In John 16, the disciples will soon experience deep sorrow, and will feel like outsiders. Yet Jesus explains that in "a little while" they will have clarity, their grief will become joy, and they will be "insiders" with the Father! Jesus turns it all around. Rejoice in the great reversals won by Jesus' death and resurrection.

Jesus' instructions in John 16 to the disciples to prepare them for His departure didn't involve new strategies or special equipment. Instead, Jesus gives them words and His Spirit. Their job is simply to embrace His words and His Spirit will take care of the rest! To thrive in enemy territory we often need to stop searching for the spectacular, and simply embrace the words of Christ.

As Jesus explains in John 15, when we thrive in our union with Jesus, we will experience hatred from the world - the same hatred He experienced. It is hatred rooted in hatred for God. The more we thrive in Jesus, the more we may face this hatred. Thankfully, He has given us His Spirit to help us bear witness of Jesus and thrive.

In John 15, Jesus explains the key to bearing fruit, experiencing fullness of joy and displaying love to one another. He explains how to thrive...in fact, he commands it because it all comes from Him. Learn to thrive in your union with Jesus, the true Vine.

What is love, exactly? A feeling? Commitment? It's complicated enough in our human relationships! How do we love God, who isn't physically present with us, who we can't see? See how Jesus encourages us to love Him by embracing His Word.

The remedy for a troubled heart is faith. The key is not the strength of that faith - that would just leave us troubled that our faith is not strong enough. No, the key is the object of our faith. See how you can calm your troubled heart by believing in Jesus: the way, the truth, and the life!