Hey there! We’re so glad you’ve popped in.
We started a new sermon series this past Sunday (7/30): Abide in Christ. I personally hope you’ll stick around for these few weeks … the news is so, so good. God longs to be close to you!
Abiding is a choice to stick around, remain, stay connected, to be here – all here, all the time. To abide in any situation is hard for us; we really like to be in control. The trouble is this: control is an illusion that we fall for and we will never have enough power, wisdom, insight, discernment, courage, (ANYthing) to control life toward the good. And, I mean God-good.
We can mean well and even be fairly successful sometimes, but Jesus spoke truth when he said “… apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5b) This is fixable. Not through a mysterious fill-up by God of all we’re short of so that now we can do what we cannot do.
No, the “fix” is connection. Constant connection with God through Christ. In her book, The Sacred Slow, Alicia Britt Chole makes this declaration (and I LOVE it!): “God never wanted to use us. He has always longed to love us.” (p. 132)
In this sermon series, we’ll be digging around in John’s gospel, chapters 15 through 17. And, through this love connection with Christ we will need to wrestle with some big topics like intimacy and relationship, our role in community, accountability to and with others. After all, constant connection with Jesus leads to intimacy which deepens relationship with God; since we’re not the only one invited, community forms and that leads to intimacy among those connected to God. That cycle keeps deepening and we find ourselves accountable to and with these others who love and are loved by God. The grace and miracle of Vine Life.
Again, we hope that you’ll find a spot here at Cook’s to connect to the True Vine. Maybe this invitation will help prompt you: What makes you feel connected to Christ? Is it music or quiet? Is it serving another or reading Scripture? Is it surrounding yourself with nature or going deep within your own heart? Do some of that this very day! And, celebrate God’s invitation to simply BE WITH GOD.
God is already with YOU!
