The Plug: The Importance of Staying Connected

John 15: 4-8

4 Remain in me, as I also 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 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.

Hey Family – I want to start this blog by saying I am super thankful that you’re taking the time to read this. I pray that you are able to pull something from my story that encourages you to draw closer to Christ. Lean into your relationship with Jesus so that you can get all that God has for you. In Jesus Name, Amen. 

A lot has happened in my life since the last time I wrote and published something. My cousin Aaron, rest in peace, passed away toward the end of the year. Since that time I have drawn closer to my family, loved ones, and last but certainly not least my wife. When a family member passes, grief usually forces me into a space of chaos and isolation. Earlier in 2023, my wife and I also experienced a loss in our little family that was devastating and it took a lot of time for me to move from that space of isolation, selfishness, frustration, and anger to see the Hand of God still on my life. To trust that His timing and decisions are superior to my wants and desires. 

Throughout the ups and downs of last year. The losses that I experienced forced me to reflect and reevaluate the amount of time I was spending operating outside the will of God. As I reflected, I was seeing that my sinful nature was no longer serving as an easy fix to issues that I was encountering. I could not pacify hurt, pain, and depression with isolation, living a secret life, lying, manipulating, substance abuse; overeating, alcohol, marijuana, gambling, or pornography. Those activities eventually landed me in a space of shameful guilt, exasperated my season of loss, and grounded me in despair. I did not feel better trying to do things on my own.

By the grace of God I have been connected to other men chasing after God through two ministries over the past three years. In these ministries, the willingness to be vulnerable and accountable are the tools that have been instrumental in creating an environment where change is imminent. One of the ministries I am in has been comprised of brothers that all grew up in the same church community. We’re all in our thirties, married, and there are two of our mentors that walk with us. The other ministry I am a part of is a discipleship program that I joined through my church. 

On Mondays for the past three years I have met with and been a part of Brothers in Discipleship at the First Baptist Church of Glenarden, International. My church home. Six men who are members of the church (of various ages) and two facilitators (who went through the same three year program) gather each Monday and after checking in, we dive into the Word and strengthen ourselves in Doctrine by following Masterlife: The Disciple’s Cross. During this time the discussion and the revelation has been helpful for me to battle sin with the Word of God when it comes to choosing to walk in sin or in the things of God. 

At the same time that I started Brothers in Discipleship, my mentors Uncle Bill and Uncle Maurice started a group we call ‘Good Stuff’ where we stay connected daily through a video chat app. In this group, we essentially do church every day. Brothers will come in and share their struggles and triumphs with the chat and there are nine brothers in the group that will encourage and support one another, using the Word of God, and Godly Wisdom to hold each other up. All of us are hungry for all that God has for us but humble in our approach to seeing Jesus throughout our day every day. 

Brothers from the group created a book club and we are reading Every Man’s Battle: Winning the War on Sexual Temptation One Victory at a Time by Stephen Arterburn and Fred Stoeker. Highly recommend that every man check this piece of literature out. It is VERY powerful. 

Without the level of accountability and intimacy in these two groups, I would not be able to be the man of God I am today. My heart is so full with joy and the fruit that comes from this level of intimacy that it really does not make sense to me sometimes. It has helped me to become a better husband, better friend, and better coworker. Make no mistake about it, I still struggle and sometimes fail the test or challenge. However, those instances are lessening and my life looks immensely different. The decrease in my sinful nature started with my willingness to surrender my will and a desire to strengthen my connection to Christ (Matthew 6:33). 

If you’ve made it this far without being judgmental you’re in a great space but for those that are in a judgmental space, I encourage you with this. I am still a work in progress and by no means am I writing this to offer anything other than encouragement to start or keep going! I haven’t figured it all out. I am not better than anyone. In fact, my natural being is so wicked and polluted that I have to surrender, bathe myself in the Spirit of the Lord, and put on the full armor of God so that I can stand in the things of God. 

I have learned a bunch on my journey to stay connected to Christ. Here are a few things I want to share with you all: 

1. I have learned the importance of REMAINING in Him. 

John 15:5 – “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. 

2. I have learned the value of Godly accountability and wisdom. 

1 Thessalonians 5:11 – Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.

3. I have learned the value of putting on the full armor of God daily to war against the enemy. 

Ephesians 6:10-18 – belt of truth, helmet of salvation, breastplate of righteousness, shield of faith, gospel shoes (gospel of peace),  and sword of the Spirit. 

4. I have learned the value of fighting with the Sword of the Spirit.

2 Timothy 5:16-17 – All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

At the core of everything that I have written in this blog is an encouragement to connect to Christ. For those that are connected, I challenge you to send this blog to someone that needs to get connected; I encourage you to uplift someone else by continuing to walk with God even when it causes you to suffer. 

For those who are struggling with staying connected or being vulnerable, I encourage you to surrender to the voice of God. Listen to His voice inside of you that is saying “the way I am living is not working”. It might be difficult to put some things down or turn away from vices and addictions that you’ve developed an unhealthy relationship with. It might be difficult to draw back from some relationships that are unhealthy, aggravating, or stunting your Spiritual growth. However, your soul deserves true joy and peace. Which can only come from REMAINING in Him. You deserve more, your family deserves more, your children deserve to see you walking in His Light. 

Hit me up on instagram @marcmywordnshay, facebook, or message us if you need prayer or to be connected to a community. I pray that this blesses and encourages you and your sphere of influence. Please share, comment, and let us know if you like SC and want more from Starving Christians! We’re excited for what God is doing in our lives.

Faithfully,  

Marco