Knowing that fruitful living involves more abiding than doing.

1. John 15:1-11
foundations

2. JOHN 14
I’m leaving; you’re not
You’re going to finish what I’ve started
You will never be alone

3. JOHN 15
V.1-11: A believer’s relationship with God
V.12-17: a believer’s relationship with
fellow believers.
V.18-27: A believer’s relationship with
the world around him

4. Fruitful living
begins with a
fruitful
relationship
with God

5. V.2: “does not bear
fruit”
V.2: “bears fruit”
V.2: “bears more fruit”
V.5: “bears much fruit”

7. Branches are
trained
V.2: “takes away…
(lifts up)”
V.2: “Prunes” (cuts
away suckers)

8. JOHN 15:3
“As branches, you are lifted and
pruned and now ready to bear fruit.”
Paraphrase

9. JOHN 15:3
“As branches, you are lifted and
pruned and now ready to bear fruit.”
Paraphrase
Spiritual growth and fruit bearing is a
process that God is committed to!

10. “ABIDE”
“To dwell safely; rooted, secure; to
be at home; entirely at ease;
steadfast in loyalty”
Meno:

11. “ABIDE”Meno:
• Fruitful living takes less “doing”
and more “abiding”.
• Abiding transforms the heart and
not simply the behavior.
• Abiding involves less, “how to…”
and more a “heart to…”

12. Henri Nouwen
From Catholic
leader…
…to caretaker
of the mentally
challenged

13. We Abide with…
Without the practice of silence, words
become meaningless. Without the
practice of solitude, people become
burdensome, and without the practice
of prayer, life becomes too heavy.

14. We Abide with…
Without the practice of silence, words
become meaningless. Without the
practice of solitude, people become
burdensome, and without the practice
of prayer, life becomes too heavy.

15. 1866-1901: Missionary
to Papua, New Guinea
James Chalmers

16. Abiding produces…
It’s impossible for the flesh to produce
God’s love or God’s joy. Both
belong to God. And only through
abiding with God will they materialize.

17. Abiding produces…
It’s impossible for the flesh to produce
God’s love or God’s joy. Both
belong to God. And only through
abiding with God will they materialize.

18. John
foundations
Gospel of