Unpacking John 15:1-11, part 2 - Two Groups

Hi Ladies,

As we continue to unpack John 15 and the concept of abiding in Christ, we need to deal with a sobering reality. It's also one that is often misunderstood. My prayer is that the Spirit will work through our time spent meditating on it this week to both strengthen and encourage you. Please read the entire passage again to get the context of the bolded sections:

"I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. 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. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full." (John 15:1-11)

Much ink has been spilled over these sections. Much fear has been generated as well. Does God actually remove people who aren't bearing fruit? 

While people much smarter and more trained than I can give you the technical information, I want to distill a few interpretive principles and show you the meaning I believe is most faithful to the whole of Scripture. 

When it comes to hermeneutics (or interpreting Scripture), here are three key principles to keep in mind. There are more, but get these if nothing else!

1) Context is key

2) Let Scripture interpret Scripture

3) Let clear passages help interpret less clear passages 

First, context is key. We need to read these verses in light of the whole passage, which is why I've had you do that the last three weeks.

Second, let Scripture interpret Scripture. We need to consider the whole counsel of God when interpreting these verses. God will never contradict Himself. 

Third, let clear passages help interpret less clear passages. If we encounter something that seems contradictory, we need to let the clear passage shed light on the unclear. 

With these three principles in mind, let's look at the first bolded section from above: "Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit." Jesus has presented two groups in the larger context: those who bear fruit and those who don't. He has also given two positions, so to speak: those who are attached to the vine and those who aren't. These two groups can be spoken of this way: those attached bear fruit, and those who aren't, don't. 

There's no third option presented here. While the first bolded section (v. 2) might lead you to think that there is an unfruitful group in Christ, the second bolded section (v. 6) clarifies by using different words to say the same thing: "If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers." 

So why would Christ say "every branch in me that does not bear fruit"? John, in his gospel, makes a point to highlight those who claim to be Christ-followers, but aren't true disciples (e.g. Jn. 3:2-11, 5:39-42, 6:66, 8:31-47, 13:10-11). As Matthew also supports, it will not be enough to say on that day "Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name?" (Mt. 7:22) Only those truly in Him are His. Therefore, those who do not bear fruit are those who are not abiding - who are not truly attached to the vine. And they are the ones taken away, who wither and are burned. 

Scripture makes crystal clear that we cannot lose our salvation. Earlier in John Christ also says, "All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out." (Jn. 6:37) And, "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand." (Jn. 10:27-29)

Ladies in Christ, I hope this is a comfort to you. If you have placed your faith and trust in Him alone, you are unremovable! You will bear the fruit that He has created you to bear. 

But if any of you hasn't placed your faith and trust in Him alone - who are not yet attached to the True Vine - it's not too late. No one alive right now is cut off from Christ. His invitation for you to come and abide and bear fruit stands. Please don't wait. 

Let's pray for one another this week, that this comforting and motivating truth might be (or become) the reality for each one in our growing church family! ❤️🙏🏼

Anna 

Unpacking John 15:1-11, part 1 - Exclusivity and Unity

Hi Ladies,

I pray the Spirit has used John 15 to both challenge and encourage you this past week as we have been meditating on it. He certainly has me! 

This week, I want us to focus on the bold sections of the passage within the context of the whole:

"I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. 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. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full."

I want us to note two things this week:

1) The exclusivity of the Truth

2) The unity of the Father and the Son

First, Jesus says, "I am the true vine." This statement is packed with meaning that is easy to miss. In our modern, western culture, gardening is not as prevalent as it would have been for the disciples. Jesus was speaking their language. Not only that, He was drawing from a wealth of vine language in the Old Testament. 

Listen to what Asaph prays to the "Shepherd of Israel"…

"You brought a vine out of Egypt;

you drove out the nations and planted it….

Turn again, O God of hosts!
Look down from heaven, and see;
have regard for this vine,
the stock that your right hand planted,
and for the son whom you made strong for yourself." (Ps. 80:8, 14)

And read this powerful song that Isaiah sings of God's "vineyard," Israel:

"Let me sing for my beloved

my love song concerning his vineyard:
My beloved had a vineyard
on a very fertile hill. 

He dug it and cleared it of stones,
and planted it with choice vines;
he built a watchtower in the midst of it,
and hewed out a wine vat in it;
and he looked for it to yield grapes,
but it yielded wild grapes.

And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem
and men of Judah,
judge between me and my vineyard.
What more was there to do for my vineyard,
that I have not done in it?
When I looked for it to yield grapes,
why did it yield wild grapes?…

For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts
is the house of Israel,
and the men of Judah
are his pleasant planting;
and he looked for justice,
but behold, bloodshed;
for righteousness,
but behold, an outcry!" (Is. 5:1-4, 7)

Most likely, the disciples would have known these passages. So when Jesus proclaims Himself as the true vine, He is making a sweeping statement about Himself, and about them. He is the One they were supposed to be, but could not. He was the true Israel, the True vine of the Master vinedresser. So now, all those who abide in Him - are attached to Him - are now able to be the people God had created them to be! But the flip side is also true. No one unattached to this vine will live. 

Second, notice the interchange between Jesus' statements about Himself and His Father. We need to be careful not to press the analogy further than Jesus does. In calling the Father the vinedresser and Himself the vine, He is not diminishing His deity or undermining trinitarian language at all. In fact, if you continue to note the bolded words, you see that He is actually equating Himself with God. They have a unified plan, a unified purpose, a unified love, and a unified joy. 

How do these two truths affect us? Ladies, if you are not in Christ - if you have not acknowledged your inherent nature of rebellion and your desperate need for His righteous life, you will not live. There is no other way. This is the most important decision you can ever make in your life. And if you haven't, today is the day. I would love to talk to you. Please, come to Jesus, your True life! 

For those of us who are in the Vine, be encouraged that our Triune God is for us! In Christ, we will bear the Spirit-produced fruit that brings God glory, and we will know and live the love and the joy we were created for. 

Let's pray for each other this week, that if there are any of us not in Christ, that the Spirit would powerfully and quickly convict. 

And let's also pray that those of us who are in Him might experience all that our Triune God means for us to as we grow to understand the incredible realities of our abiding! ❤️🙏🏼

Anna

Meditating on John 15

Hi Ladies,

As I have prayed about how to continue growing our understanding of abiding in Christ through these weekly devotionals, the Lord has directed toward John 15. Since it is one of the most concentrated passages on abiding, we'll plan to park here for a few weeks. 

But before diving in, I'd like us all to spend this week praying through and meditating on the passage together. Below is John 15:1-11. 

Would you prayerfully read it every day this next week? 

I have a few questions at the bottom to help guide your meditation on it as well: 

"I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. 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. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full." 

Questions for meditation this week: 

1) What is Jesus telling us to abide in? (Hint: there is more than one answer!)

2) What does Jesus point to as the purposes for this abiding?

Know that I am praying for you, and for myself, that the Spirit would illumine our minds and hearts to gain all that we can from this powerful portion of Scripture, so that we might live it! 

I also covet your prayers as I spend this next week away, prepping for our upcoming retreat. 🙂❤️🙏🏼

Anna 

What Does It Mean to Abide?

Hi Ladies,

We will be exploring our theme of Abide throughout the entire year, since there is much more to absorb than one devotional thought can hold. So be patient if these weekly bites leave you with questions. 🙂 That is partly my goal, as critical thinking aids learning. You might have heard this before, but it's more important that you learn how to think biblically than that you simply download what I or anyone else thinks. 

How would you go about answering this question: What does it mean to abide?

A reliable English dictionary can be a great starting point. But we are more interested in how the Bible uses the word. And thankfully, we have access to wonderful resources that make this exploration easy! You've heard me talk about Blue Letter Bible. Another great option is the STEP Bible. Both of these resources allow those of us who don't know the original languages to learn more about the original words and then see how and where these words are used throughout the whole of Scripture. If you're not an online user, you can actually buy a Bible with a Strong's concordance for key words. (One of you recently showed me yours. How cool!)

Let me walk you through how I would approach a word study for "abide." I might start with my online Bible just to see how prolific the word is. According to Bible Gateway (an online Bible with multiple translation options), there are 29 instances in the New Testament ("abide/abides"). Click here to see them. All hyperlinks above and below will show you what I'm explaining. You also see on this page that 27 of them are used by John!

That site won't give you the original Hebrew or Greek word or the definition, so I would then go to BLB or STEP and do a word search with "abide." From here, you can read all the verses that contain this word and start to get a sense for the meaning(s) from the verses. But to get to the original word, click on the "tools" button in BLB, or the actual word ("abide") in STEP, and it will take you to the Greek word menō. Both sites give you a multifaceted definition when you click either on the Strong's number (BLB) or on the word itself (STEP). These definitions seek to show you the various ways the word is used and in which passage(s) that sense is used. If you are a grammar lover, it will even tell you all that fun stuff too! 

This search also reveals that menō is used a lot more than 29 times in Scripture. The Greek word gets translated into multiple English words, like "stay, continue, dwell, remain," etc. The STEP Bible gives this definition: "to stay, remain, live, dwell, abide; to be in a state that begins and continues, yet may or may not end or stop. 'To abide in Christ' is to follow his example of a life obedient to the will of God."

In doing this simple exercise, I've come to understand that there is a richness to the meaning of "abide." It's not limited to one description, but rather is full with meaning. As we begin to look at some of these passages in the weeks to come, I hope that your heart will grow in the richness as well! 

Finally, I want to remind you to approach these studies humbly and prayerfully. We're not here simply to fill our heads with smarts. Rather, we are here to learn to treasure the Living Word more and more and abide in Him! So I would encourage you to conclude these study times with prayer, praising God for His character revealed in your study, thanking Him for helping you understand, confessing any sin that your study has exposed, and asking for His help as you seek to rightly apply what you've learned. 

May this become a habit for more of us more and more! ❤️🙏🏼

Anna 

ABC Women’s 2026 Focus and Plans

Hi Ladies,

As I reflect on all that God has done in and through our women this year, I'm amazed and humbled! We focused more intentionally on becoming equipped for every good work. And by God's grace, He moved many of us closer to that goal - a goal that won't be complete until we're glorified, but one that we are called to continue pursuing until that day!

After seeking the Lord about what our specific focus should be this year, He has led toward exploring what it means to abide in Christ. I can't wait to journey into this topic with you! Below are some of the ways we will do that through our women's ministry this year:

1) One of the best ways to abide in Christ is to be with Him in His Word. As I do every year, I exhort you to make a plan for that - whatever plan works for you. Reading for breadth is important, so a plan to read through the Bible is great. Studying for depth is also important. I find that doing both at the same time can be tricky, so one of my favorite plans has been a 5-day reading plan that gives me the weekends for deeper study time. But I encourage you to 1) pray and consider what the Lord wants you to do this year. And then once you 2) decide, 3) tell someone, so they can help keep you accountable. We need each other! (If you need more ideas/plans, check out these, or feel free to ask.)

2) I'm excited to be able to hold another local weekend retreat - an almost spring one this year, rather than winter. 🪻😊 It will be Friday evening, March 20 - Saturday, March 21. More details to come, but the theme will be Abide. We'll be exploring God's plan from the Garden to our glorification, union with Christ, and what it looks like to abide in Christ practically. I hope you will put this on your calendar now! 

3) A group of us will be heading to Indianapolis again for the TGC Women's conference Thursday-Saturday, June 11-13. The theme is Turn Your Eyes: Seeing the Savior in the Psalms. What a perfect complement to the theme of abiding in Him! In addition to a firehose of rich teaching, this is a really sweet time for fellowship. And if you like books, it's like Christmas… multiple free books and a huge exhibit hall of discounted resources. Ticket prices go up every few months, and the next increase is January 9, so prayerfully check it out at the link above and let me know if you're interested. (Women's Ministry will help offset hotel costs, so don't let cost stop you.)

4) We will continue our quarterly brunches, with our winter one approaching soon on Saturday, January 31 from 9:30-11:30am. We're inviting our brothers to this one, not only to let them in on these things, but also to affirm and encourage them in their own growth and goals this year. We'll be down in the gym for more space, and we'll need your yummy food as you always provide so well. 🙂

5) We'll be continuing our Book Club, the first which is scheduled for Wednesday, Feb 4 from 6:30-8pm at ABC. Come having read (or reading!) Jeremiah Burroughs' The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment, and join in an informal discussion. The connections to abiding are numerous.

6) Many of you are meeting with someone for discipleship/mentorship, but I know that many of you still want/need that. If that is you, I cannot encourage you strongly enough to make it a priority for this year. We desperately need each other in order to grow in Christlikeness - those who are wiser than us and more experienced in life, those who are journeying alongside us, and those who are coming up behind us who need what we can channel to them.... Or, as you've heard us say, a "Paul," a "Barnabas," and a "Timothy." Please pray about what the Lord wants of you regarding discipleship this year. And if you need help getting started, I would LOVE to help. Please, come talk to me!

7) Our contact circles will continue. This is an attempt to make sure every lady in our church family has someone checking on them periodically. It's informal, but also incredibly helpful for me to know that we are joining arms in caring for one another. Many of you are already helping me with this, but if you're not and would like to, I'd love to tell you more about this small commitment but extremely important ministry.

8) I shared this last year, but if you are looking for free classes for deeper study,  MBTS's For the Church Institute has incredible offerings! Check them out here.

9) I will endeavor to continue sending weekly prayer devotionals. These have two goals in mind: stirring of mind and heart to know and love God more, and unity in prayer. I pray the Lord uses these to help as abide in Him this year. If you would ever like to contribute one yourself, know that I would love to involve you in this ministry.

10) With Deep Discipleship continuing until April, there won't be a specific women's Bible study offered this spring. But stay tuned for studies coming.

We have lots of exciting things in store! But it will be of no value apart from our abiding in Christ and the Spirit's power needed to do this work. So let's be on our knees together as we head into all that God has for us. Would you join us for our New Year's Eve prayer gathering for that purpose? We'll be in the Fellowship Hall from 6-7pm. I would love for us to pray together in person.

I'm so grateful to be in this with you. ❤️🙏

Anna

A theology of resolve

Hi Ladies,

Happy 2026! Since New Years fell on a Thursday this year, I'm sending out our email a little early again this week. I don't know each of you to the same degree, but I do know that you are likely in one of three groups: First group has been busy making their New Year's resolutions. Second group is waffling between inspiration, dread and guilt, thinking about past failures and not wanting to fail again. The rest of you despise these resolutions and haven't given a thought to it. 😊

Well, I have something helpful for all of you! Rather than reading my words this week, I want to share something with you to either read or listen to. It will take only 10 minutes or less: 

https://www.desiringgod.org/interviews/god-wants-your-resolve

Go ahead and read or listen before reading on…

(For those of you who don't like to click links, I've also pasted the content at the bottom of this email.)

~~~~~~

His prayer from Paul is my prayer for each of you, and for myself, as we resolve to abide in Christ together…

"To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power, so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ." 2 Thess. 1:11-12

What incredible privileges we have in our glorious, gracious God! ❤️🙏🏼

Anna

P.S. After reading, if you'd like some help in thinking through more about the what, why and how of resolutions, this is a really helpful short-video series.

~~~~~~

We're left with a pressing question: In the Christian life, can New Year's resolutions serve a meaningful purpose in helping to align our lives with God's will, or do they often lead to frustration and spiritual burnout? Are they truly helpful in fostering growth and obedience, or are they ultimately harmful, perhaps setting us up for inevitable failure in our pursuit of holiness? And as we seek to approach this topic from a biblical perspective, how does Scripture guide us in navigating the art of goal-setting, resolutions, and the pursuit of personal change in a way that honors God and reflects the grace he offers?

Well, as always, Tony, it depends on what you mean by resolutions. If you mean "declaration of what you intend to do by dint of willpower," then not only will it probably fail, but if it doesn't fail, it's not Christian. So, if it fails, it fails; and if it succeeds, it fails. Because that's not what the Christian life is. It's not lived that way — not at the beginning of a year, not at the beginning of a day, not at the beginning of an hour. You don't screw up your willpower to obey a command and resolve to do a thing by virtue of strong resolution and call that Christianity. It's not.

The mystery of holiness is that we live our lives in the strength of another. That is, we walk by the Spirit; we walk by faith in the power of another. We depend on another (the Holy Spirit) to do in us and through us what needs to be done so that another (God) will get the glory. The principle, whether it's New Year, new morning, or new hour, is 1 Peter 4:11: "[Let him who] serves [serve] by the strength that God supplies." So, you could paraphrase it, "Let him who resolves to do a thing (or not do a thing) resolve in the strength that God supplies," so that "in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him [be] glory . . . forever."

Yes, go ahead and resolve. Paul put it like this: "By the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them" (1 Corinthians 15:10). So, he gets up in the morning and he says, "What do I have to do today? Well, I have to travel to Philippi. I have to make three tents tonight. I have to prepare a message for tomorrow morning. I resolve to do those things." And then he says, "Though it was not I, but the grace of God that [was] with me" (1 Corinthians 15:10). 

Or he says in Romans 15:18, "I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience." So, he says, "We're going to Spain; let's go. I resolve to go to Spain. I've got this ambition to preach the gospel where Christ has not been named. Let's go." And then he writes, "I'm not going to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me."

So, his resolutions are empowered by, sustained by, and worked through the grace of Christ, which is right at the heart of what it means to live the Christian life, not just make resolutions. Philippians 2:12–13 says, "Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you," which could be paraphrased, "Resolve — make a resolution — with fear and trembling, for God is the one who's making the resolution in you." That's the way to live the Christian life.

My answer is yes, we should make resolves lots of times, not just at the beginning of a year. Whenever we feel, whenever we see something that we should be doing that we're not doing, we should resolve, "Do it." Whenever we're doing something that we should not be doing, and we recognize that we're doing it, we should resolve, "Don't do it." 

Resolve not to do what you shouldn't do, and resolve to do what you should do, whenever you see that you're not doing it or that you're doing it. God doesn't like for our hearts to be irresolute. The opposite of resolving is to be irresolute, undecisive. And here's what Elijah said about that: "How long will you go limping between two different opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him" (1 Kings 18:21). So, resolve this day whom you're going to serve. Get off the fence and follow your Lord.

I think there are a lot of Christians who are afraid of resolutions. But the opposite of a resolution is not this wonderful freedom of dependence on God to empower them; it's sitting on the fence and not making any commitments to be or do a certain thing.

Paul said — this has been really important in my understanding, Tony, of tough decisions — in Romans 14:5, "One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind." That's amazing. In other words, whether you go with saying all days are alike or whether you go with esteeming one day above another, don't be wishy-washy. Don't waffle. Don't sit on the fence. God doesn't like irresolute hearts. Make up your mind. Decide, resolve, act.

So, David says to the counselors of Solomon, "Set your mind and heart to seek the Lord" (1 Chronicles 22:19). What is that but resolve? Set your mind and heart. The Bible says about Rehoboam, "He did evil, for he did not set his heart to seek the Lord" (2 Chronicles 12:14). He didn't resolve to seek the Lord; he just coasted in his life.

Here's a theology of resolution in two verses, Tony. These are the two most important verses in the Bible on New Year's resolutions. So, everybody should just go get their Bible, study these two verses, and they'll have a theology of resolutions. The two verses are 2 Thessalonians 1:11–12: "To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power, so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified."

Everything is there. Here they are:

1. You should resolve for good. Resolve good things in your life.
2. This is pursued by faith so that it's a work of faith.
3. God acts through that faith by his power.
4. Thus, God fulfills the good resolve.
5. Thus, Jesus gets glory.

That's the theology of resolution in two verses, 2 Thessalonians 1:11–12. So, my answer is this: Make resolutions — not just at New Year's but all the time. Whenever you see you're falling short, resolve not to fall short. And whenever you see something that needs to be done, resolve to do it.

(From Ask Pastor John, a conversation between Tony Reinke and John Piper)