This Month’s Theme:
Abide In Him

Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

John 15:4

Artist’s Reflection

We all want to glorify God in everything we do. But we often find ourselves trying to glorify God out of our own efforts—trying to be a good Christian, living godly lives, and bringing people to Christ. And too often, when we work out of our own effort, we fail! But hallelujah, we see in John 15:4 that Jesus has a better way for us: abide in Him.

Abiding (remaining or dwelling) in the Lord is the secret to bearing fruit and glorifying God. Verse 5 says that Jesus is the vine, and we are the branches. Branches do not have to try to keep holding on to the vine; they simply abide there. Branches also do not have a life of their own; they share the same life as the vine. Out of this life-union with the vine, the branches bear fruits. It is the same with us and the Lord. When we abide in Him and He in us, our life bears fruit and brings Him glory. 

—Sarah Beth

Join in the Conversation

Abiding in God gives rise to the images of rest, of surrender, of leaning in, but in our fast-paced society filled with distractions and endless tasks, it’s easy to lose our focus or forget what we’re living for. 

If you’re feeling restless, burnt out, and exhausted from juggling the demands of life, John 15:4 reminds us that we can’t—and don’t have to—do it all on our own. Jesus gives us an invitation to remain in Him, find our source of life in Him, and to be dependent on Him, our vine, to thrive.  As we do so, we’re allowing Him to feed and nourish us, so we can be fruitful in every endeavour that He has set before us, and bear fruit that truly lasts. 

Have you just emerged from a season of being pruned by the Vinedresser? Or perhaps, God is teaching you what it looks like to abide in Him, and lay down your will for His?

If you have got a story to share, we’d love to hear it! Check out our writers’ guidelines and send us your story.

Here are some subthemes to help you get started: 

  • Being pruned by God
  • Remaining in Christ
  • Bearing the fruit of the Spirit
  • Rethinking Easter

Topics to Explore

Being pruned by God: Battling temptations, being open to criticism/accountability, getting rid of habits that hinder growth, moving on from the past, dealing with our thought life, actions, behavior, thoughts and motivations, sin management, growing in discernment & obedience, crucifying our flesh. 

Remaining in Christ: Spiritual practices, resting in God, abiding in God, surrender, trust, being rooted and grounded in Him, practising awareness of God’s presence, being in communion with God, prayer life, meditating on God’s Word, memorising Scripture

Bearing the fruit of the Spirit: Walking by the Spirit, cultivating the fruit of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control), serving one another humbly in love, growing in the faith, practising a love/faith that is evident

Rethinking Easter: Entering into the Easter story, embracing pain, suffering, and grief, practicing resurrection in our daily lives, hope amidst trials, dealing with rejection, life, death, and resurrection.

Join in the Fun

If you’re more of a visual person, you can be a part of the YMI community by contributing or tagging your artworks with our hashtag #ymitoday. Check out our creatives’ guidelines and send us your artworks.

We know you love your colours, so do we! Each quarter, we set a colour theme that we’ll work around. Use the colour palette below to increase your chances of getting featured!