[0:56]I want to welcome everyone here today—everyone at all of our campuses, those online, and those watching us on TV. We’ve been plugged into this series called "It’s Time to Prune," and today we’re going to wrap it up and land this thing. For the last four weeks, Pastor Tim has challenged us through different phases of life, showing us how we can prune things out of our lives. But today, I’m going to flip that a bit and talk about when God prunes us—and when He does it for a purpose.
[1:23]It’s been neat going through all this pruning talk because last weekend, I actually got the chance to prune the trees at my house. I do it every year, and it’s always fascinating. This time, I almost waited too long—the trees had already started budding, showing new life. I was up there with my little tractor and cart, lopping off branches and tossing them in. The branches started stacking up, and I thought, "Man, I’m cutting off a lot of stuff!" The more I cut, the more reluctant I got. I’d see these new buds on the branches and think, "Should I cut this one? It looks pretty good." But I know from experience that if I leave branches that rub together, even if they look healthy now, they’ll become unhealthy later—raw, diseased, and weak.
[2:18]Over the years, I’ve seen that the more I prune, the better fruit my trees produce—they become more fruitful. Yet, even when I see something that looks good in the moment, budding with new life, I’m hesitant to clip it. I know from history it’s better, but it’s so hard to make those cuts. These past four weeks, Pastor Tim has dove into different areas of our lives—being offended, holding grudges, shame, and comparison—and every single one has challenged me. We’ve all been offended, haven’t we? We get to choose: do we forgive, or do we hold on and let negativity fill the gap? Do we hold grudges, or do we forgive like Christ forgave us? Look at all the junk in our past—we want a heart of forgiveness to let it go.
[3:36]Shame can eat your life if you dwell on it. I always say there’s courage in shame—I can’t change my past, plain and simple, but God can change my future. We want to move past these things and let God shape what’s ahead. Last week, comparison hit me hard. I’ve played that game so many times, dwelling on the 5% of my life I don’t have or want to change, forgetting the 95% that’s a blessing. We spend all our time focused on that 5% and miss the 95% of goodness in our lives. We have to remember what we already have, know who God is in our lives, and hold onto that.
[4:36]I’ve fallen for all this junk in my life, just like you have. If I’m honest, I know I’ll fall for it again—every single thing we’ve preached on these last four weeks. Why? Because I’m human. Just like I go back every year to prune my trees for new growth and life, I have to prune my own life. If I don’t, things go wild and unhealthy. Every season, I see new growth in my life—sometimes it looks plum wild—and I know I have to trim it back to stay healthy. It’s hard, but I try to prune things in different seasons. This series has also made me realize I might have some control issues.
[5:41]I recognize areas in my life that need pruning, and then I choose to prune them out—me, with my control issues. But here’s my question for today: what happens when you’re not choosing to prune, and God is? That gets a lot more interesting because it’s not your control or your choice. God sees something in your life He wants to make better, so He begins to prune you. That can be tough. Let’s go back to our overarching passage for this series, John 15:1-2: "I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful."
[6:42]In verse two, it says He cuts off every branch that bears no fruit. Jesus is talking here, and to make it clearer, I like to fill in the names. So, it’s God cutting off every branch in Jesus that bears no fruit. What does that mean? Some might argue, "Does that mean as a believer who’s followed Christ, if I hit a season where I’m struggling and not bearing fruit, I’m cut off?" No, you’re not cut off as a believer. Scripture tells us we’re saved by faith, not works—Romans 8:38-39 says nothing can separate us from God’s love. That’s not what this means.
[8:02]When I look at this scripture, it hurts a little. Church, there will be people around you who claim to follow Jesus but aren’t. That’s hard to comprehend. I’ve been around folks who claim to follow Him, but their actions are so far from God—they’ve used His grace and mercy to manipulate others. I’m not trying to judge; I’m just looking at the fruit in their lives. There are wolves in sheep’s clothing out there—don’t be naive. Not everyone who claims to follow Jesus is genuine. Go to Matthew 7:21: "Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father." Many will claim they’ve done wonders in His name, but He’ll say, "I never knew you."
[9:17]If you claim to be a believer but use God’s grace to manipulate others, that’s a dangerous place to be. Check yourself. We come to the Father by humbling ourselves, confessing Jesus as Lord, and believing God raised Him from the dead. That free gift should produce good fruit in our lives—not corruption or harm. God’s intent for us is greater than that. He wants us to move from barrenness to fruitfulness, to bear much fruit as believers living it out.
[10:17]The second part of John 15:2 says, "While every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful." Even as believers living for the Lord, we’ll get pruned. He prunes us because He wants something better for us. In verse 5, Jesus says, "I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit." Apart from Him, we can do nothing. Through pruning, Jesus desires spiritual abundance for us. Sometimes that’s hard to receive—we’re just trying to survive, but He wants abundance, not mediocrity. He wants to use us to make a great impact.
[11:20]Pastor Tim said in week one, "Pruning is not a punishment; it’s preparation." That’s so true. You’re being pruned for a purpose. That’s why we endure hardships or pain we don’t fully understand—God is guiding us for something greater. It’s tough to grasp in the thick of it. One reason believers struggle is we confuse God’s pruning with His discipline. Pruning is God removing things that hinder us from being more fruitful, done out of love, even if it’s painful. Discipline is an action to help a believer recognize and remove sin, prompting repentance and redirection.
[12:43]Pruning often removes good things—like cutting budding branches—to deepen our connection with God, removing distractions. Discipline focuses on specific wrong actions. Pruning might mean stepping away from a demanding job to grow closer to God. Discipline might be consequences for sinful choices. Both can hurt, and we can confuse them, thinking God is punishing us. He’s not—you might not even be doing anything wrong. He might be removing something good to challenge you.
[13:58]In the Old Testament, there’s a story of God pruning a young man named Joseph, son of Jacob. God used big portions of his life to raise him to a level he never imagined. As we walk through this, grasp two things: God pruned a lot out of Joseph’s life, but He was with him every step, and Joseph’s father loved him deeply. Genesis 37:3 says, "Jacob loved Joseph more than any of his other children because he had been born to him in his old age." Jacob made him a special robe, setting up jealousy among his brothers.
[15:27]Joseph had a gift of dreaming and interpreting dreams. He dreamed his brothers would bow to him, which didn’t go over well. It got so bad they plotted to kill him. While tending flocks, they threw him into a cistern, debating his fate. Thankfully, they didn’t kill him—they sold him to traders who took him to Egypt. There, he was sold to Potiphar, captain of Pharaoh’s palace guard. God was with him—it could’ve been worse. At Potiphar’s house, he rose from the bottom to head of the household.
[16:49]Then, Potiphar’s wife tried to seduce him. Despite his struggles, Joseph’s faith held strong—he fled, refusing to sin against Potiphar or God. She lied about him, and he was thrown into prison. If he didn’t have bad luck, he’d have no luck at all! But God was still with him, raising him to second-in-command under the chief jailer. In prison, Pharaoh’s cupbearer and baker arrived after some incidents. They had dreams, and Joseph interpreted them. He told the cupbearer he’d be restored in days, but the baker would be executed.
[19:00]Years later, Pharaoh had dreams no one could interpret—except Joseph. He explained they meant seven years of prosperity followed by seven years of famine, urging preparation. Pharaoh was so impressed he made Joseph second-in-command over Egypt. God was with him through it all. During the famine, Joseph’s brothers came seeking food, not recognizing him. He revealed himself, brought his family to Egypt, and spent 17 more years with his father, Jacob, before he died.
[20:23]After Jacob’s death, his brothers feared Joseph’s payback. Genesis 50:15 says, "When their father was dead, Joseph’s brothers became fearful, ‘Now Joseph will show his anger and pay us back for all the wrong we did to him.’" But Joseph replied in verse 19, "Don’t be afraid of me. Am I God that I can punish you? You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people." That’s hard to grasp—God pruned him from his family for a greater good.
[22:16]From a human sense, that’s not fair. We touched on this recently—God isn’t fair in our human minds. If He were, none of us would enter heaven based on our past. I don’t want a fair God—I want a just God who gives grace and mercy. Adversity isn’t the end; it might be God pruning you for greater works you can’t yet see. Are you in a season where things feel removed, but you’re still seeking God? Joseph’s story shows God was with him, even when it didn’t look like it.
[25:47]What does God want us to learn from pruning? He prunes me to depend on Him more—to be in prayer, His word, growing closer, not relying on the world. He prunes me to abide in Him, resting in a close relationship. He prunes me to glorify Him, whether on the mountaintop or in the pit. He prunes me to produce more fruit, living abundantly for His kingdom, not my little corner of the world. Spiritual pruning isn’t punishment—it’s preparation.
[27:26]The more I prune my trees, the more fruit they produce. The more God prunes you, the greater the purpose He has for you. As we near Easter, we have opportunities to prune things from our lives—or let God prune them—so we can seize them. I’m challenging you to make it about someone else, not just you. After service, tables will be set up at each campus—your campus pastor will guide you. You get to choose: prune or not prune. I hope you choose others.
[28:40]Here’s a video to challenge us. [Video starts] "Hi, my name is Beverly Tester—most call me Bev. We’ve been attending Highlands Fellowship at the Bristol campus for about a year and a half. An announcement said Easter was coming, expecting lots of kids, and they needed extra hands to help move kids along—no teaching required. My husband and I said, ‘Yeah, let’s do that.’ Easter Sunday was our first day serving. It was a big crowd, lots of kids, and the leaders were so equipped—we felt like we were there for fun more than assistance."
[29:36]"We helped with fifth grade—the room was full, and the leaders were prepared. The curriculum and rooms were great. At first, I worried, ‘I don’t know enough—what if they ask questions?’ But they prepare you so well. You get lessons in advance, and most of the hour is led from the stage with an entertaining, informative video that keeps kids’ attention. They accommodate your preferences—I asked for a certain age group, and they made it work. It’s easy because they prepare us so well."
[31:12]"They help kids learn about the Lord who otherwise wouldn’t. Kids say, ‘Thank you for doing this—it helps us have fun, meet friends, and learn the gospel.’ They’ve helped me through tough times, explaining verses in ways we understand. Some kids don’t know the Bible, and you can help them connect with the Lord. Thank you, Heaven, Suzy, and JNet, for all you do—thank you for everything, even letting me eat raw spaghetti!" [Video ends]
[32:46]We spend so much time focused on ourselves, fearful of pruning out waste to impact others. I hope this glimpse helps. Easter is coming—company’s coming—so what do we need to prune out? Not forever, just one Sunday, one service. We choose: is it about us, or the gift God gives to make it about someone else? I pray you make it about somebody else. You’re good with God—can you help someone else take that step?
[34:19]Would you pray with me today? Heavenly Father, I thank You for being here. I thank You for Joseph’s story—the ups, downs, and struggles—but I know You were with him every moment, giving him encouragement. It’s hard to see what You’ve pruned in my life and think it’s not fair. Many hearing me now feel life hasn’t been fair—the times they’ve been wrongly accused, felt enslaved to something they shouldn’t be, maybe an addiction they can’t shake, or imprisoned, whether physically or emotionally.
[35:08]God, You want to capture their hearts, free them, and show them something better. Today, we want to prune those things from our hearts and recognize when You prune us, You want the best for us, even when we don’t understand. Some might realize they’ve tried to do life alone and need a Savior—a God to love, encourage, and lift them. I ask them to cry out to You: "God, I didn’t know pruning was a thing. I thought it looked like death, not new life."
[35:59]"Today, Lord, I need to be pruned. I need to rip off these old things, the sin that’s brought me down. I confess it to You—all the ways I’ve screwed up. I need a Savior to bring me health again. Father, I call out to You to be my Lord and Savior. Forgive my past, my sins. Let me put my hope and trust in You. Prune whatever You need to from this day forward. Let me walk with You—I don’t want to walk alone anymore."
[36:31]"I don’t want to be in the bottom of the cell, God. I want You to elevate me. I know You have a greater purpose—reveal it, stretch me, grow me to it. I’ll follow You the best I can with everything I’ve got. I give You my life today." If you make that statement, let someone know—someone beside you, with a name tag, your campus pastor, or at the welcome center. Don’t let it go unknown. Share the change God desires, so that fruit multiplies through us all. Father, we give You this service today. Amen.