John 15:16-27

Think back to your school days on the playground when team were chosen.  Were you picked first, last or somewhere in the middle?  Do you remember the relief and sense of belonging?  Jesus tells His disciples “You did not choose me, but I chose you.”  God has chosen you to be His own.  Not because of what you have done or what you offer, but simply because your Creator loves you.  Your identity is in God’s grace, not your performance.  As God’s people, we will not be accepted by the world.  The same world that rejected and hated Jesus rejects His people.  Even when we feel rejected by the world, we stand securely knowing that we belong to Christ.