Joe and Jessa you both recently celebrated your spiritual birthdays. Over the years you have grown in your knowledge of who God is and have learned to better apply what you know. However, I have to apologize for not being more earnest to remind you that without the Lord you can do nothing.

I have been reminding you to use your God given talents fully and encouraging you to be a blessing to others. The problem is that if you do that in your own strength, apart from the Lord, there will be no fruit. You and I don't have the capacity to make an eternal impact apart from Christ. If we don't include the Lord in the events of our day we are simply existing.

The best part of intentionally and prayerfully doing everything in Christ's power is that fruit can be produced. The Lord can bare fruit if we fail or if we succeed. When fruit is the goal we are doing His will for us! Acknowledging that we are depending on the Lord to be fruitful takes away our pride and puts the focus on the Lord and what he will do!

John 15:4-5

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. 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.