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Living
in Christ
Sometimes it’s difficult to think
of plants as vital living organisms. Unlike human beings and animals, plants
don’t think, communicate, or move about. However, in their own way, plants are
pretty amazing. Plants can actually manufacture their own food. They collect and
transport nutrients from the soil through elaborate passages and combine these
elements with chemicals and sunlight to feed themselves. That’s why healthy
plants are teeming with vibrant leaves and branches. If a plant loses a branch,
it continues to live and grow. The branch, however, will soon shrivel up and
die. A branch, after all, only exists to serve the plant.
John 15:4-8
What does it
mean to abide in Christ?
Who is the vine?
Who is the branch?
What does the vine provide for the branch?
In nature, what does a plant need to grow?
As Christians, what do we need to grow?
When you abide in Christ, what fruit will you bear?
Galatians 5:22-23 Consider Galatians
5:22-23.
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,
goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is
no law."
What qualities do you feel you need to develop in your life?
How can you allow God to develop this "fruit" in your life?
WHAT DO I DO WHEN I BLOW IT?
(How to experience forgiveness)
A) Sometimes we take over control of our lives (from God), and we do what we
want to do. Our fellowship and communication with God is broken at this point,
but we are still God’s children. Even though we know at this point that God
has forgiven us, we are not experiencing His love and forgiveness. We seem far
away from God.
What do we need to do?
B) Confession ( Colossians 2:13-14 & 1 John 1:9)
1. Agree with God that it is sin
(Confession in the New Testament means to "agree with God about sin").
C) Thank God that He has already forgiven you.
D) Turn from your sin.
The whole reason for confession is not just to satisfy God. Rather its
purpose is for us, to restore our fellowship with God.
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