Stay Joined to Jesus

Short Talk (SHT095) Stay Joined to Jesus © Jane Hulme 2018 SHORT TALK: “Stay joined to Jesus” To encourage people to stay in close relationship with Jesus so that good fruit will grow in their lives. This is a short All Age talk picking out one issue from the Lectionary Gospel reading of the Sunday main service. The talk stands alone and assumes that the Gospel Bible reading may not yet have been read to the congregation. It could be used for example, for the whole congregation before the children go out to their age specific groups, leaving the adults with a full sermon later. Jesus, Vine, Fruitfulness, Relationship John 15:1-8 Year B – The 5th Sunday of Easter A large dead tree branch and a bowl of grapes. ........................................................................................................................ How many of you like to eat fruit?  I have in my fruit bowl some freshly washed grapes for anyone who would like to come and taste them. (Invite 3-4 people to come forward) Would you all like to take a grape and tell me what it tastes like? (Volunteers taste the grapes)  Is it delicious? That fruit was picked from a healthy vine, which is a bit like a tree, where it had slowly grown and developed over a number of months. Now take a look at this branch.....(Pull out your dead branch and show it to your volunteers)  How many of you think that I might get some delicious fruit growing on it later on this year? (Volunteers answer) Why don’t you think I will get any good fruit from this branch?  That’s right.....because this branch is no longer attached to the main tree. On its own, this branch can’t get all that it needs to be able to grow fruit and so it dies.  That’s sad isn’t it.....but we all know that branches need to be joined to the main tree if they are going to grow good fruit. Now Jesus wants to grow good fruit in our lives......  We are not talking about growing the good fruit of grapes, oranges or apples,  but the good fruit of becoming more and more like Him. Jesus wants to grow in us the good fruit of love, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, goodness, self-control, patience, forgiveness, joy, and peace. Aim of Short talk: Use of Short talk: Main themes: Biblical references: Lectionary: Props: © Jane Hulme 2018 2 But, like the branch on a fruit tree, we need to stay joined to Jesus if we are going to grow that good fruit.  Listen to what Jesus said: “Stay joined to me, and I will stay joined to you. Just as a branch cannot produce fruit unless it stays joined to the vine, you cannot produce fruit unless you stay joined to me.” (John 15:4 CEV) So how do we stay joined to Jesus?  It isn’t difficult or complicated you know. We simply need to spend time with Him;  talking to Him and sharing our lives with Him, as we pray;  listening to Him as we read our Bibles  and then doing the things that He asks us to do. Can I encourage you, if you don’t already do this, to spend some time each day with Jesus on your own?  If you choose to stay in close relationship with Jesus, beautiful fruit will grow naturally in your life to the glory of His name. © Jane Hulme 2018 3