The Hope of Revival

Part 2: The Hope of Revival: Our Values

Does the Christianity we choose to live out matter? This is the question we explored this week as we continued in our series, The Hope of Revival. In John 15:1-11, Jesus uses the metaphor of the vine and branches—where Jesus is the vine, his followers are the branches, and God the Father is the gardener—to emphasize the importance of abiding in him. Abiding requires us to live in a close relationship with Jesus, allowing his words and perspective to shape and transform us and following his commands to love God and others.

The byproduct of abiding is the fruit of a kingdom-filled life: blessings, wisdom, freedom, miracles, transformation, and lasting joy. We are often tempted to chase after the fruit, seeking miracles, answered prayers, comfort, and peace rather than focusing on abiding. But the key to bearing fruit is abiding on the vine and letting God do the work of producing fruit. As we abide in Jesus and allow him to transform us, God works through us, bringing beauty from the ordinary and displaying his love to the world.