THE TAKEAWAY:

How to hang out with Jesus (pt. 4) Scripture is Jesus’ voice in the relationship.

MESSAGE:

As all Disney fans know, Ariel traded her voice for the chance to become human and meet Eric. Unfortunately, she struggles with charades, and it takes her an entire hour to communicate to Eric that kissing her will break the spell. She could have simply written a message in the sand to free herself from Ursula’s contract, but I can’t entirely blame her, as Eric wasn’t the best listener. He completely missed the point when Ariel’s friends were singing “Kiss the Girl.” Ultimately, Ariel and Eric’s relationship couldn’t blossom until she regained her voice.

It can be difficult to understand how an ancient book of religious writings can be relevant to us today. Wouldn’t it make more sense to have Jesus in bodily form, talking to us? Jesus’ disciples had the same question when Jesus claimed he was leaving this world to be with his father. They were losing their moral compass, spiritual mentor, and purpose.

Fortunately, Jesus promised that a helper would be present to guide and direct any disciple who wished to follow Him. The Holy Spirit’s role is to make Jesus’ message relevant and accessible to future generations. While they were losing their friend’s physical presence, they were gaining a constant presence that could bring Scripture to life. Today, we have that helper in our lives, and anyone who wants to follow Jesus has access to His words in the Bible, along with a guide to help us apply those teachings.

FIGURE IT OUT:

23 Jesus answered him, “If a man loves me, he will keep my word. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. 24 He who doesn’t love me doesn’t keep my words. The word which you hear isn’t mine, but the Father’s who sent me.

25 “I have said these things to you while still living with you. 26 But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things, and will remind you of all that I said to you.

John 14:23-26

  1. Circle some keywords or phrases that are significant to you. What makes them important?
  2. Why is it important to Jesus for his disciples to love him and keep his word before he gives the helper?
  3. Most of Jesus’ disciples gave their lives to deliver the message to outsiders. How do you think the Holy Spirit helped them with this?
  4. How is the helper making God’s Word applicable to your life? If you can’t think of one, how would you like to see the helper use God’s Word?

Stop staring at your phone or laptop. Your doctor is worried about your eyes. The Checkpoint is an offline resource. Read the backlog of devotionals in paperback or hardcover.