{"id":3088,"date":"2025-04-29T09:31:38","date_gmt":"2025-04-29T09:31:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thementoringproject.com\/?post_type=field_guides&#038;p=3088"},"modified":"2026-04-17T15:20:34","modified_gmt":"2026-04-17T15:20:34","slug":"abiding-in-christ","status":"publish","type":"field_guides","link":"https:\/\/thementoringproject.com\/es\/field-guide\/abiding-in-christ\/","title":{"rendered":"#31 Permanecer en Cristo"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Part I: In the Womb<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><em>\u201cAs the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love\u201d (John 15:9).<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What does God want from you?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Some say <em>religion<\/em>. I don\u2019t. I think we can make a better case that Jesus came to destroy religion than to establish one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Others say it\u2019s not religion; God wants <em>relationship<\/em>. I believe that is true. I just don\u2019t think it goes far enough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One time Jesus said,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. (John 15:5\u20139)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To \u201cabide\u201d means to live within. Jesus says he wants you to live inside of him, and that he will live inside of you. That sounds like more than a relationship to me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s say you interviewed a baby inside his mother\u2019s womb and asked, \u201cDo you have a relationship with your mother?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I\u2019m pretty sure the baby would give you a confused look. Babies in wombs look kind of like aliens, so you might not realize the baby looked confused, but he would.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The baby would say, \u201cYes, we have a relationship, but it\u2019s much more than that. You may have noticed that <em>I live inside her.<\/em> You may not get it, but I actually <em>can\u2019t live without her.<\/em> I am <em>completely dependent on her <\/em>for everything that keeps me alive.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cSo, yes,\u201d the baby would say, \u201cwe <em>do<\/em> have a relationship, but just calling it a relationship seems to be a colossal understatement.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you were to ask God if what he really wants is a relationship with you, I can imagine him saying, \u201cCall it what you want, but what I\u2019m inviting you into is <em>much<\/em> more than a relationship. I\u2019m offering to be the womb you exist within, and the blood that flows through your veins. I want to be the umbilical cord that brings you the fluids that sustain you, and I want to be those fluids that sustain you. I want to be the breath that enters your lungs, and I want to be your lungs. What I want is for you to find your life inside of me. My desire is for us to be <em>one.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Relationships are nice, but they\u2019re off and on, we move in and out of them. We need something deeper with God, something more constant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We need that because we were made for it. Without it, we have a sense of emptiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We also need it because it\u2019s the only way we can live the life we were meant to live. We are meant to be like Jesus, to live holy and fruitful lives. We would be incapable of that on our own, but we have God living inside us (and at the same time, we get to live inside him). God\u2019s abiding in us is what allows us to live like him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>God has offered to abide in us. We need to make sure we\u2019re abiding in him. Jesus didn\u2019t say, \u201cAs you abide in me,\u201d he said, \u201cIf you abide in me.\u201d We have a choice. And he told us to make the right one: \u201cAbide in my love.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What would it look like to abide in Jesus?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I think it\u2019s about:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Getting other things out of the way, so I can let God have his way in me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Pouring my heart out to God and letting God pour his love into me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Trusting that if I have Jesus and nothing else, I have everything I need.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Giving top priority to God instead of any other things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Giving up control and giving God control.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But how can we get to that place?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Jesus was actually near a vineyard when he spoke about being the vine. I don\u2019t know if you\u2019ve seen a vineyard up close, but the vine comes up from the ground, the branches grow off the vine, and the grapes grow off the branches. The branch has a life-giving connection with the vine. If it stays connected to the vine, the branch will get the nutrients it needs to bear fruit. If it\u2019s not connected to the vine, the branch can\u2019t do anything. It won\u2019t get nutrients. It won\u2019t bear fruit. The branch will be\u2026dead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As I mentioned, \u201cabide\u201d means to live in. You abide in your house or apartment. Jesus says in John 15:4, \u201cAbide in me, and I in you.\u201d So, Jesus is saying, \u201cI want you to live inside of me, and I want to live inside of you.\u201d Jesus is telling us that he is the source of life. If we want life, we have to stay connected to him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So we must prioritize connection with Jesus above everything else. We prioritize spiritual habits or rhythms that connect us to Jesus, that allow us to abide in him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One way to help us do that is to have a \u201crule of life.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I didn\u2019t say we need rules for life. There are \u201crules\u201d for life. Some are helpful. (\u201cReturn borrowed vehicles with the gas tank full.\u201d \u201cSay please and thank you often.\u201d \u201cLeave the toilet seat down\u201d \u2014 that seems to be my wife\u2019s favorite.) I\u2019ve heard other rules for life that are\u2026<em>not <\/em>so helpful. (\u201cIf you are being chased by an animal, lay on the ground for five seconds. The five second rule will keep the animal from eating you\u201d\u2014I\u2019m pretty sure that\u2019s not true.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Those are rules for life, but have you heard of <em>a<\/em> \u201crule of life\u201d? Ever since Augustine wrote a well-known \u201crule of life\u201d for Christians in 397 AD, many followers of Jesus have followed suit. What is a rule of life? It\u2019s not about rules. We get this word \u201crule\u201d more from \u201cruler\u201d than from \u201crule.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A rule of life is a set of intentional habits or rhythms that help us stay connected to Jesus. These can be spiritual, relational, or vocational practices. These practices help us align our deepest priorities, values, and passions with the way we actually live our lives. Having a \u201crule\u201d helps us to overcome distractions \u2014 to not be so scattered and hurried and reactive and exhausted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These are habits you are going to prioritize and do repeatedly because you know they\u2019ll help you stay connected to Jesus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Your rule will probably include practices that help build your relationship with God, like Scripture reading, prayer, giving, and fasting. It may include some practices that nurture your physical life, like sleep or sabbath or exercise. You may have some relational elements that focus on your friendships and family. You should also have some practices attached to your church involvement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you know you\u2019re a branch, and that Jesus is the vine \u2014 your source of life \u2014 you don\u2019t consider these spiritual habits optional. You have to stay connected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Want to hear something fascinating?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Remember that Jesus said he is the vine, and we are the branches? If you look at a vineyard you\u2019ll see the vine and the branches and you\u2019ll see a trellis. Without a trellis, the branches will grow along the ground wildly. On the ground, they\u2019re more prone to disease and more susceptible to pests that want the fruit. Off the ground and supported by the trellis, the branches will grow healthier and produce more fruit. A trellis also makes for a more beautiful vineyard \u2014 instead of growing haphazardly along the ground, the vine and branches grow intertwined and vertically.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you want healthy branches and a good crop of fruit, you need a sturdy support structure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So, what\u2019s fascinating?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The word for \u201crule\u201d as in \u201crule of life\u201d comes from the Latin word \u201cregula,\u201d which means trellis. Like a trellis, a rule of life creates a structure of spiritual practices. Instead of feeling chaotic, you live by a spiritual rhythm. You\u2019re less vulnerable, healthier, and will produce more fruit. You\u2019ll live a more beautiful, God-honoring, and people-loving life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We all need a rule of life. A structure of spiritual practices we prioritize because they keep us connected to Jesus. And we need to stay connected to Jesus because he is the source of life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So, how? How do we get to the place where we are abiding in Jesus?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We passionately pursue God, which is what we\u2019re going to think about in our next section.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We commit to consistently prioritizing certain spiritual practices that keep us connected to Jesus. We are going to consider three vital ones in sections three through five.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Discussion &#038; Reflection:<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>God invites us into a \u201cyoked\u201d relationship with him, and to come to him so we can lay down our burdens and rest. What burdens are weighing you down? What would it look like for you to give those burdens to God?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>When can you spend a few minutes of prayer time to go to God and hand your burdens to him? Try it.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Part II: God Stalkers<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><em>\u201cWhom have I in heaven but you?&nbsp;And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you\u201d (Ps. 73:25).<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I want to encourage you to become a stalker.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That may sound odd, because we\u2019ve all heard scary stories of people like John Hinkley Jr., who, because of his obsession, stalked the actress Jodie Foster and then tried to assassinate President Ronald Reagan to impress her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There are other stories that are scary and weird. Cristin Keleher became obsessed with former Beatle George Harrison, broke into his home, and while waiting for him, made herself a frozen pizza.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>William Lepeska was so desperate to see tennis star Anna Kournikova that he swam across the Biscayne Bay to get to her house. Unfortunately, he went to the wrong house, where he was then arrested.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There are scary types of stalking, but there\u2019s also a less dangerous variety. I\u2019m thinking of a thirteen-year-old girl who becomes obsessed with a boy at school. She thinks about him all the time. She writes his name all over her notebooks. He may not know she exists, but she\u2019s already got their babies\u2019 names picked out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She times her entire day \u2014 how she gets to her classes, when she goes to the bathroom \u2014 so she can see him as many times as possible. This girl is obsessed with this guy, can\u2019t stop thinking about him, has to see him, and feels like she can\u2019t live without him. And so she stalks him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em>God Stalker<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A lot of people want God in their lives. Most people want God\u2019s blessings. But what we need to want is God himself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A God stalker is someone who seeks God more than anything, who wants more and more of him, who realizes God is what she needs, so she goes after him. A God stalker is not someone who achieves \u201csuper Christian\u201d status. <em>Every<\/em> Christian should be a God stalker, according to what God tells us. For instance, \u201cYou will seek me and find me, when you seek me&nbsp;with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the&nbsp;Lord\u201d (Jer. 29:13\u201314), and \u201cAnd you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength\u201d (Mark 12:30).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Every Christian should be a God stalker, and if we\u2019re not, we\u2019re never going to truly abide in Jesus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Maybe the best example of a God stalker in the Bible is a guy from the Old Testament named David. He\u2019s the one who took on Goliath and later became king. David was a God stalker. He wasn\u2019t perfect. He messed up and sinned just like we do, but he knew God was his greatest treasure, so he\u2019d get up and keep pursuing him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Check out a love poem David wrote about God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cO God, you are my God;&nbsp;earnestly I seek you;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;my soul thirsts for you;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>my flesh faints for you,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;as in&nbsp;a dry and weary land where there is no water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;beholding&nbsp;your power and glory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Because your&nbsp;steadfast love is better than life<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;my lips will praise you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So I will bless you&nbsp;as long as I live;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;in your&nbsp;name I will&nbsp;lift up my hands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>My soul will be&nbsp;satisfied as with fat and rich food,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>when I remember you&nbsp;upon my bed,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;and meditate on you in&nbsp;the watches of the night;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>for you have been my help,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;and in&nbsp;the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>My soul&nbsp;clings to you;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;your right hand&nbsp;upholds me\u201d (Ps. 63:1\u20138)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>See what I mean?&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Christians often talk about having a friendship with God, and it is true that God offers us friendship. But I\u2019ve got lots of friends, and I don\u2019t talk to any of them this way! I\u2019ve never gone up to a friend and said, \u201cDude, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you. Because you are glorious. In fact, last night when I was in bed thinking of you, I just started to sing\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This isn\u2019t friendship language; this is stalker language. And it doesn\u2019t end there. David also wrote,&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Answer me quickly, O&nbsp;Lord!<br>My spirit fails!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Hide not your face from me,<br>lest I be like those who go down to the pit (Ps. 143:7).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Do you see why I call David a God stalker? And God called David \u201ca man after my heart\u201d (Acts 13:22).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That\u2019s what I want for me, and for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here\u2019s the good news: God isn\u2019t avoiding us. In fact, God promises to be with us all the time (see, for instance, John 14:16\u201317 and Matt. 28:20.) So we don\u2019t need to go out searching for him \u2014 we just need to pay attention. People have called this \u201cpracticing the presence of God.\u201d We remember he\u2019s with us, we train our minds on him, and we seek to stay in constant contact. We abide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>How? I love the advice Max Lucado gives in his book <em>Just Like Jesus.<\/em> He suggests that you first give God your <em>waking<\/em> thoughts. When you wake in the morning, focus your initial thoughts on him. Then, second, give God your <em>waiting<\/em> thoughts. Spend some quiet time with God, sharing your heart with him, and listening for his voice. Third, give God your <em>whispering <\/em>thoughts. Repeatedly offer up brief prayers throughout the day. You might repeat the same short prayer: \u201cGod, am I pleasing you?\u201d \u201cAm I in your will, Lord?\u201d \u201cI love and want to follow you, Jesus.\u201d Then last, give God your <em>waning<\/em> thoughts. Talk to God as you\u2019re falling asleep. Review your day with him. End your day by telling him you love him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That\u2019s something you can do. You can go after God\u2019s heart. You can be a God stalker. If you are, you\u2019ll abide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Discussion &#038; Reflection:<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Read Matthew 13:44\u201346. Jesus is saying that if you had to give away everything to have God in your life, it would be the best trade you\u2019d ever make. What have you had to give up to have God in your life? What might you? What would be hardest to give up? Why do you think God is worth giving up everything for?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Generally, we want to pray from our hearts with our own words. But some people find value at times in praying a prayer written by someone else. People have especially done this with the Psalms in the Bible. Today, pray Psalm 63:1\u20138 and\/or Psalm 40, making the words your own and praying them from your heart.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Part III: Lay Your Head<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><em>\u201cPraying&nbsp;at all times&nbsp;in the Spirit,&nbsp;with all prayer and supplication. To that end,&nbsp;keep alert with all perseverance, making&nbsp;supplication for all the saints\u201d (Eph. 6:18).<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A Christian is someone who has decided to follow in the ways of Jesus. You choose to live life the way Jesus lived life. So, how did Jesus live life?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When you study his life, it seems there was nothing more important to him than connecting with his heavenly Father. Richard Foster writes, \u201cNothing is more striking in Jesus\u2019 life than his intimacy with the Father\u2026Like a recurring pattern in a quilt, so prayer threads its way through Jesus\u2019 life.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As we\u2019ve said, Jesus called it \u201cabiding\u201d or \u201cliving in.\u201d Jesus lived his life with such an intimate and constant connection with his Father, it\u2019s like he lived life in him. Jesus abided in his Father, and he invites us to abide in him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Jesus is inviting us to create a rhythm where we eliminate distractions and enter into silence, so we can focus on God. So we can talk to and listen to him. So we\u2019re doing life with him. It\u2019s not that we stop living the rest of our lives, but we learn to abide. We have a rhythm of praying, of stepping away from distraction to allow us to be nearer to God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We see this rhythm with Jesus. I\u2019ll show you one example.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We don\u2019t know much about Jesus\u2019 first thirty years on earth, but then he steps onto the public stage and declares who he is and what he\u2019s come to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Then Jesus is baptized. At his baptism, God speaks from heaven, affirming that Jesus is his Son.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And then\u2026Jesus goes off and prays for forty days.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He goes off into the wilderness, all by himself, and prays for forty days. That\u2019s not typically the way you launch something and gain momentum \u2014 by going off by yourself. Especially if you want to start a worldwide movement and you spent the first thirty years living in obscurity. You don\u2019t go back into obscurity for six weeks! But Jesus did. He starts with prayer. He went away to a place of silence so he could feel God\u2019s presence and pray. So he could commune with his Father.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Jesus spent time with his Father to ensure he was mentally, emotionally, and spiritually ready for what he was about to do. There was too much at stake for him to begin without starting on his knees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Then he comes back, and in the first chapter of Mark, we find a description of his first day of ministry. He teaches people about God. He heals people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Then he wakes up and\u2026is it back to work? No. He wakes up and \u201crising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and&nbsp;there he prayed\u201d (Mark 1:35).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To be clear: Jesus went to a place of silence for a month and a half, then comes back, has one day of activity, and then heads straight back to a place of silence \u2014 so he could abide, so he could feel God\u2019s presence and pray, so he could commune with his Father. It was intimacy with the Father that generated the intensity of Jesus\u2019 ministry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We see Jesus do this over and over. It was a rhythm in his life. We could say it was the rhythm of Jesus\u2019 life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s like a car. If you didn\u2019t know anything about cars and saw someone filling one with gas, you might think it was a one-time thing. \u201cOh, you put gas in it and then it\u2019s good to go.\u201d But if you kept watching you\u2019d realize, \u201cOhhhh. No. You put gas in. You drive it. You put gas in. You drive it\u2026Without repeatedly filling it back up, it can\u2019t go.\u201d If you watch Jesus\u2019 life, you realize, \u201cOhhh. He lived a little. He sought silence to feel God\u2019s presence and pray; he filled up. Then he lived a little. Then he sought silence to feel God\u2019s presence and pray, he filled up. Then he lived a little. Sought silence to feel God\u2019s presence and pray, filled up.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That was his rhythm. And that needs to be the rhythm of his followers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In fact, we see in the book of Acts that Jesus\u2019 original followers followed his example. Acts 2:42: \u201cAnd&nbsp;they devoted themselves to\u2026the prayers.\u201d In Acts, the believers prayed \u2014 for guidance in making decisions (Acts 1:15\u201326), for courage to share Jesus with nonbelievers (4:23\u201331), as a regular part of their daily lives and ministry (2:42\u201347; 3:1; 6:4), when they were being persecuted (7:55\u201360), when they needed a miracle (9:36\u201343), when someone was in trouble (12:1\u201311), before sending out people for ministry (13:1\u20133, 16:25ff), for each other (20:36, 21:5), and for God\u2019s blessing (27:35). They prayed, and God released his presence and power in their midst.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Prayer was part of their \u201crule of life.\u201d They pursued God, and prayer allowed them to live in him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em>Prayer Is<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Speaker and author Brennan Manning used to tell a story about a woman who asked him to come speak to her father, who was on his deathbed. Manning agreed to come right over.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The daughter let Manning in and told him her father was in his bedroom. When Manning walked in he noticed an empty chair next to the bed. He said, \u201cI see you\u2019re expecting me.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The man in the bed said, \u201cNo, who are you?\u201d Manning explained that his daughter had invited him to come over and talk to him about God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The man nodded and said, \u201cI have a question for you.\u201d He explained that he had always believed in God and Jesus, but never knew how to pray. One time he asked a preacher at church, who gave him a book to read. On the first page there were two or three words he didn\u2019t know. He gave up reading after a few pages and continued not to pray.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A few years later he was at work talking to a Christian friend of his named Joe. He mentioned to Joe that he didn\u2019t know how to pray. Joe seemed confused. He said, \u201cAre you kidding? Well, here\u2019s what you do. Take an empty chair, put it next to you. Picture Jesus sitting in that chair and talk to him. Tell him how you feel about him, tell him about your life, tell him about your needs.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The man gestured to the empty chair next to his bed and said, \u201cI\u2019ve been doing that for years. Is that wrong?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cNo.\u201d Manning smiled. \u201cThat\u2019s great. You just keep doing that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The two of them talked a little longer, and then Manning left.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>About a week later the man\u2019s daughter called him. She explained, \u201cI just wanted to let you know that my father died yesterday. Thanks again for visiting him; he enjoyed talking to you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Manning said, \u201cI hope he died peacefully.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWell, it was interesting,\u201d the daughter told him. \u201cI had to go to the store yesterday, so I went into my dad\u2019s bedroom before I left. He was fine. He made a corny joke, and I left. When I came back, he was dead. But here\u2019s the strange part, right before he died, he crawled out of bed, and he died with his head lying on that empty chair.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Relationships are all about love and are based on communication. If we\u2019re going to have a real relationship with God, if we\u2019re going to abide, it\u2019s going to be about love and based on communication.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Prayer is communicating with God. But it\u2019s more. Prayer is love. God loves us, and his love for us calls for us to respond. Prayer comes not from gritting your teeth and engaging in a \u201cdiscipline\u201d \u2014 prayer comes from falling in love. Prayer is shared intimacy with God. Prayer is resting your head on your loving Father. It\u2019s abiding in Jesus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On one hand, prayer is as simple as that. You don\u2019t need to read a book with big words; you just need to pull up an empty chair. You don\u2019t need a bunch of seminars; you just need an open heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On the other hand, prayer is an unnatural activity in some ways. It\u2019s talking to God, but we\u2019re not used to talking to someone we can\u2019t see. It\u2019s letting God speak to us, but we\u2019re not used to listening to someone we can\u2019t audibly hear. I don\u2019t want to make prayer more complicated than it is, but if you\u2019re new to prayer or struggle with prayer, it can be a bit confusing. So let me share a few thoughts that have helped my prayer life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em>Growing in Prayer<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Prayer isn\u2019t just a part of our day \u2014 it should be the air we breathe. The Bible says, \u201cpray without ceasing\u201d (1 Thess. 5:17) and \u201cpraying at all times\u201d (Eph. 6:18). Prayer is sharing our life with God, sharing our thoughts and our moments with God, so it\u2019s something that we can and should do all the time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, we need to take some special time to devote to prayer each day. Why? Because fixing our focus on God will help us to keep our focus on him the rest of the day. And because we\u2019ll go deeper in that special quiet time than we will in the hustle and bustle of the rest of the day. It\u2019s the same as in a marriage. My wife and I might spend a whole day together and kind of talk about a thousand things, but until we stop doing something else and sit down and look at each other, we probably won\u2019t talk about anything of substance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When should you do that prayer time? Well, it\u2019s the most important part of your day, so you should give it the best time of your day. Are you a morning person? Then spend time with God when you first wake up. Or does your brain not start functioning till after twelve cups of coffee? Then maybe lunch time would be a better choice. Some people prefer to devote the last part of their day focusing on God in prayer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And you can be creative in that time. Sometimes I think my prayers. Other times I talk out loud. More often I write my prayers in a journal. I\u2019ve also gone on prayer walks. And I\u2019ve been known to put on some worship music and spend some of my time with God singing to him. What\u2019s important is love \u2014 that we\u2019re really connecting with God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Experiment and see what helps you to really connect with God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And if none of those ways work, you can always just pull up an empty chair.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Discussion &#038; Reflection:<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Read Matthew 6:5\u201313. Jesus gives us a model, or an outline, for prayer, not the exact words we\u2019re to pray. Our words shouldn\u2019t be recited but should come from our hearts. Read through Jesus\u2019 model prayer again. What types of things is he saying we should pray about?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Use Jesus\u2019 model prayer in Matthew 6:7\u201313 as an outline for your prayers today. Prayerfully read an idea (like \u201cFather, hallowed be your name\u201d) and then take a moment to continue praying that idea in your own words.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Part IV: Fed for a Lifetime<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><em>\u201cFor though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again&nbsp;the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need&nbsp;milk, not solid food\u201d (Heb. 5:12).<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When I had the idea, I didn\u2019t picture a burly Navy SEAL sitting in my lap, but that\u2019s the way it turned out. And you know what they say: \u201cWhen life gives you a Navy SEAL, feed him like a little baby.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It seems like there are people in every church who complain, \u201cI\u2019m not getting fed in this church.\u201d I have a friend who replies, \u201cThere are only two kinds of people who can\u2019t feed themselves \u2014 imbeciles and infants. Which one are you?\u201d Pretty harsh, but he makes a point. Pretty quickly, children learn how to feed themselves food, and Christians should learn how to feed themselves spiritually.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That was the point I was making with the Navy SEAL. I was preaching a sermon and started with a baby in my arms and fed him. Everyone made, \u201cOh, that\u2019s adorable\u201d faces, and, \u201cThat baby is so cute in our pastor\u2019s arms\u201d noises. I gave the baby back to his mother and launched into a message on the importance of reading the Bible every day. I told everyone, \u201cGive a man a fish, feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, feed him for a lifetime.\u201d I ended the message by trying to illustrate how wrong it is for people who are no longer spiritual infants to rely on someone else to feed them. I asked for a volunteer and Mr. Navy SEAL raised his hand. The church I pastored in Virginia Beach had a bunch of SEALs, but it hadn\u2019t occurred to me that one would volunteer. He came up, and I asked him to sit in my lap. I had a jar of baby food, and I asked him if I could feed him. And everyone made, \u201cOh, that\u2019s disturbing\u201d faces, and, \u201cThat muscular man is so awkward in our pastor\u2019s arms\u201d noises.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em>Is It That Important?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Is it really that important to read the Bible on your own? Yes, it is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you go to church weekly, isn\u2019t hearing the sermon enough Bible? No, it isn\u2019t. Not if you want to abide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s <em>critical<\/em> that we read and study and know and apply the Bible. Why?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>First, because we love God and want to experience his love more. The Bible is like a letter God wrote to us. Can you imagine receiving love letters from someone and never opening them? The Bible says God is love, and we grow in his love as we read what he\u2019s written to us.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The Bible also gives us guidance in life. It\u2019s so easy to feel lost or to lose direction. God gave us wisdom in the Bible that provides the direction we need.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It\u2019s also important to read the Bible consistently because it helps us know what\u2019s true and what\u2019s not.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Another reason we need to study the Bible is that it\u2019s a key to spiritual maturity. If you don\u2019t get into God\u2019s Word, you\u2019re stunting your own spiritual growth.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s critical, but research tells us that one third of Christians never read the Bible, and one third read it only one to three times a week. But it\u2019s people who are in God\u2019s Word at least four times a week who grow. After years of research, that\u2019s the finding of the Center for Bible Engagement. For instance, someone who reads the Bible at least four times a week is:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>228% more likely to share their faith with others.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>231% more likely to disciple others.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>407% more likely to memorize Scripture.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>59% less likely to view pornography.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>68% less likely to have sex outside of marriage.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>30% less likely to struggle with loneliness.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em>What Do I Do?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Bible is a big book. Where do you start, and how do you read it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I\u2019ve always preferred reading through whole books of the Bible. Some people hunt and peck, but when you go through a book of a Bible, you\u2019re getting the whole context of what you\u2019re reading. You understand who wrote it, whom it was written to, what issues are being addressed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I also suggest reading the New Testament before the Old. The Old Testament comes first chronologically, but it\u2019s more challenging to understand because it describes a time more distant from us. When we know the New Testament it helps us to understand the Old. And the New Testament is where we meet Jesus, and it\u2019s all about Jesus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Before I read, I ask God to speak to me through his Word. I want to read the Bible with a humble spirit and get everything I can out of it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As I read, I ask three questions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>First, <em>Say what?<\/em> My problem is that I tend to be in a hurry and can read a chapter of the Bible, then have no idea what I just read. But the Bible is too important for me to skim over. So I slow myself down by asking some \u201cSay what?\u201d questions like \u201cWhat did it say?\u201d \u201cWhat did I learn about God?\u201d \u201cWhat did I learn about myself?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Second, <em>So what?<\/em> Imagine someone read the same Bible passage you just did, then asked you, \u201cSo what? What does this have to do with life today?\u201d What would you answer? What\u2019s the life principle in the passage?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sometimes this is easy. You read a verse that says, \u201cDo not judge.\u201d What does that mean for today? It means do not judge. Other times it\u2019s not so easy. For instance, there\u2019s a verse in the Bible that says not to eat meat that\u2019s been sacrificed to idols (see Acts 15:20). I don\u2019t think they sell that kind of meat at my grocery store, so can I skip that verse? Actually, no, I can\u2019t. With a look at the context and a little digging, you\u2019d discover that in the early days of Christianity there was a debate between two groups. One thought nothing of buying and eating meat that had been sacrificed to the god of another religion. The other thought doing so was the equivalent of participating in that other religion. The issue was taken to the church leaders, who finally laid down a verdict. They basically said that meat that\u2019s been offered to idols is no different than what they put in a Quarter Pounder with cheese. Why? Because idols aren\u2019t real; they just represent false gods. So, it doesn\u2019t offend God that you eat meat that\u2019s been sacrificed to them. <em>But<\/em> it does offend some people. By eating that meat, you are causing them to stumble in their spiritual walk. So just don\u2019t eat it. Be willing to give up your freedom to help others (see 1 Cor. 8:4\u20139).&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So, is there a principle in \u201cDon\u2019t eat meat sacrificed to idols\u201d? Absolutely. And that leads to the last question I ask when I read the Bible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Third, <em>Now what?<\/em> This goes beyond the universal lesson to <em>your<\/em> specific application. How should your life be changed based on what you read? With that verse about not eating meat sacrificed to idols, maybe you feel like it\u2019s okay for you to have a glass of wine with a meal, but you\u2019re having dinner with a friend who\u2019s a recovering alcoholic. This verse would say you don\u2019t have a drink because it might cause him to stumble. Or perhaps you have a revealing bathing suit you like to wear sunbathing in the backyard. But you\u2019re going to a pool party with a bunch of guys. This verse would say you don\u2019t wear the bathing suit so as to avoid drawing too much attention to yourself. The \u201c<em>Now what?<\/em>\u201d question helps us to apply what we\u2019ve read because obeying God by applying the Bible is the key to loving God (see John 14:15) and being blessed by him (see James 1:25).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you have a Bible, you can feed yourself, and if you do your life will be changed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Or\u2026I can call you up on stage and shove a spoon of baby food in your mouth, but trust me, you wouldn\u2019t like that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Discussion &#038; Reflection:<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Read James 1:22\u201325.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Say what? What does this passage say about not just reading, but applying the Bible to your life<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>So what? Why do you think applying the Bible is so essential in truly living for God?&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Now what? What could help you to be more consistent in looking for the \u201cNow What?\u201d and applying it to your life?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Part V: Where Your Heart Is<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><em>\u201cDon\u2019t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be\u201d (Matt. 6:19\u201321)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Since having kids, my wife and I don\u2019t exchange Christmas presents. I\u2019m just too cheap. But before she gave birth to the fruit of my loins, we used to each have a hundred-dollar budget to spend on each other for Christmas. One year Jen told me she wanted a diamond tennis bracelet. I went to the store and the clerk showed me the diamond tennis bracelet I could get for $100. I stared at it and asked, \u201cAre you sure those are diamonds? It looks more like little pieces of\u2026glitter.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I bought it and gave it to Jennifer on Christmas morning. She exclaimed, \u201cJust what I wanted, a glitter tennis bracelet!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A few days later the clasp on it broke. I wasn\u2019t surprised. I took it back in to get fixed. The day before, Jen\u2019s grandma had given each of us a hundred dollars. It was her annual present, and the only money we each had every year to splurge on ourselves. As I waited for the clasp to be fixed, I noticed the $200 tennis bracelets. You could actually see the diamonds!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A few hours later I handed Jen her tennis bracelet. She looked at it and asked, \u201cWait? Did the glitter grow?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I smiled, \u201cActually, I got you a better one.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She was confused. \u201cWhere did you get the money? Wait, you used my grandma\u2019s money, didn\u2019t you? Why? What\u2026what made you do this?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I told her the truth. \u201cLove made me do it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em>All Kinds of Reasons<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I want you to think about giving. Like giving\u2026money\u2026to God, through the church. People don\u2019t like to hear about giving, but God talks about it\u2026a lot. In fact, check out the number of times these important words appear in the Bible:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Believe<\/em>: 272 times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Pray<\/em>: 374 times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Love<\/em>: 714 times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Give<\/em>: 2,162 times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And that\u2019s just the word <em>give<\/em>. Often the word you\u2019ll see in the Bible is <em>tithe<\/em>. The word <em>tithe<\/em> means \u201ctenth\u201d; to tithe is to give God the first tenth of whatever you bring in. You\u2019ll also see the word <em>offering<\/em>. An offering is anything you give to God <em>above<\/em> ten percent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We\u2019re to give generously to God, and there are all kinds of reasons to do so. For instance:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>It\u2019s God\u2019s money, not ours<\/em>. We think of it as our money, but God says it\u2019s his. The only reason we have money is because he\u2019s given us the ability to earn it. So really, we\u2019re not giving God some of our money; God lets us keep most of his money, and we give him back a little of it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>God has commanded us to give money back to him.<\/em> All through the Old Testament he commands people to give him ten percent. In the New Testament he sends his Son Jesus to live and die for us and then commands us to give generously. All along people had great reasons to give generously back to God, but now we have a <em>much<\/em> greater reason.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>God will bless you for giving<\/em>. If I have a choice of God\u2019s blessings or a portion of my money, I\u2019m taking God\u2019s blessings every day!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Giving increases my faith. It helps me to trust in God more and in me less.<\/em> It\u2019s scary at first deciding to live off of less than all of your income, but not only does it demonstrate faith, it grows your faith as you see how God provides for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Giving helps me face my mortality.<\/em> It\u2019s so easy to live just for this life and the things of this world, but we\u2019re going to live for eternity. And only that which lasts forever <em>truly <\/em>matters. When I give, I\u2019m acknowledging that there\u2019s something more important than my temporary life and investing my money into something that will have an impact beyond my years here on earth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Giving also helps set my priorities.<\/em> God commanded ancient Israel to give him the <em>first<\/em> ten percent. Not our leftovers, but the first check we write. When we do that, it helps to clarify that God is most important in our lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Giving to God allows me to have an eternal impact with my money<\/em>. I have lots of choices on how to spend my money. Most of what I spend it on ends up in a toilet or a trash dump. What I give to God through the church goes toward his mission of bringing his lost children home to him and to an eternity in heaven. <em>That<\/em> is what I want to spend my money on!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em>The Love Reason<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There are all kinds of reasons to give generously back to God, but right now I just want you to focus on one I haven\u2019t mentioned yet: love. Giving expresses my love for God, it helps me experience God\u2019s love for me, and it grows my love for God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That may sound odd to you, but it\u2019s straight from Jesus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He says, \u201cWhoever has my commandments and&nbsp;keeps them, he it is who loves me. And&nbsp;he who loves me&nbsp;will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and&nbsp;manifest myself to him\u201d (John 14:21). We\u2019ve been commanded to be generous toward God with our money. Those who love Jesus will \u201caccept\u201d and \u201cobey\u201d that command. And because they love God in that way, God\u2019s love will be revealed to them. Those who do it experience God\u2019s love.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Jesus also says, \u201cFor where your treasure is, there your heart will be also\u201d (Matt. 6:21). In other words, you put your money into what you care about, and you care about what you put your money into.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Isn\u2019t it true that you put your money into what you care about? In fact, I could know a ton about you by looking at your checkbook and your credit card statement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And isn\u2019t it also true that when you put money into something you start to care about it more? Like if you have an old clunker car, you don\u2019t care about it. If you pick up your friend who has some food and asks, \u201cCan I eat these fries in your car?\u201d you\u2019d laugh and say, \u201cYou can eat spaghetti with a spoon for all I care.\u201d But if you go out and spend some serious money on a new car you would tell your friend, \u201cNo, you can\u2019t eat in my car! In fact, I don\u2019t want you to even breathe in my car!\u201d When your money goes to God, you care more and more about him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The inverse is true too. If we care so much about our money that we won\u2019t give it, then we lose a significant opportunity to connect with God and grow. In fact, it moves us in the opposite direction from God. Jesus says, \u201cNo servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money\u201d (Luke 16:13). The Bible even says that the love of money can pull us away from our faith: \u201cFor the love of money is a root of&nbsp;all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs\u201d (1 Tim. 6:10).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Jesus said, \u201cFor where your treasure is, there your heart will be also,\u201d and I don\u2019t think it\u2019s much of a stretch to paraphrase that, \u201cFor where you put your money, that\u2019s where you\u2019ll abide.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Give generously back to God. Don\u2019t try to figure out the minimum you have to give him; see how <em>much<\/em> you can give him. You will be so glad you did. Other people might think you\u2019re crazy, but when they look at you funny and ask why, just smile and say, \u201cLove made me do it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Discussion &#038; Reflection:<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Read 2 Corinthians 9:1\u201315. What do you learn about giving from this passage? Take some time to create a plan for giving. How much will you give God? What is generous? When and how will you increase your giving?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Money often provides the most competition with God for our worship, and it is often the last thing people will really give to God. Take some time to pray about your finances. Ask God to reveal to you your heart and where it needs to change when it comes to money. Ask him to help you make him a higher priority than money and what you can buy with it.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Conclusion: You\u2019re Invited<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>You were meant to live above anxiety, with peace and patience and passion, without worry, feeling full, not empty, guided, not confused, purpose-driven, not bored.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you are not living that life, the issue is that you are not abiding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Abiding is the solution for your struggles. It\u2019s the life you were meant to live.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Nothing is more important than you living that life and becoming who you were meant to become. That\u2019s what will give you real life in this life and what you will take into eternity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Jesus is inviting you into something better. He\u2019s inviting you into himself. That is the most astounding invitation ever offered. Say yes. Choose to abide in Jesus today, and then choose it again every day the rest of your life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><strong>About the Author<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Vince Antonucci is the founding pastor of Forefront Church in Virginia Beach, Virginia, and of Verve Church (vivalaverve.org), in the heart of Sin City, just off the Vegas Strip. Vince is the author of <em>I Became a Christian<\/em> and <em>All I Got Was This Lousy T-Shirt,<\/em> <em>Guerrilla Lovers, Renegade, God For The Rest Of Us<\/em> and <em>Restore<\/em>. He also works as a collaborative writer, helping authors create compelling content that inspires their readers. He loves spending time with his best friends \u2014 his wife Jennifer and kids Dawson and Marissa.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>On Site<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":1372,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":true},"guides-category-es":[14,18],"class_list":["post-3088","field_guides","type-field_guides","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","guides-category-es-tu-relacion-con-dios","guides-category-es-tu-relacion-contigo-mismo"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Permanecer en Cristo - The Mentoring Project<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Descubre el poder transformador de Juan 15. 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