Abide! The Disciple's Lifestyle

Book excerpt: Jesus calls us to abide in Him. In John 15, Jesus gives a metaphor of Him being the vine and we being the branches. The idea of "abide" here is that we continue to receive the essential life giving nutrients we need from Him to survive spiritually. While He is the one providing the nutrients, we need to position ourselves to receive them. The practical application of this means a radical change in our lifestyles. This study will focus on the habits of a disciple that are formed by disciplining ourselves so that we can do our part in abiding in Jesus-He has done His part already. There is a connection between the words "disciple" and "discipline." No one is naturally a disciple. First, we need to have faith in Jesus (John 3:16), repent (Acts 3:19), and be baptized (Matthew 28:19-20). Then we have to be taught to obey Jesus. The Life! Studies address the former. This study addresses the latter-developing a personal lifestyle that enables us to be obedient to Jesus and live as He lived.