I want to take a sec to thank you. We won.

“Never Let Up" is now in rotation on Holy Culture Radio (SiriusXM 140) because you showed up and voted. We moved together with purpose. So we're not really subscribers anymore - we're crew now. JOY Crew (Jesus first, Others second, Yourself third),rooted in Matthew 22:36-40.

This newsletter is now CREW NOTES, welcome.

Let's get into it.

The Verse I Keep Coming Back To

"You didn't choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name" (John 15:16).

Read that again slowly.

You didn't choose this life. You didn't find God. He found you.

We get this twisted all the time. We think our faith journey started when we made a decision for Christ. When we walked down an aisle. When we prayed a prayer.

But Jesus says: "You didn't choose me. I chose you."

We Didn't Find God - He Wasn't Lost

Here's what Andrew Wommack says on this verse: We didn't find God; He found us. God wasn't lost; we were.

Myron Golden says it very similar: We didn’t find God because we weren’t looking for Him!

Think about that.

God has never been lost. He's never been confused about where He is or who He is. We're the ones who were wandering. We're the ones who were dead in our sins. We're the ones who needed finding.

It is God who draws us to Himself (John 6:44). God who gives us the faith to believe (Ephesians 2:8). God who works His pleasure in us (Philippians 2:13).

We didn't wake up one day and decide to seek God. God woke us up and gave us the desire to seek Him.

That shifts how we approach this whole thing.

Appointed For Lasting Fruit

Jesus doesn't just say "I chose you." He says "I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit."

Not just fruit. Lasting fruit.

Notice the difference: We all have a God-given purpose in this life—to bring forth fruit. Just as a person plants a tree and expects to reap fruit from it, God expects fruit from us (Luke 13:6-9).

But here's what hit me: Many times, we Believers, in our zeal to bring forth fruit, aren't too concerned with whether it lasts or not.

That is not the way God feels.

Only the fruit that lasts will receive the Lord's stamp of approval.

The Connection to Last Week

Last week I wrote about the Gap vs the Gain. About trading eternal rewards for temporary likes. About doing good deeds publicly to be admired and losing your reward from the Father.

This is the same principle from a different angle.

When you do ministry for views, for likes, for applause - you might produce fruit, but it won't last.

When you chase numbers instead of obedience - you might see growth, but it won't remain.

When you build a platform instead of a foundation - you might get famous, but you won't get eternal rewards.

Jesus appointed us to produce lasting fruit. Not viral moments. Not temporary metrics. Lasting fruit.

The kind that's still bearing fruit long after you're gone. The kind that survives when the algorithm changes. The kind that God stamps with His approval.

Why The JOY Order Matters

This is where the JOY Crew name comes from and why it matters so much.

Jesus first. Others second. Yourself third.

It comes straight from when a Pharisee tested Jesus by asking which commandment was the greatest. Jesus responded: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind" (Matthew 22:37). Then He added: "Love your neighbor as yourself" (Matthew 22:39).

All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments (Matthew 22:40).

But here's what most people miss: You can't give away what you haven't received.

We can only love others if we first love God and receive His love for us. So loving others includes loving God. The order matters.

Jesus → Others → Yourself.

That's not just a catchy acronym. Well, it is - but that's not the point. That's the only sequence that produces lasting fruit.

What Happens When You Get The Order Wrong

Put yourself first? You'll burn out trying to prove something to people who don't even remember your name. I've watched people grind themselves into the ground chasing validation from social media followers who scroll past their content in three seconds. They're exhausted, bitter, and wondering why success feels so empty.

Put others first before God? You'll resent them when they don't appreciate your sacrifice. Think about your kids - you sacrifice sleep, money, time, energy. And they complain about what's for dinner. They don't know what you gave up so they could have what they have. When you serve people before you serve God, their ingratitude will break you.

Skip yourself entirely? You'll have nothing left to give because you're running on empty. I see this all the time - people pouring into everyone else while their own cup is bone dry. They're counseling others through depression while they're drowning. They're feeding the hungry while they're spiritually starving. You can't give what you don't have.

But when you start with Jesus - receiving His love, abiding in His presence, staying rooted in Him - everything else flows from overflow.

Abide First, Then Ask

Here's what most people miss about John 15:16. Jesus says the Father will give you whatever you ask in His name. But that's not a blank check. There's a condition.

"If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you" (John 15:7).

If you remain. If you abide.

The promise isn't for people who pray occasionally. It's for people who stay connected to the Vine.

David said it this way: "Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart" (Psalm 37:4).

But notice the order: delight first, desires second.

When you abide in Jesus, your desires start aligning with His. You stop asking for temporary stuff that doesn't last. You start asking for eternal fruit. You start wanting what He wants.

That's when the Father says yes to whatever you ask. Not because you found the magic formula, but because you're asking for what He already planned to give you.

When you love God first, loving others becomes natural, not forced.

When you love others from that overflow, taking care of yourself becomes wisdom, not selfishness.

That's the JOY order. That's how lasting fruit gets produced.

What This Means For The JOY Crew

Last week we moved together with purpose and got a song on national radio.

But that's not the lasting fruit. That's just the beginning.

The lasting fruit is what happens when someone hears "Never Let Up" on their way to work and decides not to give up on their marriage.

The lasting fruit is when these CREW NOTES change how someone reads their Bible and five years later they're still digging deeper.

The lasting fruit is when this community stays rooted in JOY - Jesus, Others, Yourself - not just when it's exciting but when it's tedious.

That's what we're building. That's what lasts.

A crew that produces fruit that remains.

Is your life producing lasting fruit, or just temporary results that look good right now?

"You didn't choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit" (John 15:16).

You were chosen. You were appointed. Now produce fruit that lasts.

That’s it for today

keep JOY, live Disciplined

Officially Join The Crew

As a thank you for showing up and voting, I made JOY Crew crewnecks. I priced them at $20 - not because they're cheap quality, but because I wanted everyone who wants one to be able to get one.

This price is only for the first 100 crew members. After that, they go to regular price. If you want to rep the crew, grab one now.

Click 👉🏽 Here

Welcome to the JOY Crew.

keep JOY. live Disciplined.