OUR DAILY BREAD : MORE THAN INFORMATION

[cimi]

June 5
Wednesday


MORE THAN
INFORMATION

READ:
John 15:1-13
__________________________________________________________________________________

Abide in Me, and
I in you.
__John 15:4
__________________________________________________________________________________

How is behavior altered? In his book The Social Animal, David Brooks notes that some experts have said people just need to be taught the long-term risks of bad behavior. For example, he writes: "Smoking can lead to cancer. adultery destroys families, and lying destroys trust. The assumption was that once you reminded people of the foolishness of their behavior, they would be motivated to stop. Both reason and will are obviously important in making moral decisions and exercising self-control. but neither of these character models has proven very effective." In other words, information alone is not powerful enough to transform behavior.

As Jesus' followers, we want to grow and change spiritually. More than two millennia ago, Jesus told His disciples how that can happen. He said, "Abide in Me, and I in you. As a branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me" (John 15:4). Jesus is the Vine and we, His followers, are the branches. If we're honest, we know we're utterly helpless and spiritually ineffective apart fro Him.

Jesus transforms us spiritually and reproduces His life in us__as we abide in Him. __Marvin Williams

``````````````````Lord, take my life and make it wholly Thine;``````````````````
`````````````````Fill my poor heart with Thy great love divine.```````````````````
`````````````````Take all my will my passion, self, and pride;````````````````````
`````````````````I now surrender, Lord__in me abide. __Orr`````````````````````
___________________________________________________________________________________________

A change in behavior begins
with Jesus changing our heart.

****************Today's Bible Reading __ John 15:1-13******************

1 I am the true vine, and MY
Father is the vinedresser.

2 Every branch in Me that
does not bear fruit He takes
away; and every branch that
bears fruit He prunes, that it
may bear more fruit. 3 You
are already clean because of
the word which I have
spoken to you. 4 Abide in
Me, and I in you. As the
branch cannot bear fruit of
itself, unless it abides in the
vine, neither can you, unless
you abide in Me.

5 I am the vine, you are the
branches. He who abides in
Me, and I in him, bears much
fruit; for without Me you can
do nothing. 6 If anyone does
not abide in Me, he is cast
out as a branch and is
withered; and they gather
them and throw them into the
fire, and they are burned. 7 If
you abide in Me, and MY
words abide in you, you will
ask what you desire, and it
shall be done for you. 8 By
this My Father is glorified,
that you bear much fruit; so
you will be My disciples.

9 As the Father loved Me, I
also have loved you; abide in
My love. 10 If you keep My
commandments, you will
abide in My love, just as I
have kept My Father's
commandments and abide in
His love. 11 These things I
have spoken to you, that My
joy may remain in you, and
that your joy may be full.

12 This is My commandment,
that you love one another as I
have loved you. 13 Greater
love has no one than this,
than to lay down one's life
for his friends.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>INSIGHT<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

The relationship of Christ and the believer is depicted in many different
ways in Scripture. The metaphor of a vine and branches is one such
image. John's gospel records Christ's own teaching of our union with
Him in these very terms. This deep union with Christ is one of the
defining and comforting characteristics of relationship with Him.