1. Faithful Presence Learning to Abide John 15:5-8

2. 5 “I am the vine; you are the branches
5 “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. 6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

3. 9 “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you
9 “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10 If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. 11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.

4. Abide

5. Meno: to dwell, to abide… abide means: to remain, stay, dwell; to continue to be present, to continue in relationship, to tolerate or to endure; to wait; to accept; to suffer for; to submit to; to act in accord with; to be faithful to.

7. Matthew was a tax collector. Simon was a tax protester.
Matthew collected revenue for the Romans. Simon was a rebel against the Romans.
Matthew was wealthy. Simon was a commoner.
Matthew lived to make his money by overcharging people like Simon. Simon lived to kill people like Matthew.

8. A good measure of discipleship is not how much Bible I have in my head but the state of my heart towards people different from me (politically, racially, economically etc.)

9. Presence amidst disconnection

10. Presence amidst distraction

11. We’re all good at naming the conveniences technology provides
We’re all good at naming the conveniences technology provides. We’re not so good at recognizing its inconveniences, displacements, losses, and intrusions. We have to love technology enough to describe it accurately. And we have to love ourselves enough to confront technology’s true effects on us. – Arthur Boers

13. Presence amidst disagreement

14. To listen to another's soul may be almost the greatest service that any human being ever performs for another. - Douglas Steere

15. Presence amidst difficulty