“Remain in me, as I also remain in you.”

— John 15:4

BIG QUESTION: How do I remain connected to Jesus?

ANSWER: By keeping Jesus the most important thing in my life.

The Vine, the Gardner, and the Branches (v. 1)

God the Father is the Gardener, Jesus is the Vine, and we are the branches. As the Gardener cares deeply for the plant, God cares deeply for us.

There are two types of cuts; neither feels good, but only one is good. (v. 2)

God prunes us to make us more like Jesus. What needs pruning in your life? Often, where we resist accountability the hardest is likely where we need it the most.

Remain (v. 4)

The Greek word for remain is menō, which means to abide, to reside, to make your home.

Jesus wants us to make him our home, not just a place we visit every now and then. It’s relational—we remain in Jesus, and He says He will remain in us.