Haircuts and pruning are not the same to me
Pruning is never a fun thing to go through; it can be painful at times. 
It reminds me of when I was ten, and I didn’t want to comb my long, red hair. My mother decided she would fix that problem. One day we went to the hairdresser for what I thought was going to be a pleasant experience. It turned into a nightmare. She cut it very short and gave it a tight perm. My long, beautiful red hair – GONE!
Traumatized
She pruned it all right. And no, I did not think it was cute. Don’t ask me how that memory stirred my thoughts on what we are going to look at today.
Abide
Let’s look at John 15:5-6 and see what it says about pruning:
“I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit. Apart from me, you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.”
Yikes! Talk about painful. Could I become tinder?
What does this mean exactly?
To me, it means if I don’t stay connected to the vine which in this passage is Jesus Christ, I will be separated from Him, me the branch will be separated from the vine. If I become separated from the vine, I the branch cannot bear fruit. I will be of no use for the kingdom of God.
I want to stay attached
So, how do I remain in Christ, how do I remain attached to the vine?
There are five primary ways to remain in Christ:
1. Believe that Jesus is God’s son. Read 1 John 4:15
2. Receive Jesus as Savior and Lord. Read John 1:12
3. Do what God says. Read 1 John 3:24
4. Continue to believe the gospel. Read 1 John 2:24
5. Relate to the community of believers in love, Christ’s body. Read John 15:12
Let’s pray
Lord, I’m so thankful that my branches are still attached to the Vine. They are attached to you and drawing life from you every day. Lord, I pray others are attached to you as well. Lord, help us bear fruit, fruit that will last. Thank you for your love Jesus and for dying on the cross for my friends and me. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.
In His Service
Jeanette Duby, The Teaching Lady
#bridgetograce #vine #branches #bearingfruit #pruning
Link to Amazon for Bridge to Grace
What is the basis of our faith?
Recent Comments