The Abiding Life (1 of 9)
Series: Abide
Joey Rodgers
John 15:1-13
Last Sunday we kicked off 2021 w/ a challenge from Jesus' words in the Sermon on the Mount to seek first His kingdom and righteousness - that is... we're to make the priority of our lives seeking first God's control over us and His character w/in us.
I'm convinced, this is only possible if we know Christ as Savior and abide w/ Him as our Lord.
W/ this in mind, I want to begin a series of lessons on what it means to live an abiding life. What it means to walk in intimate fellowship w/ God on a daily basis.
Most of you know my story/conviction on this issue. After coming to Christ and being discipled well, I lost Jesus at church. I went from thriving w/ God to barely surviving in my religion. It was no one's fault but my own, but I got so caught up in doing church; I lost my sense of being a child of God. I'd become an expert at serving but remained a novice at abiding.
The parents of Jesus lost Jesus at church, and they are not the last ones to lose Him there. Vance Havner
As I was struggling w/ my call to ministry, one night outside Santa Fe, NM, God put a spiritual 2/4 to the side of my soul to help me to see how far out of alignment my life had gotten playing church.
I won't bore you w/ the details, but I will say, that what I learned that evening thru the analogy of a dance is that God is far more concerned about our connection w/ Him than He is our activity for Him. That is, our faith is not defined by doing but by being.
Isn't that what we learned last week in the story of Mary/Martha. Remember Jesus' words to a busy and frazzled Martha - Martha, you're worried/upset about many things, but few things are needed - or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.'' Luke 10:41-42
Mary had chosen being over doing and intimacy over activity - and so must we if we're going to abide.
It's vital to realize that abiding is ...
Series: Abide
Joey Rodgers
John 15:1-13
Last Sunday we kicked off 2021 w/ a challenge from Jesus' words in the Sermon on the Mount to seek first His kingdom and righteousness - that is... we're to make the priority of our lives seeking first God's control over us and His character w/in us.
I'm convinced, this is only possible if we know Christ as Savior and abide w/ Him as our Lord.
W/ this in mind, I want to begin a series of lessons on what it means to live an abiding life. What it means to walk in intimate fellowship w/ God on a daily basis.
Most of you know my story/conviction on this issue. After coming to Christ and being discipled well, I lost Jesus at church. I went from thriving w/ God to barely surviving in my religion. It was no one's fault but my own, but I got so caught up in doing church; I lost my sense of being a child of God. I'd become an expert at serving but remained a novice at abiding.
The parents of Jesus lost Jesus at church, and they are not the last ones to lose Him there. Vance Havner
As I was struggling w/ my call to ministry, one night outside Santa Fe, NM, God put a spiritual 2/4 to the side of my soul to help me to see how far out of alignment my life had gotten playing church.
I won't bore you w/ the details, but I will say, that what I learned that evening thru the analogy of a dance is that God is far more concerned about our connection w/ Him than He is our activity for Him. That is, our faith is not defined by doing but by being.
Isn't that what we learned last week in the story of Mary/Martha. Remember Jesus' words to a busy and frazzled Martha - Martha, you're worried/upset about many things, but few things are needed - or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.'' Luke 10:41-42
Mary had chosen being over doing and intimacy over activity - and so must we if we're going to abide.
It's vital to realize that abiding is ...
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