Weekly Bible Study | May 5 & 6, 2026

PastorBible Study

Group Study: “Not Left Alone”

This week we continue to observe and enter the conversation taking place during Jesus’ final meal with his disciples. He has spoken about betrayal, denial, and his coming departure. The disciples are anxious and confused. Into that fear, Jesus speaks words of comfort, trust, and promise. Clearly, this is not a calm moment—it is a troubled moment. That makes Jesus’ words even more powerful.

ZOOM Session

Tuesday, May 5, 2026, 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm.

IN PERSON Session

Wednesday, May 6, 2026, 1:00 pm-2:00 pm, Conference Room, McGee Building.

Zoom Link

Meeting ID: 626 688 7263

Passcode: DEVOTIONAL

Scripture

John 14:15-21

15”If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever. 17This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you.

18”I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you. 19In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me; because I live, you also will live. 20On that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. 21They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me; and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them.”

Opening Prayer

Loving God, you meet us where we are — in joy, in grief, in gratitude, in longing. Open our hearts to your presence. Remind us that we are not alone. Speak to us through scripture, through one another, and through your Spirit within and among us. Amen.

Discussion Questions

1. What words or phrases stood out to you? Why?

2. What emotions do you imagine the disciples were feeling in this moment?

3. What does Jesus promise in this passage?

4. Jesus says, “I will not leave you orphaned.” Beyond the literal definition, what does that phrase mean to you emotionally or spiritually?

5. What do you learn about the Holy Spirit (Advocate) in this passage? How is the Spirit described? What role does the Spirit play?

6. Jesus says, “You in me, and I in you.” What do you think this kind of connection with God looks like?

7. Where in your life do you most need to hear the promise: “You are not alone”?

8. What makes it difficult to trust that God is present in those places?

9. If God refuses to leave us “orphaned,” how might we live that out as a church? Who around us might be feeling unseen or alone? What would it look like to be a community of presence?

Spiritual Practice for the Week

1. Pause at times during each day and pray: “God, you are with me. I am not alone.”

2. Notice one moment each day where you sense:

  • peace
  • connection
  • or quiet strength

Reflect: Could this be God’s presence?

3. Offer an intentional act of presence this week:

  • listening
  • checking in
  • sitting with someone

Closing Prayer

God of compassion, you promise that we are never alone. When we feel forgotten, remind us we are held. When we feel distant, draw near to us. When others feel alone, help us to be your presence. Send us into this week rooted in your love, aware of your Spirit, and open to one another. In Christ, who abides with us and around us, Amen.