April 26, 2026 | Mt. Olive Austin Life Worship

That's what it means to abide. Because then he says something that should stop us dead in our tracks. Apart from me you can do nothing. Now the word here nothing is not something that we might try to think of, oh nothing, not as much or very little, but rather it's this absolute word that means zero. Apart from him, we can do nothing. See, look at the flowers. I mean, the reality is that, yes, from the outside they look fine, but but inside they are dying. [00:41:39] (40 seconds)  #ApartFromChristNothing

Because he is the vine, we are the branches. And here is what that looks like for us. It's not trying harder. It's not trying to white knuckle ourselves through life and muster up our own strength, but it's rather trusting in his love. It's sitting in his presence. It's returning to him time and time again. Because abiding is not a one time decision, but rather it's a daily return. Jesus is describing this relationship that someone has. It's remaining loyal to someone who is committed to you. [00:39:59] (43 seconds)  #AbideDaily

Because at the end of the day, life is not meant just to get through, but rather it's a life that's meant to be defined by joy. That's how Jesus ends his discourse with his disciples. He says, these things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. Full. Jesus is is describing that it's not just a joy that's based on your circumstances, but it's joy that comes from him. It's his joy inside of us in a container that is so full that you can't add anything else, and the more you add, it's just joy that overflows. [00:51:49] (41 seconds)  #FullnessOfJoy

And in those moments when we drift or we get tired or we look down and we realize that we've been running on our own for quite some time, we come back because he will be there at his table, in his word, in the water that has named you in the waters of baptism. Because here's what we know, is that the tomb is empty, that Christ is alive, and he is not letting go. God's peace and strength be with you today and always. Amen. [00:56:48] (39 seconds)  #EmptyTombHope

And that is what we do as God's people. We keep walking by faith, knowing, trusting that ultimately Jesus, the one who has claimed the victory for us, is holding us and he has promised to never leave our side. And thank goodness that the vine doesn't depend on the branch to stay connected, but rather the branch depends on the vine and our vine. He went all the way to the cross and came out the other side, securing his end of the connection forever. And so for us today, we go, we walk into whatever comes next. [00:56:06] (43 seconds)  #WalkByFaith

I mean, you're all sitting down right now and did you think about it before you sat down or did you just trust that the chair would support you? Because ultimately that's what faith is. It's not just believing that the chair exists, but rather it's trusting it enough to put your weight on it. See, faith for us is what we lean on. It's what we return to and what we don't let go of because ultimately it's the foundation on which we build our lives. [00:34:41] (30 seconds)  #FaithToLeanOn

Well, the good news for us today is that the God to whom we just confessed doesn't keep score. He's not tallying our marks against us. He's not counting our drift or the cataloging the silence, but rather through Jesus, through what Jesus absorbed for us on the cross and the victory that he won for us through the empty grave. The debt is gone, that the sins have been paid for. And today you are forgiven and a free child of God, not because of your doing, but because of his. And I get to remind us that this is all done for us. [00:09:26] (41 seconds)  #ForgivenAndFree

It's this trust that he is holding onto you, and that his promises are true for you, and that it's in that place that you get to experience life and experience the joy and the peace and the hope that he has won for you on the cross. It's abiding in him. It's not, again, trying harder, but rather it's just resting in his promises. It's returning to the places that he has promised to meet us in his word at the Lord's Supper in prayer. [00:40:52] (41 seconds)  #RestInHisPromises