(show the video just before I come up on the stage)

REAL LIVING

"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, and I will 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 a man remains in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in Me, he is 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 given you. This is to My Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be My disciples.”

I Am The Branch

The branch is always like the Vine from which it grows. Always!

1. I Am FRUITFUL

(5) “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit.”

(8) “This is to My Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be My disciples.”

A. I can tell if I’m a genuine disciple - if I bear much fruit.

B. What does it mean to “bear much fruit”?

1) Bearing much fruit means displaying the Lord’s DNA.

(Galatians 5:22) The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control.

2) Bearing much fruit means obeying the Lord’s instructions.

(10) “If you obey My commands, you will remain in My love…”

(Matthew 7:20) “By their fruit you will recognize them. Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.”

2. I Am CLEAN

(3) “You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.”

A. We need the word of God to help cleanse us initially.

(1 Peter 1:22-23) Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth… love one another deeply, from the heart. For you have been born again,… through the living and enduring word of God.

B. We need the word of God to help cleanse us continually.

(Psalm 119:9) How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to Your word.

(2 Timothy 3:16) All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

3. I Am ENGRAFTED

A. If Jesus is the vine, how do I become a true branch?

(Romans 11:18) You do not support the root, but the root supports you. You will say the, “Branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in.” Granted. But they were broken off because of unbelief, and you stand by faith.

1) By totally trusting my life to Jesus

2) Then God cuts me out of my old vine and engrafts me into my new vine – Jesus.

B. God is not appeased by shallow insincerity.

(Hebrews 11:6) Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.

C. A genuine branch is always like the Vine from which it grows - ALWAYS!