THE FINAL COUNTDOWN

Joshua Knudsen


In The Final Countdown of Jesus' life on earth, right before He was arrested and crucified He spent time with His disciples explaining to them what it means to be a TRUE disciple. Follow along with us these next four weeks, and become a TRUE follower of Jesus! 

 

Get started by reading John 15

 

 


WEEK 1

 


Day 1 

Read: John 15:1

Jesus says that He is the TRUE vine. This means that we can connect ourselves to false vines.

Ask the Holy Spirit to show “false vines” you might have connected to in order to find your identity, hope, value, purpose, or anything else. Write it down.

 

Ask Holy Spirit and a mentor, if needed, to help you see how you can disconnect from your false vine and connect to Jesus the TRUE VINE.


 

Day 2

Read: John 15:2-3

What does it say we are supposed to produce?

 

What does fruit look like in the life of a believer? (Check out Matthew 28:18-20 and Galatians 5:22,23)

 

Would you say you are producing fruit?

 

What does pruning look like in the life of a believer?

 

Take time to ask God to prune you so that you can produce fruit!

 

 


Day 3

Read: John 15:4,5

 

What is the key to producing fruit?

 

Read John 14:15-18 According this how or WHO helps us to remain in Jesus?

 

How much fruit can we produce without Jesus?

 

What does it look like for you to remain in Him?

 

Make a choice today that no matter what, you’re going to stick with Jesus!


Day  4

Read: John 15:4,5

What is the key to producing fruit?

 

Read John 14:15-18 According this how or WHO helps us to remain in Jesus?

 

How much fruit can we produce without Jesus?

 

What does it look like for you to remain in Him?

 

Make a choice today that no matter what, you’re going to stick with Jesus!


Week 2


Day 1

Read: John 15:9-10

What an incredible thought, Jesus loves us EXACTLY how the Father loves Him. Take a moment to think about that and thank Jesus for that.

 

Jesus encourages us to remain where?

 

Then He tells us how to remain, stay, and live, in His love. What is the answer?

 

What is so hard about obeying God?

 

Take time to repent, tell God you’re sorry for how you’ve lived your way and ask for Grace (the empowerment) to obey even when it’s hard.


Day 2

Read: John 15:-9-12

 

What was one of Jesus’ goals in telling us to obey?

 

God isn’t just demanding compliance, He knows that in your obedience you will experience TRUE joy! Have you ever been afraid that obeying God would lead to the opposite of joy?

 

What does Jesus say our joy will do if we obey?

 

What’s this huge commandment He wants us to obey and remember?

 

This can be incredibly HARD! Ask the Holy Spirit to show you a person you struggle to love and to help you do it.


Day 3

Read: John 15:9-14

 

Jesus gives us some good definitions of friendship. First He says that the ultimate act of human friendship is what?

 

How did Jesus show His love for us?

 

Then Jesus defines what friendship with Him looks like in Vs. 14. 

 

How does friendship with Jesus look different than friendship with a human friend? 

 

How can you know when you are walking in friendship with Jesus? Are you right now? 

 

What do you need to do to come back into relationship with Him?


Day 4

Read: John 15:9-15

 

Jesus says we are His friends if we obey Him, and then He does what? 

 

We can hear God’s voice more clearly and know the heart of God when we walk in obedience.

 

Ask the Holy Spirit and commit in your heart to make obeying God the lifelong goal of your life! 


WEEK 3

 


Day 1

Read: John 15:1-13

Jesus says “remain” 10 times in 13 verses. This should tell you how important this is to Him.

 

If someone told you to remain, what would you think that meant?

 

At what point would you think it was ok to leave?

 

At what point do you think Jesus expects us to leave? (This could be a trick question…)


Day 2

Read: John 15:-1-13 (don’t cheat. Read it again)

 

One of the benefits of remaining is found in verse 9. What is that benefit?

 

How does Jesus say that He loves us?

That’s incredible!

What is the love like between the Father and the Son?

 

 

 

 

So what does it mean that Jesus loves you the same way?


Day 3

Read: John 15:1-13 (yes, again)

 

In verse 11, what does Jesus say He wants us to be filled with? 

 

God’s desire for you is joy no matter your situation. You find the fulfillment of Joy in HIM! 

 

What is going on in your life that is stealing your joy?

 

Ask God to help you find your joy in His love. Take time for this and make it count. Don’t rush it. REMAIN! 


Day 4

Read: John 15:1-13 (last time. Good get it in your heart)

 

How does this show us to remain? Fill out what each of these will look like in your life, then commit to Jesus and ask for His help to follow through.

 

1. Obey Him-

 

2. Endure through trials-

 

3. Just don’t leave-

 

4. Develop your relationship with Him-

 

5. His words remain in you-

 

Listen to the attached message to go deeper into this. 


 

WEEK 4


Day 1

Read John 13:1-15

What did Jesus do that surprised the disciples?

 

Why was this a shock for them?

 

What object lesson was Jesus teaching them?

 

What is He teaching you from it?


Day 2

Read Leviticus 19:18 and Matthew 22:39

 

What were the commandments given here?

 

 

How are you doing in this area of loving your neighbor?

 

 

Who, if anyone, have you been struggling to love?

 

Ask God to help you now and then pray for that person.


Day 3

Read John 13:33-35

 

Jesus said He’s giving a new commandment but it sounds just like the old commandment...or does it?  What’s different about what Jesus says?

 

Jesus was using washing the disciple's feet to show what it looks like to love like Jesus. 

 

Servant- This was the job of a servant. So Jesus is saying that loving like He loves will require serving others. 

Humility - Loving like Jesus requires humility. Remember this isn’t just a dude. This is GOD. THEIR CREATOR. THE KING OF THE WORLD. If He did it, we should have no problem doing it. 

Willing to get dirty- Loving others means we might love people when they are at their lowest. 

It’sdeliberate - you can’t just do it in passing. 

It requires God’s love. Something we are asking God for. 

 

Which of these areas do you need the Holy Spirit to help you with the most? 


Day 4

Read John 13:33-35  with a focus on 35

 

Why do you think the way we love each other proves we follow Jesus?

 

What’s hard about loving like Jesus?

 

Write down a prayer asking God to help you intentionally love other Christians the way He does.