Last Sunday I was preaching on this life being all about Jesus, and I strongly encourage you to check it out on our YouTube channel @TheGreatAwarenessChurch. All my sermons are there. But one passage I mentioned I want to highlight again today because to me, this is the heartbeat of the Christian walk. John 15:9-11, Jesus speaking here and he says, “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you: abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.”
People search their whole lives for happiness or the meaning to life, but they can’t find it because only pure Joy can fulfill us, and Jesus is the source of that joy. Specifically, OBEYING Jesus is the source of that joy. Happiness requires all circumstances to be great; joy is with us in good times and bad. And the only way to Joy is abiding in Jesus. Allowing the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity, to be in you and grow you. The fruit of the Spirit is love, JOY, and peace. How do we abide in Christ? We obey Him. He tells us in this passage, “If you keep my commandments you abide in my love”. That means you are not living for yourself, with Jesus as a cosmic helper, but living to obey Jesus. And it is not a burden; it is actually freedom. And what is His commandment? He tells us in the next verse, John 15:12 & 13, “This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.” You catch that?
We must DIE to ourselves, our greed, our desire for our own happiness, and put others above ourselves, sacrificing our fleshly desires for the good of other people. As He died for us, He tells us we should die for our friends as well. How different would this world be if instead of everyone running around trying to figure out how to get what they want, they focused on living for others. If spouses stopped worrying about their needs being met and focused only on meeting the other person’s needs. Focusing on self always leads to depression and negative consequences. Focusing on loving Jesus by loving His sheep always leads to Joy and fruitful living. And our joy will be full! This week we have a guest speaker, Chris Hammond, at our church. He is an ex-major league baseball pitcher who had his best year with our Braves back in 2002, when he posted an incredible .95 ERA. Since retiring, he has started a ministry and has a very convicting message on this very subject-obeying the Lord and living for Jesus. I will be a spectator myself and look forward to hearing his message. Be there or be square Sunday at 10:30 at 900 Cripple Creek Dr., Lawrenceville. Or grab the live stream on our YouTube channel. See you then!
-Pastor Brian
P.S. Don’t miss our guest speaker, Chris Hammond, this week at the Great Awareness Church as he brings a fiery message on living for Jesus. I am excited to be a spectator this week and look forward to hanging out with my favorite people. You don’t want to miss this week’s message. If you don’t have a church home and you are within an hour of Lawrenceville, I encourage you to check out our little church. You will feel the love the minute you walk in the door. There truly is no other church quite like it. Check us out at 10:30 on Sunday morning at 900 Cripple Creek Dr., Lawrenceville. It will encourage and grow you, and you will feel loved! So come this Sunday! If you can’t make it, log in to our YouTube channel, @TheGreatAwarenessChurch, as we live stream it every Sunday as well. Hope to see you this Sunday at 10:30. Be blessed! | 
The Great Awareness Church