Attached - New Sermon Series

John Ortberg said, "Anytime you see life flourishing it is because it is receiving nourishment from outside of itself."   I heard a pastor ask a very solid question the other day.  "What do you use to nourish yourself, so that you can thrive?"

Jesus said, "Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.  I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing." (John 15:4-5)

Jesus gives us the secret in John 15…the secret to flourishing if you will.

The word abide has struck me for years.  Here it means to remain, dwell, stay, or to live in.  I have chosen to use the word attach, and hopefully my concept flows out of the reality.  Here is what Jesus said, “Abide in me & I in you, for apart from me you can do nothing.”  In other words, attach yourself to me, abide in me, remain in me…it’s the only way you can flourish.

Back to the question…what do you use to nourish yourself, so that you can thrive?  

Our culture looks for nourishment around every corner, hoping to achieve lasting fulfillment often in a source that can not sustain.  In all honesty, there really is only one source.  Jesus gives the secret.  He is the source.

I want to wrestle with this thought and powerful question as we walk through John 15 for our current sermon series.  

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Further Resources

ESV Bible -Online Resource
Bible Project - Jesus is the Vine



Jonathan Johnson