Abide
Image from Eye for Ebony "Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing." John 15:4-5 This month I’m kicking off a series of blog entries entitled “A Devoted Life.” Throughout this month and sprinkled through the year this will be a place to unpack scriptures that encourage a life that is devoted to God, through Jesus Christ. Over time the idea of devotions, having devotions, has gotten away from the church. Without getting into speculation as to why we’ve gotten away from it, this is a great time to reacquaint ourselves with the practice of setting ourselves, our minds, and our attention on Christ. To start, let’s explore what it means to abide with the Lord. When we decide to devote ourselves to Christ, it takes effort on our part. It