Bible Conference

As I've already mentioned, this past week Cornerstone Bible Institute has had their annual week-long Bible Conference. When Matthew was a student there I got into the habit of giving the kids the week off from school, since he didn't have classes that week, and we have continued to do that. There are 3 sessions in the morning and 1 in the evening. Most of the time I make it to the evening one and have to call it good. The neat thing about this years conference was that the speaker spoke on two different topics, one in the morning, and on John 15 in the evening. It was a great blessing to be able to go just in the evenings and yet be fully plugged in. Tim Norris, a pastor from Colorado (I think), was the special speaker and once again, the Lord used this week to 'feed' us spiritually. I just thought I'd share my favorite points from 3 of the evening sessions.

The first day the focus was on the Vinedresser and it was probably my favorite. We are told in the beginning verses of John 15 that Jesus is the vine, we are the branches, and God is the vinedresser. I personally never thought that over too much. I would think of Jesus being the vine and we're his branches but how wonderful to know that it is our Heavenly Father who takes care of us as the keeper of the vineyard. He is not just the owner who is looking for a profitable harvest, but the keeper himself who prunes and waters and protects us while we are attached to the vine/Jesus.

In the second session more comparisons were made to our Christian walk and some truths about a vineyard. For example, grapes do not bear fruit for the first couple of years. But yet the vinedresser continues to nurture and care for them and help them to grow so that one day they will yield a harvest. And once they are fully mature and producing they are trimmed back each year. When the new year rolls around, stay with me, fruit only comes on that years NEW GROWTH. So we as believers should continue to grow and be 'pruned' by our vinedresser, so that in our new and continual growth in Christ we are able to bear fruit.

And finally, in order for us to be of any use at all we must always be connected to the vine. If we are not then we are a dead branch. Dead branches are useless...there is no demand for grape tree furniture or anything like that - it is merely good for firewood. In our daily walk with the Lord we must seek to ABIDE IN THE VINE so that we can grow and produce fruit. Isn't our Father good to love us so that he prunes us back and cares for us and longs for us to grow, ever connected with His Son.