Click here (or right click and select "save as") to download "Pruning with a Purpose" Click here to watch service video.  Pruning with a Purpose                      John 15:1-10, Galatians 5:22, Matthew 13: 8 & 23, Jeremiah 29:11 Just as electricity provides the power necessary for the bulb to produce light, so the vine provides the life necessary for the branches to produce fruit. Jesus is the vine, God the Father is the vine grower, and the true believers are the branches. Pruning, Fruit-bearing, and Abiding. 1. First of all, Pruning… John 15 "He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit." The responsibility of pruning, shaping and trimming, is not the responsibility of the other branches. That responsibility is God’s and God’s alone. Pruning does not simply mean spiritual surgery. It is not just the removal of what is dead. It can also mean cutting away the good and the better so that we may enjoy the best. 2. Then, there is Fruit-bearing. In Galatians 5:22, we read "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things. We are not producing fruit to please ourselves, but to give to serve others. 3. There is Pruning, there is Fruit-bearing, and then there is Abiding. We are called to be transformed and reflect the image of Christ, and to abide in his love.  The more we abide in Christ, the more fruit we bear; the more fruit we bear, the more the Father has to prune us, so that the quality keeps up with the quantity. We cannot conform to his image, we cannot produce His likeness unless we abide in Him. The daily inflow of the Holy Spirit, is the only power to bring forth spiritual fruit. John 15:2, Every branch in Me that bears no fruit, He cuts down, and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, so that it will be even more fruitful. 1. Remember that your Heavenly Father is the Vinedresser. Isaiah spoke of the house of Israel as the vineyard of the Lord. Jeremiah said that God had planted Israel as His choice vine. The prophet Hosea pointed out that because of Israel’s unfaithfulness to God, they had become like an empty vine. 2. Remember that our Heavenly Father has a divine purpose if there is something in my life that is preventing me from producing Christ like characteristics, He will prune, mold, and shape me, until I have fulfilled the purpose He has for my life. Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. He is shaping us to make us more like Christ, the True Vine. He is working to remove from us, those things that do not help us fulfill that purpose. 3. Remember, the Vinedresser only removes what is unnecessary. He moves among us with His Pruning Knife to remove those dead things from our hearts, such as bitterness, resentment, selfishness, anger, self-centeredness, arrogance, pride, self-righteouness, and a religious spirit. Our Heavenly Vinedresser prunes us repeatedly. He prunes us constantly. He is removing from us what we do not need. He is removing from us what hinders our growth and our witness for Him. It may be painful for a time, but we need to remember that these are things that prevent us from enjoying a full and rich life in Christ. 4. Remember, it is vital that we stay connected to the Vine. the single most important thing for us as Christians is to maintain our vital connection to Jesus, the True Vine. “Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me”. 1. God’s Pruning produces fruit bearing believers if we abide in Him. 2. Your Heavenly Father is the Vinedresser, and it is His hand which holds the       Pruning Knif