“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.” — John 15:5-8, NIV When we read this passage, we spend a lot of time on the fact that if we don’t stay connected with the vine—Jesus—we cannot bear fruit. There’s actually more to it than that, though. When we don’t remain in Jesus and are not connected to the vine, we will not only be fruitless, but also thrown away, withered, gathered up, and burned. When we remain in Him, though, we bear much fruit, John 15 says.  Traditionally, we focus most on Jesus and ourselves in this illustration. Verses 1-4 show us where God the Father exists: “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.” — John 15:1-4, NIV Jesus is the vine, and God the Father is the gardener. When we read through this passage, we see that it’s not just that unhealthy branches wither away by themselves. They are actually cut off from the vine by the Father. He cuts off those that bear no fruit, and He prunes those that do, in order to keep them healthy. I’ve recently thought more and more about this passage. Several years ago, I planted a grape plant in my yard. Since then, it has grown some during the summer and returned to a dormant brown every fall and winter, and never produced any fruit. This summer, #4, I believe, is different. My little plant that grows a smidge every year has doubled in size. Its vines reach outward, tiny tendrils of new growth twisting around the grass in my yard, and the last time I looked, four bunches of grapes. I’m no gardener, and if I’d pruned it properly, maybe my plant would have already produced fruit. Now that it is, we’ve been impatient to taste the fruit! However, when I asked the internet how long it would take them to ripen, the answer surprised me. Grapes take a long time to ripen from flower to harvest (100 to 120 days) Grapes do not continue to ripen once they are picked from the vine What I’ve learned is that the vine works long and hard to grow healthy branches. So, in Jesus’ illustration from John 15, Jesus works long and hard to grow branches (us), and it takes even longer to produce fruit (an outward expression of a life connected to Christ). If we look at the grape itself, the fruit, it’s interesting to learn that picking one too early can be disastrous. When you pick a grape before it’s ripe, it will never be ripe. If you pick it while it’s bitter, it will never grow sweet. If you pick it for someone else or let someone else pick it before it’s meant to be eaten, it will never be good for food. These facts also apply to olives, which some people believe Jesus could have referred to when speaking about vines and branches. Olives and grapes take a long time to produce edible fruit, and if the fruit is disconnected from the plant before it’s ready, it will never be ready. The Takeaway The fruits of your relationship with Christ may not be ready to share with the world yet, and judging others based on their unripe fruits during their walk with God is unfair. The plant Jesus used in this illustration requires three things to bring healthy fruit to harvest. There must be a gardener who prunes the healthy branches and cuts away the unhealthy (God the Father). The vine and branches must abide together (Jesus and us). The fruit must remain connected to the branches until completely ripened (in the case of grapes, ripening causes a softening, a sweetness, and transparency). Great image, right? Jesus knew exactly what He was telling us, but have we really listened? Read all of John 15 and let the Holy Spirit answer this question: Am I abiding with Jesus? Am I patiently waiting for my ripening? How do I feel about pruning going on around me?  

Sabbath School Lesson for June 6-12, 2026 Introduction for Lesson 11, Setbacks Memory Text: “And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” Romans 5:3-5 NKJV Even after we’ve begun a relationship with God by repenting and being forgiven, and then by prayer and Bible study feel our faith grow, there can and will be obstacles in our spiritual journey that make our relationship shaky at best. A humorous story is told about a father who saw his little daughter struggling through a powerful rainstorm. When asked why she kept looking up and smiling every time a bolt of lightning burst through the sky, she told her father that she was smiling because God was taking her picture. This very-human example reminds us that God is always looking down on us as we struggle here on earth. He keeps a record of everything that happens, the good and the bad. His ever-abiding presence bolsters our faith and is meant to strengthen our relationship with God, helping us make it through the storms of life with increased courage and restored hope. This week, we will explore: Sunday: Life’s Storms Monday: Be Made Well Tuesday: Job Wednesday: The Road to Emmaus Thursday: See Jesus Sunday: Life’s Storms Many events in life are challenging and difficult to endure, making us feel like we are on stormy seas about to be swallowed up in the gigantic waves that surround us. There was one example of an actual storm that is worth considering and remembering. Jesus had been given the most comfortable seat in a boat and the only one with a pillow. He and His disciples had launched this boat out on the Sea of Galilee after a tiring day of ministering to the sick and needy. Jesus was so tired that He fell asleep almost immediately, and even failed to wake up when their boat was about to be capsized by a growing, nighttime storm. It was the only time in the Gospels where Jesus is said to be sleeping. He must have felt relaxed and comfortable, knowing the boating skills of His fishermen disciples. After seeing all the miracles Jesus had performed earlier, the disciples were particularly impressed by the way Jesus addressed the storm and quieted the sea. With only the words, “Peace, be still”, they were shocked to see that the winds and waves, these mighty forces of nature, listened to and obeyed His command. Verses for reflection and discussion: Mark 4:35-41 Why is this story so important to our understanding of God’s power in our lives? Why did the disciples question Jesus’ care for them, and how did this indicate their lack of faith? When have you also questioned God’s care for you, and why does remembering God’s power and presence give you more faith? 2 Corinthians 5:7 How can this short verse keep us from questioning God when our lives get stormy? Monday: Be Made Well Instead of the disciples’ lack of faith during the storm on the Sea of Galilee, another story is told of a woman who was commended for her faith. They were walking toward the village of Capernaum, and crowds thronged around Jesus, pleading for blessings of one kind or another. A very ill woman had heard of His approach to the town and made the strenuous effort to get as close to Him as possible. By just getting close enough to touch His garment, she felt she could have her health restored. Her desire paid off, when after a mere touch of the Master, she felt her body renewed and normal, without the issue of blood she had struggled with for so many years. Jesus felt that touch of faith, too, and longed to see who had been healed. When the woman shyly admitted to being the one whose touch He had felt, Jesus praised her faith, reminding us all that there is a reward when we get as close to God as possible. It wasn’t anything magical in the garment. It was all about her faith in our miracle-working God that had relieved her suffering. Verses for reflection and discussion: Mark 5:25-34 What can we learn about faith from this amazing story? Hebrews 11:6 How does our faith contribute to our prayers being answered? Tuesday: Job Recognizing that some of us have faith and some of us don’t, one story in the Bible stands out as a demonstration of why we suffer setbacks and why it’s always best to hang onto our faith in God. If anyone had cause to lose faith and become discouraged, it was Job. Job had lost everything of worth to him–his wealth, his children, and his health. His friends blamed him for his trials. Even his wife saw no reason for Job to go on living when things seemed so hopeless. Satan is clearly seen as the instigator of Job’s affliction. He did all he could to persuade Job to turn away from God. But instead, Job appealed to God and was rewarded for his steadfast faith. His pronouncement that “I know that my Redeemer lives” (Job 19:25) confirmed his faith and inspires us to hang on to our love for God no matter what obstacles Satan throws in our path. Verses for reflection and discussion: Job 1:21 After losing property and his children, how was Job’s faith in God? Job 19:23-27 and Job 23:8-12 What wisdom can you take from Job’s continued trials that might help you survive setbacks in your life? Wednesday: The Road to Emmaus Job may have lost all his material blessings on earth, but after Jesus died on the cross, His disciples felt the greatest loss known to man. Heaven itself seemed to have slipped from their fingers, and they were left totally adrift without <a class="cat-post-excerpt-more" href="https://www.outlookmag.org/the-teachers-notes-setbacks-lesson-11/" title="Continue reading The Teacher’s Notes–Setbacks, Lesson 11 Adult Bible Study Guide, 2026 2Q, “Growing in a Relationship With God”“>Read more…

“Warning! Security threat detected!” Few messages strike more dread in the heart of a computer user. A virus can work invisibly, stealing or destroying crucial data. The damage increases over time, and may eventually crash the entire system. The event log in Genesis reveals exactly what happened— how, after such a promising launch, creation reverted to a planet covered in water—back to the chaos before creation. The event log records each catastrophic step. The first 2 chapters of Genesis describe an ordered world, with God over all, and Humankind as stewards over all life here. Genesis 3 introduces another level, telling us the serpent is more cunning, shrewd, prudent than the other animals. Apparently there is a hierarchy among the animals, with the serpent at the top. Ancient readers sensed danger immediately. Creation stories they knew often portrayed a hero fighting a serpent—an agent of disorder and chaos. Seeing the serpent  as above the other animals only heightened their alarm. The interchange between the woman—she is not yet named—and the serpent is so familiar, many skip over it. I did, too, until the audacity of the serpent’s claim dawned on me: “God knows that on the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will become like God, knowing good and evil.” Do you see it? For many years I didn’t. The serpent tells the woman that he knows something she does not—how can that be, if she has dominion over him?   And those same words indicate that he knows what God knows! Agent of disorder indeed. If what he says is true, the order so carefully established in the first two chapters collapses.* He claims that he — an animal — stands on equal footing with the Creator. And humankind does as well. Once humankind accepted this lie as truth, eating the fruit became mere formality. The virus had already begun its work. By the time God comes to the garden in the cool of the evening, disorder has already begun unraveling the system. Before the virus, the man and the woman were both “Adam”—the two were one. When God asks the man if he had eaten of the forbidden fruit, the man blames “the woman you gave me.” The oneness had already vanished. It’s every one for himself. The woman blames the serpent—who God had created. We call what follows a curse, or penalty. In fact it’s a diagnosis. God addresses the  parties in reverse order. First, He tells the serpent that he will crawl on his belly, but that’s not the worst part. There will be perpetual hostility between the woman and the serpent, and the snake will get the worst of it. While the snake will injure the heel of one of her descendants, that descendant will crush the serpent’s head. Next God addresses the woman. She will experience pain in childbirth and will be in conflict with her husband—which we’ve seen already. Finally, God addresses the man. Before the virus began its work, humankind ate the fruits of trees. Now, the man must labor to have enough to eat. And the earth will not cooperate. It will bring forth thorns and thistles to complicate his task. God had commissioned humanity with two tasks: to be stewards over creation, and to be fruitful and multiply. Having accepted the virus of disorder, both tasks will be more difficult. The woman, whose unique role is giving birth, will find that painful. And the man will find dominion frustrating. Those are not penalties imposed, but consequences revealed. Only at this point does the woman receive a different name. Adam names her Eve. And as we saw with the animals, naming something indicates dominion. The war between the sexes has truly begun. The virus of disorder has just begun its work. The next entries in the event log make for grim reading.   If you’d like Ed to speak at your church, contact him at BibleJourneys@Yahoomail.com Put “Speaking Inquiry” in the subject line. * I have not encountered this idea— that the serpent’s claim essentially collapses the order estabilshed in Gen 2-3—anywhere else.

Sabbath School Lesson for May 30-June 5, 2026 Introduction for Lesson 10, Repentance and Forgiveness Memory Text: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9 NKJV As 1 John 1:9 indicates, our Lord is faithful (being full of lovingkindness), and just (trustworthy enough to deal with us fairly). When we repent of our thoughts and actions that separate us from Him, God’s forgiveness has the power to cleanse us from our unholy behavior. One of the most dramatic episodes in the story of the Exodus that demonstrates God’s forgiveness occurred when the Hebrews allowed a golden calf to be made and worshipped while Moses was on the mountain receiving the Ten Commandments. A mixed multitude who had joined the Hebrews when they came out of their land of bondage had instigated and participated in this defiling behavior. Even Aaron, the brother of Moses, did not have the strength and courage to deny their demanding threats. As horrific as this sin was, God offered a way that those who repented would be saved from the inevitable death that came from their despicable behavior. Moses’ interceded for God’s people, just as Christ, the One who has led us out of the bondage of sin, now intercedes for us in the courts of heaven. This week, we will explore: Sunday: The Rush of Life Monday: Holy Spirit Promptings Tuesday: Real Repentance Wednesday: Sufficient Grace Thursday: The Most Expensive Robe Sunday: The Rush of Life There is nothing wrong with a life full of meaningful activity. Martha showed herself to be an active, hospitable friend of Jesus whenever He came to their house. She busied herself with all the preparations necessary to make His stay warm and inviting. When Jesus arrived in their home, however, Martha found out that she needed to have her daily tasks complete, so she could spend time at the feet of Jesus, along with her sister Mary and brother Lazarus. Martha’s example helps us understand why the Sabbath is so necessary for us to gain the most out of our relationship with God. We, too, must leave the many worldly activities that prevent us from getting the most out of our weekly visits with Him. The day before Sabbath, the preparation day known as Friday, is the time to wrap up as many duties and activities as possible to make the best use of our precious hours with God. God is always anxious to remove our filthy rags of unrighteousness and exchange them for the garments of salvation (Isaiah 61:10). What better time than the holy Sabbath day to reflect on how God longs for us be clothed in the full beauty of His holiness. Verses for reflection and discussion: Luke 10:38-42 What can we learn from Martha’s rush of activity, and the choice of her sister Mary? Isaiah 64:6, 61:10, and Psalm 29:2 Why do we need to step back from the rush of our busy lives and take time to sit at the feet of Jesus? Monday: Holy Spirit Promptings We are given insights about the need to repent from the story of Hosea. This prophet was told by God to marry Gomer, a prostitute. Her continued, adulterous behavior was to be a metaphor, reminding the Israelites of their back-and-forth relationship with God. Every time they turned to idolatry, worshiping other gods, they were wounding God’s heart afresh. Knowing our tendency to offer fleeting, halfhearted apologies to God, followed by excuses and no real effort to change our ways, God has given the job of convicting us of sin to the Holy Spirit (John 16:8). The Spirit continually speaks to our hearts about the many ways we threaten our relationship with God. One of the most foolish things we can do is refuse to listen to the Spirit’s promptings and continue sinning against our heavenly Father. Paul referred to this refusal as grieving the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 4:30). It surely brings sadness to God when we don’t fully repent and willfully keep repeating our mistakes, just like Gomer, the adulteress wife of Hosea. God can’t pardon or help us when we aren’t listening to His Holy Spirit. That’s why Jesus called our refusal the “unpardonable sin”. Verses for reflection and discussion: John 16:8 and Luke 11:13 Why is the Holy Spirit needed to convict us of sin? In what ways can we show our appreciation of this valuable gift from God? Hosea 6:1-3 What was the purpose of the early and latter rains in the agriculture of Israel? How does this analogy describe the magnified spiritual workings of God through the Holy Spirit? When are these rains to occur spiritually, and for what purpose? Ephesians 4:30 and Mark 3:28, 29 How do we grieve the Holy Spirit, and why is it a foolish thing to do? Why did Jesus call it the “unpardonable sin”? Tuesday: Real Repentance The world encourages us to think and act with independence, to indulge in the things that appeal to us, and to put ourselves ahead of others. This “me first” attitude even applies to nations who neglect to see themselves as part of a more global structure. This so-called nationalism causes people to ignore the suffering and needs of other nations, and results in isolating themselves from the world community. Repentance from these destructive behaviors involves two steps on our part individually. With humility and deep sorrow, we must admit our inadequacies and failures. We must personally resolve to abandon our sin, and rely on God to give us strength to clean up the mess we have caused by our willful actions. Simply put, we repent and God forgives. Thankfully, God gives us ample time to do so, because the Bible tells us that He is “not willing that any should perish” (2 Peter 3:9). When we act in faith and repent fully, God is more than happy to prune us and shape our characters <a class="cat-post-excerpt-more" href="https://www.outlookmag.org/the-teachers-notes-repentance-and-forgiveness-lesson-10/" title="Continue reading The Teacher’s Notes–Repentance and Forgiveness, Lesson 10 Adult Bible Study Guide, 2026 2Q, “Growing in a Relationship With God”“>Read more…