The Vine

Today the kids learned that Jesus is the vine and we are the branches. (John 15:1-8). They each wrote a prayer on a leaf in the morning and then at evening worship, the counselors handed out leaves, one to each camper. The camper prayed for who ever wrote the prayer request as they hung it on the vine. (Funny, it is exactly the passage that I had picked to lead my part of the worship with the staff on our staff retreat!) I love this passage because it reminds me that all the "stuff" that I try to do to earn God's favor or help Him out ( ; cause me to feel stress. All He wants us to do is abide in Him!
The Message states vs. 4 like this: "Live in me. Make your home in me just as I do in you. In the same way that a branch can't bear grapes by itself but only by being joined to the vine, you can't bear fruit unless you are joined with me." There is no stress there!! Let's pray that our kids make their home in Him!