Jesus used a metaphor of a vine and branches to describe living in the life force of God while bearing fruit in our lives.
Bearing healthy fruit in a grape vine requires judicious pruning to focus the life force coming in through the soil through the vine to the branches to the fruit.
A little later, Paul talked about circumcising the heart—a picture of cutting as a sacrifice and symbol of focusing the heart on God.
It’s always amazing to discover the weekend reading merging together to reveal a truth for spiritual formation.
When we focus our hearts on the source of life—God—then we live the “with-God” life as Richard Foster and Dallas Willard would describe it. We can channel our renewed energies into bearing fruit by doing love to our neighbor so—both those near and those far away.
Pruning is a never-ending process for the vine. Similarly for us. We have daily distractions—heck, minute-by-minute distractions—that interfere with the flow of the spirit. Prune away non-essential distractions and focus on what is good and meaningful. And then you have no need for laws and rules. Doing the right thing just comes naturally.
Faith Venture 
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