Lies I Believe Part 2: I Can Do It on My Ownနမူနာ

From poison ivy to Tarzan, the word vine can evoke many images in our minds. But a grapevine is a very different kind of vine. The vine part of a grapevine is like the a tree trunk coming up from the ground, and the branches are the thin off-shoots that grow the leaves and grapes. The vine delivers all the water and nutrients that the branches need to bear fruit. That’s the kind of relationship we are supposed to have with Jesus: “I am the vine; you are the branches.”

It’s truly mind mind-blowing that the Creator of all things wants to have a personal relationship with us. When you abide in Christ like a branch abides in the vine, the good things that you should be doing start to happen. Fruit is inevitable for a branch connected to a vine -, but it’s impossible for a branch severed from the vine. In other words, we can’t do it on our own. The job of a branch is painfully simple: stay connected to the vine.

Paul tells us in Galatians 5 what kind of fruit we will bear when we follow Jesus. The list starts with love– - just like Jesus describes in John 15. After love, Paul tells us that the fruit of abiding in Christ is joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. This list can help us measure how well we are staying -connected we are to the vine.

Ask Yourself: What does it look like to stay connected to Jesus? Is my life marked by the fruit listed in Galatians 5?

Pause to Pray: Jesus, I want to stay connected to you…

Take a Next Step: Choose one thing you can do that will help you stay connected to Jesus and make a plan to put it into practice- starting today! And consider asking a friend to do it with you!