pastor || writer || speaker
I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener....Remain in me as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. (John 15:1-4) The theme of this passage is God's people bearing fruit as …
Continue reading "What Does It Mean to Abide in Christ?: two essentials for bearing fruit"
This past weekend at Eastbrook, we continued our preaching series during Lent entitle "The Tree and the Vine," drawing from Psalm 1 and John 15. In this second message of the series Will Branch explored what it means to abide in Christ and be connected to God from John 15:1-18. You can find the message …
Continue reading "“The Connected Life” – a message from John 15 by Will Branch"
I came across these striking words from Ole Hallesby in his classic work Prayer, published in 1931, about resting in God's presence in prayer, even without words. I found them helpful for me as we continue to walk through this very challenging time and may need to encounter true peace and rest in God. Prayer is …
Continue reading "Finding Rest in God’s Presence: insights on prayer from O. Hallesby"
While having a conversation today with a colleague, he shared these marvelous words from Brennan Manning with me. In the midst of our current angst-ridden ethos, I found Manning's words particularly poignant. Certainly this is not the only answer to how we address the apparent chaos of these days and times, but it is still …
Here are the discussion questions that accompany my message, "Abide," on John 15:1-17 from this past weekend at Eastbrook Church. This continues the series, "Chosen Words," where we will journey through John 13-17 over the next number of weeks. Discussion Questions: Spring is almost here! What plants do you most look forward to seeing as …
Matthew Erickson 