Refillable Faith

I love Walt Disney World. There’s just something about it that brings a smile to my face. Whether it’s riding my favorite attraction, watching a show or sitting down for a meal, being there with my family is one life’s great joys.


Last summer I had the pleasure of taking the girls on their first trip to this place that I came to love as a child. We had an incredible time, and seeing the joy in the girls’ eyes was truly, if you’ll pardon the expression, magical. We stayed in the Pop Century resort and the girls were enamored by the themed pools, giant icons, bubble jets, and eye popping colors.

Me? I was enamored by the food court.

This should really come as no surprise to those who know me. If you’ve ever been behind me at a potluck, you know that nothing gets me going like a full spread of chow. The food court at our resort did not disappoint. There were tons of delectable offerings and incredible desserts. Take for example this little diddy, the tie-dyed cheesecake.

Yet of all the food court offerings up for bid, none was quite so great as the refillable mug. This little cup of wonder no only had a handle and spill proof lid, it came with the added bonus of unlimited refills for the duration of our stay. It was like a little red insulated ticket to Joyville.

Every morning, I made the trek down to the food court to start my day with a healthy dose of glorious caffeination. When we would hit the pools, I’d fill up the mugs so we’d be nice and refreshed when we got out of the water. After we got back from a hard day of park touring, a cup of iced tea was just the thing to top off the day.

Our mugs were great. I LOVED having them. However, they did have a limitation. They were only good at our resort and only for the length of our stay. If I tried to refill the mug somewhere else, it wouldn’t work. When I got home, I couldn’t bring it to 7-11 and get a free refill any time I wanted. None of my favorite fast food joints would accept it. Even the food court in the mall can’t give me a free refill in it. The refills only lasted as a long as I remained at the resort.

In John, chapter 15, Jesus shares the following.

1"I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. 3You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4Remain in me, and I will 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.


5"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. 8This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. *

Like my mug which cannot gain free refills when it leaves the resort, so too the Christian can not bear fruit outside of the one by whose blood we have been redeemed. Christ makes it clear that our hope lie in remaining a part of Him. To have His spirit flowing through us, filling us, guiding us and bringing growth within us is truly the only way

It’s not always easy. The Word says that the father prunes the branches with fruit so that they will bear even more fruit. Pruning hurts. Sometimes we mistake it and wonder why God is allowing us to go through it. Yet, after the scars are formed and the seasons have changed, we can look back and see the gentle hand of the Master.

In those times when our lives are not what we thought they would be and it seems like our worlds are crumbling in, hold tight to the promise of this passage. If we remain in Christ, he WILL remain in us. He will not remove us, He will not forsake us, He will not abandon us.

Verse 8 tells us that it is God’s glory that we bear fruit. God is faithful and His Word is true. We can take joy in knowing that in Him, we will be limitlessly filled until in the words of David, our cup runneth over. And that is the sweetest joy of all.

Prayer – My prayer this week is that you remain in Christ and the He will bear much fruit in you.

Scripture for this Week – John 15:1-17, John 4:1-26, Psalm 23.

* New International Version (NIV) Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica

The Final Bell

Summer has finally arrived! Yeah, yeah I know that “technically” summer doesn’t start for a couple of more weeks, but technically, I don’t care. When school is out, it’s summertime. Set, match, point and done.

Monday, I was participating in the annual ritual of helping Tracy get her classroom put in order during the final teacher work day. Everything had to be off the walls and all of the classroom furniture had to be cleaned, stacked, and labeled with masking tape. The floor had to be swept, the shelves had to be emptied, and all personal items had to be removed.

Having done this dance a few times, we have pretty well gotten it down to a science. We had already spent a couple of Saturdays hauling boxes to storage, and knew going in what was left and what each person’s tasks were going to be. Shortly after lunch, we had checked off every item on the list, gotten everything signed by the various administrators, and turned in the room key. We finished up with plenty of time to spare and then found ourselves sitting and staring at each other. The rule is that no one can leave until the principal dismisses EVERYONE at 3:30. It doesn’t matter if a teacher is finished or not. There is no reward for getting done early.

As we sat wondering what to do, an announcement was made that another teacher needed help. This was her first year, and she had underestimated the work that needed to be done. So Tracy and I joined a dozen other teachers and within a very short time, we were able to help her get everything in order.

In Sunday School last week, our lesson had to do with grace and rewards. As we discussed salvation and God’s unending love, our conversation turned to Matthew Chapter 20.

1"For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire men to work in his vineyard. 2He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard.


3"About the third hour he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. 4He told them, 'You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.' 5So they went.


"He went out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour and did the same thing. 6About the eleventh hour he went out and found still others standing around. He asked them, 'Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?'


7" 'Because no one has hired us,' they answered.


"He said to them, 'You also go and work in my vineyard.'


8"When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, 'Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and going on to the first.'


9"The workers who were hired about the eleventh hour came and each received a denarius. 10So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius. 11When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner. 12'These men who were hired last worked only one hour,' they said, 'and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.'


13"But he answered one of them, 'Friend, I am not being unfair to you. Didn't you agree to work for a denarius? 14Take your pay and go. I want to give the man who was hired last the same as I gave you. 15Don't I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?'


16"So the last will be first, and the first will be last." *

Many times as Christians, we tend to look at our lives and try to check off all the things we think we need to do to follow God’s Word. Once it seems all is in order, the temptation is to just sit back and stare at each other while waiting on the last bell. We forget that there are those who are still in need of His grace.

God is still calling us to go bring His Word to a lost and dying world. Our mission is to invest our time and energy into others so that they might find Him. We do this not so our reward is greater, but so that others can have the same reward we ourselves have found.

Don’t be content to simply sit and wait for eternity. As you think about all that God has done in your life, stop and ask Him how you can bring that same joy and blessing to someone else. It is never too late in the game to lead someone to Christ.

Prayer: My prayer this week is that each of us would be reminded that there is no end to those who need Him, and we are called to go and make disciples.

Scripture: Matthew Chapter 20:1-16 / Matthew 28:18-19

* New International Version (NIV) Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica