The Maximum. . .

Hello Friends!

We recently had our first Friday Night of Praise and Worship service at Maximo Presbyterian Church in St. Petersburg, FL. As I was preparing for the message last week, I was struck by a few key verses in John 15 that tells us exactly how to increase or maximize our value contribution to our society.

Here's the text: 15:5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains ¹⁵ in me – and I in him – bears ¹⁶ much fruit, ¹⁷ because apart from me you can accomplish ¹⁸ nothing. 15:6 If anyone does not remain ¹⁹ in me, he is thrown out like a branch, and dries up; and such branches are gathered up and thrown into the fire, ²⁰ and are burned up. ²¹ 15:7 If you remain ²² in me and my words remain ²³ in you, ask whatever you want, and it will be done for you. ²⁴ 15:8 My Father is honored ²⁵ by this, that ²⁶ you bear ²⁷ much fruit and show that you are ²⁸ my disciples.

By remaining in Christ, which means obeying Christ, our thoughts, attitudes, desires, habits and more are transformed. So, when we make a request of God, the very content of that request is such that it is more likely to be aligned with what Jesus would have requested if He were in our situation.

If the request or the answer to it will in some way glorify God, then God will answer it. Keep in mind that we may see His answer later than when we expect, meaning there is a delay.

So let's summarize, when we live a life where we are bent toward being obedient to Christ, we can have the confidence to ask for what we want because what we want will usually be what God wants for us. We can also have the confidence to know that God will grant us our request because He wants us to be fruitful or productive. What service or products we produce as a result of this granted prayer will glorify Him because they have come through you, but from the source (vine) which is Christ. Does this all make sense?

I'm still mining the depths of these passages as I learn something new and different each time I study it. I look forward to your thoughts.

I'm attaching a link to our first service (audio) here.