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Written by Deanna Brooks, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries

2 Timothy 2:2 reads: “What you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also” (ESV).

Paul is reaching the end of his life, and he wants this precious message to continue to be passed on. 

“Entrust” indicates responsibility and stewardship. “Faithful” means those who will treasure what they have and handle it as God intended. 

We, as disciples of Jesus, are the only way others will learn about Jesus and why He came to earth. We have been given a mission, and in John 15, Jesus shares His plans with His disciples. 

Jesus paints a word picture of Himself as the Vine and His disciples as the branches that bear the fruit. Some of His statements are:

Verse 2: “Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.”

Verse 4: “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.”

Verse 5: “Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”

Verse 8: “By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.”

Verse 16: “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.”

When a branch bears fruit, it provides the way by which other fruit can be produced. The branch that does not bear fruit is considered dead.

If you have ever grown a garden or fruit trees, you know an important part of having a healthy plant is to cut off dead or diseased limbs, so they do not weaken the healthy branches. Likewise, Jesus says He will remove those branches that are not bearing fruit.

Some of Jesus’ last words were, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations…” (Mt 28:19).

There is joy in seeing someone you have taught become a follower of Jesus. 

“Each one teach one” is a common saying among believers, indicating each of us is responsible for reaching someone who can then reach someone else, just as 2 Timothy 2:2 says. 

Teaching about Jesus should be a normal part of our lives. Deuteronomy 6:4-9 emphasizes the importance of teaching when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise.

Some ways to reach out to others are:

• Invite someone to VBS, gospel meetings, or a Bible study.
• Invite your friend for coffee and tell her you have good news you want to share… Then share your faith story and the path that led you to be a Christ follower (to discipleship).
• When you are with a friend, ask what she believes, then listen. Be ready to share your common beliefs, but if she mentions something not in Scripture, gently ask where she gets the authority for what she said.
• When you are asked a question, turn to Scripture instead of sharing your opinion.
• Stay “on target” in your study with others.

If you do not know how to teach someone, find a friend who does and ask them to help you learn.  It may be that you are like Andrew and can seek people out and invite them to a Bible class or worship services, leaving the more formal teaching to someone else. 

It is important to be alert and realize when a friend may be receptive. Life changes often create an interest that has not been present. When a new family moves into the neighborhood and is making new friends can be an excellent time to set up a study. 

For us, it is important to:

• know who our authority is.
• know what and why we believe.
• be willing to search if asked a question we don’t know.

Are you willing to put 2 Timothy 2:2 into practice in your life?

• MichelleJGoff
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Written by Michelle J. Goff, Founder and Executive Director of Iron Rose Sister Ministries

Agricultural analogies can be found throughout the Old and New Testaments. For farming and shepherding communities in the Bible lands, these were practical examples used to teach us about God’s nature and His Kingdom. John 15 is one of those examples. In that chapter, we find the final time that Jesus makes one of His “I AM” statements, ultimately equating Himself with YHWH, Yahweh, the LORD, or Jehovah.

I am the true vine and my Father is the gardener.
I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. (Jn 15:1, 5 NIV)

Through the imagery of the Vine, Jesus illustrates the necessity of remaining in the Vine for the vitality of the branches—relationship with God. He also highlights the importance of bearing more fruit as the branches reproduce and multiply—relationships with others.  

Does that sound familiar? Yes! The central core of Iron Rose Sister Ministries’ vision can be found in John 15. We exist to equip women to connect to God and one another more deeply. 

Throughout 2026, we will be equipping women in these two relational areas using John 15 as our primary text. The blog posts will develop the theme, the virtual events will expound upon it, and new online resources will be released that will multiply our efforts. 

As we roll out the topic through the month of January, I want to elaborate on four key points found in John 15. 

1. Jesus is the True Vine, and His Father is the Gardener (Jn 15:1). God is our source of life and love (Jn 15:1, 9). We must remain in Him and in His love to survive.
2. We must extend God’s love to others. If we remain in God’s love as His love remains in us, we have love from which to obey His commands to love Him and love others (Jn 15:12-13, 17; Mt 22:36-40).
3. The fruit of a disciple is another disciple. We show that we are His disciples by bearing the fruit of another disciple. And we were appointed to bear that fruit—fruit that will last (Jn 15:8, 16).
4. Apart from God, we can do nothing (Jn 15:5). As the apostle Paul described, “I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow” (1Co 3:6).

Each one of those points could be its own lesson. The teachings of Jesus in John 15 provide such richness, abundance, and layers of application as spoken to His followers and penned by the apostle John.  

The first 17 verses of John 15 are written out in chapter 10 of One Single Reason: Conversations with Single Women. The accompanying exercise from those verses affirms that the two deepest desires of our heart are relationship and purpose.

We cannot be disciples nor bear the fruit of more disciples without a relationship with the True Vine.

How can you prioritize being connected to the True Vine this week?

What one step can you take this week to plant, water, or specifically pray for someone in whom God can bring the growth of a disciple?

How can we encourage or equip you toward those goals?

For 2026, let’s bear fruit together!