Fellowship Hall

Jesus is plainly telling His disciples that He is returning to His Father. He is speaking of His impending death. He said to them if they loved Him, they would be rejoicing. He told them that He was showing the world the love He has for His Father because He is keeping His Father's commandments. Jesus compared Himself to a vine and His followers to the branches. His Father is the Gardener who prunes the branches. If a branch is left alone, it bears fruit, when it is pruned it bears more fruit, and if the branch continues to abide in the vine, it will bear much fruit. He told his disciples that they could not do anything unless they continued to abide in Him. If we continue in Him, we bear much fruit and the Father is glorified. We are to keep His commandments and continue in His love to show we are abiding in Him. If you do not continue to abide in Jesus, you fall off the vine, wither and die and are gathered up and burned. We are commanded to love one another as Jesus has loved us. He reminds us that He has chosen us, we did not choose Him. He also let us know that, as the world has hated Him, it will hate us when we are showing forth His love and hIs works. How about you? Are you willing to pay the price to abide in Jesus? Are you willing to submit to the Father's pruning? Do you want to bear much fruit? I hope to see you in Sunday School at 10:00 A.M.