Abiding in Christ: Growth Through Community and Rest

### Bible Study Discussion Guide

#### Bible Reading
1. John 15:4-5 (ESV) - "Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. 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."
2. Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 (ESV) - "Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken."
3. Psalm 127:2 (ESV) - "It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep."

#### Observation Questions
1. According to John 15:4-5, what is necessary for a branch to bear fruit? How does this relate to our spiritual lives?
2. In Ecclesiastes 4:9-12, what are the benefits of companionship and mutual support?
3. What does Psalm 127:2 say about the value of rest and how does it contrast with anxious toil?
4. What personal story did the speaker share to illustrate the importance of rest? ([50:41])

#### Interpretation Questions
1. How does abiding in Jesus enable us to bear the fruit of the Spirit as described in Galatians 5:22? ([01:13:41])
2. Why might the plateau seasons of life be critical for personal development, according to the sermon? ([45:36])
3. How can life-giving relationships and community help us navigate life's peaks and valleys? ([57:27])
4. What does the speaker mean by "building in the boring," and how does this concept apply to our daily lives? ([45:36])

#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on your current spiritual disciplines. How can you improve your connection with Jesus to ensure you are abiding in Him? ([01:12:03])
2. Think about a time when you were in a plateau season. How did you use that time for personal growth, or how could you have used it better? ([45:36])
3. Identify one or two people in your life who provide mutual support and accountability. How can you strengthen these relationships this week? ([57:27])
4. Are you currently balancing productivity with rest? What changes can you make to ensure you are honoring the gift of rest from God? ([50:41])
5. Choose one aspect of the fruit of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control) to focus on this month. What specific action can you take to cultivate it in your interactions with others? ([01:13:41])
6. How can you build Christ-like character in your daily life? Identify one area where you need to align your actions with your words and make a plan to improve. ([01:01:57])
7. What steps can you take to ensure you are not wasting the plateau season but using it to build your faith, energy, community, and character? ([45:36])

Day 1: Cultivating Connection with Christ
Abiding in Jesus is the cornerstone of spiritual growth, as it is through Him that the fruit of the Spirit blossoms. This divine connection is not passive; it requires active engagement in spiritual disciplines that draw one closer to Christ, allowing His life to flow through us. As branches to a vine, the closer one remains to Jesus, the more vibrant and fruitful one's life becomes. [07:40]

John 15:4-5 - "Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing."
Reflection: What spiritual disciplines can you strengthen or incorporate into your daily routine to foster a deeper connection with Jesus?

Day 2: Embracing the Plateau for Growth
The plateau seasons of life are fertile grounds for personal development. While they may seem uneventful, these periods are rich with potential for deepening rest, community, character, and faith. It is in the ordinary and routine that one can prepare for life's inevitable peaks and valleys, building a foundation that sustains through all seasons. [07:40]

1 Thessalonians 4:11-12 - "Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody."
Reflection: How can you use your current plateau season as an opportunity to grow in one specific area of your life?

Day 3: Fostering Life-Giving Community
Community is not a luxury but a necessity for the Christian journey. It provides warmth, protection, and the strength to overcome life's challenges. In the context of a supportive community, individuals find mutual encouragement and accountability, which are vital for maintaining a grounded and fruitful life in Christ. [07:40]

Hebrews 10:24-25 - "And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching."
Reflection: Who are the people in your life that encourage and hold you accountable in your walk with Christ? How can you strengthen these relationships?

Day 4: Valuing Rest as a Divine Gift
Rest is a divine gift, not merely a physical necessity. It is a sacred space where one can find renewal and balance. God's design for rest reminds us that our worth is not tied to productivity, and that He provides for us even in our stillness. Embracing rest is an act of trust in God's provision and care. [07:40]

Exodus 33:14 - "The Lord replied, 'My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.'"
Reflection: How can you intentionally incorporate rest into your daily life, trusting that God's provision is sufficient even when you are not striving?

Day 5: Aligning Actions with Christ-like Character
Character development is a journey of aligning one's actions with the teachings of Jesus, allowing the Holy Spirit to transform us from the inside out. Living with integrity means that our words and deeds are in harmony, reflecting the character of Christ to the world around us. This pursuit of authenticity brings security and pleases God. [07:40]

Ephesians 4:22-24 - "You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness."
Reflection: What is one area of your life where your actions and words are not aligned, and how can you begin to bring them into alignment with the character of Christ?

Well, hello everybody, welcome to CLC today! I'm so excited that I get to talk about peaks and valleys. This is week two, and I really enjoyed Pastor Chris's message last week when she was guiding us and telling us what to do when we are in the middle of the valley. How can we get out of it?

You know, for every single time that we have a dream or a plan or an aspiration or a goal or something that makes us excited, this little thing comes around called life. And life happens to all of us, right? There are so many things in our life that take us to a peak, and we're excited and we're celebrating, or it takes us to the valley, and it is sad, and we just don't know what to do. We just feel stuck.

You find the love of your life. That is a peak, right? You find the love of your life. There are all of the hard eyes. You get married. This is awesome. That is a peak. It's a good thing. You get promoted at work. You finally get the raise that you were expecting. That is a peak. You accomplish one of your goals, and you've been working so hard, and it finally pays off. That is a peak. Your favorite TV show is having a new season. That is a peak.

You know, life is so good. You're just winning. Everywhere you see it, good things are happening. And you're walking on sunshine. You're feeling so good, right? It's just great. Life is good.

But life happens in the other direction too. You may lose somebody that you love dearly, and you are devastated. You're in the valley. You might be passed for the raise that you just, it's not just that you want it, but you desperately need it if your family is going to make it. And you're in the valley. You might be dealing with an illness that is just taking everything out of you. And you are in the valley. Everything around you seems gloomy. Your finances are a mess. Your family is a mess. Everything is a mess. Everybody hurts sometimes.

And you just go to the corner, you know, and start eating ice cream and just saying, "I don't even know how this is going to go." By the way, Pastor Derrick and Katie, that was officially my audition to join the worship team. I expect to be on stage singing next week. That is a valley.

Life has its highs and its lows, right? There are so many things that go really, really good and things that go really, really bad. Sometimes we get caught in those two emotions because they are so memorable. It is like the Red Bull to our emotions. You just go in the peak, and you remember the very, very good, or you remember the very, very bad.

But for the most part of our lives, we are actually going to be in the plateau season. Just in the monotonous day-to-day, day in and day out kind of situation. You might be going to work and you say, "Okay, well, I get up because it's Tuesday, and I got to work, and I come home, and I cook dinner, and I eat dinner, and I clean up after dinner, and then I get ready to go to bed, and I set up my alarm because I have to do it all over again tomorrow." That's a plateau.

Or you go to school because you're a student. So you wake up, you try to rush to get ready to make it to the bus, then you go to school, come back home, start playing video games, have dinner, get ready for bed, freak out because you realize you didn't do your homework that you were supposed to be doing all day instead of playing video games, and start praying that tomorrow you will have enough time during advisory period to finish all of the work that you didn't do. Maybe that is just Jaydon's life. But that's a plateau.

Or maybe you're a parent, and you have to get up and wake up your kids and get them ready and feed them and take them to school and pick them up from school and feed them again and take them to sports, and then you feed them again, and then you get them cleaned up, and then you tuck them in bed, and you are ready to do it all over again tomorrow. It's just a plateau. It is just day in and day out.

Life is not terrible, but it's not great. Nothing is falling apart, but you're not winning, winning. You're just not losing. You know? Life is just meh. Still boring. Just ghosting. It just feels like life is just dragging. Have you ever been there? I think that most of us are there for the majority of our lives.

You know what the difference between a plateau and a mountain is? The plateaus don't have peaks. So when you are hiking and you're trying to get to the top of the mountain and you get tired and you are contemplating quitting, but you look up and you're like, "Well, but I'm almost there. If I just hold on a little bit, I'm gonna get there, and it's gonna be worth it."

But when you're in the plateau and you're exhausted and you're contemplating quitting, there's not much that can get you motivated because there is no peak anywhere around you. It is just flat land. You know that you're just gonna keep on going and going and going, and God knows when something is gonna change. You might feel stuck, and you just might feel like it is too much work for what it looks like to be little to no payout. It is like walking on a treadmill. It is a lot of work, but you're not going nowhere.

So what do we do when we are in the plateaus of life? What do we do when it is just another day? What do we do when nothing is going wrong, but nothing is exciting either? What do we do in the boring times of life?

Well, we build in the boring. We build in the boring. Guys, you missed my audition. I'm gonna have to sing again. No, I'll spare you. But if you're in this place in life, if you're in the plateau season of life, I really believe that this is the most important place that you could experience in your life. I really do. I believe that if you take advantage of the plateaus, everything in your life will be different.

Your highs and your lows are gonna look completely different because it's in this monotonous, boring day-in and day-out type of situation that you develop character, that you develop Christ-like character, and you rest, and you build community, and you build up your faith.

The way that you respond to the highs and the lows of your life, the way that you respond to the peaks and to the valleys is not determined by the circumstance at that exact moment. The way that you respond to those things in your life is dependent on what you were building where things were slow.

So this season is super important. This part of your life, even though it might feel boring, if you don't use it well, it's a problem. Time, if we invest it, is our best friend, but if we waste it, it's our greatest enemy.

See, Ephesians 5:15 and 16 says, "Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time because the days are evil." When you're in the plateaus of life, you have to be careful. You have to watch out. You have to live wisely. You have to make wise decisions in how you're going to do everything because everything is dependent on what you're building today.

If you want to respond well to the peaks and to the valleys, everything depends on what you are doing today. You have to be wise. Don't waste this boring season. It is time for us to start building in the boring.

So what do we build in this plateau season? The very first thing that we build is our energy. We build up energy. Have you ever had this conversation, or does it sound familiar to you at all? "I don't have time to rest. I have too much to do." Or I had this conversation earlier. "I don't know how to rest. I try to rest, and I just get bored. Like, I have to do something."

Have you ever said that yourself? You know, like, "I feel like I have some time, but I might just do some more stuff. Let's just add more to the plate. I will rest when I'm dead." That's my husband's favorite phrase. "I will rest when I'm dead."

It is not God's plan for any of us to be depleted and exhausted every single day of our lives. Wearing stress and running on empty as a badge of honor is not making you any good. You have to look for times to rest. Whenever it's available to you, you should rest.

God commanded the people of Israel to take a Sabbath, to keep the Sabbath holy. He said, "You gotta rest. You need to charge up your batteries again. You need to be whole. You need to be able to have enough energy so that you can keep on doing what I have called you to do. You need to rest."

See, for a few months, actually, we were very busy. We were writing curriculum for live university, and we were working on messages, and we had all kinds of meetings. Then my son was on soccer, and my daughter is in gymnastics, and it was just busy, busy, busy, busy, busy, busy, busy.

Finally, we were gonna have a couple of weeks where we didn't have to do anything. We realized for two weeks, we didn't have any type of engagements for the weekends. It was like, "Oh, we have two weeks of nothing." My husband was very excited, and so was I.

So I was like, "We have furniture in the garage that I want you to build because my laundry room needs it. And I have bought these organizers for the kitchen. So we're gonna put all of the pots and pans and dishes out of the cabinets, and we're gonna reorganize everything. And then we're gonna gut the basement because it's a mess. And we're gonna just redo the whole thing, make sure that everything fits perfectly."

I had already scheduled what we were gonna do in the two weeks that we had nothing to do. I called my dad while Brent was building the laundry room. I did force him because he was like, "Are you serious? Like, we only have two weeks." And I'm like, "Well, yeah, we have two weeks. We have to hurry up. Like, do you want to rest? Work faster, right? Makes perfect sense to me."

So I called my dad. Oh, and I made us paint. Well, yeah, you're not gonna build furniture and install stuff if you don't paint first. Doesn't make sense, right? So we painted. And then he was putting stuff up. I called my dad, and my dad knew how busy we were. He also knew that we were gonna have a couple of weeks of just slow down.

So I am talking to him, and he's like, "So are you ready to rest? Like, are you actually doing something to rest? Are you gonna go anywhere?" And I'm like, "Oh, actually, we are redoing the laundry room. And we're gonna be cleaning the kitchen. And then we're gonna be doing the basement. And if we have time, I want some stuff outside."

He kept just giving me this look because we were on FaceTime. Then he said, "I'm sorry. Cuando no tienes trabajo, te lo inventas." When you don't have work to do, you invent something to do. And he was right.

At that moment, I recognized that I was forfeiting my rest and my husband's rest to put work that didn't need to happen at that moment. We had been going, going, going, going, and God was giving us a breather. I was trying to cram more stuff that could wait for later.

I had to go to my husband and say, "Well, just finish this project. We will not do the kitchen or the basement." You know? So we're still not done. So it will get done at some point. But God wants us to rest. There is no reason for us to just keep on going and going and going until we cannot keep going anymore. That is not the life that we're supposed to live.

Because if we keep going at that pace, when the valleys come, we don't have the energy to try to fight for our lives, to try to fight for our families, to try to fight for our finances. And when the peaks come, we don't have the energy to make the most out of that amazing opportunity that God is presenting us because we are exhausted.

So we need to rest. Psalm 127 says, "It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil. For he gives his beloved sleep." You know that he loves you. And because he loves you, he gives you rest. And because he loves you, he wants you to sleep. And because he loves you, he wants you to have energy in you. He doesn't want any of us to be dragging all the time.

It is in vain that you just keep on cramming stuff because you feel like every single hour has to have something going on. It is hard for all of us to rest. It is hard for me to rest because sometimes I feel like I have to earn my rest. Like I have to be so tired, like I finish everything. I am exhausted. I have nothing else in me. I should probably rest now.

But he loves you. You don't have to earn the rest. He's giving it to you because he loves you. If you don't rest today, it's going to cost you tomorrow. So go home and read a book. Watch a movie. Go out for a walk if you like being cold. Take a nap. Do whatever it is that you do to replenish. But take time to rest whenever it's possible. You should be resting.

And I know that some people here might say, "Well, that sounds great, but it's too late. I am already paying. I am already overtired. I already don't even know what to do." I have good news for you. God says in Matthew 11:28, "Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me, and you will recover your life. I will show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me. Watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me, and you will learn to live freely and lightly."

So if you're here today and you're exhausted, come to God. Say, "Jesus, show me how I can be productive but also rest. How to do the things that I know that I'm supposed to be doing but also care for myself because you want me to. Give me the rest that I need today," and he will give it to you because he gives his beloved sleep.

So we build up our energy, and we also build community. We need people. You were not created to be alone. You need other people in your life. You need to build life-giving relationships with people that are like-minded, with people that are going to love you, and they are going to show up for you, and you show up for them. People that are going to pray for you, and you're going to pray for them. For people that are going to be there for you, and you're going to be there for them.

It is in this moment where you build those relationships because when you are in the valley and nobody shows up, it may be that in this time you never built connection to anybody. And when you're in the peaks and you want somebody to celebrate with, and you are celebrating alone, it may be that you never built a relationship with anybody. You need community.

You need community that will walk all of the stages of life with you. Ecclesiastes 4:9 to 12 says, "Two people are better than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help, but someone who falls alone is in real trouble. Likewise, two people laying close together can keep each other warm, but how can one be warm alone? A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back to back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple braided cord is not easily broken."

So find somebody, find one person, two people. Three is even better, the Bible says. You need community because the people that you build community with and relationships with in the plateaus will make a difference when you are going through the valley.

This verse is very clear that if you fall down, somebody is going to be there to pick you up. If you're being attacked, somebody is going to be there with their back, and you guys are going to conquer. You're going to have victory because somebody's fighting with you. If you are cold, somebody's going to bring warmth. If you are in trouble, somebody's going to be there for you. If you need prayer, somebody's going to pray for you. You need people. Together is better. You are not supposed to be alone.

And when you are in the mountaintop, when you are in the peak, when you are celebrating all the good stuff, you need people in your life. Not just to celebrate with you, not just to cheer you on, but also to help you to stay level-headed. Making sure that you don't lose your floor. That they say, "Hey, I know that you're getting all of this success, but remember it's about Jesus."

You need somebody that will keep you accountable. Somebody that will be happy that you're succeeding, but also say, "Let's just relax a little bit. Like, I know that it's going real good, but we don't need to be like that." You need the right friendships in your life.

We need community that will not judge you when you're at your worst. But also, you need community that will help you when you are at the best time of your life and that they will be truly happy for you. That they will not be saying, "Man, I don't even know how they got that success. Like, seriously?" No. You need somebody that you will think that they are the ones winning because of how much they are celebrating what is happening in your life.

They say, "You know what? We've been walking together, and I've seen all of your work, and we pray for breakthrough, and look at God." You need community.

And it is in this time when things are slowing down that you can build community, and that disciples understood this principle, and they put it into practice. That is how the church was built. In Acts 2:42, it says, "All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to sharing in meals, including the Lord's supper, and to prayer."

See, they devoted themselves to fellowship. They were having meals together. They were praying together. The Bible even tells us they would sell their possessions. That if somebody needed something, they would provide for them. You need community.

So who are you in fellowship with? Who is sitting at your table? Who are you sharing a meal with? Are you always alone? You need people. We need to start building relationships.

And if you say, "I don't have a lot of people that I have built relationships with," let me invite you to First Wednesday because this First Wednesday is going to be different. We're going at the table, and that is what it's going to be. We're going to be sitting at a table, and we're going to be participating in communion together, and we're going to be praying together, and we're going to worship together, and we're going to get to know each other.

So if you say, "I need new connections. I need new people in my life," come on Wednesday, be a part of what God is wanting to do in your life. Find the right group of friends.

So we build up our energy. We build community. And the third thing that we build is our character. We need to be people that match our actions to our words. That we say that we are loving Jesus, that we are living a life that actually shows that we love Jesus. That if we say that we value kindness, we are exhibiting kindness, right?

We need to have character. Our desire should be to become more and more and more like Jesus every day. We put a huge emphasis on building Christ-like character. It is not us. It is not about what I can do or what I think that is important, but what about what Jesus says is important for me.

It is looking at his life and seeing all of his attributes and all of the things that he exhibits and saying, "I want to be like that." Proverbs 10:9 says, "Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but he who makes his ways crooked will be found out."

We should aim to be men and women of integrity because there's security when we live in an honorable and transparent way. We are never afraid of what people are going to say if they knew what I'm actually like, if they knew what I do when I'm not around other people.

If we are going to live in integrity, that means that we are the same no matter who's watching. You can be in your house all by yourself, and you're still living the same stuff because that is a person that has character, that has integrity, that you're not putting up a front for somebody to see. That is just who you are.

That is just what God is doing in your life, and that doesn't mean that you're perfect, but that means that you are more like Jesus today than you were yesterday. That means that you're a little bit more holy today than you were yesterday. That means that you love Jesus more today than you did yesterday, that you hate sin today more than you did yesterday.

You are changing, and the way that we get there is by asking the Holy Spirit to do something in us, to say, "Holy Spirit, show me all of the areas of my life where I'm falling short. Show me what it is that I need to work on," and allow the Holy Spirit to show you, to reveal to you what it is that you need to change, what areas do you need to fine-tune, what attitudes you might not need anymore, right?

And actually doing it because when you ask the Holy Spirit to come and show you, he will start pointing out things, and he will give you that Holy Spirit discontent. When you start acting in a way that is not like Christ, you will feel it. You will have that little voice saying, "That is not how we react anymore. That is not how that email should be written. You probably need to delete it and start all over."

You know what? Like you said that you're gonna love, and that wasn't very loving. You probably need to apologize. When we ask the Holy Spirit to show us, he will, and he will start producing in us the desire to please God, the desire to make him happy, to do something in us so that we are more like Christ every single day.

You start craving the things of God, and the things that you did before, they don't please you anymore. They are not the things that you crave now because now you want the presence of God. You need to build Christ-like character.

So take a look at your life. Are you quick to lying? "Well, I didn't want it to go, so I just told them that I was sick. It's not a big deal." We need to build our character. Are you using certain words in certain spaces with certain people but not with others? We need to build our character. Are you living a double life? If somebody were to dig a little, they would be like, "Ooh, that is not the same person because the person I know doesn't do that."

We need to build our character. Are you interested in the latest gossip? "You know, I don't create the content. I'm just here for it." We need to build our character. We need to desire to become more and more like Jesus every day. Use this time to build up, to be different. Don't waste the time in the plateau.

So build your energy, build community, build character. And my most favorite thing: build faith. Because I really believe that this is the most significant build that you will ever have. The one thing that truly is going to make a difference in your life is your relationship with Jesus.

In John 15:4 and 5, it says, "Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. 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."

We need to stay connected to Jesus. He makes it very clear that if we're not connected to him, we are not going to bear fruit. He says, "Abide in me."

So I cut a branch from outside. So if anybody sees that tree that looks funny, it was my fault. But how many of you think that if we all collectively work on it and really just put our efforts together, we can make this little branch grow new leaves? But like all of us, like all of our energy will just go into the branch. Can we do that?

Why not? Because it's not connected to the tree. It is not connected to its source of life. If you and I are not connected to Jesus, we are not going to give any fruit. There is nothing that is going to be produced in us if we are not abiding and remaining in Jesus.

We can put all of our energy and all of our effort and all of our time into trying to come up with something, and it is not going to be productive because we are not the ones that bring up the fruit. We only get to abide. He brings the fruit.

And I mean, I can grab this thing, and I can tape an apple or something to it, you know, and maybe like spray paint it a little bit, make it a little more festive, look at it a little more alive. But it will not be real fruit, though. It will be fake.

And why do we feel like we can just produce fruit but not be connected to Jesus? You might be saying, "But I smile at people, you know, and I'm like, 'I bless you,'" and you're inside like, "I cannot stand up right now." It's fake fruit, though.

We need to abide in Christ. You want the real thing, you have to be connected to the source of it. And how do we get connected to the vine? How do we abide in Jesus?

Well, the first thing that we do is we spend time in the Word. We read scripture. We memorize scripture. We dig deeper. It is not just about a checked or to-do list. It is about wanting to understand what the Word says. It's to really get it into our hearts. We treasure it. We put it in our heart.

We learn what people did that worked and what people did that didn't work. What did they do to please God, and what did they do to not please God? If we want to build character, we need to know what Jesus' character was, and we find that in the Bible.

So we need to spend time in the Word of God. We need to know how God responded when people were disobedient and how God responded when people were doing the right thing. And what does the Bible say about the will of God for my life? We need to spend time in the Word.

That's how we are connected to Him because in the low moments of life, it is the Word of God that is going to carry you through. And in the peaks of life, when everything is going well, it is the Word of God that will keep you anchored, that is going to keep you grounded.

We need to be connected to Jesus, but we cannot get water out of an empty pool. We need to use this time in the plateau to build a reservoir. So you are learning the Word. You are learning the Word. You are putting it in your heart. You are meditating on it.

Pastor Chris taught us last week that when we are in the valley, we speak of what we know to be true of God. How are you going to know what is true of God if you are not spending time in the Word? She also told us that we have to speak Scripture into our situation. How are you going to have Scripture if you don't read it?

It is in this moment that you start storing all of those things. So when you are in the valley, the Holy Spirit will say, "Hey, you are an overcomer, remember? We overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the word of His testimony." He will bring you the verses that you need at the moment that you need them because they are already stored in here.

But you cannot pull and try to pull something out of nothing. You need to build that in this time. It is important for you to spend time in the Word of God and be disciplined with that.

But it is not just about reading because it's not just about knowledge. We don't want to be Christians that are very good at knowing but not very good at doing. Let's not just know the Word. Let's do what the Word says. Let's show with our lives that we actually believe what the Word says to be true, and we are living it out.

It is not about how many Bible verses you know. It's about how many you are actually living out. Let's not just quote Scripture just to quote Scripture. Let's live it out because the Word of God will change your life if you put it into practice.

So we stay connected to the vine when we are spending time in the Word. We stay connected to the vine when we spend time in prayer because that is the time that you get to speak to God, and you put out your heart at him, and he puts his heart into you, and he speaks to you.

So we need to be connected in prayer. He will lead you. He will guide you. He will mold you. But you need to spend time in prayer.

So we spend time in the Word. We spend time in prayer. We spend time in worship, declaring the goodness of God, declaring who he is, taking the focus off of ourselves and putting it just solely on him and who he is. He is a good God.

We go to church constantly, you know, like every time that something is happening, you're there because you make it a priority in your life. You see God when you feel like it. You see God when you don't. You are faithful. You are disciplined. You're putting one foot in front of the other. One foot in front of the other.

The same way that you get up and go to work and do your spreadsheet and then take a break for lunch. The same way that you are disciplined in your workspace or in your schoolwork. The same way we have to be disciplined when it comes to abiding in Jesus.

Because when we do that, then there's fruit that is going to be produced in us. The Bible says that very clearly. If you abide in me and I in you, you will produce fruit. It actually says that you will bear much fruit.

And what fruit that is? Galatians 5:22 says, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law."

Do you need a little bit more love? A little more joy? A little bit more peace? A little more faithfulness? All of that is produced in us as we abide in Jesus, as we are connected to him.

And what I love about this is that we are not responsible for the fruit being produced in us. We are only responsible for staying connected to him. He will make the fruit grow. He will make things happen in us.

And there's going to be times that you're not even going to realize how much fruit is being produced inside of you. You might not even have a clue what is in you because you have been spending so much time with God, and you're so passionate about him.

But then you will face tragedy or loss, and still you have peace. And still you have joy. And somebody wrongs you, and you can still answer with gentleness. And you can extend grace to somebody that has been nothing but rude to you.

And that is not an accident. That is the fruit that has been produced in you in the time of building as you are connected to Jesus. And you may have the greatest success, and you are getting more and more influential, and more and more people know your name, and your bank account is jumping up for joy, right?

And yet you're still approachable and kind and humble. It is not a coincidence. It is the fruit that has been developed in you in the time of the plateau as you are putting one foot in front of the other, being faithful and staying connected to Jesus.

The plateaus of life are taken seriously. They can completely change how you experience the valleys and the peaks. So don't waste this season. Don't waste the time that God has given you today while things are slowing down.

That there will not just be another boring season until something shows up. But that in this time, you are building.

So my challenge for you today is to get your hard hat and hammer ready and start building. Start building your energy. Start building a community. Start building character. Start building your faith.

So you may need to go today and go home and take a nap. You might need to go home today and grab the phone and call somebody and say, "Hey, we need to connect." You might need to go home today and say, "Holy Spirit, show me what it is that I need to change. What areas in my life I have not been fully obedient? In what areas of my life I'm not Christ-like? I want to be more like you."

But I believe that all of us need to live to go home today and ask God to help us to remain in you. We want to abide in you so that you can abide in us so that you can produce the fruit that I'm going to need later on in life.

Let's pray.

Amen.

Thank you, Jesus, for your goodness and for your mercy. Thank you, Lord, because you have given us this plateau season for a reason. Give us the wisdom so that we can live and walk this season and not waste it.

Lord, that we will use this time correctly. Lord, that we will start building up rest. Lord, that if any of us have a hard time just letting go and just putting their feet up and breathing a little bit, help us, Lord. Show us how to do it.

Lord, we want to be able to have energy for the things that are ahead of us. Lord, I ask that you will bring the right community to each and every one of us.

Lord, that if anybody in here feels lonely, that you will bring the right people alongside of them so that they can be in a community that is life-giving and a community that loves them, with people that will pray for them, with people that will lift their hands up when they don't have the strength anymore, and people who will just celebrate when good things are happening.

Lord, give us the right community. Lord, I ask that you will help us build Christ-like character. Lord, we don't want to just be us. We want to be more like you. We want to sound like you. We want to act like you. We want people around us to just see a reflection of who you are through us.

Lord, I ask that each and every one of us have a bigger desire for your presence. Lord, that we will desire to just abide in you, to remain in you, to stay connected to you every single day of our lives.

Lord, that not a moment will pass where we just feel like we have to do it on our own, but that we will remember to stay connected to you. And I thank you because your word has given us a promise that if we abide in you, we will bear fruit.

Thank you, Jesus, for this season, and thank you, Lord, for what you're going to be building in us as we are faithful to you. In your name we pray. Amen.

"You need community that will walk all of the stages of life with you... if you fall down, somebody is going to be there to pick you up... You're going to have victory because somebody's fighting with you." [58:30] (Download)

"Together is better. You are not supposed to be alone... you need people in your life... to help you to stay level headed... You need somebody that will keep you accountable." [58:30] (Download)

"Our desire should be to become more and more like Jesus every day. It is not about what I can do or what I think that is important, but what about what Jesus says is important for me." [01:01:44] (Download)

"If we are going to live in integrity, that means that we are the same no matter who's watching. You can be in your house all by yourself and you're still living the same stuff because that is a person that has character, that has integrity." [01:03:28] (Download)

"The same way that you are disciplined in your workspace or in your schoolwork, the same way we have to be disciplined when it comes to abiding in Jesus. Because when we do that then there's fruit that is going to be produced in us." [01:12:27] (Download)

"We are not responsible for the fruit being produced in us. We are only responsible in staying connected to him. He will make the fruit grow. He will make things happen in us." [01:14:15] (Download)

"So don't waste this season. Don't waste the time that God has given you today while things are slowing down. That there will not just be another boring season until something shows up. But that in this time you are building." [01:16:00] (Download)

"Lord, we don't want to just be us. We want to be more like you. We want to sound like you. We want to act like you. We want people around us to just see a reflection of who you are through us." [01:17:41] (Download)

"Lord, that we will desire to just abide in you, to remain in you, to stay connected to you every single day of our lives. Lord, that not a moment will pass where we just feel like we have to do it on our own, but that we will remember to stay connected to you." [01:17:41] (Download)

"Wearing stress and running on empty as a badge of honor is not making you any good. You have to look for times to rest. Whenever it's available to you, you should rest. God commanded the people of Israel to take a Sabbath, to keep the Sabbath holy." [49:47] (Download)