Fruitful for the Father - Introduction

‘I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, as I also 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. ‘I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. John 15:1‭-‬8 NIVUK https://bible.com/bible/113/jhn.15.1-8.NIVUK We are privileged to live in Europe, where there are some absolutely spectacular green spaces and gardens. It seems like every palace, castle and stately home cannot be considered complete unless there is a stunning, perfectly managed and manicured garden outside. Whether it's Versailles in Paris, the Mirabel gardens in Salzburg, Kue Gardens in London, Waverly Gardens in Edinburgh, or the Walled Garden in Bellahouston Park in Glasgow, we are surrounded by creations where God and man work together in stunning harmony. None of these happen by chance. A gardener will have worked to a plan, drew it up with the estate owner and then gradually pieced together and maintained his vision. It takes hard work, dedication and time. I have to say, I admire these people. I am not a gardener at all. I can't tell a weed from a plant. It's far from my favourite activity. I blame my allergies. And the fact that I have no inclination at all to garden. However, in these verses we see Jesus talking about God as a gardener, Jesus as the vine and us as the branches. These eight verses are about what God wants from us, how we grow, and what God does to help us grow. The question I have to ask is this: do we know? Are we aware of what it takes to grow as a believer? More importantly, do we know what God is looking for from us? Do we fully understand His purposes in our lives? The first thing we will look at in my next post is THE VINE.