John 15:1-2
Jesus said to his disciples: "I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower. He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit, and every one that does he prunes so that it bears more fruit.
This week, Jesus uses the image of the vine and fruit. He says, "I am the vine, and you are the branches." As the Good Shepherd, he assists the sheep, you and me. In this week teaching he explains that we are actually part of him and he in us. The vine must have branches in order to grow and prosper. The branches cannot flourish and produce fruit without the vine to give it nourishment. We are the branches. We cannot reach out best potential without Jesus, the vine, to help us grow. A vine needs plenty of sunlight, water, and soil to grow. For us to grow spiritually we need prayer, study and action. We give God our praise, our worship, our hearts. We study scripture to grow in wisdom and understanding. We put our faith into action by helping our neighbors and community. By these things we produce fruit for the Church. If, however, we fall short in these areas, then we are not producing the fruits the God wants from us. We are challenged to be the best we can be. Its easy to coast through our day to day lives. But God wants more from us. Let me encourage you today to increase your prayer time each day. Ask God to be part of everything you do. Take some time to study scripture and read commentary on scriptures. Finally take your faith and knowledge into your environment and show your friends what it means to be a Christian in today's world. By doing so, this will produce the best fruit.
