Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. -- John 15:4 (ESV)

One year when our family went to Disney World we lost my youngest child, Kyra, for a few minutes. Everyone was walking back to our gathering point with ice-cream in hand. It was a scorching hot day. When everyone returned to our central gathering spot I noticed Kyra wasn't with the group.

"Where's Kyra?" I asked.

Everyone looked around. We didn't panic at first, but then as we looked around the crowded park, we didn't see her in our immediate vicinity. So we all spread out in different directions to start looking. Within one minute we found her standing beside another family...eating her ice-cream. She was so immersed in eating her ice-cream, and never lifted her head from eating it, that she didn't realize she was walking beside a completely different family.

She got separated from us.

The passage we are looking at today is a reminder from Jesus that the most fruitful and satisfying life we can live is one at His side. He tells us to abide in him. That word "abide" means to remain in Him, to stay bound to Him. He gives the example of a branch and a vine. Branches of a grape vine are connected to the main vine. It is from these branches that clusters of grapes develop and flourish. 

Jesus compares Himself to the main vine. We are the branches that must remain connected to Him.

He is the source of our life, our peace, our joy, and our satisfaction. The heart behind this abiding is relationship.

We are called to live in constant and
close fellowship with God.
Communion with God is the daily
relationship we enjoy with Him.
We enjoy this relationship,
and practice abiding in Him,
as we read the Scripture daily,
pray, and fight sin in our lives.

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Abide in Him today. Only in doing that can we have true life, and bear much fruit.

Reflection & Journal:
- As you think about the image of being a branch connected to Jesus the vine, what does this look like daily in your life?
- What is the importance of staying connected to Jesus in daily relationship? Why is it not enough to simply go to church?
- What are the dangers we face if we live our lives disconnected from Christ the vine? Have you experienced seasons of your life disconnected from the vine?

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