Theme of the Week: Abiding in Christ
Bible Verse: But those who obey God’s word truly show how completely they love him. That is how we know we are living in him. Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did. 1 John 2:5-6 NLT
Scripture Reading: John 15:1-17
We’ve been in John 15 all week, exploring how we can abide in Christ. We do not have to live lives disconnected from God or each other. God has a purpose for each of us that will be found as we press into him and as he presses into us. The following are the keys to abiding that we have discovered each day:
Connected to Prayer and The Word
By allowing the Word of God and prayer to be a consistent part of our lives, we can be assured of a solid connection. If we learn to abide here, we will be connected to his voice and will for us. Abiding in Christ is not passive. Abiding is active.
Connected to the Person of Jesus
We stay connected to Jesus by abiding or remaining in his love. This is love based in the Trinitarian relationship of the Father to the Son and the redemption Jesus accomplished for us on the cross. This is a love that never changes, never fails, and never disconnects from us.
Connected to the People of God
We are connected to one another in the family of God. But these days, it is normal to feel disconnected from our faith community. We were created for community, and we grow the best close to Jesus and one another. Love is not only something God wants us to receive, but it’s something he wants us to reciprocate.
Connected to Producing Fruit
Disciples of Jesus are designed to produce fruit that will last. The fruit we produce not only glorifies God but is proof of our discipleship. Abiding in Christ will develop the fruit of the Spirit in our lives. It is the work of God in us that prepares us for the work of God through us.
Connected to the Power of the Spirit
We have been sent the Paraclete, a helper, to empower us to accomplish the Great Commission. Abiding in Christ is tied to our mission for Christ. That mission is to share his Good News with our walk and our words, and we are not alone to live out God’s purposes.
As you end this week, may the prayer of the Apostle Paul be your reality:
For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Ephesians 3:14-19 NKJV
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