Change of Address
(John 15: 4-8)
John 15 NKJV
Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.
5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you[b] will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. 8 By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.
We’re currently in our Abide season in our church family, a time at the beginning of the year where we slow our rhythms, lay down things that should be deemed non-essential, and make space to ensure we’re doing all that we can to tap into, to abide in God and all that is Him. It can be a refreshing, beautiful time.
Can be.
But there’s a major issue in the body these days about what makes it that as opposed to what it’s supposed to be. And our current culture, even in the church, doesn’t help matters much. However, when we truly tap into what it means to navigate seasons like this properly and follow through on it, the end result of these efforts couldn’t be more amazing. Be encouraged and receive the following statement. Sometimes we could all use a shift, or a “change of address.”
Where Your Heart Lives Matters
In chapter 15 of the Book of John, Jesus gives a picture that is both comforting and confronting: a branch cannot bear fruit on its own. Reading this for many means that it’s up to them and their efforts to bear fruit, but this process doesn’t come from trying harder; it comes from staying connected. That’s what it means to abide, a word that in the original biblical language means a variety of things depending on the subject—to remain, to stay, to continue, to exist inseparably united. Many of us feel stuck because our minds and hearts are living in places that are exhausted, anxious, and spiritually dry. And yet Jesus invites something different: a relocation. A “change of address” from dead space to living space—moving from self-sustaining to Spirit-sustained. The question isn’t just what we’re doing; it’s where we’re dwelling. Where does your mindset reside? Where does your heart posture live?
From Doing to Being
So many of us are very frustrated in our doing because the genesis of it is not established in our being which gives us our purpose and our assignment. Our Lord and Savior, Jesus, in concert with our Creator God have never defined themselves by their actions first—rather, they offer definitive proclamations that repeatedly inform us and teach us that we should be proclaiming as well, that we should be exclaiming: “I AM.” When our identity is unstable, our effort becomes exhausting. But when our being is rooted in Christ, our doing begins to make sense. The difference is not laziness versus effort; the difference is source. When we abide in Christ, we live from identity, not for it. Without Him we can do nothing—not because we aren’t busy, but because busy without abiding produces no lasting fruit. The old way is constant striving. The new way is deep stability. That’s why abiding is so practical: it anchors the soul before it ever changes the schedule.
Abiding Produces Fruit That Endures
The goal of abiding isn’t spiritual mood—it’s spiritual fruit. Jesus says the branch that remains in Him bears much fruit, and the Father is glorified by it. But the fruit God grows isn’t merely outward success; it includes the inner work that holds us steady through chaos: love, joy, peace, (honorable mention to patience which is more so a principle but is mentioned in passages attached to the teaching John 15:4-11, James 1:2-4, John 14:27, Heb 12:2). The passages connected alongside John 15 show that the harvesting of fruit is often…always connected to things like calamity and chaos. Trials, disappointment, and pressure expose what’s really rooted. When we don’t abide, hardship pushes us into anxious control. But when we remain in Christ, the Spirit produces what we cannot manufacture—joy that holds, peace that stays, love that doesn’t collapse when life does.
The Best News: He Abides in Us
The invitation Jesus gives is not just “abide in Me,” but “and I in you.” Abiding is not only your effort toward God—it is God’s desire toward you. The Christian life is not sustained by your ability to cling to Christ, but by Christ’s commitment to hold you. That changes everything. When we live aware of His presence, our hearts shift from frantic to settled. Abiding becomes a rhythm of rest: staying near, staying honest, staying dependent. The call of this message is simple but profound—pack up and move out of the mindset of doing and into the heartset of being. A change of address. Because apart from Him, we can do nothing. But in Him, fruit grows, prayer deepens, and life becomes steady again.
— Jordan Brown
Pastor (Ministries and Outreach) [OV] Church