The Source of All
Look around…
Everything’s been masterfully designed: The skies, the trees, the mountains, the oceans. The animals, the people, the seen, and the unseen.
You can breathe because you've been given lungs, oxygen, and an environment that sustains life. You can move because you've been given muscles, tendons, and a brain that instructs your body. You can think, dream, plan, design, create, build—because you've been given the desire, ability, and some raw materials.
So if you want to live a life that matters, a life that leaves an eternal legacy, you must stay connected to the source of life. Jesus said it like this, using an illustration that was familiar to His listeners:
“Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me. “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.”
John 15:4-5 NLT
When Jesus says, “I am the vine,” He’s making a statement. He’s saying that He is the source—that anything that’s made is because of His life-giving power.
So if you long for real truth, for genuine wisdom, or to make a lasting difference in this world, stick close to God—because anything worth being or doing starts with Him.
A Sacrifice of Praise
Have you ever thought about how your life brings pleasure to God? All throughout Scripture, we learn about how we can use our lives to please God. In fact, we were created for God’s pleasure.
Since we have been given new life in Christ, and we’ve experienced God’s grace, we should desire to please God. Since He has given us everything in life, we ought to give Him everything we are.
The writer of Hebrews tells us two distinct ways we can please God. The first is in Hebrews 13:15. The writer says that our first sacrifice to God is praising Him. This is what the Bible calls "worship."
Worship is the orientation of our entire life to live in awe of who God is and what He has done for us. We can worship God not only by the songs we sing, but also the way we live our lives.
Hebrews 13:16 tells us another way that we can please God: by loving others. When we love others, we are reflecting the love that God has for them. That is why it matters how we treat people.
Our ...