Facing Stress. Finding Joy.

A popular axiom in our world today says, ‘pursue your happiness.’ That may sound good on the surface but consider where that leads. If a person is not happy with what they have, they’ll pursue buying something or doing something that they think can make them happy. There’s a different way. In John 15:1-11, Jesus uses a word picture of a vine to help us understand what it means to be a disciple. Jesus mentions the word ‘remain’ 11 times. What does it mean to remain in him? There is a privilege of knowing Jesus and a responsibility to obey him.

A disciple of Jesus is someone who chooses to remain connected to him, grow in producing fruit in their lives, and find true joy from practicing what Jesus taught. Jesus said, “I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.” He invites every person to pursue Jesus and find joy.