The BFF Digital Libraries

Facebook BFFBFF is now on Facebook! Please visit and join us in releasing God's powerful Word to our generation!

God's peace can help us live above anxieties as we learn to trust in Him!

The Lord Your Healer: 

Discover Him and Find His Healing Touch by Paul J. Bucknell

Newest! The Lord Your Healer

Discover Him and Find His Healing Touch

First step of discipleship
revive devotions
Advanced Discipleship

The Bible Teaching Commentary on Genesis: The Book of Foundations

Commentaries that specialize on training the teacher!

Overcoming Anxiety: Finding Peace, Discovering God

 

Relational Discipleship: Cross Training teaching series

Relational Discipleship: Cross Training

Paul J. Bucknell


Vine - Branches: Introduction
Abundant life | The Gardener | The Vine | The Branches | Projects

Growing in our relationships
with God and people!

Vine and Branches

Abiding in Christ

Vine & Branches : Abiding in Christ


Staying Close to the Vine

Abiding in Christ produces much fruit.

1) Abiding in Christ

I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing (John 15:5).

To abide in Christ is to surrender your will and give Him your entire being: choosing to yield, obey, and receive all that He has for us. It is to become like little children, totally dependent upon Him for sustenance, protection, and guidance. Abiding does not produce immediate maturity nor does it produce immediate fruit. Rather it is the promise of becoming mature and bearing fruit ripe for the harvest.

2) Understanding His Promises

If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it shall be done for you (John 15:7).

Through abiding in Him, and His Word having its effect in us, Christ promised that we could ask anything according to His will and it will be done for us. Many take this promise for their own selfish purposes, never committing themselves to the abiding lifestyle. But those who follow its instruction will have what they ask, for they are full of the Word of God and ask in accordance to the Word that abides in them.

Reflection: Learning to trust God when teaching or doing evangelism has been a challenge. If I am self-confident, then I don’t think I need Him. If, however, I feel inadequate, it is easy to worry about doing an inadequate job. I’ve slowly learned that the key is to always be consciously dependent upon Him. This starts when I realize that I cannot do anything good and will remains unless He is in it. I need Him. The sincerity of my prayer is dependent on how much I really believe that I need Him.

3) Chosen for a Purpose

You did not choose Me, but I chose you, and appointed you, that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask of the Father in My name, He may give to you (John 15:16).

The better we understand God’s purpose for us, the easier it is to cross over tough and confusing times. Notice here how God carefully chose us. He didn’t make a bad choice. He chose us because He wanted us to experience His wonderful grace. He also chose to do special and great things through our lives. And although God might do great things through us to show God’s love and power to the world, we are always humbled to remember that Christ the vine is the source of everything good. We are only His vessel (branch).

Application: Pray and thank the Lord for choosing you to carry out His mission. Affirm your willingness for Him to use you.

Next ->


Relational  Discipleship: Cross Training by Paul J. Bucknell

A strategic basic discipleship series designed to help Christians grow not only in their relationship with God but also with other people. BFF Discipleship Traning CDEach section uses a familiar relationship to bring out basic but very practical Biblical teaching.

We highly recommend getting the BFF Discipleship #1 Digital Library which not only includes the Relationship Discipleship book, but slides, summaries, user guide, teacher's reference, etc. This D#1 Library also contains all our other Christian training resources for new believers.


Grow in love for God and for others

These Christian media-enriched resources can also be purchased in the BFF Resource Center.


info@foundationsforfreedom.net

Scriptures typically quoted from the New American Standard Bible unless noted: (C) Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1988

Looking for Revival?