Today’s Reading | John 15:1-16:4
Remaining
How many times does Jesus use the word “remain” in today’s reading? Circle them in your Bible. What does it mean to remain? If you were to look up the definition for the word remain, you would find that it means to stay in place, to continue to exist, or to hold fast. In other words, it means that we continue to walk and grow with God. To remain with God is to have a consistent walk with Him. It is not walking close for a month and then going a month without having devotions. To remain means having steady constant growth. The Christian walk is not to be an up/down or hot/cold sort of relationship but one of staying with it, being persistent over time. As a branch stays on the vine and gains all its sustenance from the vine, so are we to remain with Christ in our walk, gaining daily from Him. For too long, we have accepted the fact that the Christian life is up/down and hot/cold. Consequently we tolerate it in our lives. That is not at all how God intended for us to live. Would God define your personal walk as a one that is remaining? How can you become more consistent in remaining in your relationship? How can others help you?
Today’s Questions
Say What?
Identify one area in which you are having a difficult time remaining?
So What?
Why do you struggle in this area?
Now What?
What can you do to help yourself remain in this area?
Then What?
How will you be able to tell if you are remaining?