Jesus said, I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every");
document.writeln("branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit He");
document.writeln("prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.1
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document.writeln("In preparation for his sermon about Jesus being the vine and we the branches,");
document.writeln("Brett Blair shared the following: I must admit that I know very little");
document.writeln("about the particulars of the wine industry. So I did some reading in this area");
document.writeln("and found it to be quite fascinating. Grape vines are very rugged in one way,");
document.writeln("but in another sense their fruit is very delicate and requires being treated");
document.writeln("with kid gloves. A young vine is not permitted to bear fruit for the first");
document.writeln("three years. It is therefore drastically pruned in December and January to");
document.writeln("preserve its energy. The particular branches that do not bear fruit are cut out");
document.writeln("to further conserve the energy of the plant. If this constant cutting back was");
document.writeln("not done, the result would be a crop that was not up to its full");
document.writeln("potential.2
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document.writeln("Sometimes we wonder why God allows us to go through so many trials and");
document.writeln("tribulations, however, when we look back over the past, we can see how God was");
document.writeln("with us guiding our every step and pruning us so our lives would become more");
document.writeln("fruitful and productive. From personal experience, I have seen how the hardest");
document.writeln("times in my life have produced the healthiest fruit in my life. It");
document.writeln("was definitely not an easy or enjoyable process, but I cannot deny the growth");
document.writeln("that happened in me as a result. As the writer to the early Hebrew Christians");
document.writeln("wrote, No discipline (or pruning) seems pleasant at the time, but");
document.writeln("painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace");
document.writeln("for those who have been trained by it.3
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document.writeln("Suggested prayer: Dear God, while I cannot say that I have enjoyed Your pruning");
document.writeln("in my life, I thank You for all circumstances You have used in my life to help");
document.writeln("me grow. Help me realize, even in the hard times, that You are working to make");
document.writeln("me more like Jesus and accept it with an attitude of gratitude. In the name of");
document.writeln("Jesus I pray, amen.
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document.writeln("1. John 15:1-2 (NIV).
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document.writeln("2. Rev. Brett Blair. http://www.esermons.com/.
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document.writeln("3. Hebrews 12:11 (NIV).
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document.writeln("
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document.writeln("The Encounter for today was written by: Crystal B.
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This and other devotionals by Richard (Dick) Innes can be read online.
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