Planted and FlourishingSample

Did you know that an apple tree can produce up to 400 apples per year? Apples are picked by hand in orchards, and the largest apple picked weighed 1 kilogram! (3 pounds). That’s the size of a honeydew melon! For apple trees to keep bearing lots of fruit, they need to be pruned in the winter. The gardener will cut off any broken branches, weak stems, or branches that are not bearing any fruit. The branches need to bear fruit for the tree to do what it’s made to do - grow apples!

Jesus often taught others by telling stories. These were not just any stories, these stories always had a lesson for anyone who heard them. These stories are called parables. What did His story about the vine and the branches mean? First, it’s good to understand that the people listening to Jesus’ story probably would have known a lot more about growing grapes and vines than we do. They would have related to Jesus’ story right away. Jesus explained that those who separate from Him can’t grow, and they’d be like the dry branches of a vine that are unable to bear fruit.

Our job is to stay connected to Him, and the fruit will grow. But we’re not growing grapes or apples, we’re growing God’s kingdom!