Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
August 13, 2022: SOAP #4636: Jeremiah 13-15; John 15

SCRIPTURE: John (NIV) 15:4 Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. 5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing….
8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples….
16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.

OBSERVATION:  Clearly God brings us into His Family to bear fruitful.  He has designed us to be fruitful.  But being fruitful is not something we can do on our own.  IF we remain in Him, like a branch in a vine, we will bear fruit.  It is our responsibility to remain.  We cannot separate ourselves from our source of His life and expect to remain fruitful. 

APPLICATION: Bearing fruit means that we do things that make Him look good.  Obviously, that includes the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23, Ephesians 5:9) being present in our lives.  It also includes deeds of service, kindness, benevolence, etc.  It includes the gifts of the Holy Spirit (1Corinthians 12:4-11), which are gifts given to every believer to make them fruitful in ministry. (1Corinthians 12:7) 

Being fruitful means that the life of the Spirit is in me and flowing out of me.  It means that I am keeping in contact with the source of that life through prayer, Bible reading, meeting with other believers.  God uses their gifts and strengths to minister to me. 

PRAYER:  Lord, as I keep myself grafted into the body of Christ, keep your life flowing to me and through me I pray.  Amen

Pastor Leon
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