I Am the True Vine
I am the True Vine, and My Father is the Vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away. And everyone that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bring forth more fruit. Now you are clean through the Word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it remains in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. I am the Vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, the same brings forth much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered. And they gather and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My Words abide in you, you shall ask what you will, and it shall be done to you. In this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit, so you shall be My disciples. (John 15:1-8 MKJV)
Have you ever forgotten the power cord to your laptop when you were away from home? It always seems like that’s when you need it the most. The battery is gone, and you’re not nearly finished with your project. You have a valuable tool that works fine, but it’s useless to you because you can’t plug it into a power source.
Don’t you think that sometimes God feels that way about us? We have talent, skills, knowledge, even faith, yet without power, we’re useless. Our internal batteries work for a while, but like the computer, we must have an external power supply. As the True Vine, Jesus gives us the power to serve.
John shows us a wonderful illustration of a Christian’s relationship with the Source of real life and everlasting hope. The world tells us that there are many paths to God. All religions offer some form of an eternal promise. However, there is only one True Vine. Jesus said, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life; no one comes to the Father but by Me” (John 14:6 MKJV).
To abide in Christ is simply to stay plugged into the Root of all life. If you cut a branch off a vine, it will soon shrivel and die. There is no life in the branch. As beautiful as a rose is, there’s a sadness about it when it begins to die. Even when you put it into a vase with water, it doesn’t last long separated from the bush.
About The Author
Dr. Sharon Schuetz
Dr. Sharon Schuetz has served as a copastor of the Sebastopol Community Church since February 2018. She and her late husband, Michael, have served as pastors in seven churches since 1988, most of them in the Pentecostal Church of God, Joplin, MO. The Schuetz family has ministered to couples through counseling, ministry, women, and marriage retreats. She served as the District Youth President over the state of New Mexico, where she traveled two weeks each month preaching youth rallies. She organized youth camps, retreats, etc., during her tenure. Dr. Schuetz graduated from Cornerstone University, Lake Charles, LA. After completing her Ph.D. in Clinical Christian Counseling in 1998, Cornerstone hired Dr. Schuetz as the university's Administrative Director. In 1998, the Schuetzs moved to Lake Charles, where they lived on campus, taught classes, traveled to satellite campuses to hold graduation ceremonies, etc. They were married for 45 ½ years, with three children and ten grandchildren. Dr. Schuetz stepped into the pulpit as Senior Pastor when Michael went home to the Lord in December 2021. In over 35 years in ministry, they hoped to reveal God's love to all. Dr. Schuetz loves to break God's Word into understandable principles and teach people how to apply those principles to their own lives.