OH MY WORD / Guest Post by Chris Heaton

A crucial realization for every believer is that our faith in, obedience to, and fruit we bear for Jesus all stem from abiding. Let me say that again: from the moment we declare Jesus as our Lord and Savior, our level of faith in Jesus, our choice of obedience to Jesus, and the lasting fruit we bear for Jesus all stem from abiding. So, what does that mean!? EVERYTHING depends on our intimacy with Him! In fact, Scripture goes one step further: we must remain IN Him so He will remain IN us. Simply put, abide means to remain in or dwell inside. Abiding is a place as much as it is an action.

We’re on a battlefield right now, and our primary mission is to maintain a constant, intimate, pursuing, and utterly dependent relationship with Jesus. Our relationship with Jesus will single-handedly determine how well we battle the things of the world and glorify the Son with our family, church, friends, teammates/colleagues, and others we encounter. An intimate and abiding relationship with Jesus will be the only thing that satisfies us. An abiding relationship with Jesus also produces the fruit of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control – Galatians 5:22-23).

My Pure Encouragement Tuesday Journey Group was challenged by one of the men to consume more of God’s Word. This led to an iron-sharpening-iron moment, where dozens of men made the decision to memorize John 15 during the month of May. What better chapter to memorize than the culminating focus of the Journey Group: to ABIDE! 

One of the ways we can promote abiding is to write God’s Word on our hearts and seek Him through His Word. If you look throughout Scripture, the act of writing God’s Word on our hearts, meditating on God’s Word, and being obedient to His Word are constantly highlighted as strong desires of His. See below for several references as to why the Lord continually asks us to do the above…



As I take on the John 15 challenge of writing God’s Word on my heart, here is what I’ve started to notice:

1. I have a desire to consume more of God’s word and truly write it on my heart.
2. Verses that I have read several times over in the past have come alive with greater meaning.
3. I’m finally training again. I’m exercising my mind and heart to be prepared and ready for anything.
4. My approach, patience, and word choice in parenting have started to see changes for the better.
5. The importance of equipping, training, and leading my family better is an even higher priority. Their holiness and faith are the constant objective.

Here is how simply including my family in this challenge has already made a huge impact. All four of my kids are in a hybrid homeschool program at a Christian school where they attend classes half the week and homeschool the other half… shout out to my wife, Lindsay, and any other moms who homeschool their kids; not all heroes wear capes, and I have no idea how you do it! Scripture memory is a part of my kids’ curriculum and focus. It’s something they excel at, but they’re still too young to fully understand the weight and importance of why they’re doing it.

My oldest daughter, Hannah (11), has been my accountability partner over the past few weeks of the John 15 challenge. I have been doing my check-ins with her several times a week so she can make sure I am word-perfect and have truly written Scripture on my heart. As I recite more verses every time we connect, she has watched her dad prioritize Scripture memory and commit larger and larger portions of Scripture to meditation. Hannah made a comment: “Dad, how did you memorize all of this? There is no way that I could do that!”

What a rich blessing it was to have a conversation with her about the importance of meditating on God’s Word and truly committing to writing it on your heart. It was in that moment that I got to help shift her perspective on Scripture memory. Thank you, Father, for opening her eyes! I plan on having several more conversations with her and the other three about why Daddy is doing this and what it is accomplishing in me! A reminder for all of us: God’s Word accomplishes much…



Let us all hold fast and cling to the Word of God. May we all seek to abide and prioritize our relationship with Jesus above everything.

I encourage you all to start writing more of God’s Word on your heart. Whether you start small with a verse or two or work your way up to an entire chapter, the key is to START if you aren’t already doing it. For those of you who already practice this, I encourage you to take on the John 15 challenge for yourself. It has been such a blessing to me.

Father God,

Thank You for Your spoken and written Word. We praise You that through Your Word, You accomplish everything. Thank You for making clear to us what is important to You and revealing the desires of Your heart through Scripture.

Father, thank You for Your Son, Jesus, and for Your Holy Spirit, who modeled Your Word lived out and continue to reveal to us the treasures found within it. I pray that all of us would continue equipping and training ourselves through Your Word, walking in obedience to Your Word, and finding comfort, peace, and joy in Your Word.

Help us to be wholly satisfied in You and in Your Word, Father. To You be all glory, honor, and praise!

In Jesus’ mighty name we pray,

Amen!