WEEK 37.7 Discussion questions below.

Episode Summary

In this Week 37 Explore episode, Nick and Jamie tackle John 15:16 through 16:4a, where Jesus transitions from friendship with disciples to their mission and purpose in the world. They explore what "fruit that lasts" really means (spoiler: it's acts of love, not just evangelism), confront Jesus' sobering promise that following him will bring persecution and hatred from "the world," and discuss how the Holy Spirit empowers believers to testify through love. The episode addresses the painful reality of Christian-on-Christian persecution, offers a balanced approach to loving enemies while maintaining boundaries, and includes a fascinating historical aside about how one verse caused the Great Schism of 1054.

Timestamps

00:00 Introduction and Welcome 

02:47 Recap of Meditations and Key Ideas 

03:59 Understanding Fruit That Lasts 

16:09 The Love Command and Its Implications 

18:49 Certainty of Opposition and Hatred 

21:44 Pattern and Source of Hatred 

30:59 Loving Our Enemies: A Christian Dilemma 

31:43 Balancing Love and Self-Protection 

33:53 Jesus' Teachings on Rejection and Sin 

38:55 The Role of the Holy Spirit in Testifying 

41:04 The Great Schism: A Historical Aside 

46:16 Persecution and the Call to Love 

52:40 Final Thoughts and Encouragement

Key Points

• You Didn't Choose Me, I Chose You: Jesus emphasizes that disciples are chosen and appointed specifically to "produce fruit that lasts" - this is the purpose of Christian life, not just personal salvation

• Fruit That Lasts Redefined: Not primarily evangelistic converts but acts of love done prayerfully in Jesus's name - love that nurtures healing, wholeness, and joy in others

• The Certainty of Opposition: Jesus guarantees that living his way of love will provoke hatred and persecution from "the world" (systems opposing God, whether religious or secular)

• Christian-on-Christian Persecution: The largest persecutor of Christians throughout history has been other Christians - a tragic reality that continues today

• The Holy Spirit as Co-Witness: Both the Spirit and believers testify about Jesus, with the Spirit working through acts of love to break down walls and open hearts

Discussion Questions

• Redefining Success: The hosts suggest that "fruit that lasts" is primarily acts of love rather than evangelistic converts. How might this change the way churches measure effectiveness and success?

• Persecution Promise: Jesus guarantees that following his way of love will bring hatred from the world. How do you distinguish between persecution for righteousness versus legitimate criticism of harmful Christian behaviour?

• Christian-on-Christian Persecution: Jamie shares that most “persecution” she's experienced (which is much less than other places of the world) has come from other Christians. What does this say about the current state of Christianity, and how should believers respond?

• Love vs. Self-Protection: The episode discusses loving enemies while maintaining boundaries. How do you balance Jesus's call to love persecutors with the need to protect yourself and others from abuse?

• Testifying Through Love: Jesus promises the Holy Spirit will help believers testify about him. How does living in love become more powerful testimony than words alone?

Takeaways

• Scatter Seeds of Love: Don't worry about planting giant trees - focus on small, daily acts of love with whoever crosses your path, trusting God to cause the growth

• Break the Cycle: When persecuted, resist the temptation to retaliate - someone must stand up and say "I'm going to do things differently"

• Expect Opposition: If you're truly following Jesus' way of love, there will be pushback from both secular and religious systems that prefer power over love

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• Website: thewildway.ca
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