This week we are in John 17. "Your mission, should you choose to accept it..." This iconic phrase from Mission Impossible, both the original television series and the subsequent movie franchise, introduces viewers to seemingly impossible tasks that a team of agents is asked to undertake. The message would self-destruct to maintain confidentiality as the agents decided whether to accept their assignment. While it never affects the plot, it always troubles me that the message self-destructs before anybody writes anything down, and that there is apparently no feedback mechanism informing management that the mission has been accepted. How do they know when they need to send the same mission to another agent? These are the kinds of unnecessary details I think about. (And of course, the Mission Impossible theme song is fantastic. If you can’t remember it, I’ll wait here if you want to go look it up). As Christians, we too are called to accept a mission. As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. (John 17:18 HCSB) Just as the Father sent Jesus with the divine purpose of providing a path of salvation, Jesus commissioned us to go into the world and continue His work and bring others onto the path we’re traveling. This is reinforced in the Great Commission: Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age. (Matthew 28:19-20 HCSB) Just as I can get distracted by unnecessary details in a movie, we might similarly question just how God expects us to reach a world of over 8 billion people with the gospel, especially considering how restrictive and violent some nations are about Christianity. I personally get discouraged when I see high profile Christians behaving in ways that, and I say this with all humility about myself, sure seem counter-productive to our mission. But I must remember not to despair; it’s not up to me to figure it all out. When the disciples heard this, they were utterly astonished and asked, “Then who can be saved?” But Jesus looked at them and said, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:25-26 HCSB) By Mark Stuart Mark is the husband of Laura, father of Shelby and Jacob (Bailey), and grandfather of Charley.

This week we are in John 17. Once upon a time I was teaching a Sunday School class for three-year olds. I would like to say that my classes were a well-ordered full hour of Bible study; but between bathroom time, snack time, second bathroom time, arrival and departure time, and three-year old attention spans, my real goal was five or ten minutes of actual Bible study time. All this is to say that there was time for three-year-olds to do three-year-old things. One day two boys started pretending they had guns. I was not going to have a kid leave my class and tell his or her parents that another kid was chasing them around with a gun. I stopped their game quickly, but they kept starting up again every few minutes. And then a church staff member named Eric walked in our door; and to my dismay, the boys proceeded to “shoot” him. But then something remarkable happened. Eric has lots of experience with little kids. He widened his stance, puffed out his chest, put his hands on his hips and declared, “Force field!” He held that pose for a long time, dismissively looking off to the side like he couldn’t even be bothered to countenance his “enemies.” He was impervious. And it worked! The boys wandered off and didn’t play guns in class ever again. They had encountered an “enemy” with protection they could neither comprehend nor overcome. I have given them Your word. The world hated them because they are not of the world, as I am not of the world. I am not praying that You take them out of the world but that You protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, as I am not of the world. (John 17:14-16 HCSB) The Bible teaches us that following Jesus does not mean that our problems will come to an end. In fact, we might encounter new and dangerous problems because of our faith in Jesus. But we should never forget that Jesus Himself asks God to protect us. I have recalled Eric’s force field many times over the years since, so let me say to you what I was not clever enough to teach my young students back then. We are going to be attacked. We are going to have hard times. As Christians we don’t have a magical force field to protect us from everything. But we are impervious. The one who lives under the protection of the Most High dwells in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” (Psalm 91:1-2 HCSB) By Mark Stuart Mark is the husband of Laura, father of Shelby and Jacob (Bailey), and grandfather of Charley.

This week we are in John 17. My understanding of gold prospecting was shaped by television. I learned that in prospecting, excitable, bearded fellows like Yosemite Sam from Looney Tunes , or Yukon Cornelius from Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer run around seeking their fortune with pickaxes. Now that I’m an adult, I know better. In the modern world, the excitable bearded fellows use metal detectors. When gold is extracted from the earth it is mixed with impurities such as minerals that reduce its quality and usefulness. For gold to be purified, the internet tells me that it must go through a refining process involving combinations of heat, chemical treatment, and filtering. It sounds like an intense process. Like impure gold, our hearts need some work as well. Jesus prayed the following: Sanctify them by the truth; Your word is truth. As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. I sanctify Myself for them, so they also may be sanctified by the truth. (John 17:17-19 HCSB) Our hearts are sanctified and purified by God’s Word. For the word of God is living and effective and sharper than any double-edged sword, penetrating as far as the separation of soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It is able to judge the ideas and thoughts of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12 HCSB) It sounds like an intense process. But we don’t have to figure it out alone. The Bible teaches us that Jesus isn’t standing in the distance waiting for us to complete this lifelong sanctification process; He goes through the process with us. He doesn’t shun us until we achieve some threshold of refinement; He shows us how it’s done. He is the Word and was with God in the beginning, and He’s with us at every one of our beginnings. He’s there refining through our many victories and failures. And speaking for myself, there’s a lot of impurity that needs to be heated and continuously filtered. And every time I turn around there are more impurities that I too easily let infiltrate. The Word of God is living and effective, sharper than any sword, and I need to let Him do His work. By Mark Stuart Mark is the husband of Laura, father of Shelby and Jacob (Bailey), and grandfather of Charley.

This week we are in John 17. In my youth I was a competitive runner. I ran track and cross country in high school and college, and the time spent with teammates was a very impactful time in my life. Running was tough and took discipline, but I came to love it. Thirty-plus years later, every October there is a day when the weather and smell is just so, and I get the urge to go run a cross-country race. I know that sounds weird to a lot of you. I still run today but have devolved into that guy who shuffles around the neighborhood whether it’s extremely hot or cold, and whose neighbors likely question his decision-making. But there was a brief period in between youth and not-so-youth in which I dabbled in running marathons. I completed three before my body informed me that it was retiring from such nonsense. The mind was still willing, but the flesh became weak. One of my marathons went particularly poorly. I am not exaggerating when I say that in the last couple of miles, my thighs hurt so much that I contemplated what depth of stab wound would be comparable. But a funny thing happened when I crossed the finish line. Pain and despair turned to euphoria in one lurching step. The journey was tough, but completing it changed everything. This is eternal life: that they may know You, the only true God, and the One You have sent - Jesus Christ. I have glorified You on the earth by completing the work You gave Me to do. (John 17:3-4 HCSB) A marathon is 26.2 miles, and I’m here to tell you that while my body didn’t feel much different at 26.1 versus 26.2 miles, my perspective was incomparable. The same screaming muscles that wailed in despair immediately became a Hallelujah chorus. My limping walk back to the hotel might as well have been dancing. Jesus said He had glorified God the Father by completing the work given to Him. Jesus completed His work perfectly, but we don’t have to be perfect. While I never ran my marathons as fast as I wanted, you better believe I am glad that I finished them instead of giving up and quitting when I realized my target time was out of reach. God has given us work to do here on earth. We know we can’t do it to perfection, but we can glorify Him nonetheless by finishing it. The most important step in finishing a marathon isn’t the first one or the last one. It’s the next one. By Mark Stuart Mark is the husband of Laura, father of Shelby and Jacob (Bailey), and grandfather of Charley

This week we are in John 17. Has somebody ever surprised you? I don’t mean like a surprise party - I’m thinking here about a situation where you thought of somebody one way, but once you got to know them you thought of them much differently. Years ago, I was part of a work team that interfaced regularly with another team. We managed different phases of a project and in between was a hand-off period. The other team had a guy I hadn’t worked with before. He was gruff and foul-mouthed; and I confess to you here that right off the bat, I didn’t like him. Many of my co-workers rolled their eyes when talking about him. You can see where this is going. Over time I came to learn that while some of his demeanor was just his personality, a lot of it was because he had a difficult job and not enough help. What came across as gruffness was because he was super-focused and just trying to get things done. And what a couple of my coworkers didn’t like was that he was holding them to an appropriately high standard on our part of the project. Working with him ultimately made me better at my job. Much to my surprise, I came to truly like and respect him. We’ve all heard we should not judge a book by its cover, and we should remember it takes time and effort to really get to know somebody. Jesus prayed this: This is eternal life: that they may know You, the only true God, and the One You have sent - Jesus Christ. (John 17:3 HCSB) There is a big difference between knowing about God and knowing God. If we’re not careful we can let our relationship with Him be more like our relationship with some famous person we admire but don’t really know. Through this prayer, Jesus is reinforcing that eternal life comes from knowing both God and Him. Knowing God requires time and intentionality, just like any deep relationship. Occasionally my wife will order a meal for delivery when I am tied up in a late-day work meeting; and despite not asking me what I want, she has a perfect track record of ordering something I enjoy. She can do that because she’s spent so much time with me that she knows the kinds of things I like. There are a lot of good and bad distractions in this world. This is a good reminder to me that any time I am feeling distant from Jesus, I just need to spend more time with Him. By Mark Stuart Mark is the husband of Laura, father of Shelby and Jacob (Bailey), and grandfather of Charley.

Most of us know what fruit is – although there is some debate about whether a tomato is a fruit or a vegetable. Botanically tomatoes are considered fruit; but in cooking, tomatoes are treated as vegetables. As with the tomato, there may be some confusion about what fruit is in Jesus’ conversation with His followers about fruitful branches – or fruitful believers. Because I have never filled an arena with people hungry for the message of the Gospel, and I have never had hundreds accept Jesus because of something I shared, I might very well consider myself unfruitful – a failure as a believer. Because there are people I love who have not yet opened their hearts to Jesus, I might consider myself an unfruitful branch. Leading people to a saving relationship with Jesus Christ is definitely an indication of a fruit-producing believer – but there are other indications of a fruitful life in addition to evangelism – as noted by Titus 3:14: Let our people also learn to maintain good works, to meet urgent needs, that they may not be unfruitful. In his little book called Secrets of the Vine , Bruce Wilkinson writes this: In practical terms, fruit represents good works – a thought, attitude or action of ours that God values because it glorifies Him… You bear inner fruit when you allow God to nurture in you a new, Christlike quality… You bear outward fruit when you allow God to work through you to bring Him glory… Whether you’re chopping wood for a widow, taking care of an ill neighbor, or spending a lifetime as a missionary in the jungle, outward fruit appears when your motive is to bring God glory. The fruitful life is a life that shows evidence of Christ in you – what you do, what you say, how you live, how you deal with challenges, how you treat others – a life focused on bringing God glory. Closing thoughts: Some branches are “out there” leading people to Jesus Some branches are “in there” doing amazing things that perhaps no one sees (except God) Both are fruitful branches If you think you’re not being fruitful, doublecheck your connection with the Vine. But even with a secure connection, there may be times when the fruit isn’t obvious… to you. If you have a season when you are producing abundant fruit, don’t let yourself become prideful; instead, thank the Vine for providing you with everything you need to produce that fruit! And while you’re thanking, thank your Vinedresser for His tender loving care of your branch. By Judy Shrout

“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5 NKJV) After every big storm, my husband goes out and picks up branches that have fallen from the trees in our backyard. Perhaps the wind was terribly strong, and perhaps the branches were already losing their connection. These branches that once produced green leaves can now do nothing because they are no longer connected with their tree. In the vineyard, the branch, along with its leaves, converts sunlight into energy that is used by the vine for growth and fruit-bearing. The branch must stay securely connected to the vine with a clear path for nutrients to flow freely from the vine into the branch. Just like the fallen branches in my yard, branches that are no longer attached to the vine can’t do anything but dry up – there’s no life in them. I could duct-tape them back on the vine, but they would still dry up. Jesus calls us branches because He knows that unless we stay connected to Him (the Vine), we can do nothing – absolutely nothing! We can’t “branch out” on our own and survive. We must stay connected with our Vine. Jesus calls this “abiding.” In fact, in John 15:1-7, He uses the term SEVEN times – an obvious indication that He considers “abiding” very important. The term abide means to remain or to stay closely connected. Jesus knows that we cannot bear fruit, if we aren’t abiding in Him. And remember this: hanging around close to the Vine is not the same as being connected to the Vine. Abiding may also mean where you’re living, where you’re making your home – in this case, abiding with our Lord. Sometimes we branches think we need to do more and more for Him – when maybe what He really wants the most is for us to be at home with Him – abiding in His Presence. Why do you think Jesus, in this teaching moment with His disciples, stressed the importance of abiding? Do you think maybe with all the confusing events that would soon occur, this was something they really needed to know? Like the disciples, we don’t know what challenges lie ahead for us; but Jesus is telling us that no matter what the challenge, if we abide in Him, He will be all we need. My dear branch friend, will you abide with Him during the ups and downs of YOUR life? By Judy Shrout

For you non-vineyard-owning people (like me), you may need to scrap your visual of a vine. And for those of you who think you know what a vine looks like because you have a grapevine wreath, think again! What we call a grapevine wreath is actually a grape “branch” wreath – it’s made of the branches, not the vine. The vine is the thick trunk of the plant that grows out of the ground and ends in a large gnarl with branches growing from it in opposite directions. The vinedresser usually keeps the vine at waist height; so, if the average height of men in Judea during Jesus’ time was 5’5”, the vine would have been around 3’ tall. The vine provides nourishment for the branches that grow from it – supplying the branches with water and nutrients absorbed from the soil through its root system. Now that you have a visual of a vineyard’s vine, let’s move on to the more important issue: why did Jesus call Himself the true vine? God, the Vinedresser, “planted” His Vine (Jesus) on the earth in the likeness of men to live among the branches (us) and close the gap between our sinfulness and the perfectly holy nature of the Vinedresser. The figure of a vine was used perhaps because it shows the life-giving union between the vine and the branches. Jesus is the true vine because He is God, the source of all we need. Are you thirsty? Your Vine is the living water (John 4:14). Are you hungry? Your Vine is the bread of life (John 6:35). Do you long for a home? Your Vine is preparing a place for you (John 14:20). Do you need hope? Your Vine offers you a living hope (1 Peter 1:3). Do you need a clean slate? As we surrender ourselves to the Vine, we become a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17). Do you need someone to show you the way? Your Vine IS the way (John 14:6). Do you need someone to love you – forever and always? He loves us with an everlasting love (Jeremiah 31:3). Let’s put it this way (it might sound a little familiar): For the Vinedresser so loved His vineyard that He gave His only begotten Vine, that every branch that believes and abides in His Vine should not perish but have everlasting life. Are you trusting in the Vine? By Judy Shrout

What About Those Branches That Don’t Bear Fruit? “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not produce fruit he removes…” (John 15:1-2) In the past, I have been disturbed by the last part of this passage – where Jesus says that every unproductive branch He removes, takes away, or cuts off. Jesus states that the branch is “in me” (or in Christ) – so I take that to mean the branch represents a believer. I could not imagine Jesus tossing out or cutting off a true believer – even one that wasn’t bearing fruit. Most believers have experienced a day – or even a season – when they weren’t bearing fruit – for any number of reasons. So, I investigated the actual Greek word used in this verse: airo or airei – which is better translated “to raise,” “to take up,” or “to lift up” and was also the word used when the disciples “took up” the baskets of food after feeding the five thousand. Then an account by a modern-day vineyard owner further enlightened my understanding in a way that reflected my belief about the character of God. He said that the owner or the person tending the vineyard (the “vinedresser”) walks up and down the rows of the vineyard checking to be sure all the branches are healthy. Sometimes new branches start trailing along the ground where they get muddy and dusty, where the sun doesn’t get to the leaves, and where they can’t bear fruit. When someone asked the vineyard owner if he tossed out those unfruitful branches, the owner said, “No, every branch is important to me!” So, when the vinedresser comes across one of those branches, he takes a bucket of water, leans down, “lifts up” that dirty branch off the ground, gently and thoroughly cleans the dirt and mud off its leaves, then lifts it up higher and attaches it to a trellis where the light of the sun can reach it and where it can bear fruit. I can almost picture my Vinedresser walking down my row, finding me on the ground with the dust and mud of sin blocking the Son from my life, stooping down, then tenderly cleaning me up and restoring me to the light so that fruit can freely come from my life (my branch). If you think you just might be that unfruitful branch coated with the mud of sin and the dust of distractions, would you right this minute ask God to come into your life, clean you up, and let the Son shine on you? And if you know of someone else in that situation, would you sit with them and give them the hope of the Vinedresser’s tender touch?  By Judy Shrout