Message Notes for This Weekend
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September 6, 2026
Title: The True Vine
Big Idea: We are made to produce godly fruit but it only comes from God
Scripture Reference: John 15
Teaching Pastor: Jason Huffman, Lead Pastor
15:1 “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser.
Isaiah 5 1 My Well-beloved has a vineyard on a very fruitful hill. 2 He dug it up and cleared out its stones, and planted it with the choicest vine. He built a tower in its midst, and also made a winepress in it; so He expected it to bring forth good grapes, but it brought forth wild grapes. 3 “And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah, judge, please, between Me and My vineyard. 4 What more could have been done to My vineyard that I have not done in it? Why then, when I expected it to bring forth good grapes, did it bring forth wild grapes? 5 And now, please let Me tell you what I will do to My vineyard: I will take away its hedge, and it shall be burned; and break down its wall, and it shall be trampled down. 6 I will lay it waste; it shall not be pruned or dug, but there shall come up briers and thorns. I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain on it.” 7 For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah are His pleasant plant. He looked for justice, but behold, oppression; for righteousness, but behold, a cry for help.
Psalm 80 :14 Return, we beseech You, O God of hosts; look down from heaven and see, and visit this vine 15 and the vineyard which Your right hand has planted, and the branch that You made strong for Yourself. 16 It is burned with fire, it is cut down; they perish at the rebuke of Your countenance. 17 Let Your hand be upon the man of Your right hand, upon the son of man whom You made strong for Yourself. 18 Then we will not turn back from You; revive us, and we will call upon Your name. 19 Restore us, O Lord God of hosts; cause Your face to shine, and we shall be saved!
1. The Lord desires to restore us.
2. The Lord desires fruitfulness.
2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.
Taken away: “Airo”:to raise up, elevate, lift up, remove.
Pruning: the cutting away of dead or extra branches.
Pruning isn’t punishment; it is discipleship w/a purpose of bearing more fruit.
3 You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.
3. The Lord desires you to abide.
4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.
5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.
There is a judgment for fruitless branches, but the purpose is still fruitfulness.
“Cast out” means to throw or let go of a thing w/o caring where it falls, to scatter, to give over to one's care uncertain about the result.
NLT In I Cor. 5:1 I can hardly believe the report about the sexual immorality going on among you—something that even pagans don’t do. I am told that a man in your church is living in sin with his stepmother. 2 You are so proud of yourselves, but you should be mourning in sorrow and shame. And you should remove this man from your fellowship.
2 Thessalonians 3:24 And if anyone does not obey our word in this epistle, note that person and do not keep company with him, that he may be ashamed. 25 Yet do not count him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.
Discussion Questions
Look over these questions before your group time. Write down your answers or ideas for at least a few questions if not all. You may not get to every question during your time, but speak up if you want to talk about one of them in particular. Always try to start with question #1.
1. What stood out to you and/or what do you think God might be speaking about from this message?
2. Do you see any similarities between the problems in Isaiah 5 and the church in American right now?
3. What might be signs someone is not producing godly fruit?
4. Can you think of a time of pruning that helped you grow or become more like Jesus?
5. How can we focus on being fruitful by abiding in Christ and not just trying hard to produce fruit?
6. When are times we should lovingly let someone wither so that they will return and be restored?
Title: The True Vine
Big Idea: We are made to produce godly fruit but it only comes from God
Scripture Reference: John 15
Teaching Pastor: Jason Huffman, Lead Pastor
15:1 “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser.
Isaiah 5 1 My Well-beloved has a vineyard on a very fruitful hill. 2 He dug it up and cleared out its stones, and planted it with the choicest vine. He built a tower in its midst, and also made a winepress in it; so He expected it to bring forth good grapes, but it brought forth wild grapes. 3 “And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah, judge, please, between Me and My vineyard. 4 What more could have been done to My vineyard that I have not done in it? Why then, when I expected it to bring forth good grapes, did it bring forth wild grapes? 5 And now, please let Me tell you what I will do to My vineyard: I will take away its hedge, and it shall be burned; and break down its wall, and it shall be trampled down. 6 I will lay it waste; it shall not be pruned or dug, but there shall come up briers and thorns. I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain on it.” 7 For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah are His pleasant plant. He looked for justice, but behold, oppression; for righteousness, but behold, a cry for help.
Psalm 80 :14 Return, we beseech You, O God of hosts; look down from heaven and see, and visit this vine 15 and the vineyard which Your right hand has planted, and the branch that You made strong for Yourself. 16 It is burned with fire, it is cut down; they perish at the rebuke of Your countenance. 17 Let Your hand be upon the man of Your right hand, upon the son of man whom You made strong for Yourself. 18 Then we will not turn back from You; revive us, and we will call upon Your name. 19 Restore us, O Lord God of hosts; cause Your face to shine, and we shall be saved!
1. The Lord desires to restore us.
2. The Lord desires fruitfulness.
2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.
Taken away: “Airo”:to raise up, elevate, lift up, remove.
Pruning: the cutting away of dead or extra branches.
Pruning isn’t punishment; it is discipleship w/a purpose of bearing more fruit.
3 You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.
3. The Lord desires you to abide.
4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.
5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.
There is a judgment for fruitless branches, but the purpose is still fruitfulness.
“Cast out” means to throw or let go of a thing w/o caring where it falls, to scatter, to give over to one's care uncertain about the result.
NLT In I Cor. 5:1 I can hardly believe the report about the sexual immorality going on among you—something that even pagans don’t do. I am told that a man in your church is living in sin with his stepmother. 2 You are so proud of yourselves, but you should be mourning in sorrow and shame. And you should remove this man from your fellowship.
2 Thessalonians 3:24 And if anyone does not obey our word in this epistle, note that person and do not keep company with him, that he may be ashamed. 25 Yet do not count him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.
Discussion Questions
Look over these questions before your group time. Write down your answers or ideas for at least a few questions if not all. You may not get to every question during your time, but speak up if you want to talk about one of them in particular. Always try to start with question #1.
1. What stood out to you and/or what do you think God might be speaking about from this message?
2. Do you see any similarities between the problems in Isaiah 5 and the church in American right now?
3. What might be signs someone is not producing godly fruit?
4. Can you think of a time of pruning that helped you grow or become more like Jesus?
5. How can we focus on being fruitful by abiding in Christ and not just trying hard to produce fruit?
6. When are times we should lovingly let someone wither so that they will return and be restored?