2026 Week 3 GraceMen Weekly Update

This Week:

1. Prayer

2. Meditation

3. Quote

4. Events

5. Book Recommendation
6. New Blog Posts

Grace and Peace to you brothers.

Here's a question worth sitting with this week: are you exhausting yourself trying to produce fruit for God, or are you resting in your connection to Christ? Jesus tells us in John 15:5, "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." This image should free us. A branch doesn't strain or stress to produce grapes. It simply stays attached to the vine, drawing life from the source. Too often we approach our faith like it's another thing to check off the list, another performance to nail. We hustle in our own strength, white-knuckling our way through spiritual disciplines, relationships, and responsibilities. But Jesus invites us into something better: abiding. As we focus on renewing our minds this year, let's start by renewing our understanding of what really matters. Fruitfulness comes from connection, not just effort. This week, take an honest look at your life and ask yourself: are you striving in your own strength or resting in your union with Christ?

Prayer:

Lord, help me abide in You as the branch abides in the vine, for apart from You I can do nothing. (John 15:5)

John 15:5:  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.

Meditation: 

Fruitfulness comes from connection, not just effort. Are you striving in your own strength or resting in your union with Christ?

Quote:

Jerry Bridges (1929-2016): “All who trust in Christ as Savior are united to Him in a living way just as the branches are united to the vine. This means that as we abide in Him, that is, depend on Him in faith, His very life will flow into and through us to enable us to be fruitful both in our own character and our ministry to others.”

Events:

Thursday - January 15, 2026

• Morning Bible Study - 6am thru 7:15am 
• At the Church in the Tower Room
• Beginning our new series "Everyday Wisdom: Walking with Christ & One Another through the Book of Proverbs"
• Ian McConnell will be facilitating

Saturday - January 17, 2026

• Morning Bible Study - 7am
• At the Church in the Prayer Room
• We will be in Week 3 of our 10 Week study on John Calvins "On the Christian Life"
• Facilitator: Eugene Allen
• Let Eugene Allen know if. you are interesting in joining in.

Upcoming Events:

Saturday - January 17, 2026

• Every Man a Warrior Leadership Training - 8am to 9:30am

Saturday - January 31, 2026

• Men's Breakfast - 8:30am
• Registration is now open [HERE]

Book Recommendation:

Abide in Christ
by Andrew Murray

If you've ever felt that your Christian faith lacks depth or vitality—if initial conversion joy has faded into routine religious duty—Abide in Christ offers a transformative pathway to authentic spiritual renewal. This classic devotional speaks directly to the gap between knowing about Christ and truly knowing Christ through intimate, continuous fellowship.

Murray's central insight is revolutionary yet simple: the Christian life is not a burden you must carry through self-effort, but a relationship you rest in through faith. Using Jesus' metaphor of the vine and branches, he explains that spiritual fruitfulness, holiness, joy, and power all flow naturally from abiding in Christ—not from striving in your own strength. This message liberates countless believers from the exhaustion of trying to be good Christians and invites them into the restful reality of letting Christ live through them.

The book's thirty-one chapters work as daily devotional readings, each exploring different dimensions of what abiding means: finding rest, experiencing Christ's love, bearing spiritual fruit, receiving answers to prayer, and discovering victory over sin. Murray's accessible yet profound writing speaks to both intellectual understanding and spiritual experience, making ancient biblical truths personally applicable to modern life.

What makes this book enduringly valuable is its challenge to complacency. Murray confronts comfortable Christianity, showing that Christ calls believers not merely to come to Him once for salvation but to abide in Him continuously. He answers the deepest questions believers wrestle with: How can I experience God's presence daily? How do I live the victorious Christian life? Where do I find strength for obedience?

Whether you're a new believer seeking to deepen your faith or a seasoned Christian needing spiritual renewal, Abide in Christ provides the roadmap and encouragement to move from surface-level religion to the richness of genuine union with Christ. It remains essential reading for anyone longing for authentic spiritual transformation and intimate knowledge of Jesus.

New Blog Articles:

A Year of Biblical Manhood: Introducing Our 2026 Content Strategy

The Covenant Wisdom of God Series - Part 1 : The Fear of the Lord: Behold Your God

The Battle for your Mind: Why Romans 12:2 Matters Daily

Coram Deo,
GraceMen