BEARING FRUIT THAT REMAINS
Bearing Fruit That Remains
John 15:1–8
John chapter 15 is where we turn our attention tonight.
It’s a familiar passage—one we’ve heard many times before. Yet sometimes the most familiar Scriptures still have something fresh to teach us, if we’ll slow down and listen again.
Over the past several Wednesday nights, our pastor has been leading us through a series called Gifted. He has reminded us, straight from Scripture, that every believer has been given gifts by God—and that those gifts are not meant to be shelved, hidden, or ignored. They are meant to be used.
And I truly believe this: when we listen to that encouragement, when we step out and use the gifts God has given us, something happens. Using our gifts produces fruit.
That’s been a biblical truth from the very beginning.
Jesus said in John 15:1–2:
Fruit matters. Not as a means of judgment, but as evidence of life. You don’t have to look far to see it—this church is filled with people who are bearing good fruit. And when we use our gifts the way God intends, that fruit multiplies.
Jesus continues:
So the question becomes simple and personal:
How do we bring forth good fruit?
1. Expand Your Roots
If we’re going to bear fruit, we must first be rooted deeply.
Jeremiah 17:7–8 says:
Expanding your roots requires trust. It means leaning fully into what God has promised, rather than carrying the weight of the world on your own shoulders. Many of us live anxious, burdened lives simply because we refuse to trust Him completely.
Some Christians get saved and stop growing. They’re satisfied with salvation, but never stretch beyond it. Yet people around us—family, coworkers, neighbors—desperately need to see good fruit.
We live in a world full of bad fruit. Turn on the news. Scroll social media. Negativity is everywhere. But God has placed us here to offer something different.
That’s why Jeremiah continues:
When your roots go deep, drought doesn’t destroy you. Heat doesn’t defeat you. You remain fruitful.
Don’t try to do everything—but do something. Use your gifts. Go further than where you are now. Expand your roots.
2. Extract the Weeds
Good fruit will never grow where weeds are allowed to thrive.
Luke 8 reminds us that seed can fall in many places—but only one produces fruit.
Some seed is devoured.
Some withers.
Some is choked.
Why? Because weeds were never removed.
A weed is simply anything growing where it doesn’t belong—and weeds choke life. They don’t always look dangerous at first. Many grow alongside the seed. But eventually, they steal the nutrients, block the light, and suffocate what God intended to grow.
An open, unguarded life invites weeds.
A lack of standards invites weeds.
Wrong influences invite weeds.
And the result is always the same—spiritual suffocation.
But Luke 8:8 gives hope:
When the ground is right—when weeds are removed—fruit multiplies.
You already know what the weeds are in your life. I don’t have to name them. God has already put His finger on them. And until they’re removed, fruit will be limited.
3. Experience God’s Pruning
Pruning is not punishment—it’s preparation.
Jesus says in John 15:2 that God prunes dead branches. That makes sense. But He also prunes branches that are already bearing fruit.
That’s the part we struggle with.
Sometimes God removes good things to make room for greater things.
I’ve lived that.
For twelve years, I served as a youth pastor. I loved it. I thought I would do it forever. But God began pruning—not because I was failing, but because He was redirecting.
That pruning led to the Connect Class—and through it, lives have been changed, people restored, and ministries strengthened. Looking back, I can see clearly: God knew what He was doing.
Some of the hardest years of my life—years marked by loss, drought, and confusion—were years of pruning. I didn’t understand them then. I questioned God. I wrestled. I struggled.
But now I can say this with confidence:
God was preparing me.
Pruning hurts.
Pruning is uncomfortable.
But pruning is necessary.
4. Expect the Fruit
Jesus concludes:
Fruit is not our responsibility—abiding is.
When we expand our roots, extract the weeds, and submit to God’s pruning, fruit will come. It always does.
This world needs good fruit.
Your family needs it.
Your church needs it.
And God has already given you everything you need to bear it.
Abide in Him.
The fruit will follow.
John 15:1–8
John chapter 15 is where we turn our attention tonight.
It’s a familiar passage—one we’ve heard many times before. Yet sometimes the most familiar Scriptures still have something fresh to teach us, if we’ll slow down and listen again.
Over the past several Wednesday nights, our pastor has been leading us through a series called Gifted. He has reminded us, straight from Scripture, that every believer has been given gifts by God—and that those gifts are not meant to be shelved, hidden, or ignored. They are meant to be used.
And I truly believe this: when we listen to that encouragement, when we step out and use the gifts God has given us, something happens. Using our gifts produces fruit.
That’s been a biblical truth from the very beginning.
Jesus said in John 15:1–2:
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.
Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.”
Fruit matters. Not as a means of judgment, but as evidence of life. You don’t have to look far to see it—this church is filled with people who are bearing good fruit. And when we use our gifts the way God intends, that fruit multiplies.
Jesus continues:
“Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.” (v. 4)
So the question becomes simple and personal:
How do we bring forth good fruit?
1. Expand Your Roots
If we’re going to bear fruit, we must first be rooted deeply.
Jeremiah 17:7–8 says:
“Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is.
For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river…”
Expanding your roots requires trust. It means leaning fully into what God has promised, rather than carrying the weight of the world on your own shoulders. Many of us live anxious, burdened lives simply because we refuse to trust Him completely.
Some Christians get saved and stop growing. They’re satisfied with salvation, but never stretch beyond it. Yet people around us—family, coworkers, neighbors—desperately need to see good fruit.
We live in a world full of bad fruit. Turn on the news. Scroll social media. Negativity is everywhere. But God has placed us here to offer something different.
That’s why Jeremiah continues:
“…and shall not see when heat cometh… neither shall cease from yielding fruit.”
When your roots go deep, drought doesn’t destroy you. Heat doesn’t defeat you. You remain fruitful.
Don’t try to do everything—but do something. Use your gifts. Go further than where you are now. Expand your roots.
2. Extract the Weeds
Good fruit will never grow where weeds are allowed to thrive.
Luke 8 reminds us that seed can fall in many places—but only one produces fruit.
Some seed is devoured.
Some withers.
Some is choked.
Why? Because weeds were never removed.
A weed is simply anything growing where it doesn’t belong—and weeds choke life. They don’t always look dangerous at first. Many grow alongside the seed. But eventually, they steal the nutrients, block the light, and suffocate what God intended to grow.
An open, unguarded life invites weeds.
A lack of standards invites weeds.
Wrong influences invite weeds.
And the result is always the same—spiritual suffocation.
But Luke 8:8 gives hope:
“And other fell on good ground, and sprang up, and bare fruit an hundredfold.”
When the ground is right—when weeds are removed—fruit multiplies.
You already know what the weeds are in your life. I don’t have to name them. God has already put His finger on them. And until they’re removed, fruit will be limited.
3. Experience God’s Pruning
Pruning is not punishment—it’s preparation.
Jesus says in John 15:2 that God prunes dead branches. That makes sense. But He also prunes branches that are already bearing fruit.
That’s the part we struggle with.
Sometimes God removes good things to make room for greater things.
I’ve lived that.
For twelve years, I served as a youth pastor. I loved it. I thought I would do it forever. But God began pruning—not because I was failing, but because He was redirecting.
That pruning led to the Connect Class—and through it, lives have been changed, people restored, and ministries strengthened. Looking back, I can see clearly: God knew what He was doing.
Some of the hardest years of my life—years marked by loss, drought, and confusion—were years of pruning. I didn’t understand them then. I questioned God. I wrestled. I struggled.
But now I can say this with confidence:
God was preparing me.
Pruning hurts.
Pruning is uncomfortable.
But pruning is necessary.
4. Expect the Fruit
Jesus concludes:
“I am the vine, ye are the branches… he that abideth in me… bringeth forth much fruit.” (John 15:5)
Fruit is not our responsibility—abiding is.
When we expand our roots, extract the weeds, and submit to God’s pruning, fruit will come. It always does.
This world needs good fruit.
Your family needs it.
Your church needs it.
And God has already given you everything you need to bear it.
Abide in Him.
The fruit will follow.
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