Be the Branch: A Guide Through John 15Sample

Think About It

There’s a hard reality to being a branch: Either you’re being pruned to be even more fruitful, or you’re being cut off. Pruning does not feel nice. It isn’t pleasant to have all the old, dead parts scraped out and removed, or to have perfectly good and healthy parts of us removed to make room for other parts to grow better. It might even feel unnecessary or unfair. But God is a good gardener. He knows exactly what we need to thrive in Him. And He loves us too much to leave us overrun with the weeds and thorns of sin. 

As painful as the pruning process can be, it’s far better to be pruned while in the true Vine, Jesus, than it is to be cast away from Him. And there’s hope in the process, too. Just like we cannot bear fruit on our own, we cannot remove the unhealthy pieces alone either. It is not your responsibility to become less angry, less prideful, less doubting, or less selfish on your own. It’s your job to remain connected to the Vine. 

It might be difficult to trust that God the Gardener cares about your growth while you’re in a season of pruning. But afterward, when you can see the fruit being produced through you, you’ll be able to recognize the sin and hindrances that were strangling your progress. When you trust God, who knows just what He’s doing, and remain connected to Christ, you’ll grow the fruit of His Spirit that He created you to bear.

Live It Out

• Are you in a season of pruning? What sins do you see God cleaning out from you? Why do you think it hurts to lose those things?
• Have you attempted to purge yourself of the sin and worries that so easily entangle you? How do you think it’s different when you try to do that on your own strength and when you rely on God to accomplish His work in you?
• Have people in your life been too critical or unfair? Does that shape how you view God’s role in your growth? How can you remain in the Vine even when you’re in a season of painful changes?