When Jesus said, “I am the vine…you are the branches” he was not just giving us a message to memorize, but an identity to embrace. When we know who we are, we will know what to do. If we are the branches, the most important thing for the branch to do is to stay connected to the vine. To “be the branch” starts with simply abiding in Jesus. Because Jesus is Savior, we’ll couch everything we do in humble reliance upon the grace that has already saved us. But it doesn’t end there, when Jesus truly becomes Lord of our lives, we will dowhatever He says- even when it doesn’t make logical sense. As branches, we embrace the reality that we can do nothing of any real value apart from Him. And, since we’ve been grafted into Him together, we can do nothing of any real value apart from each other. As the world searches for life and strength outside of Jesus, we can face whatever comes our way knowing that the power of the One that overcame the world overflows in us. During this series, we want to call people into a constant dependence on the Vine, so that as a Church we can remain rooted in Hope regardless of what comes our way.
