Every Christian I know wants to live an effective life for Jesus.

The key to succeeding in this is abiding in Him.

Abiding in Christ is foundational to centering your whole life around Him.

Tapping into Christ's presence and power is what will allow you to bear good

fruit in this life. It's my hope that after today, we're more equipped and empowered to live

out a life centered about God. Welcome to the First 15 podcast. So often, out of a right desire to do good and God-honoring works, we try and force fruit

out of ourselves without taking the time to rest and receive nutrients we can only get

from abiding in our Heavenly Father.

A branch disconnected from an apple tree can no more produce good fruit than you

and I can do good works apart from continual abiding in the love, grace, and presence of God.

Without truly centering our lives around meeting with God, we'll never produce the fruit

we were created to make. Jesus taught us in John 15 1 through 5,

I am the true vine, and my father is the vine dresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit

he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already

you are clean because of the word I have spoken to you.

Abide in me and I and 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. God's heart is for us to abide in him all day, every day.

How incredible is that? You and I can graft ourselves every day into the perfect, good, and powerful vine of our Heavenly Father. We can wake up every day into the perfect good and powerful vine of our Heavenly Father.

We can wake up every day, open our hearts to God, and live out of the union afforded us

by the powerful sacrifice of Jesus.

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