Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down.  His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them, saying …” Matthew 5:1-2 Our “mountain of proclamation” is any place and any time we have an opportunity to share with others the good news of God’s love through Jesus Christ. Why is it so important that this be our priority?

• The world is full of lost and hurting people.
• We have experienced the grace of God and have been entrusted with the message of hope that can transform lives.
• It is only through hearing and understanding that people are drawn to a saving faith in God through Christ.

1 Corinthians 10 & 11  Bring your spiritual appetite.

• Matthew 5:6

Bring clean hands and a pure heart.

• Psalm 24:3-4

Bring a spirit of unity.

• 1 Corinthians 10:16-17

Bring a heart of gratitude.

• Psalm 100:4

Bring your undying loyalty.

• John 6:67-68

In Jesus’ grapevine illustration, the heavenly Father is the gardener, or vine-dresser.  (“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.”) The removal of the fruitless branches points to His divine judgment.  (“He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit…”) The pruning of the fruitful branches points to His divine discipline.  (“… while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.”) THOUGHTS ON GOD’S DISCIPLINE/PRUNING— Hebrews 12:5-12

• God’s discipline is a sign of His love for us.
• It may come in the form of punishment.
• It may come by experiencing the consequences of sin.
• It is often simply the discipline of learning through trials.
• Though unpleasant at the time, it is for our ultimate good.
• “Pruning” is God’s job, not ours!
• God’s pruning is both for fruitfulness and for shape. As we become more fruitful, we also better reflect the likeness of Christ.

John 15:1-8 John 15 records for us an illustration Jesus used involving grape vines.  It presents to us three powerful images:                   1) Jesus is the vine.                   2) The Heavenly Father is the gardener.                   3) We are the branches of the vine from which fruit should grow. It is important we understand what kind of “fruit” God expects from us. The fruit God is looking for is not the balance of your bank account, the size of your family, the number of people you know, diplomas you have on your wall, or how many cars are in your garage.  In and of themselves, they have no lasting value. God is looking for spiritual fruit that has an eternal value.

• Inner Fruit = developing the character of Christ
• Outer Fruit = good deeds that positively impact people and glorify God
• Evangelism = helping people come to know Christ as Lord

Hebrews 11:4-7 Abel illustrates that true faith makes a difference in the way we worship. Enoch illustrates that true faith makes a difference in the way we “walk.” Noah illustrates that true faith makes a difference in the way we work.