15:16  "You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.  17  "These things I command you, that you love one another.

A. God’s purpose in saving us is to glorify Him, through fruitful Christlike words and works in our spheres of influence. (Eph 2:8-10)

B. Believers don’t bear fruit because of dirt (sin), avoiding the light, lack of submission to pruning, half-hearted obedience, and Mk 4:19 the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.

Q9.  How do you think God plans to use you to bear fruit and glorify Him in your workplace? What could prevent that from happening?

15:18-21 If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. 19  "If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. 20  "Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also. 21 But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me.

16:2-4 They will put you out of the synagogues; yes, the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers God service. 3 And these things they will do to you because they have not known the Father nor Me.  4  But these things I have told you, that when the time comes, you may remember that I told you of them. And these things I did not say to you at the beginning, because I was with you.

A. Exclusivity to Jesus Christ engenders the wrath of the world. The more we are like Christ, the more we will be different and disliked.

B. Those religious folks who object to Truth obeying and speaking hate the true God and are sinfully serving Satan. Why do they object?

C. We are to be in (interaction) the world, but not of (motivation and nourishment) the world.

Q10. How can you tell if someone is of the world or not? What do worldly motivations and nourishments look like?

15:26-27 "But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me. 27  "And you also will bear witness, because you have been with Me from the beginning.

A. As a result of the Spirit of Truth in our lives, we will embrace Truth in our thoughts, and manifest Truth in our daily actions.

B. A witness tells of what they’ve seen, heard or experienced. Fruitful believers testify to the workings of the Truth in their lives.

Q11. Would you ever be termed a fanatic about sharing your faith? Were you ever hated or ridiculed? Why/Why not? Is that a good or bad thing?

16:8 And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: 9  "of sin, because they do not believe in Me; 10  "of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; 11  "of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.

16:13  when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. 14  "He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you.

A. The Holy Spirit convicts/convinces of sin, righteousness, judgment; guides believers in following the Truth; and glorifies Jesus.

Q12. How would your co-workers/roommate observe that you’ve been with Jesus? How would they see Truth in your actions/reactions this past week?

16:1  "These things I have spoken to you, that you should not be made to stumble.  20  "Most assuredly, I say to you that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; and you will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will be turned into joy. 21  "A woman, when she is in labor, has sorrow because her hour has come; but as soon as she has given birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world. 22  "Therefore you now have sorrow; but I will see you again and your heart will rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you.

A. We stumble and are tempted to quit when things get difficult. Difficult is good because it deepens our abiding dependence on God.

Q13. What helps you decide to start and finish something difficult? How do Jesus’ promises impact the way you feel when it gets tough?

23 And in that day you will ask Me nothing. Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you.

24 Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full. 25 These things I have spoken to you in figurative language; but the time is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figurative language, but I will tell you plainly about the Father. 26  In that day you will ask in My name, and I do not say to you that I shall pray the Father for you; 27 for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me, and have believed that I came forth from God. 28 I came forth from the Father and have come into the world. Again, I leave the world and go to the Father."

A. Prayerful dependence throughout the day results in answers, which results in joy from choosing what’s best.

B. Asking in the name of Jesus is asking as He would ask, according to His purposes and objectives.

Q14. Do we humbly follow God’s leading throughout our day, or do we expect Him to follow us enable our agenda?

31 Jesus answered them, "Do you now believe? 32  "Indeed the hour is coming, yes, has now come, that you will be scattered, each to his own, and will leave Me alone. And yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me.  33  "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."

A. In the world, (like our Master) we will have difficulties, trials, betrayals, abandonment, temptations to discouragement and despair.

B. In our abiding union with Christ (helped by promises and prayer), we will have a peace that lets us surf on top of the circumstances.

Q15. On the basis of your obedience, abiding, fruitfulness, loyal love, prayerfulness, peace, and witness, would you be called a friend of Jesus?