
“If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love”…

As we abide in Christ, we will bear fruit and impart God’s life in us to others. We will do this by partaking in and sharing God’s Word, participating in worship, and performing the work or ministry He calls us to.

“Every branch in me that does not bear fruit {God the Father} takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.”

The branches of a vine or tree need the rest of the plant, including the other branches. Christians cannot expect to live out our faith alone. We need other Christians to help keep us connected to Christ.

We can learn several key lessons from Jesus’ parable of the vine and branches. These are lessons of entire sanctification, perfect conformity, absolute dependence, and undoubting confidence.

Some life lessons that came to me while tracing my family tree. Lesson #1: Be kind to everyone you meet. They are your cousins.

“So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good” (1 Peter 2:1–3; part 2 of a series).

“So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.”

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalms 119:105)

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied”