5 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.
Then in verses 7 through 9, we see these words:
7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.
8 By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.
9 "As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love.
Later in the chapter, Jesus talks about being His friends. Think about it: we have been brought into a relationship with Almighty God, Creator of the Universe, the One Who sent His Son, so that in Him we might have new life and eternal life. We can maintain a connection with Him as we call on His name and pour out our hearts to Him - we don't have to be afraid or ashamed, because He has called us His children, and we belong to Jesus.
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We can keep a right heart and a proper attitude toward God, who knows our hearts and wants us to come before Him in fellowship and communion. Here are some thoughts from 1st John chapter 3:
19 And by this we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him.
20 For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things.
21 Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God.
I have a teacher story to share with you today, but first of all, I'd like to celebrate some recognition that my wife has received - this past Saturday night at the Alabama PTA Convention, she was recognized as the elementary Teacher of the Year. I am very proud of her, and having observed her love for teaching, her dedication, and her creativity, I believe that she is deserving. She sees teaching as a calling from the Lord, and she does it with the passion He provides to her. So, congratulations to my Beth for this award!
Now, here's a story about a teacher in Colorado who learned some things about her students.
Kyle Schwartz is a third-grade teacher in Denver, Colorado. She's been an educator for three years, and she wanted to become more sensitive to the needs of her students, according to a piece on the ABCNews.com website. She is quoted as saying: "Ninety-two percent of our students qualify for free and reduced lunch," adding, "As a new teacher, I struggled to understand the reality of my students' lives and how to best support them. I just felt like there was something I didn't know about my students."...
She gave them an assignment called, "I Wish My Teacher Knew." She said, "I let students determine if they would like to answer anonymously...I have found that most students are not only willing to include their name, but also enjoy sharing with the class. Even when what my students are sharing is sensitive in nature, most students want their classmates to know."
Kyle shared some of the notes on Twitter using the hashtag #IWishMyTeacherKnew, encouraging fellow teachers to employ the same lesson with their own students - responses came in from all over the world.
Kyle related that some of the answers were heartbreaking, such as the first one she tweeted out, in which the student said that, "I wish my teacher knew I don't have pencils at home to do my homework." There was a student who could not always bring back a signed reading log due to the mother not being around a lot. Another student's father was deported 6 years ago.
She says that, "After one student shared that she had no one to play with at recess, the rest of the class chimed in and said, 'we got your back.' The next day during recess, I noticed she was playing with a group of girls. Not only can I support my students, but my students can support each other."
The article reports that Schwartz related the importance of building community in the classroom. She hoped the lesson could help her connect students and their families with the proper resources they need to live comfortably.
There is some encouragement that all of us can take away from this story:
For one thing, we can certainly be sensitive to the needs of the people around us. God will orchestrate divine appointments with people with whom we can share the compassion of Christ. So often in our busy lives, we can concentrate so much on ourselves. There will be open doors for ministry that come our way, and we can enthusiastically step through.
I also thought about the importance of being able to share our hearts and the importance of pouring out our hearts before God. Certainly He knows what is in our heart, but there is something that is comforting and freeing in knowing that God is with us, in our times of great need, or when things seem to be going well, or any other time. As we talk with Him one-on-one, we gain a sense of His perspective and we reinforce the communion that we have in His presence. And, He calls us to confess our sins before Him and experience the forgiveness of Christ, our Advocate.
So, today, recognize that God knows what's in our heart, and we can tell Him...anything. Call out to Him, knowing He will not reject you as you approach Him in love and humility. We don't have to wish that He knows anything about us - He is deeply interested in all that concerns us.
19 And by this we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him.
20 For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things.
21 Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God.
I have a teacher story to share with you today, but first of all, I'd like to celebrate some recognition that my wife has received - this past Saturday night at the Alabama PTA Convention, she was recognized as the elementary Teacher of the Year. I am very proud of her, and having observed her love for teaching, her dedication, and her creativity, I believe that she is deserving. She sees teaching as a calling from the Lord, and she does it with the passion He provides to her. So, congratulations to my Beth for this award!
Now, here's a story about a teacher in Colorado who learned some things about her students.
Kyle Schwartz is a third-grade teacher in Denver, Colorado. She's been an educator for three years, and she wanted to become more sensitive to the needs of her students, according to a piece on the ABCNews.com website. She is quoted as saying: "Ninety-two percent of our students qualify for free and reduced lunch," adding, "As a new teacher, I struggled to understand the reality of my students' lives and how to best support them. I just felt like there was something I didn't know about my students."...
She gave them an assignment called, "I Wish My Teacher Knew." She said, "I let students determine if they would like to answer anonymously...I have found that most students are not only willing to include their name, but also enjoy sharing with the class. Even when what my students are sharing is sensitive in nature, most students want their classmates to know."
Kyle shared some of the notes on Twitter using the hashtag #IWishMyTeacherKnew, encouraging fellow teachers to employ the same lesson with their own students - responses came in from all over the world.
Kyle related that some of the answers were heartbreaking, such as the first one she tweeted out, in which the student said that, "I wish my teacher knew I don't have pencils at home to do my homework." There was a student who could not always bring back a signed reading log due to the mother not being around a lot. Another student's father was deported 6 years ago.
She says that, "After one student shared that she had no one to play with at recess, the rest of the class chimed in and said, 'we got your back.' The next day during recess, I noticed she was playing with a group of girls. Not only can I support my students, but my students can support each other."
The article reports that Schwartz related the importance of building community in the classroom. She hoped the lesson could help her connect students and their families with the proper resources they need to live comfortably.
There is some encouragement that all of us can take away from this story:
For one thing, we can certainly be sensitive to the needs of the people around us. God will orchestrate divine appointments with people with whom we can share the compassion of Christ. So often in our busy lives, we can concentrate so much on ourselves. There will be open doors for ministry that come our way, and we can enthusiastically step through.
I also thought about the importance of being able to share our hearts and the importance of pouring out our hearts before God. Certainly He knows what is in our heart, but there is something that is comforting and freeing in knowing that God is with us, in our times of great need, or when things seem to be going well, or any other time. As we talk with Him one-on-one, we gain a sense of His perspective and we reinforce the communion that we have in His presence. And, He calls us to confess our sins before Him and experience the forgiveness of Christ, our Advocate.
So, today, recognize that God knows what's in our heart, and we can tell Him...anything. Call out to Him, knowing He will not reject you as you approach Him in love and humility. We don't have to wish that He knows anything about us - He is deeply interested in all that concerns us.
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