Introduction: A Snowy Sunday and a Series Finale

Well, hello and welcome to a special snow edition of the sermon today. I'm so grateful that you're leaning in. I hope you've gotten out and enjoyed the snow. But listen, if you've got your Bible, I want to invite you to pull it out. We'll be in John 15, where we've been this whole series, and then in Hebrews 13.

This is a great conclusion to our Grow series, where we've seen God's heart for all of us to grow. One of the finish lines many of you have been carrying into our 21 days of prayer and fasting is this: what will you do as you look at 2026? Will you step in and make a decision to grow?

A Story About Commitment

Several years ago, when I was a youth pastor here at NewSpring, I noticed a young lady serving in Kidspring on Sunday mornings. That young lady is now my wife, Corey. We dated, got engaged, and eventually married.

Here's something I want to point out. When we were dating, Corey got to come to family gatherings — tailgates, holidays, big events. She was invited in as a guest. But when we got engaged, she got added to the family group text. She wasn't just coming to gatherings anymore; she was part of planning them — bringing her famous buffalo chicken dip, being part of the family.

In a lot of ways, that's what this series has been about. God has plenty of room for us to come in as a guest, but at some point we get invited in to be part of the family — bringing something to the table, being fully committed.

Why This Matters Now

There are some encouraging things happening in our world. Just last night, hundreds of college students gathered on a cold night around the Word of God at Anderson University. In 2025, Bible sales hit an all-time high — more people are buying the Bible than ever before in recorded history. In Europe, there have been spikes in baptisms and professions of faith.

Barna research found that 68% of Americans say, "I'm a Christian." That's encouraging. But when researchers dug into basic foundational Christian worldview, only 4% actually hold to it and live it out.

So here's the opportunity in front of us: a groundswell of people identifying as Christian, but only a small fraction actually walking it out. That's the discipleship opportunity NewSpring is stepping into.

Abiding: The Heart of John 15

"Abide in me and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing." — John 15:4-5

These "you"s in the Greek are actually plural — all y'all. This is a collective encouragement. God's heart on the night before Jesus died was that all of us together would grow and bear fruit.

And later in verse 8:

"By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples." — John 15:8

The gospel is opposed to earning, but it invites us to prove our legitimacy by the fruit we bear. Your growth this year gives God glory.

Trends and cultural moments will fade when the emotional wind stops blowing. Our growth needs a trellis to be truly fruitful. Many of us are curious right now, but Jesus doesn't leave His followers there — He invites us to get connected, known, and ultimately to move from just being connected to abiding, which is defined by a commitment to membership.

Question One: Why Membership?

Are we becoming a traditional church? No — we're not trying to be traditional, we're trying to be biblical.

Growing up, my family was part of a traditional church with an old-fashioned photo directory. We'd take our picture, and months later the directory would come out. As I flipped through it with my parents, I'd see all these families I didn't recognize — they showed up for their photo but were never actually part of the church.

We don't want that. We've defined membership here as living membership — not a bloated roll of names, but people who can say, this year, I intend to be part of the body of NewSpring, and then say it again the next year, and the next.

This is deeply biblical. The New Testament is full of language about being members — of the body, the flock, the family. Brothers and sisters. We've all been invited to be part of not just the unseen church, but the seen, active church.

Defining a New Testament Member

Here's the definition we hold to:

A New Testament member is a believer who affirms the doctrine of the church, engages in the mission of the church, commits to the community of the church, and submits to the leadership of the church.

This is what a living member looks like — not perfect, but continually leaning in, year after year, as we hear our Rabbi say, "Come, follow me." That's how Jesus started His ministry with the disciples, and it's how He restored Peter after the resurrection. This ongoing journey of following Jesus is what we want all of us to be part of.

Question Two: What's Required to Join?

Do I need to already be serving, grouping up, or giving in order to become a member? On our membership card, it says "I intend to." That's a big deal. If you've got anything in you that says I intend to follow Jesus this year, I intend to grow, that's all you need to start. You can text "member" to 30303 and we'll help you find your place.

The Weight of Shepherding

"Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you." — Hebrews 13:17

This is deeply sobering to me and our staff. We believe we will give an account before God for every person who calls NewSpring home. We don't want to miss anybody. We want every person to feel they have a shepherd — someone who loves and cares for them on the mountaintops and in the valleys.

This membership is for brand-new baby Christians just putting down roots, and it's for those who've followed Jesus for decades — like the famous Angel Oak tree near our Charleston campus. Both belong here.

The Advantage of Belonging

Notice the word advantage in Hebrews 13:17 — without a pastor and a church family, you miss out on real advantages God intends for you. My wife and I do premarital counseling with young couples nervous about marriage and parenting. One of the greatest advantages we have is being part of a local church — surrounded by wise moms and dads who've walked the road already, whom we can lean on.

This is why much of the secular world is looking back toward the church: it seems like the world shakes and blows, but the church remains stable. That stability is an advantage for all of us.

Question Three: What Can You Expect From Us?

One word: we're going to care. We want to care for your soul, your marriage, your kids, your grandkids, your empty nest, every season of life.

The world doesn't know how to do this — people yell, fight, and try to persuade rather than care. But the church's story for 2,000 years has been a story of care that has literally changed the world. Consider:

• Care for the poor and oppressed — this didn't exist as a widespread value until Christianity. In many parts of the world without a Christian worldview, this kind of care still doesn't exist.
• A culture of life — in the Roman world, unwanted children were commonly abandoned or exposed to die. Christians took in orphans and cared for children others discarded.

We want to be a people who care like that — and this membership commitment helps us focus that care specifically on you.

The DTR: Defining the Relationship

Before my wife and I got engaged, we had what I call a DTR — define the relationship conversation. I told her, "If we're going to keep dating toward marriage, you need to know I'm called to be in ministry for life. Are you okay with that?" She went to the Lord, talked to wise friends, and came back and said, "I could see myself being a pastor's wife." That's when I started saving for a ring.

That's what this moment is. It's a moment to say: I'm serious. I'm going to follow Jesus. I don't have it all figured out, but I've heard His voice, and I'm going to commit to a local body of believers.

My own family has done this — my wife and I, and even my daughters, have texted in to commit as members here at the Anderson campus. I want to encourage you: whether it's this church or another, find a local body and commit. Lock eyes with your pastoral team and let them know: I'm in.

Closing Prayer

Father God, thank you for your Word. Thank you for this series — as we've read your Word, your Word has read us. I pray for each of my brothers and sisters, the family of God, the body of Christ, that they would find the space to wrestle this to the ground. As they say yes and step into being cultivated and fruitful, Lord, train them along the trellis to bear much fruit to your glory. May we, the garden of God, be amazingly beautiful to your glory all the days you've given us on earth. We love you, and we can't wait to see what's ahead. In Christ's name, amen.