tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242521607435148042.post5122384374144010534..comments2024-02-16T12:05:54.873+00:00Comments on Tom's Sermons: Living on the VineTom Kennarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09059361977886521239noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242521607435148042.post-43709082818629106462009-05-12T11:26:00.000+01:002009-05-12T11:26:00.000+01:00"God is SO MUCH MORE than any kind of Big Daddy in..."God is SO MUCH MORE than any kind of Big Daddy in the sky. God is the source of all life. He is the energy that gives the universe motion. He is the breath that gives us life, the light that shines inside our eyes. He is the feeling, deep inside, the spark that burns to form a flame. He is the rising of the sun, the dawn of every brand new day. He is living rock, the joy in every heart. He is the light of the nations; the author of all life." <br /><br />- have to say it, this sounds pretty panentheistic to me, as does,<br /><br />"No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine" (Vs 4). "Apart from me you can do nothing" (Vs 5). "If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up and thrown into the fire and burned" <br /><br />the great Oracle, Wikipedia, has an interesting description of Panentheism (and how it is different from Pantheism) and describes how it needn't be at odds with a Christian view point. But i think from previous conversations on the subject, you might disagree.The Ticcy Knitterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03474448367731669652noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-242521607435148042.post-81040826348294896152009-05-10T17:49:00.000+01:002009-05-10T17:49:00.000+01:00What struck a chord with me initially was the comm...What struck a chord with me initially was the comment "...we have spent rather too much time begging for mercy, and asking for forgiveness, and not nearly enough time embracing the Life of the Vine". For me this strikes at the heart of faith.<br /><br />If God is omnipotent and all powerful then he is BIG enough to forgive all our sins. Our problem all too often is that we cannot accept this... we are stubborn. It is not that God does not forgive but that our guilt stops us accepting the words "by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God" (Eph 2:8-9).<br /><br />We are 'the body of Christ' and should live and work and worship in communion with our fellow believers. This is all embracing; living, breathing... we are branches of the vine which is Christ and our fruit will multiply only if we are rooted and grounded in Him... for as you concluded apart from Jesus, we can do nothing.ffoggyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04490164849201080976noreply@blogger.com