Key Scripture:

John 15:3. “You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.

Key Idea:

… it is the Word of God that is the knife, sharper than any two-edged sword, that pierces even to the dividing asunder of the soul and spirit, and is quick to discern the thoughts and intents of the heart. It is only when affliction leads to this discipline of the Word that it becomes a blessing;
– Murray

Pray for revelation:

Father, I pray Thee, cleanse me through Thy Word. Let it search out and bring to light all that is of self and the flesh in my religion. Let it cut away every root of self-confidence, that the Vine may find me wholly free to receive His life and Spirit. O my holy Husbandman, I trust Thee to care for the branch as much as for the Vine. Thou only art my hope.
– Murray

Key words:
Clean,
Word

Jesus brings his parrabel of the vine to the real world for this verse. He says the disciples have already been cleansed. At this moment in time, they have been growing, maturing, having the dead weight of religious ideas trimmed out. They are poised for bearing fruit, more fruit, and abundant fruit.

How were they cleansed? Murray titles this reading, ‘The Pruning Knife.’ So, where’s the knife? The cleansing, pruning, purifying, comes from the word that Jesus has spoken. His words, his teachings, the Bible, is what keeps us clean and pure. Hard times come and go, but those troubles come to everybody, even the ungodly. Enduring tough times doesn’t prune us. It proves us.

The word that is a two edged sword, that cuts to the bone, that is the knife that keeps us pruned. The same word that spoke the creation into existance. In our own lives, it’s our own words that demonstrate who we are, and how we are known. Words that can both condemn us or defend us.

Prayer is important. It keeps in a close conversation with God. His word is the thing that lays on the conviction, speaks to our conscience, and purifies us. Spend time in reading the Bible. It will help in getting to know God and his will, and speak to you about areas where pruning is called for.

Key Scripture:

John 15:2b. … and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.

Key Idea:

All that is inconsistent with the most entire devotion to Christ’s service must be removed.
– Murray

Pray for revelation:

O our holy Husbandman, cleanse and cut away all that there is in us that would make a fair show, or could become a source of self-confidence and glorying. Lord, keep us very low, that no flesh may glory in Thy presence. We do trust Thee to do Thy work.
– Murray

Key words:
Cleansing,
Pruning.

To produce the most abundant amounts of fruit, the branches must be closely managed. This means cutting out dead, unproductive wood. Getting rid of the unfaithful ones. With a vine, this is the farmers main job, keeping the vine clean and purged of unproductiveness.

It also means doing some removal on living, productive branches. Sometimes a branch that has gotten a little too big for its own good gets pruned back to a nub. In doing so, more sap from the vine can be devoted to fruit and less to the wood of the branch. Life lessons in humility, giving up unfruitful bad, or even good habits.

The Greek word for pruning is related to the same word used in the first part of this verse. the difference is the earlier word meant to snip, lift up and away, and toss aside. This word is a compound word that adds a word that means justly, or rightly so. That means that God, the farmer, in his infinite wisdom, knows exactly justly so, which areas to trim out to be tossed aside.

Are you feeling loss? Did God take some area of your life away, or is he dropping hints that life changes need to be made? Be a good, united branch and let the farmer decide what needs pruning. In the end you will be more productive for it.

Trials and hardships come and go, but these are just natural events of life. They are temporary things, and not the real purpose of God’s work and desire. With what is left after the storms, traumas, and prunings occur, the real mission is to stay connected. Abie. Bear fruit.

Background Passage: Ephesians 5:1-14
Lesson Passage: Ephesians 5:1-14

LESSON PASSAGE OUTLINE
1. Live in Love (Eph. 5:1-2)
2. Live Without Impurity (Eph. 5:3-7)
3. Live as Light (Eph. 5:8-14)

BIBLICAL TRUTH
Believers reflect God’s holy nature by living in morally upright ways.

LIFE GOAL
To help adults reflect God’s holy nature in their behavior

Galatians 1:6-10

1:6. I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel,
1:7. which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ.
1:8. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed.
1:9. As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed.
1:10. For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a servant of Christ.
–NKJ

This passage picks up right after Pauls opening greeting to the Galatian church, and where he has come to them with Jesus as the sole authority behind his message. He cuts right to the problem the people were having with falling away from their faith.

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