Category: Abide

Posted in Abide, Abiding in jesus, Bible study, Devotion, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, Know These Truths, LGG Study, Prayer Starters, Quiet Time

Fellowship with God

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based on the LGG Study, Abiding in Jesus/w1d5

Read and SOAP: 1 John 1:6

If we say we have fellowship with Him and yet keep on walking in the darkness, we are lying and not practicing the truth.

1 John 1:6

The following post is from the LGG Journal, Abiding in Jesus, p. 57, and can also be found on the Love God Greatly app/w1d5. If you are not familiar with Love God Greatly, visit https://lovegodgreatly.com/about/ . The ministry is filled with women who love the Lord and are working hard “to help EVERY WOMAN in EVERY NATION have access to God’s Word in THEIR LANGUAGE.” God is using the ministry to change the lives of women here and around the world, and He has used it to change me from the insideout. 🦋

Walking in the light through confession

“Abiding in Christ means choosing to walk in His light, live transparently before Him, and allow His truth to shape every part of our lives. But sin disrupts this fellowship and creates a distance between us and God.

That is why we need to make confessing our sins to God a regular habit in our lives. Confession is a powerful, freeing practice that keeps our hearts free and aligned with God. It isn’t simply about listing our wrongs and moving forward without any change. It’s about bringing all our sins before Him because we are truly sorry, surrendering fully to His grace, and walking in humility and obedience.

As we confess, Jesus steps into our brokenness and heals us. He reminds us that His love and grace are greater than our failures.

This ongoing process of confession and cleansing is essential to bearing fruit. Just as a vine requires clean, unhindered pathways to deliver nutrients to its branches, we need to keep the pathway to Christ open. When we confess, we allow the Holy Spirit to flush out all the accumulated dirt. This is where true fruit is born, not from our own efforts but from a heart fully surrendered to Him.

Abiding in Christ is an act of trust. Even when we fall short, He is faithful to restore us. Confession isn’t a burden but an invitation to have our guilt removed, to walk more intimately with Jesus, and let His love work deeply in our hearts.

Dear Jesus, thank You for Your mercy. Help me to stay close to You by confessing my sins to You and allowing Your grace to cleanse and restore me. Amen.”

The More We Know

If you don’t know Jesus as your personal Savior, or if you have questions about how to know Him and receive His free gift, please click on “Know These Truths.”

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Posted in Abide, Abiding in jesus, Bible study, Devotion, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study, Prayer Starters, Quiet Time

Light of the World

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based on the LGG Study, Abiding in Jesus/w1d4

Read and SOAP: matthew 5:16

In the same way, let your light shine before people, so that they can see your good deeds and give honor to your Father in heaven.

Matthew 5:16

Okay, friends, just as we did in our previous day’s journey, we need to look back at the verses that came before this one. Why? Because we need to understand what the phrase “in the same way” refers to. This is a very familiar verse to most who have been in church for any amount of time, however, while we know that we are supposed to be lights for Jesus so that God is glorified, do we understand how/what way we are supposed to let it shine? Also, do we understand that the light serves a specific purpose?

Let’s break it down ….

  • In the same way (this begs us to ask and answer the question: What way?
    • to find the answer, we must look back at what Jesus had just said to the disciples
      • “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. 15 No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house.” (verses 14 & 15)
        1. in verses 14 and 15, “we see believers depicted as the light of the world. Just as the moon has no light of its own, reflecting the light of the sun, so are believers to reflect the Light of Christ so that all can see it in us. The Light is evident to others by the good deeds we do in faith and through the power of the Holy Spirit.” (gotquestions.org)
        2. “The emphasis here is maintaining a credible and obvious witness in the world, a witness that shows us to be faithful, God-honoring, trustworthy, sincere, earnest, and honest in all that we do.” (gotquestions.org)
  • Let your light shine
    • this is a personal mission for followers of Jesus
  • before people
    • there is a collective target
  • so that they can see your good deeds
    • there is a specific reason and
  • and a targeted outcome
    • God receives honor in Heaven
The More We Know

We should always be ready to give an account of the hope that we have (1 Peter 3:15), for the gospel Light we have is not to be covered, but made obvious for all to see and benefit from, that they, too, may leave the darkness and come into the Light.

Gotquestions.org

Posted in Abide, Abiding in jesus, Bible study, Devotion, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, Know These Truths, LGG Study

Work It Out

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based on the LGG Study, Abiding in Jesus/w1d3

Read and SOAP: Philippians 2:12-13

So then, my dear friends, just as you have always obeyed, not only in my presence but even more in my absence, continue working out your salvation with awe and reverence, 13 for the one bringing forth in you both the desire and the effort—for the sake of his good pleasure—is God.

Philiipians 2:12-13

I remember the first time I really read this verse, and trust me when I say that to fully understand it, you need to know what came before the “so then.” Without a clear understanding, I fell prey to questioning the statement and meaning of “working out your salvation.” I am a firm believer that salvation is not by works but is a free gift from God to all who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. So I quickly read it again and checked various translations and eventually sought the help from my Pastor at the time to understand what Paul meant by “working out your salvation.” Thus was born my understanding that phrases like “so then” serve as a cue for the reader or listener to look back for the broader context and a better understanding of what is to follow.

In this case, what came before was a beautifully written character description of Christ, preceded by clear instructions of “how not to behave.”

Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. 4 Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. 5 You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. 6 Though He was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. 7 Instead, He gave up his divine privileges; He took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When He appeared in human form, 8He humbled Himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.

You see, friends, Paul wasn’t teaching us to work for our salvation but to live out our salvation, or as the NLT translates it: “To show the results of our salvation.” In other words to exercise the salvation we have received through Christ. This means to practice loving others as Christ loves us. It means doing good works that God has given us to do, sharing the Gospel, being kind and patient, humble, and not selfish but selfless, It means loving God and others more than we love ourselves. It means not looking out just for “our own interests but for the interests of others, too.” Ultimately, it means laying down everything for the will of the Father. Why? Because when we do – we reflect Jesus to the world around us and God receives the glory!

While we are called to work out (live out) our salvation, it doesn’t mean it will come easy. As today’s LGG journal entry points out: “the Bible makes it clear that the only reason we are able to do so is because God makes it possible. ~ God is both the source and sustainer of our faith. As we remain in Him, He works through us, producing fruit that will last, bringing glory to Him and blessings to others.”

Staying connected to Jesus, the Vine, and allowing God to transform you is what it means to abide.

Abiding in Jesus/p49
The More We Know

For more insight see the LGG Blog Post

Posted in Abide, Bible study, Devotion, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, LGG Study, Prayer Starters, Quiet Time

The Necessity of Pruning

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based on the LGG Study, Abiding in Jesus/w1d2

Read and SOAP: John 15:2

He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more.

John 15:2

Whether we are women who devote a lot of time to hair and make-up and great detail to the clothes we put on, or we’re a jeans and t-shirt and just the basics kind of woman – I would venture to say that most of us at least look in the mirror before we leave the house. Bells and whistles or just the basics may not matter, but a poor reflection of who we are should. My parents raised me to remember that what I said and did, where I went, and how I behaved and talked mattered and were a reflection on the family I belonged to.

And whatever you do and say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus Christ, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.

Colossians 3:17

As I grew in my faith, I learned the same was true, and even more so, in the family of God. While God looks at the heart and not the outward appearance of man, what we do and say in this world should be a reflection of Jesus Christ and not the world. This may seem overwhelming at times, even impossible. However, just as my parents provided for me and taught me right from wrong, God has given me everything I need for living a godly life. He did so with the purpose that every follower of Jesus would bear Christ-like fruit and attract others to Him.

Today’s verse is a reminder that we don’t have to do this alone. Actually, as the branches in this allegory, we can’t. For, as the branches, we are dependent both on the vine (Jesus), who gives us new life, and the gardener (God), who shapes us and trains us in the way we should go. When I made a mistake as a child, my parents would correct me, training me and pointing me in a better direction. Today’s passage is a reminder that God does the same thing through his work of pruning, not to hurt us but to help us live full and vibrant lives in Christ “so that we will bear more fruit.” As we will see in the coming days of our journey, when a believer bears “fruit” they are a reflection of Christ to the world around them.

Our lives and the fruit we bear are meant to glorify Him and bless others. That’s why our Heavenly Father will not leave us the way we are. Being disciplined or pruned may hurt us, but it will never harm us. God is always after our good, and we can always trust Him,” even in the pruning.

Abiding In Jesus, Bearing Fruit that Lasts/p45

I love most fruits, so when I see them in a store or market, they attract my attention. However, the ones that really catch my eye and land in my shopping basket are the vibrant, healthy ones. Discolored bananas? No thanks. Mushy or moldy strawberries? No way! Bright oranges are absolutely going in the basket, but never the faded ones. I can’t help but think this is how it is for ‘church shoppers,’ non-believers, or skeptics of Christianity when they see or hear a believer in their neighborhood, office place, a sporting venue, school, or anywhere in the world. We need to ask ourselves: Do they see vibrant, healthy, appealing fruit, or are they turned away by the discoloration of the world, still noticeable in our language, attitudes, and/or behavior? Oh, that we might faithfully abide in the Vine and yield to the Gardener’s care and pruning so that we might bear more fruit that glorifies God and blesses others.

The More We Know
Trusting the Gardener’s Pruning: by LGG

Posted in Abide, Bible study, Devotion, From the Insideout, Journey Through The Word, Know These Truths, LGG Study, Prayer Starters, Quiet Time

A Healthy and Beautiful Garden

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based on the LGG Study, Abiding In Jesus, Bearing Fruit that Lasts, w1d1

Read and SOAP: John 15:1

“I am the true vine and my Father is the gardener.”

John 15:1

I love this verse and the lesson that follows, from Jesus to His disciples! Jesus declares that He is the vine1 and that His Father, God, is the gardener2. What better sources and hope for life could we have?

Jesus, the source of eternal life, a vine that will never die or wither away, is the One who gives us life. We have been made new through Him (2 Cor 5:17). Through faith in Jesus Christ, we are connected to the Father, filled with the Holy Spirit, and interconnected to other believers through Him. It is through Christ that we grow and mature spiritually, becoming more like Him and less like the world around us.

I grew up in a family of gardeners, but trust me when I say – I did not inherit their gift for producing the fresh corn, beans, and other vegetables that we enjoyed throughout the year. I did, however, learn to appreciate their gift of gardening, as well as their love and willingness to invest so much time and effort into their gardens throughout the years. While I didn’t realize it until much later in life, from planting to harvesting and everything in between, it was a labor of time, accompanied by body aches, and I’m certain tears and fears in the times of drought or damaging storms.

These thoughts came rushing through my mind this morning as I read Jesus’ declaration, “My Father is the gardener.” The love and labor of time that God, the Gardener, has spent on me boggles my mind. The grief and concerns I have caused Him through the years make my heart ache. And when I consider the fruit that His tender hand and patient heart have been able to yield from this branch, it leaves me in awe and wonder at His grace and compassion. The fact and evidence that He allows me to stay attached to Jesus, the true vine, is a testament to God’s truth and faithfulness, and something for which I will forever be grateful.

The role of a gardener ranges from creating, cultivating, and maintaining the garden. This includes, but is not limited to, planting, weeding, pruning, and pest control, while also ensuring the attractiveness and health of the plants.

Friends, there are many things and people that vie for our attention and allegiance in this life. They promise everything from a better life, greater wealth, happiness, and more. Don’t be fooled! Only Jesus, the “True Vine,” (and there is only one), can give you life. Only through Him is there true and abundant life, a life of rich joy, a life where all of your needs are supplied from His glorious riches. Only Jesus can take away all your sins and deliver you from death into eternal life. – I encourage to cling to the true and living vine, Jesus, and to let your Father, our Gardener, shield you from the “pests” of this world vying for your attention. In doing so we will be a healthy, beautiful garden filled with light that attracts the world to Him.

The More We Know

The necessity of a good/true vine includes: Healthy growth, life, and renewal. Its ability to grow and spread is a powerful metaphor for spiritual development, and the continual process of becoming represents the vine’s potential for a rich and fruitful life. Specifically, in this context, it is used to symbolize the relationship between believers and God. Staying connected to the Vine (Jesus) is essential for bearing fruit and experiencing spiritual abundance.3

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the LGG Blog