Sermon notes:

Love makes all things easy (John 15:9-17)

The Definition of love: ________________________ (1 John 4:16).

Sin is a turning ____________________ on oneself (St. Augustine; Martin Luther).

Love is a turning ____________________ toward others (1 Corinthians 13:4-9).

The Source of love: ________________________ (v.9; 1 John 4:19).

The Mediator of love: ________________________ (v.9).

The nature of love: ____________________________________________ (v.10; Matthew 22:34-39; Romans 13:10).

The result of love: ________________________ and __________________________ (v.11; 1 Peter 4:8).

The revelation of love: ______________________________ (v.13; John 3:16).

The implication of love: ________________________ (v.16a).

The goal of love: _____________________________________________ (v.16b).

The ease of love (Matthew 11:28-30; 1 John 3:5).

Sermon notes:

The Master Gardener (John 15:1-8)

I. Jesus is the true Vine (as opposed to __________________ Israel) (v.1; Isaiah 5:1-7; Jeremiah 2:21, etc.).

II. Our Father (Vinedresser) does two things to produce fruit:

A. He _____________________ fruitless branches (vv.2a,6).

1. Jesus arouses our anxiety.

2. His goal is our ___________________.

B. He _______________ fruitful branches (v.2b).

1. We’ve been ________________ into the Vine (Romans 6:3-5; 11:17).

2. Pruning involves both ____________ and ____________ (vv.2b,3,5,7-8).

III. To _____________________ in Christ guarantees:

A. fruitfulness (vv.4-5);

B. effective prayer (v.7).

IV. The true Vine’s gracious invitation: “_____________________” (vv.4-7)!

A. Don’t go wild!

B. Only _________________ can branches live (v.6)!

Sermon notes:

What’s so good about this Shepherd? (John 10:11-18)

I. It is our nature to flee a crisis. It is the nature of Jesus to _______________________________(v.11b; John 18:4).

A. Ordinary shepherds protect their sheep by avoiding death; the Good Shepherd protects the sheep ___________________________ His death.

B. The death of an ordinary shepherd means disaster for the sheep. The death of the Good Shepherd means ________________________ for the sheep (John 10:10).

C. The death of an ordinary shepherd leaves the sheep exposed and scattered (v.13). The Good Shepherd’s death ______________________ the flock and draws it to Himself (v.16; John 12:32).

II. He knows us __________________________ (John 10:3).

A. Knowing is evidence of ______________________ (vv.14-15).

B. Knowing another involves _____________________________ (Exodus 6:7).

1. God loves; we are the ones loved.

2. God saves; we are the ones saved.

C. The Father loved the Son before the foundation of the world (John 17:24), but His Father loves Him all the more for ____________________________ (vv.17-18).

D. We know Christ (and, therefore, the Father) _________________________ when we believe that He lays down His life for us all (vv.11,16).