people into the fullness of life with Him forever.
This is the heart of the Christian faith: we are loved, rescued, and restored by Jesus.
Receive God's Love Before You Try to Give It
Have you ever struggled to believe that God truly loves you?
You may know the Gospel intellectually. You may understand that Jesus died for your sins and rose again. You may have heard those truths hundreds of times. And yet, deep down, you may still struggle to believe that His love is really for you.
If that's you, you're not alone.
Even Christians who know the Gospel need to grow in their understanding and experience of Christ's love. In Ephesians 3, Paul prays that believers would have the strength to comprehend the vastness of Christ's love—a love that surpasses knowledge.
Knowing about God's love and resting in God's love are not always the same thing.
First John 4:19 gives us a beautiful reminder: “We love because he first loved us.”
Notice the order. We don't begin by trying harder to love everyone around us so that God will love us in return. We begin by receiving the love God has already shown us through Jesus.
Ephesians 2:8–10 makes this clear. We are saved by grace through faith, not by our own works. Salvation is God's gift. Then, in verse 10, we learn that we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works.
The order matters.
We are not saved by our good works. We are saved by God's grace and transformed so that we can do good works.
We receive His love so that we can extend His love. We receive His grace so that we can show grace to others.
The Gospel doesn't merely give us a list of things we should do. It changes who we are and gives us a new reason to serve.
Love Means Taking Action
This past summer, an incident on the Yellowstone River near Graycliff, Montana, offered a powerful picture of what sacrificial love looks like.
A boat capsized, sending three people into the river. Two made it out safely, but one man remained trapped in the water and was struggling to survive.
A 14-year-old boy named Jory and his father witnessed what was happening. While his father called first responders, Jory grabbed a lasso and threw it toward the struggling man. When the lasso caught hold, Jory waded chest-deep into the river and held on, helping pull the man to safety.
Jory didn't wait for someone else to act. He didn't stop to consider whether helping would inconvenience him or whether he felt particularly prepared for the moment. He saw someone in danger and did what he could to help.
His actions may have saved that man's life.
We, too, are like that man struggling in the river. We are caught in the consequences of sin and death, unable to rescue ourselves. But Jesus comes to us. His entire ministry is marked by this kind of compassionate rescue.
He reaches out to the sick and suffering. He draws near to the grieving and the outcast. He restores the brokenhearted and brings hope to those who have lost it.
Ultimately, He goes to the cross, giving everything—even His own life—to rescue us.
That is the love we have received. And it is the love we are called to share.
Love Is Doing Something Sacrificial for Someone Else
The Parable of the Good Samaritan is sometimes presented as a challenge to do more good works, as though we could earn God's favor by helping enough people.
But the Gospel gives us a different starting point.
We help others not to earn God's love, but because we have already received it.
So what does love look like in everyday life?
It looks like doing something sacrificial for someone else's benefit, without expecting anything in return.
It means caring for someone even when we don't feel like it. It means giving our time when our schedules are full. It means extending kindness to people who may never return the favor. It means crossing the boundaries of familiarity, background, and disagreement to see the person in front of us.
And it begins with a simple question:
Who is being overlooked in your life right now?
Perhaps it's someone you see five days a week. Perhaps it's a person in your own household who needs your attention. Maybe it's a lonely neighbor, a struggling coworker, or someone whose background makes it easier to keep your distance.
Who is hurting? Who is isolated? Who needs someone to notice them?
The Good Samaritan saw the injured man. Before he could help, he had to recognize that someone needed help.
We must learn to see people in the same way.
At St. John's, our hope is to invite people to the One who is greater than the Good Samaritan: Jesus Christ. In Him, people can find rescue, hope, forgiveness, and healing. That invitation may look like welcoming someone to worship, inviting them into a life group, listening to someone who is struggling, or simply showing up when they need support.
In the midst of distraction and misplaced hope, we walk together with others toward renewed hope and life through Jesus Christ.
There are people around us who need that hope. Some know it, and others may not yet realize it. Our calling is to love them, serve them, and point them toward the One who first loved us.
Receive Love. Give Love.
The world offers many definitions of love, but Jesus shows us a love that goes deeper than feelings, crosses boundaries, and acts sacrificially for the good of others.
The Good Samaritan reminds us that our neighbors are not limited to the people who are like us or who agree with us. Our neighbor is the person God places before us who needs our compassion.
But we don't carry out this calling alone, and we don't have to manufacture this love from within ourselves. We begin with Jesus—with His grace, His forgiveness, and His unchanging love for us.
We are the ones He has rescued. We are the ones He continues to care for. And we are the ones He sends into the world to share that same love with others.
May we receive God's love deeply, extend His grace generously, and become a community through which others can experience the hope and healing found in Jesus Christ.
We receive God's love so that we can extend God's love.