Mike Henry Sr.'s Blog, page 11
September 18, 2023
Focus on the Vine – John 15:4
In the day-to-day, where are you focused? What do you pursue?”
Abide in Me and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me.” John 15:4 NASB
What does it mean to abide? Some translations use the word “remain,” or “stay.” I think of resting, persisting, persevering, hanging on. To abide in Jesus means that I don’t abandon him and try to do things my own way.
Continue reading Focus on the Vine – John 15:4 at Follower Of One.
September 15, 2023
Starting Clean – John 15:3
When a branch has been pruned, they say it was cleaned. Have you been cleaned by God recently?
“You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.” John 15:3 NASB
Jesus is speaking. The disciples and Jesus are walking (see John 14:31). We think they may have walked by a vine and Jesus started this analogy of the vine and the vinedresser. He’s talking about pruning which we discussed in yesterday’s episode.
Continue reading Starting Clean – John 15:3 at Follower Of One.
September 14, 2023
Defenders of the Gospel
The beautiful thing about the twenty-first century is that we are more connected than ever. Technologies like Zoom, Google Meet, and FaceTime, as well as social media channels allow us to keep up with friends and strangers both near and far. Suddenly, the world doesn’t seem so big after all.
This ability to reach more people than we had been able to before comes with a certain level of responsibility that we don’t always consider.
Continue reading Defenders of the Gospel at Follower Of One.
When We Bear Fruit – John 15:2
What does it mean to be “pruned?” It doesn’t sound very pleasant.
“Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit.” John 15:2
Pruning is the act of removing leaves and branch tips and even budding flowers in order to make room for more. The way a vinedresser prunes, what they remove and what they leave, can direct the way the branches grow and how many blooms there are.
Continue reading When We Bear Fruit – John 15:2 at Follower Of One.
September 13, 2023
Living Branches Bear Fruit – John 15:2
Do you ever think about the fruit of your life?
“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.” John 15:2 ESV
Notice how both of these activities are painful. The vinedresser is God the Father. If we get life, God works to make sure we produce fruit.
The life comes through the vine.
Continue reading Living Branches Bear Fruit – John 15:2 at Follower Of One.
September 12, 2023
Who Our Life Is For – John 15:1
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What is your purpose?
“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser.” John 15:1
Do you wonder about your purpose? Have you discovered your purpose? Based on this analogy, we bear fruit for the vinedresser. What does that mean to you?
We spoke yesterday about how our life comes to us from the vine and Jesus says here that he is the true vine. Jews thought of Israel as the vine and Jesus upset that idea.
Continue reading Who Our Life Is For – John 15:1 at Follower Of One.
Mentoring Generations of Biblical Leaders with Todd Melby – Episode #157
In this episode of Follower of One, Logan Bloom shares how his ministry is helping equip business leaders to be a light to the world exactly where they are.
September 11, 2023
Where Life Comes From – John 15:1
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser.” John 15:1 ESV
Think about all the things leading up to today that you had no say in. You didn’t get to choose to come to life – the day, the time, the parents, nationality, skin color, height. Our life comes from someone or somewhere else.
Jesus makes the vine analogy. He and the disciples had left the room where they had the last supper (see John 14:31).
Continue reading Where Life Comes From – John 15:1 at Follower Of One.
August 31, 2023
The Progression to Glorification – Romans 8:30
For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. (Romans 8:29–30, KJV)
Romans 8:30 has stood out to me for several weeks. You see, I’ve been fascinated with how the verse speaks of the progression of God moving from knowing us to calling us to justifying us to glorifying us.
Continue reading The Progression to Glorification – Romans 8:30 at Follower Of One.
August 24, 2023
The Cause of the Voiceless
Every single believer is called to make a difference in their sphere of influence. Sadly, some of us believe that this charge is only for men and women with prominent positions in the church. But that is not true. Loving Christ, living for him, and doing what he says is not the requirememt for just a few — it’s for every single person that claims to be a follower of Christ.
Recognizing that we are supposed to make a difference in our sphere of influence reminds us that we are backed by heaven in whatever God-ordained endeavors we partake in.
Continue reading The Cause of the Voiceless at Follower Of One.
