I am the true vine

John 15:1-5

Jesus said: “I am the true vine and my father is vinekeeper.  Every branch that does not bear fruit he takes away and every branch that bears fruit, he prunes so that it bears more fruit.  You have already been cleansed by the word that I have spoken to you.  Abide in me as I abide in you.  Just 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.  Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing.

“My father prunes so that you bear more fruit.” 

Powerful!

The book of Matthew closes with the Great Commission, go and make disciples of all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you.

How can we go out and bear more fruit?  That fruit which you and I produce powers the Great Commission.

As a Sunday School teacher for many years,  I wanted to ensure that my son was there. I did not want this to be my experience of being dropped off by a father that was likely hungover, at a big church outside of my neighborhood.  I was scared, but I found my way through hallways that seemed huge to me and made it to my class. The lessons learned there have stuck with me throughout my life.

That experience has set me on a path to a life that I truly hope is a part of the vine that bears fruit.

Let us pray:

Jesus, we know you are the true vine and that you nurture us.  Give us the strength and confidence to go out into this challenging world and do your will, bearing good fruit. Amen.

This devotion was written and recorded by Sam Barto.

Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.

If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: podcasts@1stchurch.org.

First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.