"This, then, is what I command you: Love one
another." Jesus commands us to love one another in the context of Jesus as the
vine, God as the husbandman or gardener, and his followers as the branches of the vine.
The fruits of each branch - discipleship, witness, relationship and the use of the rest
of our God-given gifts - are what make the vine productive and strengthen each branch of
the vine through growth.
In our family, we wonder how our spiritual growth would have blossomed if not for
responding to one phone call. We attended church, we had a spiritual life but we weren't
growing enough spiritually.
Barb Lee simply called and asked us to participate in the Stewardship program with Stan
Rose. As soon as we got involved, we realized how much more interested we were in the
stewardship program, discipleship, and in teaching our children. Our spiritual life was
changing.
We are so thankful to God for opening this door for us. A phone call is an invitation
that seems so simple, yet we have grown enormously in our spirituality from this one act
of witness and discipleship.
Jesus as the vine will grow, while each of us, as branches, will be fruitful by
recognizing our Spiritual Gifts and sharing those gifts with everyone, and by loving one
another.
