Welcome back, my friends. It is time for the morning mindset. My name is Carrie Green. I'm a retired

pastor who can't seem to retire. I just am compelled to be sharing the word of God with you every

day so that you and I can get our minds aligned with God's truth. Today we are reading in

John Chapter 15. This is a powerful, powerful section, so I encourage

you not to miss an episode of this section as we go through at least the first part of John 15 verses

one through 11 don't know how many days that's going to take but I love this passage

because of the truths it can communicate to us let's get started. John 15 verse number one Jesus is

teaching his disciples. So there's no one else around. It's just him and his 12

actually it's 11 at this point because Judas Iskariot who betrayed him has already left to go and do that betrayal

so the wheels are in motion Jesus is moving toward the cross and he teaches his disciples who are soon to be left without him this truth.

Jesus says, I am the true vine and my father is the vine dresser.

Every branch in me that does not bear fruit, he takes away.

And every branch that does bear fruit, he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.

Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you.

Abide in me and I in you.

As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself,

unless it abides in the vine,

neither can you unless you abide in me. Now there's very interesting parallels here

from the illustration Jesus is using of a vine.

Think of a grape vine that grows on a trellis

and massive bunches of grapes hang down as the fruit.

There's great parallels between that illustration and the way that the Christian life works which is much of why Jesus used this illustration.

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