Plugged In

Plugged In

Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me. Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.

John 15:4-5

I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.

Philippians 4:13

Have you ever gotten frustrated with a piece of equipment or a machine that didn’t seem to work, only to find out that someone had unplugged it from the electrical outlet? Then when it was plugged in, it worked just fine.

Jesus said that if we are not plugged in to him, we can’t do anything. Nothing. No power, no life, no meaning. Wasted effort. He meant that anything we do with our own power apart from him is worthless. But Paul said that through Christ he could do everything. And for Paul that meant he could suffer in prison and preach in Rome and be cold and hungry yet still have joy. His connectedness to Jesus made it possible to face whatever life brought his way.

Our connectedness to Jesus is the secret to doing anything—in fact, everything. Remaining in Christ means entering into his presence as we roll out of bed in the morning. It means breathing out prayers of trust throughout the day. It means drawing strength from him and finding joy in him until our heads hit our pillows at the end of the day.

When we feel overwhelmed and feel like giving up, we can remember that Jesus is enough for even this. And when we start thinking, I don’t need to ask for God’s help; I can handle this myself, we can remember that for anything to be worthwhile, we need Jesus to do it through us.

DISCUSSION STARTERS

What does a vine provide for a branch? How long would a branch live on its own apart from the vine?

What is the difference between doing something by our own power and doing it through Christ?

What are some ways you can nurture connectedness to Jesus throughout your typical day?