The VineSample

Growing in Jesus and into the Church

Picture a grapevine. The vine is deeply rooted and strong, and on its branches are countless clusters of grapes. Each cluster is a group of healthy, purple, individual grapes. If a cluster is removed from the vine, the cluster as a whole dies. If a single grape is removed from the cluster, it too loses its individual and communal connection to the vine and dies.

In John 15:3–8, Jesus uses a vine metaphor to give a physical picture of the spiritual reality. Because you are designed to be in a relationship with Him, He knows it is crucial for you to remain connected to Him. He calls this “abiding,” which means to remain and stay faithful. Just as the grape will wither and die apart from a constant connection to the vine, so too will you wilt spiritually if you don’t remain faithful to Christ. Jesus models what this connection looks like in His relationship with the Father. He devoted himself to prayer (Mark 1:35) and to all of Scripture (Matthew 4:1–20).

Secondly, you are designed to grow together with a cluster—a group of other believers. Look again at Acts 2:41–47. As people repented of sin and put their faith in Christ, they immediately formed groups in which they devoted themselves to rhythms aimed at communal life and addressing the brokenness of the world. To those early followers, these groups weren’t optional—they were life-giving. Having left behind their sinful life, they knew the only way they could thrive in their new faith was to dedicate themselves to one another and to the life Jesus modeled.

Take a moment to think about where you are now. Maybe you’ve recently put your faith in Jesus and are wondering what life on the vine looks like. Or maybe you believed in Jesus a while ago, and you’ve focused on your personal relationship with Christ, to the exclusion of growing into a group of believers. Or the other way around. Whatever your story is, take hold of Christ’s invitation to abide in Him. Devote yourself to a group of believers—the church. It’s the only way to flourish.

Prayer

“God, I believe You desire a personal relationship with me. Teach me what it means to abide in You. Give me the desire to talk to You and to read Your Word, which You intended for me. Help me take the first steps of devoting myself to a group of believers. Amen.”

Explore at Your Speed

Next time we’ll look at the next step of faith for followers of Christ, and why it’s important. If you want to read ahead, look at Romans 6:1–7 and 1 Corinthians 12:12–13. Ask yourself, “What is this teaching me about Jesus and/or God?” and “What is this teaching me about people and/or myself?”