Session 1 Bible Study Handout
John 1:1–18 · John 15:1–11 · James 1:22–25 · Matthew 28:18–20
Published April 19, 2026 · Updated April 19, 2026
This is the participant handout for this session of the Abide 101 · Ephesians Bible Study. It provides contextual background blocks for group discovery, the anchor passage in full, space for notes and reflection, and the reading assignment for the next session. The companion Facilitator Guide is available to session leaders.
ABIDE 101 — BIBLE STUDY
Session 1: The Biblical Mandate for the Abide Discipleship Program
Name: ___________________________________ Date: _______________
Scripture quoted from the Legacy Standard Bible (LSB) unless otherwise noted.
What you are holding is not a worksheet. It is a starting point.
The Abide program exists because God designed His people to hear His voice directly through Scripture — not just through pastors, podcasts, and study notes (though those are good things). This first session is about one question: do you actually believe that? And do you actually do it?
Four passages. Open eyes. Honest observations. That is all.
Passage 1 — John 1:1–18 (LSB)
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. 5 And the Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overtake it. 6 There was a man having been sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness, to bear witness about the Light, so that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the Light, but he came to bear witness about the Light. 9 There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens everyone. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. 11 He came to what was His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. 12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. 14 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. 15 John bore witness about Him and cried out, saying, "This was He of whom I said, 'He who comes after me has been ahead of me, for He existed before me.'" 16 For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace. 17 For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him.
What I Noticed
(Focus on verse 18. The word "explained" is the Greek word exegeomai — the root of exegesis. If Jesus exegetes the Father, what does that mean for how we read the Word He left us?)
One thing that landed for me personally:
Passage 2 — John 15:1–11 (LSB)
1 "I am the true vine, and My Father is the vine-grower. 2 "Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He cleans it so that it may bear more fruit. 3 "You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. 4 "Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit from itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. 5 "I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. 6 "If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned. 7 "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 "My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples. 9 "Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love. 10 "If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love. 11 "These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.
What I Noticed
(Use this space during the group discussion — write down what you observe, hear others say, or want to remember.)
One thing that landed for me personally:
Passage 3 — James 1:22–25 (LSB)
22 But become doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; 24 for once he looked at himself and has gone away, he immediately forgot what kind of person he was. 25 But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of freedom, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this man will be blessed in what he does.
And the Reinforcement — Matthew 7:24–27 (LSB)
24 "Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and does them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 "And the rain descended, and the rivers came, and the winds blew and fell against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. 26 "And everyone hearing these words of Mine and not doing them, may be compared to a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 "And the rain descended, and the rivers came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell, and great was its fall."
What I Noticed
(Two builders. Same sermon. Same storm. What's the one variable?)
One thing that landed for me personally:
Passage 4 — Matthew 28:18–20 (LSB)
18 And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 "teaching them to keep all that I commanded you; and behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."
What I Noticed
(He didn't say "teach them to KNOW." He said "teach them to KEEP." What is the difference?)
One thing that landed for me personally:
Closing Question — For the Whole Group
"Which of the four passages today — the Living Word, the Vine and Branches, the Mirror, or the Great Commission — felt most personal to you in this moment? What is one honest thing you want to take away from this first session?"
My answer:
Before Session 2
Read: The Lesson 2 article — Study to Be Approved: Handling God's Word
Listen: The Lesson 2 podcast
Read: The entire book of Ephesians — all six chapters in one sitting if you can; you don't need to analyze it, just let it land as a whole
Bring: One or two things that surprised you or raised a question
"If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you." — John 15:7 (LSB)
Scripture quotations taken from the (LSB®) Legacy Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2021 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved.