Become in Relationship with God

 

September 20, 2020

John 15:1-8

This is the better known (yet often misunderstood) aspect of discipleship. At our church, we challenge disciples to grow in their relationship with God by building spiritual habits like praying, engaging scripture, and worship. As spiritual habits develop, their character becomes like that of Christ. To become a disciple is to constantly submit our ways to the ways of Christ. To become in discipleship is not about “getting to the next level,” “memorizing David’s genealogy” or “accidentally” telling others about your devotional time. It is all about this simple yet painstaking reality: We compare our values and visions with those of Christ and then…we die. We are pruned. We choose His ways, His values and His vision over our own. We seek for there to be less and less of us and for there to be more and more of Him. A collection of small and consistent decisions over time turns us into someone we are not today. We are shaped by Christ to be more like Him and by doing that we abide in him. We are transformed into something that we were not, but now we can be by grace. 

Have you ever pruned a plant before? What did you notice? 

What do you think is the role (job description) of the Son as the vine, the Father as the gardener, and us as the branches?

What it means for you in your life to abide in the Vine? What part of your role as a branch are you doing well? What part are you failing?