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98 illustrations — Quotes from Lewis, Stott, Bonhoeffer, and other theologians
"Trouble intensifies as the age closes—Jesus warned of tribulation. But take heart: He has already overcome the world. The coming tribulation is real; so is Christ's ultimate triumph. The world system is defeated; its ruler is judged. Until He comes,...
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"Abide in Christ and watch the FRUIT flow! Not your effort—HIS life! Not your striving—HIS power! The branch doesn't strain to produce fruit; it RECEIVES it! Stay connected to the Vine and SUPERNATURAL fruit appears—beyond what you could produce yourself!" — T.D.
"Christ is risen—this is the victory! Death is trampled; hades is conquered; the world is overcome. 'Let no one fear death, for the death of our Savior has set us free.' Trouble in this world is temporary; Paschal joy is eternal.
"God's love is not simply a feeling but rather an action that creates a people capable of witnessing to the world that God would have the world saved through the love shown in Christ." — Stanley Hauerwas.
"I AM come—Christ Himself is the coming of life. That THEY might have LIFE—life is found only in Him. And have it ABUNDANTLY—Christ is inexhaustible. He is not merely the giver of life; He IS life. Apart from Him is...
"No one knows the Father except through the Son. If you want to see God, look at Christ. He IS the way to God—no other path works. He IS the truth about God—all else is speculation. He IS the life...
"Scripture is lamp and light because it witnesses to Christ, who is THE Light. The Word illumines by pointing to the Word made flesh. We read Scripture to find Him; finding Him, we find our path. Christ illumines through Scripture;...
"Whatever trouble YOU face—Jesus has overcome. YOUR difficulties, YOUR opposition, YOUR struggles—He has conquered. Take heart, YOU personally: the world that oppresses YOU is a defeated world. In Christ, YOU are on the winning side. Hold on to HIM." — Billy Graham.
"The branches are plural—we abide together. Individual spirituality divorced from community is a severed branch. The church abides in Christ as a body; we bear fruit through shared life. Isolated Christians cannot flourish; connected communities bear kingdom fruit." — Stanley Hauerwas.
"The church abides in Christ to bear fruit for the poor. Branches disconnected from the Vine cannot sustain justice work; movements apart from Christ wither. But rooted in Him, we bear fruit that remains: communities of solidarity, resistance, and hope." — Oscar Romero.
"Abundant life is theosis—participation in divine life. God became human that humans might become divine. The thief is death and corruption; Christ brings incorruption and immortality. Life abundant is union with God, sharing His energies, becoming by grace what He is by nature." — St.
"Jesus is honest: in this world you WILL have trouble. No false promises of escape. But TAKE HEART: He has overcome the world! The trouble is real; the victory is more real. We face tribulation in a conquered world. The...
"Christ the Vine nourishes through His Body, the Church. We abide in Him through the sacraments: Eucharist is the life-sap flowing; confession removes what blocks the flow. The branches are connected to the Vine and to each other—this is ecclesial communion." — Pope Francis.
"The branch participates in the life of the Vine—this is theosis. Divine energies flow from Christ to those united with Him. Abiding is communion with the divine nature. Through liturgy, through prayer, through sacrament, we remain connected; His life becomes ours." — St.
"God's gift is LIFE—and not just barely alive! ETERNAL life! ABUNDANT life! SUPERNATURAL life! Sin pays death; God gives LIFE with POWER! The same Spirit that raised Christ LIVES IN YOU! Receive the gift—LIFE MORE than you imagined possible!" — Bill Johnson.
"ABUNDANT life is SUPERNATURAL life! Jesus didn't come to give you religion—He came to give you GLORY! The thief steals through fear and doubt; Jesus gives through FAITH and encounter! Step into the MORE! Heaven's ABUNDANCE is available NOW!" — Bill Johnson.
"Abiding in Christ is neither passive quietism nor frantic activism—it is living union. The branch doesn't strive to produce fruit, nor does it pretend fruit doesn't matter. It simply stays connected and fruit comes. This is the balanced Christian life:...
"The world gives trouble—especially to those who challenge injustice. But Christ has overcome this world of oppression. His victory is liberation. Take heart: the powers that kill are defeated powers. Even martyrdom is victory—the blood of martyrs is seed of freedom." — Oscar Romero.
"Abundant life spans both ages—eternal life begins now and continues forever. The thief is Satan who ruled this present age; Jesus is the Good Shepherd who leads to the age to come. We taste abundance now; we inherit fullness when He returns.
"I am the Vine—Christ is the source; we are only branches. All righteousness, all fruit, all life flows from Him to us. The branch does not produce life; it receives life. Our works are His fruit flowing through us. Apart...
"Jesus says 'I am the WAY'—not 'I am the correct doctrine.' The way is walked, not merely affirmed. To claim Christ as the way is to follow His path of enemy love, nonviolence, and community. The way is embodied discipleship." — Stanley Hauerwas.
"Consider how great a gift it is that He gave—His only-begotten Son. Not a servant, not an angel, not an archangel, but His own Son. And for whom? For ungrateful enemies. This is the wonder of God's love." — St.
"Jesus has OVERCOME—past tense! The victory is WON! Our job isn't to win; it's to ENFORCE the victory already accomplished! When trouble comes, DECLARE: 'You're defeated! Jesus has overcome!' Live from victory, not toward it! The world is under His feet—and ours!" — Bill Johnson.
"In Jesus Christ God has said Yes to humanity. The giving of the Son is the great divine Yes that precedes and grounds every other word from God.