Has Starbucks Lost it's Story?

Ironically I sit in a Starbucks reading a blog about how Starbucks is no longer THE “third place” for people. Here is a great article from Church Marketing Sucks about how Starbucks has “lost it’s way”.



Another Lesson from Starbucks?

VineLife Part Two

I don't believe John 15 is a chapter about prayer. This "abiding" life imagery that Christ paints for us through the vine/branch illustration speaks to more than prayer. While spending time in Gods presence, worshiping Him and adoring Him is vital to the vine life, it is only one part of a greater truth. In this analogy, prayer is the lesser truth.

Abiding speaks of the full work of grace performed by God through Christ. It is the place of rest and the yoke that Jesus called us to in Matthew 11:28-29

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

A yoke is an object that binds two animals together. It creates a vital union between the two. We shouldn’t be concerned where or not Christ can pull His own weight. He is able to pull both His weight and ours. His yoke is easy and His burden is light.

Jesus said “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.” John 15:4 To abide in Him means to find rest in Him. When a branch in being grafted into a vine it must remain totally still. The graft will not take if there is constant movement within the branch. For this reason a branch must be bound to the vine. The secret to a fruitful life is rest! Rest leads to sleep. Jesus often referred to the dead as only being asleep.

“Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up.” John 11:11

Allow your self to “sleep” and find rest in Christ. When the old nature begins to rise up within you, instead of yielding to that thought, attitude or behavior- sleep. The old man is dead; He has been put to death at the cross. When we continue to “die daily” this is true abiding. Abiding is refusing to come out of the death of Christ. It is denying sin and self-everyday. When you learn to abide, you will bear much fruit.