One day at little league a new kid walked onto the field.

He was overweight and looked unsure of himself. Within moments the gang sensed his weakness. Soon a group of boys gathered around and decided his new nickname was “soggy maggots.” He stood head bowed, defenseless. As we waited for the guys to leave, his hands picked at his glove. When he finally looked up, tears were running down his dusty face.

“What’s your name?” I asked.

There was a long pause, and he said, “Danny.”

I told Danny that I would never call him by the other name, and then we talked about baseball. Danny was a loner at school, but I went out of my way to speak to Danny. I noticed his face would brighten every time I called his name. 

Several years later, at college, my mom sent me a newspaper clipping with Danny’s obituary. As I looked at his picture, I wondered about his brief life. I remembered the lies spoken to him and felt a wave of conviction. 

I had encouraged Danny, but never spoken to him about Jesus. Jesus gave his life for Danny, and his heart was to abide with him.

Years later, I was driving toward Target Field on a beautiful Sunday morning. As the miles went by, I kept thinking about Danny. On the seat beside me was a brown paper bag. Inside the bag was a branch that was green with life. Next to it was a branch that was dry and brittle. This branch died long ago. 

As I approached the stadium, I second-guessed the brown paper bag. These were professional athletes and major league umpires. The branches were the kind of thing you bring to a Sunday School class. As I thought and prayed, it occurred to me that the branches are the kind of thing that Jesus would have pointed to as he shared these words:

“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, ESV).

Jesus told simple stories and included object lessons that even children could understand, and his teaching changed the world. 

I decided to bring along the branches.

My Sunday mornings include separate chapels for the home and visiting teams and a chapel for the umpires. On this Sunday, we talked about what it means to have a life that matters. We discussed living for something more than baseball and leaving a lasting legacy. But according to Jesus, none of this is possible on our own. Apart from Jesus, we can do nothing of eternal value. Jesus is the source of life. He is the vine, and we are the branches.

Connected to the vine, we are alive and fruitful. 

Disconnected from the vine, we are dead and unfruitful.

As I laid the branches on the table, we talked about the characteristics of a dead branch:

• I’ve heard about Jesus, but I’ve never committed to him.

• I think of Jesus at Christmas and Easter but am unaware of him the rest of the year.

• My lifestyle is not pleasing to him, and I am not willing to adjust my life to honor him.

• Instead of bearing fruit for the Kingdom of God, my life is all about me.

Next, we talked about branches that are alive:

• I have repented of my sin and turned to Jesus for his forgiveness and new life. 

• I think of Jesus daily. Sometimes it is only a whisper, but I listen to his voice.

• I’m far from perfect, but when Jesus convicts me, I yield to his authority.

• My life is fruitful because it is my joy to serve the people around me.

As we looked down at the two branches, it was time for the question of the day: Which branch are you?

If you are a dead branch, there is a word of life for you. “If we declare that Jesus is the Son of God, we live in union with God, and God lives in union with us” (1 John 4:25, GNT).

Several weeks later, I walked through the stadium’s lower level, and I heard a voice behind me. When I turned around, I recognized one of the umpires who had been in chapel that Sunday. There was no time for a conversation, but there was time for a statement.

“That dead branch changed my life.” 

There are people all around you who are desperate for the life of Jesus. From the little leagues to the major leagues, they know what life looks like as a dead branch. They know something is broken, but they don’t know how to fix it. I don’t know if Danny ever met Jesus, but I still regret never inviting Danny to walk with him.

The focus of this book is looking for the one. 

But the heart of this book is Jesus. 

Because looking for the one is impossible without abiding in the One. This is Jesus looking for the one through you.