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Well, hello there reader!
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Thanks for opening up this week's edition of the News & Notes email. Today is a bit of a special day - it's our birthday! Good o' little Riverwood is now 9-years-old. Whether you've been a part of the family for one week, one year, or all nine, thanks for making us who we are and helping us pursue Jesus!
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Today, Erin continues his series In Christ by taking us to John 15 and seeing what it means to "abide." Hope this email brings some mid-week encouragement to continue following Jesus!
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Abide in Christ
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In John 15, Jesus uses a metaphor about grapes and vines as an illustration of the type of relationship a Jesus-follower should have with Him. But in several English translations, the word "abide" appears in His teaching, like in verse 4...
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"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."
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This is such a beautiful concept! However, I don't think most of us truly grasp it, primarily because we don't use the word "abide" in English very often. What does it mean to "abide" in Christ?
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Re: Main
The Greek word μείνατε (meinate) gets translated by the ESV, NASB, KJV, and other English versions as "abide". But the NET Bible chose to translate it as "remain." The reason they chose "remain" is because the Greek dictionary they use defines μείνατε as "to remain or abide, especially in reference to place."
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In other words, within the word "abide" contains the idea of residing, remaining in one place, of not departing. It has connotations of being lovingly kept or held, as in an embrace. It even has overtones of patience and perseverance, with a sense of rest.
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Just as grapes don't get some nourishment in one place, then jump to a different fence or different soil type or different vine to get different or better nourishment, if you are "in Christ," you aren't to jump to a different religion, or different faith, or even a different "god" to find fulfillment. Your full joy (as Jesus states in verse 11 of John 15) will be found in only Him.
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Yet, we do this all the time! You may not be dipping into Confucianism for a bit of spiritual refreshment, yet so many of us try to "remain" through entertainment, or sugar, or alcohol, or exercise, or acquiring material possessions. These things can be good, but when they replace Jesus in our hearts and become the vine to which we hold, we aren't "abiding" in Christ.
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This is why the Apostle Paul instructs Jesus-followers to be "rooted and built up" in the Gospel (Colossians 2:7). For a tree to be rooted, the tree must remain in place, digging its roots deeper into the soil. Likewise, for you to "abide" in Christ, to be "rooted and built up" in the Gospel, you must remain with Him through all things. And this will probably mean going back to Him over and over and over, to (as the cliché says) keep the main thing the main thing.
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How to Abide
But how do you "remain" in Christ?
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- Prayer - Keep a running conversation going with God, which reminds you He is always with you and is the source of all wisdom and strength.
- Scripture - God's Word is "living and active" (Hebrews 4:16), so let Him actively speak to you.
- Jesus-Centered Relationships - Let God use His people to help you abide. Join a Growth Group, or meet with a brother or sister in Christ regularly, with the intention of encouraging each other to continue to follow Jesus.
- Schedule to abide - Put in your calendar Bible time, or personal spiritual retreats, or going on a walk in nature with Jesus, or even getting to our Worship Gatherings each Sunday. And when you put it in your calendar, don't let social media, or doom scrolling on your phone, or Hulu, or even that task you've been procrastinating keep you from your scheduled time with God.
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I am far from the perfect example of this, but I invite you to join me in pursuing Jesus through the Gospel and learning what it means to abide in Him.
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Azlyn Visit
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Sunday, April 30, we have the privelege of welcoming Azlyn McCarthy, missionary to the deaf in Togo, to speak at Riverwood. She will share about the deaf ministry and have a Q&A time as well. (Note: there will be NO Kids Creek)
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Summer Volunteers
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Every summer, we find ourselves in need of more volunteers to help fill gaps when people go on vacation. If you would like to be a part of a Riverwood team for the summer (mowing, cleaning, café, ushering, Kids Creek, etc.) please let us know via email and we'll be in touch!
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"Watch Your Mouth"
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We started a brief new Sunday series called Tongue of Fire. If you'd like to go a little deeper in the study of the power of our words, Dr. Tony Evans has a series on RightNow Media about taming our tongue called "Watch Your Mouth."
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Just For Fun
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