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Written by Rachel D. Baker, volunteer with Sister Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Arkansas

It's time for many of us to face the difficult truth: It is entirely possible to spend a lot of time doing things for God and still feel spiritually empty.

Church events, cooking meals, Bible studies, helping others, showing up when someone needs prayer… none of these things are bad. In fact, they are beautiful expressions of faith! But somewhere along the way, many of us quietly drift into a dangerous rhythm. We become so focused on serving others for God that we slowly stop spending much time with Him.

This is exactly where Jesus’s words gently pull us back to what matters most:

“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. I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit;
apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:4-5 (NIV)

The imagery Jesus uses here is simple, but powerful. A branch has no life source of its own, and it can’t produce fruit through determination or effort. It only bears fruit because it’s connected to the vine that supplies everything it needs. If a branch is cut off, it could still look fine for a little while. The leaves might still appear green. But eventually, life fades from the branch because the connection is gone.

The same is true for us. We can stay busy with good things for a while. We can keep showing up, serving, and checking all the right boxes. But if we aren't still connected to Jesus — the true Vine — our spiritual lives slowly begin to dry out. This is why we need a reminder that tends to step on our toes:

Don’t spend so much time working for God that you forget to spend time with God.

Ministering to others can easily crowd out intimacy with the One we are serving. Our calendars fill up, and responsibilities multiply. Before we realize it, quiet time with our Father becomes the thing we squeeze in “if there’s time.”

But the fruit of the Spirit — love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control — does not grow out of a packed schedule or stubborn willpower. Fruit grows from connection.

Jesus never told us to create fruit. He told us to remain in Him and yield the fruit.

Remaining in Christ isn’t complicated, but it does require intention. It means stepping away from the noise and distractions long enough to sit in God’s presence. It means opening His Word and letting it speak into our hearts instead of rushing through a few verses on our way to the next task. It means praying honestly and pausing long enough to listen. It’s less about checking a spiritual box and more about cultivating a relationship.

So, what does this look like?

Maybe sometimes it looks like sitting quietly with your Bible and a cup of coffee before the house wakes up. Sometimes it’s whispering prayers while folding laundry or driving to work. Sometimes it’s simply slowing down enough to notice God’s presence in the middle of an ordinary day. These small moments of connection are where spiritual fruit begins to grow.

When we stay close to Jesus, His life flows through us. Over time, we start to notice changes — not because we forced them, but because God works within us. Patience shows up where frustration used to live. Peace settles into places that once felt chaotic. Love becomes easier to extend, even when it’s difficult. This is the beauty of remaining close to Christ: The pressure to produce fruit isn’t on us. (Hallelujah!) Our role is simply to remain connected to the Vine.

So, if life has felt busy, overwhelming, or spiritually dry lately, the invitation today isn’t to try harder. It’s simply to slow down and return to the Vine. Because when we dwell with Him, the fruit will come.

Are you spending more time working for God, or remaining with Him?

What might need to shift in your daily rhythms so you can stay more closely connected to the Vine?

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Written by Abigail Becerra, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Peru

With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all. (Ac 4:33 NIV)

We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his. (Ro 6:4-5)

When I think of the resurrection, many times my mind goes to a special celebration, to a specific Sunday of the year. But the resurrection is not just a date... it is a source, it is the root that sustains all true fruit in our lives. If I am connected to the Vine, then the fruit that should begin to be seen in my life has a very clear explanation: the risen Christ lives in me, and because He lives, I no longer have to continue living the same as before. I don't have to stay in the same struggles, in the same habits, or in the same way of thinking. Jesus' resurrection means that there is new life available to us today, not just a future hope.

In Acts 4:33, we see something very beautiful. The apostles bore witness "with great power" to the Lord Jesus' resurrection. And if you think about it, it wasn't simply a message they were just repeating from memory, but a truth that had completely changed their lives. They weren't talking about an idea or a pretty theory. They were talking about someone who really lives. They had seen the risen Lord, and so their message had power. It wasn't just information; it was a life transformed, bearing witness to a Savior who is alive. And the result was clear: abundant grace was upon them all.

This confronts me a lot because when I really understand that Jesus conquered death, something in my life is supposed to look different. The resurrection is not just a truth I believe; it is a reality that begins to be reflected in how I am living. Grace should be seen in the way I speak, grace in the way I treat others, and grace even when circumstances are not easy. Because if Christ lives in me, then, once again, His life also begins to be noticed in my everyday life. So, the fruit of the resurrection is not just a spiritual emotion, but visible evidence.

Romans 6 should also touch us. This passage says that we were buried with Him and that we can now walk in newness of life. It is not only that Jesus came out of the tomb; it also means that I don't have to live in my old life anymore. So, in Christ, there is a new life, and that life begins immediately. That changes everything; it means that my past does not define me. It means that sin does not have the last word, that guilt has no permanent authority over my heart. Because He is risen, I can begin to walk differently. Walking in a new life involves a daily decision; it is not something automatic or simple. It is remembering every day who I am in Christ, it is choosing to respond patiently when I previously reacted with anger, to trust when I previously doubted, and to serve when I previously thought only of myself. That is the fruit of the resurrection: a real transformation.

One thing I really like about Acts 4 is that the fruit wasn't just individual; grace was over everyone. So, when a woman lives connected to the Vine, her life inevitably impacts others; their faith is strengthened, their hope is contagious, and their witness is encouraging. The resurrection also produces courage. The apostles preached even with threats around. Why? Because when you know that death has already been defeated, fear loses strength.

Sometimes I, Abbi, want fruit without the necessary process. I want quick changes, I want to see immediate results, but Romans 6 also tells us about being planted together with Him. Planting involves depth, roots, and time. This fruit does not appear overnight, but it does come when we abide in Him.

In conclusion:

1. Being connected to the Vine does not mean there are no struggles; it means that life constantly flows from Christ to me.
2. The resurrection is not just a doctrine that I believe—it is a reality that I must live by.
3. And if Christ truly lives in me, it should be evident in some way.

In what area of your life do you need to remember today that Christ is resurrected in order to begin to walk in that new life that He has already given you?