Personal renewal is marked by a strong presence of Jesus in our lives. In John 15 it tells the way you experience more of God. The more you experience, the more you have. In a small book by Harriet Beecher Stowe called, “How to Live on Christ,” she writes, “How does the branch bear fruit? Not by incessant effort for sunshine and air; it simply abides in the vine, in silent and undisturbed union, and blossoms and fruit appear as of spontaneous growth. How, then, shall a Christian bear fruit? By efforts and struggles? No: there must be a complete surrender of the whole being to Him; a constant looking to Him for grace.
People who get in a rhythm of life where the Spirit is in control are firmly fixed on calmly moving in sequence throughout their day and week. It is as if their schedule is unfolded as they respond to the leading of the Spirit. In the English Standard Version it says, “Abide in Me!” “4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing” John 15:4-5. Abiding has to do with being in the presence of Jesus. There are many ways we do this. We can do it when we pull away from the hustle and bustle of life and spent time seeking God through prayer and Bible reading. Another way we do that is through a daily routine of devotions before we begin our day. I know that another important part is spending time in Worship with other believers. We come together every week and study God’s Word in Discipleship Classes and Worship. This is a time when we bring our families together and actually set aside a Sabbath rest from our regular schedules. I know for me that I am rejuvenated, encouraged, and raring to go because I have experiencing the Lord and others in this place called the church. I am ready for another week of serving those I come in contact with. As a matter of fact, I look forward to being with the Body of Christ to reset my week. Thank you for being such a bright spot in my week. Just a reminder, anyone who wants to come out tonight and serve alongside of others can come to the Family Life Center at 5 or 7pm ready to greet, welcome, pray for, and just help families as they celebrate the beginning of summer. See you there! Joy in Jesus! Pastor Mike
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Rev. Mike McClurgSenior Pastor, Findlay First Church of the Nazarene Archives
March 2020
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