The Purpose of Pruning
“...every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.” - John 15:2
What is the purpose of pruning a plant?
No seriously. I’m wondering if you could tell me. Because I am the wrong guy to give gardening advice. Plants and gardening just don’t make sense to me. Philosophy, logic, even a hammer and nails, those things make sense to me. But gardening is my achilles heel. Not only do I not have a green thumb, I have what might be considered a black thumb. My yard is the place where plants go to die. Once, I tried to plant an oak tree. I figured that since it seems like they just sprout naturally around here, it should be an easy thing to grow. Well, sure enough, I even managed to kill that. Turns out, you are not supposed to water oak trees. Who knew that? Maybe everyone else. But to me, it’s all just a guessing game. Yes, I’ve been told that it’s easy. But I’ve come to realize that if I am ever going to have a good looking yard, it is going to be because I paid an expert to do it for me. Until then, weeds.
So, once again, what is the purpose of pruning? I googled it. Google told me, “Pruning removes dead and dying branches and stubs, allowing room for new growth…. It also deters pest and animal infestation and promotes the plant's natural shape and healthy growth.”
Did you see that? New, safe and healthy growth is the purpose. Now, if we apply Jesus’ metaphor about pruning to ourselves, we will see that if we want to experience new, safe and healthy growth, we will need to undergo some pruning from time to time.
When we hear that, we typically focus on the potential pain of the pruning. And yes, as we’ve talked about, pruning can be painful. It is easy for us to say, “No way! Don’t get near me with those shears!” We might think to ourselves, “I don’t want to change… I want things to stay exactly the way they are.” However, the truth that Jesus is telling us today is that there’s a greater purpose to his pruning. It is for new, safe and healthy growth.
So, do you need that? Are you a person who could grow? If you even have to pause to think about that question, then let me tell you something, the only person not growing is a person who is dying. So, which one are you? I hope you are the one growing… I hope I am the one growing. But, the same logic can be applied to a church… the church that isn’t growing is a church that is dying. Which one are we? Well, by Jesus’ logic, one way that we can tell if we or if the church is growing is if it has been pruned lately. So, where are you? Where are we? Should we fear the pruning? Or maybe, we should welcome it. Maybe we should anticipate it. Not because we like the pain, but because we want to grow!
Josh Rose
Teaching Pastor
Pruned to Love
Growing up I loved movies about “The Three Musketeers.” Their motto was “All for one and one for all.” No matter who they fought, they were united in fighting the evils of their day (always winning). I wanted to be a part of that, but I didn’t see that happen in real life during hard times or times we might call pruning. It all seemed out of the ordinary. Jesus and his friends went through trials as well and in the same way seemed to come out even more united, except for a few times.
One of the times of pruning that seemed like the disciples missed the point is in Luke 22. The disciples were arguing which of them was the greatest. What shocked me most was how this took place, according to Luke, after the last supper and Jesus revealing his love. They literally went from Jesus explaining how he was giving up his body and blood for them out of love to arguing who was the best! While it is easy to point the finger at them, I was convicted that I kind of do the same thing.
In times of pruning it is easy to focus on ourselves and not Jesus. When we do that, we see how the world deceives us so the evil one can divide God’s people. The evil one wants us to see pruning to be out of anger to cause damage and miss how God prunes out of love for us so we can grow. Jesus wants us to experience his love during these times so we can be united with him and others.
John 15:12 reminds us to love others as Jesus loved us, so we can remain living in his love (v. 9) and bear fruit (v. 16). When we do this we are untied in times of pruning instead of being divided. One of the benefits of being united by his love in times of pruning, is how we can experience joy (v. 11) even when it’s hard.
Think of a time when God was pruning so you could grow and thrive. Think of the people he put in your life during that time. Pray and thank him. If you’re still connected to those people, reach out and say hello. Remind them of what God did and praise him together. All for one and one for all.
Jeremy Johnson
Family Pastor
ABIDE
Hello family, my name is Jonathan Duncan and I’m honored to be the newest devotional writer. I’m grateful to have the opportunity to serve the Lord this way.
When I was still a toddler learning to walk, I snuck out to the pool when my family was preoccupied. One near-drowning accident later, I had successfully plunged my family into the depths of grief as they endured three and a half months of wondering if their youngest son would survive. Understandably, my Dad was inconsolable for a time. Scriptural comfort and encouragement were beyond him to receive. He felt so many overwhelming things making life seem untenable.
Enter Dr. Dave Ferreira. He and my Dad had been playing in a church baseball league together for a while and he wanted to help. His psychology doctorate armed him with an understanding of the grieving process and how to navigate it efficiently. His knowledge of scripture equipped him to employ the Lord’s encouraging promises and speculate on the greater purposes of God. But instead, he chose to abide with my dad at Filippi’s Pizza Grotto. He let my Dad share his sorrows uninterrupted where others, although well intentioned, would not. My dad would later tell me that that time was the most impactful to him.
Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. – John 15:4
Abiding is like, intentionally setting your soul next to another’s.
Be still and know I am God – Psalms 46:10
I think what Dr. Ferreira did for my Dad is a wonderful example of what abiding with another person looks like. Abiding in Christ is different though because we are not serving a need of his, for he needs nothing. Rather it is the most beautiful invitation to place our souls next to his and experience deep communion with him. The Lord Jesus offers us his gentle and understanding companionship.
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble of heart; and you will find rest. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. – Matthew 11:28-30
Like Dr Ferreira abided with my Dad in his grief, we can abide with the Lord Jesus in his love. Be still, silent, listen, and observe as you bare more fruit for his glory. Set your soul next to the Lord’s.
Jonathan Duncan
The Pain of Pruning
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. John 15:2-3 (ESV)
Grapevines are unruly - they need to be trained and pruned to maximize the shape, strength and productivity of the plant. Can you relate to that imagery? The metaphor Jesus uses in John 15 brings deep theology and experience together in a beautiful and profound way. This is the heart of true Christian discipleship. The Lord produces fruit by pruning away anything that prevents the flow of life, love, and grace within us. Our life in Christ is more a matter of stripping away, not taking on. The Vinedresser removes anything that hinders his life-giving work in us. All our spiritual activity is worthless unless it’s balanced with the pruning, cleaning work of the Lord. The Bible says this:
The Lord corrects the people he loves and disciplines those he calls his own.
(Hebrews 12:6, CEV)
But - why does pruning hurt?
- Because it’s not in our nature. We have a tendency to seek out artificial sources of life and strength that will actually stifle and suck the very life of Christ out of us instead. This is idolatry. We must also keep in mind that pruning doesn’t come naturally for us. We are inclined to desperately cling to things and relationships in a way that works against our connection to the Vine, and when the Vinedresser severs those connections, there can be an initial time of pain and longing, because that is all we have known and grown accustomed to.
- Because we’re spiritually alive. The Christ-follower will feel things with greater sensitivity as a result of spiritual new birth. The joy of blessing and the depth of loss are felt deeper than those not alive in Him. A dead person doesn’t feel anything. We have tasted the pain of sin and the goodness of God; we know the difference.
- Because we belong and are loved. The pain of pruning serves as a reminder that we have a loving Father who cares and is committed to the growth of His children (Phil. 1:6). He pursues a relationship with us because that is the context in which He produces fruit, and He doesn’t want anything or anyone to get in the way of that.
For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.
Hebrews 12:11 (ESV)
Pruning is vital to our training, but we also know that anything worth doing is hard, even painful at times. The Father is not beating us up; instead, He is producing lasting fruit for His glory and getting us back on track. He is moving us closer to completeness in Christ.
Dave Hook
Pastor of Worship
Abundant Grace
If you’ve been around Emmanuel Faith for 8 weeks or 80 years, you have likely seen people who love Jesus, abide in his word and trust in his faithfulness. God has blessed us abundantly, but not without trials and pruning.
In October 1939, Emmanuel Faith Community Church was established with the desire for a church where “the Word would be its sole foundation.” This community of believers was dealing with the aftermath of the Great Depression and the new impacts of WWII. After five years, our first pastor, Earl Morgan, was called away to pastor our servicemen. The pruning began.
Coy Maret became our new pastor and served faithfully for 27 years. In the 1950’s, theological and constitutional discussions arose which, through much prayer, were eventually resolved and unity remained. By 1970, the church had grown such that the current property could no longer meet the congregation’s needs. The decision was made to purchase new land and start building. Pastor Maret continued to preach, counsel and lead, but was becoming increasingly saddened by the unhealthy state of marriages, families and individuals in the church. God was growing the church, yet many were struggling to find wholeness in Him. While on a much needed vacation, Pastor Maret suffered a heart attack and went home to be with the Lord. The congregation was in shock. How could God take their beloved pastor? Yet the words of 2 Corrithians 12:9 rang true, “My grace is sufficient for Thee.”
In 1972, Dr. Richard Strauss was hired as our third pastor. He moved his family across the country and proceeded to lead a grieving church. Building continued, our Constitution was amended and a new Statement of Faith was approved! These all produced anxiety, long discussions and much prayer; yet, as the pruning continued, unity prevailed as God graciously guided. On a Sunday in 1989 Dr. Strauss announced that he had cancer. For seventeen years Doc had taught EFCC how to live for Jesus. While enduring cancer treatment, he continued honoring God as his physical body deteriorated. Doc’s death was the first of many staff members who died over the next two decades. More grieving, more pruning.
Pastor Dennis Keating was then called to lead. Missionaries continued to be sent out and churches were planted, all of whom experienced pruning of their own. Fires ravaged our community, yet those affected not only stood and declared God’s sufficient grace, but they used the experience to share Jesus’ love. In 2019, after decades of faithful service, Pastor Dennis felt called to hand over the reins to a new leader.
God called Ryan Paulson as our fifth Lead Pastor. Transitions alone are difficult, but then COVID hit, and brought with it not only discouragement and disillusionment, but also great opportunities. Looking back at our history, we see how the loss of people and relationships has often been the pruning. Connecting has become difficult during COVID, yet, the constrictions have hopefully caused us to turn our hopes towards God. Worshipping outside or in the comfort of our home has brought about a new awareness of His presence as we feel the breeze, listen to the birds or sip a cup of coffee. God is in the pruning, and from it he promises abundance, for His grace is sufficient for each and every one of us.
Lynette Fuson
Director of Counseling & Soul Care
I Always Feel Like Somebody’s Watching Me!
When I was in high school and college the Senior Pastor of the church I grew up in was a guy I watched very closely. His preaching was some of the best I’ve ever heard. His lifestyle and example were worth following. His joy and love for God and people was infectious. He probably had no idea how closely I was watching, and the difference he was making, until I took some time to tell him. In that way, I was like King Darius.
Whether Daniel realized it or not, King Darius had been paying very close attention to his life. It is not lost on me that the account of Daniel in the Lion’s Den is more about King Darius’ response than it is about Daniel’s. Look again at verse 14: “Then the king, when he heard these words, was much distressed and set his mind to deliver Daniel. And he labored till the sun went down to rescue him.” Then when it became clear that he could not rescue Daniel and in fact needed to feed him to the lions, notice the king’s response in verses 18-19: “Then the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting; no diversions were brought to him, and sleep fled from him. Then at break of day, the king arose and went in haste to the lion’s den.” When the king arrived and found Daniel still alive, the Bible says in verse 23 that, “Then the king was exceedingly glad, and commanded that Daniel be taken up out of the den.” We don’t get any report of how Daniel is feeling or what he is doing. The entire focus of the text is on the impact he has had on Darius.
If you ever get that strange feeling that someone is watching you it’s because they are. They always are. It’s probably the people you most expect, and it’s definitely the people you least expect. To be honest, I would not have thought that Darius would care much about Daniel even though he planned to promote him to second in command over the whole kingdom. Daniel is an old man with whom Darius has little in common. But there is something about Daniel that catches his attention, and Darius tells us what it is in verses 16 and 20: Daniel serves God continually.
This is a good word for us. People are always watching. If you want to make a good impression on them, and make God look good to them, continue to focus on serving Him continually each and every day.
Scott Smith
Pastor of Discipleship Ministries
Opposing Forces
Daniel chose to take the risk of doing the right thing even though he knew it could cost him his life. Some leaders were jealous of Daniel’s relationship to the king and wanted him out of the way. So, they tricked the king into signing a binding agreement restricting all people from praying to anyone but the king. They did this because they knew that Daniel went to his room to pray to his God three times a day.
What did Daniel know that the other leaders did not? He knew he was created by and for God. His identity rested with the Holy One, and opposition to his faith was no surprise. Who are you? You are not what other people say you are. You are who God says you are. Like Daniel, you do not have to worry about bullies, because bullies have no real power over you.
King David wrote in Psalm 56:3 (NLT), “When I am afraid, I will put my trust in you. I praise God for what he has promised. I trust in God, so why should I be afraid? Paul is a good example of someone who expected opposition to his faith when he wrote in 1Thess. 2:18-20 So we wanted to come to you—even I, Paul, time and again—but Satan hindered us … This comment stands out to me because Paul takes Satan’s opposition (hindrance, in this case) to be ordinary, not extraordinary. As Christians, we should expect supernatural opposition.
If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. John 15:19
Paul also talks about the Thessalonians with great joy. His joy flows from their faithfulness. When he sees the transformation of that church due to the gospel, he is overjoyed despite the tough opposition. Joy gives Paul the strength to press on.
“Dear children, you belong to God. So, you have won the victory over these people, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.” 1 John 4:4 (GW)
God is on your side and nothing can change who you are and how God feels about you.
“When life knocks you to your knees; you are in the perfect position to pray.”
― Mitch Kynock
Think about how you could encourage someone who is struggling with opposition—in the workplace, at home, or even in their own family.
Deb Hill
Executive Administrative Assistant
Training vs. Trying
"Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before." Daniel 6:10
As I’ve been watching my beloved Padres this past year and dreaming of the future that might be, I’m always struck and reminded of probably the greatest Padre of my early childhood, Tony Gwynn. Now, I don’t need to go into all the statistics but one of my favorites is that Tony Gwynn over the course of his career had 45 4-hit games and only 34 two-strikeout games. Tony was incredible at making contact with the baseball, even when it was coming at 100 miles-an-hour. So, what made Tony Gwynn so special as a hitter? It all started with preparation and training. He was famous for spending countless hours in the batting cage working on his swing mechanics and studying film. Without training and preparation, it’s impossible to do something as difficult as hitting a baseball with any type of consistency.
As we see in the life of Daniel, if we want to respond in faith to the curveballs life loves to throw at us, training and preparation are required. When Daniel hears about the decree that had been published, his first response was to go and pray, giving thanks to God, just as he had always done. Daniel responds in faith to the challenge life had thrown at him. How do you generally respond to a crisis? Is your first response like Daniel’s, being grateful and seeking the Lord for comfort? If we want to be prepared for the game, it requires us to train.
Training is the intentional engagement of practices and habits that move us towards godliness. It is wholly different than trying to achieve something with our existing skills, knowledge, or structures. It is not picking up a bat, it’s spending the hours of consistent, sustained effort moving in the same direction, towards God. As Paul reminds Timothy, “[T]rain yourself to be godly. For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things” (1 Tim. 4:7-8). So, how do we train? It’s the practices like prayer (make sure to see Monday’s devotional for some tips on fixed-hour prayer) and consistent devotion to Scripture that build our relationship with God and help us move towards Jesus. The more we move towards Jesus and build our relationship with Jesus, the more we will find ourselves living, responding, and running to Jesus when life throws us a curveball.
Pastor Seth Redden
High School ministries
Known as Faithful
Daniel chapter 6 tells the story of Daniel in the lion’s den. This chapter focuses more on King Darius, however, than it does Daniel. The story is told from the King’s perspective and it focuses on the king’s stress from the moment he feels trapped by his governors to his point of relief and praise for Daniel’s God, the God of deliverance. One of the great things to come out of the king along his emotional journey was the way he acknowledged Daniel’s life of faith. Daniel 6:16-20:
So the king gave the order, and they brought Daniel and threw him into the lions’ den. The king said to Daniel, “May your God, whom you serve continually, rescue you!”
A stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the rings of his nobles, so that Daniel’s situation might not be changed. Then the king returned to his palace and spent the night without eating and without any entertainment being brought to him. And he could not sleep.
At the first light of dawn, the king got up and hurried to the lions’ den. When he came near the den, he called to Daniel in an anguished voice, “Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to rescue you from the lions?”
The king calls Daniel a servant of the living God and proclaims twice that Daniel serves God continually. What a tribute!
Who in your life would make a similar proclamation? Does your boss know clearly who you serve? Do the important people around you know where your allegiance lies? Daniel’s faith and worship were sincere and on display; not a secret. This faithfulness toward God came across in his work and reliability and made him stand out to his boss, but made his peers jealous because they wanted to get by with corruption and neglect, verse 4.
Pray about being part of a church that is full of people whose everyday lives are marked by faith. Faith translates into prayerful devotion to God and honest hard work in whatever our hands find to do.
Pastor John Riley
Junior High Ministry
Fixed Hour Prayer
Prayer is sweet communion with our Abba, Savior and Friend, and worshipping our sovereign Almighty God, Creator of heaven and earth. Sometimes we may feel a deep connection with God, and sometimes not. In our rushed and busy lives, we long to connect with our Lord, but often we don’t take the time to actually be with him. There is no better way to learn how to pray than to pray! No doubt Daniel went through similar ups and downs, yet, studying the book of Daniel shows a clear picture of a man who was devoted to worshipping God. In Daniel 6:10 we read, “He got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously.” Daniel was dedicated to a life of prayer.
Over the centuries, Christians have engaged in different practices that help create a life that is devoted to spending time with God in prayer. “Fixed Hour Prayer, “The Daily Office,” and “Divine Hours” are all examples of ways one can develop the habit of praying regularly. These practices were birthed out of a desire for communion with God as spoken of in Psalm 119:64, “Seven times a day I praise you for your righteous rules.” Early Christians continued this practice in Acts; praying on the third, sixth, ninth, and twelfth hours. In the sixth century, St. Benedict named these hours, and “Fixed Hour Prayer” is still a valued Christian practice today.
It entails pausing at various intervals throughout the day to become aware of God’s presence, practicing silence and reading Scripture, not for knowledge, but in devotional worship, declaring God’s goodness and asking, “what is he saying to me today?”
Practicing Fixed Hour Prayer:
- Set Times: Set predetermined times of the day when you will stop for a few minutes, and focus intentionally on communicating with God. Most of us have phones with alarms… you can even choose your own ringtone! How often is up to you. You might want to start with two times per day then add another when you are ready.
- Resources: Select your resource. Christians have been “praying the hours” for centuries and now, due to amazing technology, we can access what many have discovered in their search for communion with God. The following are several resources that may be helpful in your own journey.
- Resources by Pastor and Author Peter Scazzero: New Life Daily Office Resources
- Seasonal books: The Divine Hours by Phyllis Tickle
- 10 Christian Prayer Apps
- YouVersion Bible App
- The Daily Prayer App
- Do it! Give Fixed Hour Prayer a try. Pause, focus, pray. The purpose is to build rhythms into your life of communing with God. The ultimate goal is that over time, through practice, praying will become more and more natural to you and that you will commune with God not just during your Fixed Hour Prayer, but continually all day long.
Christians have used these tools for centuries to help engage the believer in a deeper prayer life, but a tool is only useful in the hand of one who desires to use it well. Ask God to open your heart to hear his voice. He promises in Jeremiah 33:3, “Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.” God longs for sweet communion with us; do you long for communion with him?
Lynette Fuson
Director of Counseling & Soul Care