Yesterday, I shared about a Zoom call, and today, I wanted to share the heart of the message I gave to our mission partners. I love the word "abide." I love it so much, it's tattooed on my arm!
*****
I wanted to share with you a little of who I am and how God formed my heart for missions. When I was 16, my church took a mission trip to Matamoros, Mexico, and it became a summer tradition for me as a teenager. Each year, we’d pile into a van and make the three-day drive from North Carolina to the southern tip of Texas. Our mission? Vacation Bible School and a building project, of course.
Our youth leaders were all about schedules, goals, and making sure we worked hard. But me? Let’s just say I wasn’t exactly a construction expert. Mixing cement wasn’t my strength, and my attempt at hammering nails usually ended with bent metal and bruised thumbs. So, while the rest of the team was hard at work, I’d often find myself sitting on the sidewalk, chatting with the neighborhood kids or catching up with Pastor Reyes and his family, who hosted us every year. The leaders probably thought I was lazy. But deep down, I knew those moments mattered.
One summer, about halfway through the trip, Pastor Reyes gently pulled our youth leader aside. He was kind, but he didn’t hold back. He said something that has stuck with me ever since:
“You’re so busy building that you’re missing the people.”
That night, I couldn’t shake his words. They echoed in my heart, and I found myself opening my Bible to John 15, where Jesus says: “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.”
It was as if God was whispering, “Slow down. Be still. Stay connected.”
Fast forward to 2013. I was the Missions Pastor in Shreveport, Louisiana, building a new missions ministry. On a flight back from Uganda, once again, I found myself camped out in John 15. That word — “abide” — captivated me. I dug into its meaning. The Greek word is meno, which means to remain, to dwell, to stay connected. And as I reflected, I realized something:
I had forgotten the lesson I learned as a 16-year-old sitting on that sidewalk in Matamoros. Somewhere along the way, I had become so focused on doing that I wasn’t being. I wasn’t abiding — in Christ, in relationships, or even in my own soul.
That shift — from rushing to abiding — changed everything about how I approach missions.
Every mission starts with abiding.
Jesus paints a beautiful picture for us in John 15:
- He is the vine.
- We are the branches.
- The Father is the gardener.
And the key to bearing fruit? It’s not effort. It’s not productivity. Jesus doesn’t say, “Work harder” or “Do more.” He simply says, “Abide.”
Why does abiding matter in missions?
- Abiding shapes our posture. It reminds us that missions isn’t about our work — it’s about joining God’s work.
- Abiding teaches dependence. Apart from Christ, we can do nothing of eternal value.
- Abiding ensures alignment. It keeps us rooted in God’s heart, not our personal agendas.
Missions isn’t about what we do for God. It’s about participating in what God is already doing. When we abide, we’re joining His mission, not asking Him to join ours.
I once met a missionary who said, “The first four hours of my day belong to God. The next eight belong to the people He’s called me to serve.” That rhythm of abiding — first in Christ, then with others—fueled her ministry in ways I had never seen.
Abiding transforms everything.
When we abide in Christ, our mission flows from His heart. When we abide with others, we reflect His love. And when we abide in community, we build relationships that last. That’s become my personal covenant with God:
- In Christ: “I will start each day by connecting with God.”
- In relationships: “I will prioritize presence over productivity.”
- In mission: “I will seek transformation, not transaction.”
So, my challenge to me, to you, to us, today is simple:
Let’s slow down. Let’s stay connected. Let’s abide. Because in the end, it’s not about what we build — it’s about who we’re becoming in Christ. Let’s pray:
O Good & Gracious God,
Yes, You are the true Vine, and we are Your branches. In You, we find life, purpose, and fruitfulness. You call us, not to strive, but to abide — to remain deeply connected to You.
As a church, united with our mission family around the world, we are branches spreading out from the same vine, nourished from the same sap, growing in different directions but drawing strength from Your love and grace. Help us to remain rooted in You, so that all we do flows from Your Spirit.
Strengthen our mission family — the branches that extend far and wide — as they bear fruit in challenging soil. Remind them that their work is not in vain, for You are the Lord of the harvest. And may we, as The Woodlands Methodist Church, be a strong branch of support for them.
As we work together, connect us not only to You, but to one another. Just as branches intertwine, may we encourage one another, sharing resources, prayers, and love. Teach us to embody a “ministry of presence,” walking in humility and trust, knowing that fruit is borne through relationships grounded in You.
In seasons of pruning, give us trust. And in times of abundance, make us generous. Through it all, let us abide in You, knowing that Your life flows through us, sustaining us every step of the way.
We offer ourselves, our church, and our mission family into Your hands, praying that we may together bear much fruit for Your glory and the good of the world. Through the True Vine we pray, Amen.
