Hello and welcome to Heart Lift.
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I'm Jill Morikone,
and I'm so glad that
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you have joined us today.
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We're in the midst of a journey
toward hope, toward healing,
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toward the transformation that
the Lord Jesus wants to work
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in your heart, and in mine,
as woman, as daughters of God.
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If you're just joining
us, we're in the middle of our
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section on transformation.
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Last program we discussed the
washed heart; how God wants to
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wash our heart with the washing
of the water of the word.
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How the word of
God transforms us.
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The word of God empowers us.
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The word of God sets us free.
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Today's program
is, A Pruned Heart.
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Our Scripture is in John 15.
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We're going to spend
some time in John 15.
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The Bible says: You did
not choose Me, but I chose you,
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and appointed you, that
you should go and bear fruit,
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and that your fruit should
remain; that whatever you ask
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the Father in My
name, He may give you.
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Father I just thank You right
now that we didn't choose You.
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We didn't seek after You.
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You were the one who
came to seek and to save
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that which was lost.
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Thank You, Lord
Jesus, for choosing us.
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Thank You for coming
after us, and for rescuing us
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from the mire of
sin that we are in.
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Right now we open up our
hearts to receive what You want
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to share with us from Your Word.
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And we thank
You in the precious,
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and the Holy
name of Jesus, Amen.
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My husband Greg grew up in
the hills, and the hollars,
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in the little
mountains of West Virginia.
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He and his little sister,
Janelle, they're a couple years
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apart, they made mud
pies and played in the creek,
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they climbed up in those
hollars, and went ginsenging;
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had a wonderful
time in the country.
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Now one of the things
that you know, if you grew up
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in the country at all,
is you would want a swing.
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Maybe in the city you
say, Well, I can't get a swing.
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I can't get whatever, you
know, I don't have any yard.
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But if you're in the country,
you say, I want a swing;
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a rope swing, a
tire swing, something.
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Well, you know what they had?
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They had a grape vine swing.
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What they did, there was a
grape vine that was growing
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on the side of one of the
hills, and it went quite a ways,
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all the way up into this tree.
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In fact, Greg tells me, I asked
him the other day, he said that
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the length of that grape vine
from the top of the tree where
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it was hooked in, all the
way down to the root system,
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he said was forty
feet. It's pretty long.
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He said it was only, not real
thick, but it was very long.
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What they did is they
cut it off at the roots.
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Then they would jump on it.
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They would swing
out over the valley.
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They would come back to
the little mountainside,
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and then the next
person; jump on it,
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swing out, and come back.
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They did this for
some time, and they loved
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their grape vine swing.
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Now you probably know
where this story is going.
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One day some
friends came to visit.
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And all the kids of the parents,
they all got together the kids.
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And Greg said
they went out to play.
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They said, We have
got a grape vine swing.
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You've got to try it.
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So Greg said he jumped on,
and he swung out over the field.
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And he came back, showing the
other kids, this is what we do.
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Then a little boy went out,
and he said, I'm going to do it.
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So he jumped on the grape vine
and he swung over the field,
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and it broke. And he went
flying, and he hit a stump.
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Not a very big stump, but a
little stump, and it knocked
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the breath out of him.
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Praise the Lord
that he was not injured.
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So that is a big,
Praise the Lord! for that.
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When I think of that story,
Why did the grape vine break?
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You know why it broke?
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Because it was
disconnected from its source
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down in the bottom.
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It was disconnected
from its root system,
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from its nutrient
system, from the water.
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And the grape vine;
it eventually rotted,
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eventually it broke.
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John 15, we want to
look at the first five
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verses here in John 15.
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We're talking about the vine.
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We could say grape vines,
but in this case it is the vine.
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I am the true vine, and My
Father is the vine dresser.
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Every branch in me that does
not bare fruit He takes away:
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and every branch that
bears fruit He prunes.
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That's our word for today.
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He prunes that it may
bring forth more fruit.
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I'm in verse 3. Now you are
already clean because of the
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word which I have spoken to you.
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Abide in Me... Jesus
says, Abide in Me, and I in you.
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He says, Stay
connected to that root system,
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otherwise we're going to break.
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Abide in Me, and I in you.
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As the branch cannot
bear fruit of itself,
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except it abide in
the vine; no more can you,
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unless you abide in me.
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Verse 5. He says, I am the
vine, and you are the branches:
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He who abides in Me,
and I in him, bears fruit;
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for without Me
you can do nothing.
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We abide in Jesus in
order to produce fruit.
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We abide in Jesus in
order to remain leafy and green,
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and to keep from
rotting and breaking off.
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We abide in Jesus.
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Notice it said the branch
that bears fruit He prunes,
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that it may
bring forth more fruit.
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We're talking today
about the process of pruning.
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I have over here
on my little desk,
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a pair of Greg's pruning shears.
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I don't know if you can
see my pruning shears here.
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These pruning
shears work specifically...
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This is not for clipping grass.
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This is specifically cutting
trees, clipping, pruning.
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If you're trying to prune
a tree, maybe a fruit tree,
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maybe an apple
tree, something like that.
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What is the purpose of pruning?
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We're going to discuss
six purposes of pruning,
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and then we'll get
briefly into the process.
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What is the purpose of pruning?
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If you had, say an apple or a
peach, or a pear, or some type
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of tree, or an oak, what
would be the purpose of pruning?
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1. It's to remove
the bad. Remove the bad.
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If you prune a tree it
removes the dead, diseased,
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or the broken limbs.
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You know what? In
my heart God says,
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Jill, I want to
prune your pride,
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or your
condemnation, and your shame.
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I want to prune your
bitterness, and your inability
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to forgive someone else.
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I want to prune your anger,
and your fear, and your lust,
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your sadness, your shame.
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I want to take off those
things that are keeping you from
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bearing abundant fruit.
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Now who prunes us?
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Who does the pruning?
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I think we're pruned through
several different aspects.
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The first, we're
pruned; God prunes us.
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We're pruned
through the work of God.
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Hebrews 12, jumping over
here to Hebrews, Hebrews 12,
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the Bible says,
verse 11: I like it in NIV.
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I'm going to read
it in that version.
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No discipline, or we could say
pruning, seems pleasant at the
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time, but it's painful.
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Nevertheless later it produces
a harvest of righteousness,
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and peace for those who
have been trained by it.
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Later the discipline
isn't pleasant, it isn't good,
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but later it's going
to produced a harvest of
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righteousness and of peace.
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I can think of, in my own life,
times when I've gone through
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painful experiences
and I thought, God, I have
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no idea what's going on.
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And He said, Just
trust Me; trust Me.
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In the midst of this I'm
breaking off a little diseased
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limb over here, and I'm taking
off something that's broken
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here, because I
want to make you whole.
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I want to make you whole.
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Not only does God prune,
but also our choices prune.
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What do I mean by that?
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Galatians 6:7 talks
about, We reap what we sow.
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Whatever we sow, if
we sow to the flesh,
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we're going to
reap of the flesh.
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If we sow to the Spirit we're
going to reap of the Spirit.
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We reap whatever we sow.
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God can overturn
those consequences.
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And I believe
that with all my heart.
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Joel 2:25. He tells us, I
will redeem... God speaking.
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I will redeem the years
that the locust has eaten.
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And then He goes
through the different types.
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But He's just
saying, I'm going to redeem.
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I'm going to redeem your
past, whatever those issues are,
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whatever that pain is.
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I'm going to redeem that.
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However, sometimes we still
face some of those consequences.
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Remember David and
his sin with Bathsheba.
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God forgave him. Absolutely!
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Even after the sin God said he
was a man after God's own heart.
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God used Solomon to
become the next king.
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And Solomon was the fruit
of he and Bathsheba's union.
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However, there were still
consequences that did remain.
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Remember he lost sons.
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There was disunity
in the royal family.
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Absalom died,
there was other pain,
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other son's
death because of that.
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Now we know God prunes,
sometimes, if we're in a trial,
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if we're in a painful place.
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Why is this happening?
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Maybe it's God doing
something in my life.
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Maybe it's a consequence,
or result of choice.
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Maybe its simply
neither: its the result of sin.
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Its the result of the
sinful world that we live in.
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However, God can still
work out whatever it is.
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He can still
work it out for good.
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I think of the story of Joseph.
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Remember, he was sold as
a slave by his own brothers,
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and then years later he saw his
brothers, and he forgave them.
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But yet when their father died,
the brothers were still a little
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nervous. Oh, maybe now Joseph is
going to revenge upon himself.
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You know what we did to
him all those years before?
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They were nervous.
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And Joseph said to them
in Genesis 50:20, he says,
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What you meant for
evil, God intended for good.
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Romans 8:28 holds
true, all the time.
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We know that all
things work together for good,
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to those who love God,
to those who are called
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according to His purpose.
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Of course it doesn't
mean that all things are good.
00:12:07.12\00:12:09.32
It doesn't mean that the trials
that are in your life as a
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result of just the world of sin
we live in; it doesn't mean that
00:12:12.06\00:12:15.76
that is good, but
you know what it means?
00:12:15.80\00:12:18.37
It means that
God can, and He will,
00:12:18.40\00:12:21.77
work all those
things out for our good.
00:12:21.80\00:12:25.57
So 1. God prunes, or our
choices are the results of sin.
00:12:25.61\00:12:31.31
But the pruning
happens to remove the dead,
00:12:31.35\00:12:35.12
or the diseased limbs.
00:12:35.15\00:12:37.39
2. It opens us up for light.
00:12:37.42\00:12:41.69
1 John, turn with
me over to 1 John.
00:12:41.72\00:12:46.56
If you prune a tree, it opens
up the tree canopy for more
00:12:46.59\00:12:51.30
light from the sun to penetrate
down in, and to filter in.
00:12:51.33\00:12:55.07
Light is essential for
flower bud development,
00:12:55.10\00:12:58.41
and optimal fruit
flavor and quality.
00:12:58.44\00:13:02.11
Pruning, likewise, opens up
our own hearts to receive more
00:13:02.14\00:13:07.42
of the Sun of
Righteousness, Jesus Christ,
00:13:07.45\00:13:10.79
into our hearts and lives.
00:13:10.82\00:13:13.76
In addition, pruning
enables us to walk with each
00:13:13.79\00:13:17.49
other in fellowship.
00:13:17.53\00:13:18.86
This is our
verse in 1 John 1: 5-7.
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Not only does pruning open
us up to receive light from God,
00:13:23.33\00:13:27.74
it opens us up to receive
more fellowship with each other.
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The Bible says, This is the
message, which we have heard
00:13:30.97\00:13:33.78
from Him, and declared to you
that God is light, and in Him
00:13:33.81\00:13:38.51
is no darkness at all.
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If we say that we
have fellowship with Him,
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and walk in darkness, we lie,
and do not practice the truth.
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But if we walk in the
light, as He is in the light,
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we have fellowship with one
another, and the blood of Jesus
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Christ His Son,
cleanses us from all sin.
00:13:56.83\00:14:01.24
What is John saying here?
00:14:01.27\00:14:02.80
If we walk in the light, if
we walk in Jesus, we're going to
00:14:02.84\00:14:06.27
have closer
fellowship with each other.
00:14:06.31\00:14:09.91
Pruning opens up my
heart to receive more of Jesus,
00:14:09.94\00:14:13.25
and it also opens up my
heart so that I can fellowship,
00:14:13.28\00:14:17.49
being closer bound in unity
with my brothers and sisters.
00:14:17.52\00:14:21.89
Pruning also
enables me to witness more
00:14:21.92\00:14:25.89
effectively for Jesus.
00:14:25.93\00:14:27.50
I believe witnessing is a direct
outgrowth of the light of God
00:14:27.53\00:14:31.47
shining into my
heart, and into my life.
00:14:31.50\00:14:34.20
Isaiah 60, Isaiah 60:3.
00:14:34.24\00:14:39.21
Woops, I almost had it there.
00:14:39.24\00:14:42.21
I like this promise.
00:14:42.24\00:14:44.85
There we go. It says, Arise,
shine, for your light is come,
00:14:44.88\00:14:50.72
and the glory of the
Lord is risen upon you.
00:14:50.75\00:14:53.66
That's the light we're talking
about, the light from Jesus.
00:14:53.69\00:14:56.46
For darkness covers the earth.
00:14:56.49\00:14:58.59
And, you know, in
the world we live in,
00:14:58.63\00:15:00.00
there's a lot of darkness.
00:15:00.03\00:15:01.36
And gross darkness,
deep darkness the people.
00:15:01.40\00:15:04.87
But the Lord
will arise over you.
00:15:04.90\00:15:07.57
His glory will be seen in you.
00:15:07.60\00:15:10.41
Verse 3 is the crucial one.
00:15:10.44\00:15:13.01
Gentiles shall come to
your light, and kings to the
00:15:13.04\00:15:17.15
brightness of your rising.
00:15:17.18\00:15:20.48
You know what it says?
00:15:20.52\00:15:21.85
Verse 3 comes
after verse 1 and 2.
00:15:21.88\00:15:24.19
After the glory of the
Lord has shown into my heart,
00:15:24.22\00:15:28.32
and into my life, you
know what's going to happen?
00:15:28.36\00:15:30.83
Other people are going to
take notice that you and I
00:15:30.86\00:15:34.70
have been with Jesus.
00:15:34.73\00:15:37.30
Witnessing opens
us up to receive more
00:15:37.33\00:15:39.93
of Jesus from above.
00:15:39.97\00:15:41.30
It opens us up to walk in
greater fellowship with our
00:15:41.34\00:15:44.07
brothers and sisters.
00:15:44.11\00:15:45.44
It also opens us up to
shine, to be a greater witness.
00:15:45.47\00:15:51.01
1. Pruning removes the bad.
00:15:51.05\00:15:55.12
2. Pruning
opens us up for light.
00:15:55.15\00:15:58.22
3. Pruning opens us up for air.
00:15:58.25\00:16:03.02
John 3, John 3 is
a story of Nicademus.
00:16:03.06\00:16:10.50
If, in the physical world,
we say pruning opens up the tree
00:16:10.53\00:16:15.60
for air. What does that mean?
00:16:15.64\00:16:17.31
It promotes rapid drying of
the leaves, and that minimusizes
00:16:17.34\00:16:21.81
disease infection.
00:16:21.84\00:16:23.48
So when we say, It opens it up.
00:16:23.51\00:16:25.41
It can get more air through
the tree, and that minimizes
00:16:25.45\00:16:29.45
the risk of disease.
00:16:29.48\00:16:30.82
Pruning allows the Holy
Spirit to work more freely
00:16:30.85\00:16:36.52
in your life, and in mine.
00:16:36.56\00:16:38.49
Remember in John 3, Nicodemus
went to go see Jesus by night
00:16:38.53\00:16:42.66
because he was afraid.
00:16:42.70\00:16:44.10
He was afraid of what the rulers
of the Sanhedrin would think,
00:16:44.13\00:16:47.70
what the Pharisees would
think if he went to go see Jesus
00:16:47.74\00:16:51.37
by day, so he went by night.
00:16:51.41\00:16:54.64
And in John 3:8 we
find the Bible saying here,
00:16:54.68\00:17:00.28
Jesus had said,
You must be born again.
00:17:00.32\00:17:03.42
And Nicodemus said, I
have no idea how to do that.
00:17:03.45\00:17:06.09
And Jesus said, Marvel not
that you must be born again.
00:17:06.12\00:17:09.59
The wind blows where it wishes,
and you hear the sound of it,
00:17:09.62\00:17:13.93
but you can't tell where it's
coming from, or where it goes.
00:17:13.96\00:17:18.30
So is everyone who
is born of the Spirit.
00:17:18.33\00:17:23.54
You notice how
Jesus connects the wind.
00:17:23.57\00:17:27.04
It's imperceptible,
unless it's really blowing.
00:17:27.08\00:17:30.15
But we don't see
it; we see its effects.
00:17:30.18\00:17:35.38
We see the leaves as
they rattle, as they move.
00:17:35.42\00:17:38.42
You might see
if its a hurricane;
00:17:38.45\00:17:40.29
whole trees bent over.
00:17:40.32\00:17:43.22
It depends. You can
feel if, it's a light breeze,
00:17:43.26\00:17:46.16
you can feel the
wind on your face.
00:17:46.19\00:17:48.46
If it's a strong
breeze you can really feel it.
00:17:48.50\00:17:51.33
You can feel the effects,
but we cannot see the wind.
00:17:51.37\00:17:54.90
So with the work
of the Holy Spirit.
00:17:54.94\00:17:57.17
We see the effect.
00:17:57.21\00:17:58.61
We see the effect of the work
of the Holy Spirit in our life.
00:17:58.64\00:18:02.21
We can't see Him, but you
can definitely see when He is
00:18:02.24\00:18:06.68
working in someone's
heart, and in someone's life.
00:18:06.72\00:18:10.02
John 20:22. Remember it
says, Jesus breathed on them
00:18:10.05\00:18:16.59
and He said,
Receive the Holy Ghost.
00:18:16.62\00:18:20.80
There again the Holy
Spirit is connected with air,
00:18:20.83\00:18:24.73
so first we prune
to remove the bad.
00:18:24.77\00:18:28.74
Second we prune
to open up for light.
00:18:28.77\00:18:32.74
Third we prune
to open up for air.
00:18:32.77\00:18:36.68
Fourth we prune to open
up for, you could say water,
00:18:36.71\00:18:41.78
or a pesticide spray.
00:18:41.82\00:18:43.28
Now we're not getting into
organic, so I'm just using this
00:18:43.32\00:18:46.96
as an illustration, okay?
00:18:46.99\00:18:48.39
I'm not saying GMO,
Non, or pesticide, whatever.
00:18:48.42\00:18:51.49
But it opens up the tree so
you can get more of that inside,
00:18:51.53\00:18:55.70
whether it's water,
whether it's pesticide spray.
00:18:55.73\00:18:57.93
It allows the spray to penetrate
all the areas of the tree.
00:18:57.97\00:19:03.37
Pruning allows the
word of God to wash us.
00:19:03.41\00:19:06.47
We talked last
program about the washing
00:19:06.51\00:19:09.51
of the water of the
word, that's Ephesians 5:26,
00:19:09.54\00:19:13.18
and how God wants to wash us.
00:19:13.21\00:19:16.45
He wants to cleanse
us through His word.
00:19:16.48\00:19:20.22
Hebrews 4:12. Our last program
we discussed that a little bit.
00:19:20.26\00:19:25.09
Hebrews 4:12. The word of God
is living, powerful, and sharper
00:19:25.13\00:19:29.96
than any two edged sword,
piercing even to the dividing
00:19:30.00\00:19:33.07
asunder of soul and spirit,
and joints and marrow, and is a
00:19:33.10\00:19:36.04
discerner of the thoughts
and intents of the heart.
00:19:36.07\00:19:39.07
Sometimes in my own experience
if I read the word of God
00:19:39.11\00:19:44.05
and it starts to
cut me, I shy away.
00:19:44.08\00:19:46.48
I don't want anything to do
with that, because it hurts.
00:19:46.51\00:19:49.82
But if you read a passage, and
you feel the cutting of the word
00:19:49.85\00:19:53.36
of God, study that passage more.
00:19:53.39\00:19:55.92
Don't shy away from it.
00:19:55.96\00:19:57.66
Get into that passage.
00:19:57.69\00:19:59.29
5. Pruning grows
more fruit even faster.
00:19:59.33\00:20:05.57
If you prune a tree in the
physical world, you're going to
00:20:05.60\00:20:09.50
get a higher quality fruit,
and it's going to come earlier.
00:20:09.54\00:20:14.94
Likewise, when God prunes
you and I, it yields more fruit.
00:20:14.98\00:20:20.02
When even the consequences
of our choices, or the result of
00:20:20.08\00:20:25.09
sin in this
world, prunes you and I.
00:20:25.12\00:20:28.22
God can still
overturn that in order to yield
00:20:28.26\00:20:32.33
more fruit in our life.
00:20:32.39\00:20:34.00
John 15:2, Jesus says,
Every branch that bears fruit,
00:20:34.03\00:20:38.67
He prunes it that
it may bear more fruit.
00:20:38.70\00:20:43.10
What are the
fruits of the Spirit?
00:20:43.14\00:20:45.37
Galatians 5:22, 23.
00:20:45.41\00:20:48.04
That's what the
Lord Jesus wants to work
00:20:48.08\00:20:50.75
in your life and in mine.
00:20:50.78\00:20:52.15
The fruit of the Spirit is love,
joy, peace, long suffering,
00:20:52.18\00:20:57.65
or patience, kindness,
goodness, faithfulness,
00:20:57.69\00:21:02.02
gentleness, self control.
00:21:02.06\00:21:05.73
Hudson Taylor, the Christian
author, missionary, said this:
00:21:05.76\00:21:12.67
Fruit bearing
involves cross bearing.
00:21:12.70\00:21:21.68
In other words,
sometimes it's very painful.
00:21:21.74\00:21:26.35
Sometimes pruning
hurts, absolutely it hurts.
00:21:26.38\00:21:30.92
But in the midst of that
God is growing more fruit in my
00:21:30.99\00:21:37.19
heart and in my life.
00:21:37.23\00:21:38.69
First God prunes
us to remove the bad.
00:21:38.73\00:21:41.76
Second He prunes us
to open up for light.
00:21:41.80\00:21:44.73
Third He prunes us
to open up for air.
00:21:44.77\00:21:47.70
Fourth for that spray.
00:21:47.74\00:21:50.64
5. To grow more fruit faster.
00:21:50.71\00:21:54.48
And 6. for a beautiful life now.
00:21:54.54\00:21:58.18
I think about a
well shaped tree.
00:21:58.21\00:22:00.95
It's very
aesthetically pleasing.
00:22:00.98\00:22:03.69
Would you agree with me?
00:22:03.72\00:22:05.05
It looks nice.
The shape is nice.
00:22:05.09\00:22:06.82
Pruning enables us to look
more like Jesus; to be beautiful
00:22:06.86\00:22:09.66
on this earth, and
in the earth made new.
00:22:10.73\00:22:13.76
Those were the six
purposes of pruning.
00:22:13.80\00:22:16.83
Now what about the process?
00:22:16.87\00:22:18.20
What if you're in the midst of
being pruned now, and you say,
00:22:18.23\00:22:20.74
Jill I hurt. What am I
supposed to do with this?
00:22:20.77\00:22:24.21
Two points I want you
to remember in closing.
00:22:24.24\00:22:27.58
First surrender. Surrender
gives God permission to come,
00:22:27.64\00:22:33.92
and even in the midst
of that pain, and to work.
00:22:33.95\00:22:37.42
Surrender is simply
choosing God's way every time
00:22:37.45\00:22:40.89
I'm faced with a decision.
00:22:40.92\00:22:43.22
Just saying yes to Jesus
every time I'm faced with that.
00:22:43.26\00:22:47.50
What does God
ask me to surrender?
00:22:47.53\00:22:49.30
1. My way, my will,
my selfishness, my pride,
00:22:49.33\00:22:54.00
my bitterness, my
anger, my fear, my shame.
00:22:54.04\00:22:58.64
Sometimes my entertainment,
my choices in entertainment,
00:22:58.67\00:23:02.48
my choice of friends.
00:23:02.51\00:23:03.85
It might even be where I
work, who I marry, where I live.
00:23:03.88\00:23:08.15
God asks us to surrender this
so that the pruning process can
00:23:08.18\00:23:12.55
be effective in
your life and in mine.
00:23:12.59\00:23:16.22
2. As we look at
the process of pruning,
00:23:16.29\00:23:19.89
is to accept the trial with joy.
00:23:19.93\00:23:23.63
Accept the trial with joy.
00:23:23.67\00:23:27.70
James 1:2-4. He says,
My brethren, count it joy.
00:23:27.74\00:23:34.51
And when I read that I think,
God, how could I even do that?
00:23:34.54\00:23:38.91
Count it joy when you fall into
various trials knowing that the
00:23:38.95\00:23:43.25
testing of your
faith produces patience.
00:23:43.28\00:23:46.12
But let patience
have its perfect work,
00:23:46.15\00:23:48.96
that you may be perfect,
and complete, lacking nothing.
00:23:48.99\00:23:53.56
Count the trial as joy.
00:23:53.60\00:23:56.20
Can we do that? Absolutely
not in our own strength.
00:23:56.23\00:24:00.04
But we can go to God and we can
say, God, in the midst of this
00:24:00.07\00:24:03.54
pain, in the midst of what
ever I'm dealing with right now,
00:24:03.61\00:24:07.04
I choose to trust You.
00:24:07.08\00:24:09.94
I choose to
surrender my way to You.
00:24:09.98\00:24:13.21
I choose to give thanks.
00:24:13.25\00:24:15.52
Remember we talked about walking
by faith, not by how we feel?
00:24:15.55\00:24:19.19
I choose to give
thanks, and know that You're
00:24:19.22\00:24:22.72
going to bring joy, You're
going to bring deliverance,
00:24:22.76\00:24:26.83
You're going to bring a
beautiful fruit in your time.
00:24:26.86\00:24:30.93
In just a moment
we're going to take a break,
00:24:30.97\00:24:33.30
and when we come back,
we want to do our practical
00:24:33.34\00:24:35.77
application for this week.
00:24:35.80\00:24:38.34