Being

You are listening to a message from Thrive Community Church, a church located in Southwest Florida. For more info, visit us at thrive-fl.org. So we are in the second week of the Red Letter Challenge. And the red letters, many Bibles take the words of Jesus and write them in red. And so we're going to be focusing on the words of Jesus over this period. Instead of doing like the Tide Pod Challenge, which I don't recommend to anyone, right? Or maybe even the Ice Bucket Challenge. Or I guess people got into trouble with the Boiling Water Challenge. Did you see that video? Well, this is, okay, to explain just a little. You take a bucket of boiling water out in the freezing, freezing cold when it's ten below zero up north. Don't do it down here. And you throw it up into the air and watch it freeze and crystallize. But there were a number of people that ended up going to the hospital because it kind of went over them first before it got up into the air and froze. So I wouldn't recommend any of those. But this one I recommend, living by the words of Jesus. And we talked about why we're doing this last week and kind of introduced it. Why? Because, honestly, it's kind of painful to realize that people look at Christians today, those who go to church, churchgoers, and they look at them and they've labeled us as unchristian. Do you realize that? The younger generations have actually looked at us and they look at us and say, you're too political, you're hypocritical, you're judgmental, and the list goes on. All the things that are absolutely the opposite of who Jesus is and what Jesus is about. And so we said, what if the secret to growth today, the secret to what God has for us today, has always been there for the last 2,000 years because Jesus says, the one who puts my words into practice, who actually accomplishes my words, who says and takes and puts, you're going to be fruitful. And so we targeted five different areas that we're going to be looking at when you categorize the words of Jesus. These practices, being, forgiving, serving, giving, and going. Can we say those together? Being, forgiving, serving, giving, and going. And today we're going to be focusing on being, which is probably the most foundational, the most important one in a sense, because out of your being flows all that you do. Who you are becomes what you do. Let's look at the words of Jesus himself, the red letters from the Gospel of John, chapter 15. Jesus said, I am the true vine, and my father is the vine dresser. 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 I have 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, 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. This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends, if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing, but I have called you friends. For all that I have heard from my father, I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you, that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the father in my name, he may give it to you. These things I command you, so that you will love one another. Why is being important? Why is being important? As this slide says, our doing flows out of who we are and who we become in Jesus Christ. Everything is about your identity. Who you are before anything that you do. And it's important because I kind of have discovered this over the last few months. I probably should have discovered this for the last 30 years. I'm growing up slowly. I might get somewhere someday. But why is being so important? And I know this is going to sound a little cheesy to you, maybe. You might think I'm turning into Spongebob Squarepants in a moment. Okay, that's enough of that. You can have your best day ever, okay? You can have your best day ever. I know Spongebob has that song, and it goes on a...