“I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without me.” (John 15:5 CSB)At some point, abiding has to move from a sermon idea into a Tuesday morning.That is where this becomes real. It is one thing to agree that Jesus is the Vine. It is another thing to wake up tomorrow and live like you are actually a branch. Because...  Read More

“I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without me.” (John 15:5 CSB)There is a deeper issue underneath our spiritual dryness. It is easy to think the main problem is that we need better habits. We need to wake up earlier. We need to read more.We need to pray more. We need to organize our schedule. We need to stop ...  Read More

"I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without me.” (John 15:5 CSB)There are some words Jesus says that our pride does not know what to do with. This is one of them. “You can do nothing without me.” Nothing. Not less. Not a smaller amount. Nothing.That word lands hard because we spend so much of our lives trying ...  Read More

“I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without me.” (John 15:5 CSB)One of the most revealing things in life is pressure. Pressure does not usually create what comes out of us. It reveals what has already been there.That is hard to admit. Because most of us would rather blame the moment. We say things like, “I was...  Read More

“Remain in me, and I in you. Just as a branch is unable to produce fruit by itself unless it remains on the vine, neither can you unless you remain in me.” (John 15:4 CSB)Jesus does not tell His disciples to admire Him. He does not tell them to occasionally check in with Him. He does not tell them to keep Him nearby in case life gets hard. He says, “Remain in me.” That word is heavy. Remain. Stay....  Read More

“Remain in me, and I in you. Just as a branch is unable to produce fruit by itself unless it remains on the vine, neither can you unless you remain in me.” (John 15:4 CSB)There is a question we probably do not ask ourselves enough. Am I actually living connected to Christ? Not, “Do I believe in Jesus?” Not, “Do I go to church?” Not, “Do I know Christian things?” Not, “Do I serve, sing, pray someti...  Read More