Stay Connected: What It Really Means to Abide in Jesus
In Week 3 of While I Breathe, I Hope, Sawyer Poitra took us to John 15, where Jesus says, “I am the vine, you are the branches,” and repeats one word over and over: remain. Abide. In its simplest terms, abiding is staying connected to Jesus — and that’s exactly where the message of Stay Connected begins.
The Scripture Behind Stay Connected
Jesus tells His disciples that He is the true vine and His Father is the gardener, and that apart from Him, we can do nothing (John 15:1-8). A branch cut off from the vine can’t produce fruit — it withers. But a branch that remains, that stays connected, bears much fruit. Stay Connected is built on this one repeated command: not “try harder,” not “do more,” just — remain in me.
We Were Made for More Than Occasional Encounters
Here’s the challenge at the center of Stay Connected: a lot of us treat our relationship with God like a once-a-week check-in. We show up on Sunday, we feel His presence, we hear a word — and then we go about our week and don’t think about Him again until next Sunday. But we were made for more than occasional encounters with God. From the Garden of Eden on, Scripture shows people made to dwell continually in God’s presence, not just visit it. Stay Connected means inviting Jesus into the ordinary, moment-by-moment parts of our day — not just the designated “spiritual time.”
Abiding Isn't a Retreat or a Checklist
Stay Connected names two common hang-ups around abiding. The first is thinking abiding only happens on a retreat — off in solitude, away from distractions. That’s valuable, but it’s not sustainable daily life. The second is turning our time with God into a checklist: a two-minute prayer, a verse of the day, check, check, check. Neither extreme captures what Jesus actually asked for. Abiding means slowing down enough to actually linger with Him — not on retreat, not checked off a list, but woven through an ordinary day.
The Deeper We Abide, The Deeper We Depend
As we grow spiritually, our culture tells us maturity means independence. But Stay Connected flips that: spiritual maturity means growing more dependent on God, not less. The deeper we abide, the deeper we depend — and that’s where the Holy Spirit transforms us from the inside out, producing the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, faithfulness, self-control.
Our Hope Is Anchored When We Remain
Stay Connected ties straight back into this series’ name. Hebrews 6:19 says hope is an anchor for the soul. Picture a climber roped into an anchor fixed high above — that’s the picture behind Stay Connected: Jesus is the anchor, secure and steadfast, and as we stay connected to Him, our hope stays fixed on eternity, not on our circumstances. Whatever you’re walking through — grief, a diagnosis, an unwanted divorce, a prodigal child — you can grieve and still hope, because the anchor holds. While we abide, we hope. While we hope, we abide.
Stay Connected With These Next Steps
- Join a Life Group. Planting the flag isn’t a one-time moment — it’s remembered and lived out in community.
- Read “Becoming,” Chapter 3. Our church book Becoming has a chapter dedicated to abiding. Pick up a copy at the Purchase Project (free if you can’t afford one) or listen on Spotify.
Did you like the message, Sgtay Connected? If so, check out more of our Sunday teachings here.