Why do so many people think it says there that the Spirit comes from God and isn’t a deity?

Getting to know others matters because it helps us love them in practical ways, not just in theory. When we listen to their stories and learn what they need, we can be more patient, serve them better, and avoid judging them by what we see from the outside. In John 15:16: “Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.”, Jesus speaks of a relationship with him that bears fruit. One way to live out that calling is to approach people with care and respect: love can take the form of listening, encouraging, or helping when needed. That doesn’t mean we need to know every detail of someone’s life or cross their boundaries; it means treating each person with dignity. Thank God, we don’t have to love perfectly to begin. We can start with something simple: listening without rushing to respond. Is there someone you’d like to get to know better or understand more patiently?

This passage presents God as the source of life and spiritual fruit, not as someone distant who expects us to bear fruit on our own. Jesus says in John 15:4: “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.” The comparison is simple: a branch lives and produces fruit by staying connected to the vine. Jesus describes his relationship with his disciples as close and constant: they depend on him, and he promises to remain with them. The passage doesn’t say that life will always be easy; it does teach that spiritual growth comes from this connection, not just from our own effort. In Christ, we come to know God as the one who invites us to trust him and sustains the life he wants to form in us. I thank God for inviting us to stay close to him. What part of this comparison stands out to you most?

Yes. What’s said about Gideon is often translated as mighty and courageous. As for the others, the Bible focuses more on who they were and what God called them to do: Elijah was a prophet, steadfast in calling the people back to the Lord; David was a shepherd and king, known as someone whose heart sought God; and Paul was an apostle, sent to proclaim Christ, especially among non-Jewish peoples. They didn’t all receive the same title. God called them in different circumstances and prepared them for different tasks. Jesus says in John 15:16: “Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.”. That passage is about being chosen and bearing fruit; it doesn’t give each person a title like Gideon’s. But it does remind us that God’s calling is also reflected in a life that bears fruit. Thank God, we don’t all need to have the same kind of courage or the same task. Would you like to know how God’s calling showed up in the life of any one of them in particular?