FRIDAY, July 18th, 2008

Hey Guys!


A Few Thoughts From Yesterday:
Tricia: Woo Hoo! You were first! Keep it up! If you want you can create a profile so you don't have to be "anonymous"
Lucy and Jessica B: I am glad that you both will hole each other accountable and let me just say how thankful I am that you are both in the youth group! I hope that this upcoming is year is your greatest year ever!
Josh L and Brooke: You can both still be partners, Josh will simply have to write the devos out and show them to me. YOU CAN DO YOUR DEVOTIONS WITHOUT A COMPUTER! :)
Cary and Josh S: I am glad that you guys are working together on this. Make SURE that you qualify for the next reward trip!!!
Amy and Grace: GRACE??? Where were you? Amy, did you call her and remind her? :)
Kacey and Rachel and Ryan: All I have to say is that you two girls have your work cut out for you! You are going to have to push that Ryan if you are going to qualify!! :)
Tyler and Kervin: Hey guys! Glad you could make it! Feel free to talk about things in addition to your devotions!
Jeff: Sweet! I can't wait to see your gainer! I will try to come Sunday!
Jessica and Mallory: Ya'll have to figure out some way to do the devotions while you are out of town next week! Do you have internet at your condo?
Jonathan Massey and Kervin: Do you guys have partners?


John 15:1-8

1 “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser.
2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.
3 You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.
4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.
5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.
6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.
7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.
8 By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.

What a cool picture here! By THIS is God Glorified: When We Bear Much Fruit! obviously this is not talking about watermelon growing out of your ears. This passage is talking about the spiritual fruit or EVIDENCE of the working of God.

Let me explain it by the illustration Christ gives. Jesus explains that He is the vine and we are the branches... Let me first ask have you ever seen a branch alive that was not connected to the "true vine" or to the "trunk of the tree". No! Branches don't just grow on their own, they must be connected to the vine where they get life from. We too must be connected to Christ because He is the source of our life!

You will especially never see a branch that is not connected to anything that is growing and producing fruit. There are some people in this World that want to pretend to be Christians. The fact is, they can pretend all they want, but their will NOT BE FRUIT in their life if they are not connected to the "True Vine" Jesus Christ.

Let me ask you... are you bearing fruit in your life? What is fruit? Love, Joy, Peace, longsuffering, gentelness, goodness, faith, meekness and temperance

Because if you are not bearing fruit, Jesus makes it clear in verse 2 that: "every branch that does not bear fruit He takes away" and verse 6: "if anyone does not abide in me he is cast out as a branch into the fire". Can you guess what Jesus is refering to there?

It just reminds us, that if we truly believe in Christ, then there will be evidence in our lives... If we do not believe then there will not be any fruit in our life. Don't fool yourself by trying to pretend like you have fruit when you don't. Jesus makes it clear that the branches that don't produce fruit will be "thrown into the fire".

If you are not producing fruit in your life, then ASK CHRIST TODAY, to make you a branch that brings forth fuit. Be connected to the vine, Jesus Christ, and then you will see wonderful FRUIT in your life!