Scripture texts are Genesis 1:26-31 and John 15.1-11 from the subject "Living a Successful Life."

1. Living a successful life requires a true connection to the Source of life. (vv1-6)
Abide (meno) means to remain connected, to dwell, endure.
Prune (kathairo) means purge, cleanse, to prune trees and vines from useless shoots.
Fruit (karpos) means fruit from a vine, tree, or ground, reaped harvest, outcome, profit.
Every Christian bears fruit. As our connection gets closer with God we will bear much fruit. Jesus has given us the formula for living a successful life in ALL areas of our lives. Success cannot be sustained unless we are connected to the source of life and creator of success which is The LORD! We will be successful if we choose to commit to the LORD and commit to abide in the LORD and stay connected to Him every day of our life.

2. Living a successful life necessitates having the master key-PRAYER! (vv7-8)
This privilege does not belong to the Judas' of the world, those who oppose Christ or only profess Him out of their mouths. Prayer must be aligned with God's will for our lives.

3. Living a successful life entails living a life of love. (vv9-11)
Jesus loves His father and us so much that He willingly went to the cross to save us from our sins. What love!!!So what does a life of love look like for us? It involves having a spirit of forgiveness. LOVE is the first component of the FRUIT of the SPIRIT. LOVE prepares the way for joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control! Let's commit today to abide in Jesus' love, obey the Lord, and then leave the consequences to Him.

Remember the key to success lies in our prayer life that will allow us to get closer to the Lord so that our will and wants will align with His = SUCCESS!

Jesus is a loving Savior, Lord and God, he wants us to be a part of His intimate family. He wants to forgive, teach, bless, and protect us and He wants us to be successful! Choose Jesus today He is waiting for us to join His family, the benefits are out of this world!

Amen!