the pepper story

Several of you have asked for the pepper story that was shared in the sermon yesterday.

"I am the vine, you are the branches, except ye abide in me, ye cannot bear fruit." Jn 15

We have a small garden in the back yard. When things go my way, there are 4 tomato plants planted in the garden. I have learned that is the number that I can take care of. When the boss gets her way, there are many more plants, plants that I end up having to try to take care of, but cannot keep up with.

Well, guess who won this year. Same old story. 8 tomato plants 4 pepper plants and some other stuff.

One day about a month ago I noticed a nice green pepper hanging on the vine. How exciting! We have never been able to grow peppers before and this one is full grown!

Now our back yard is infested with squirrels. I do not like squirrels. Snakes and squirrels I can dispatch with no guilt what so ever. I am going to pick this pepper before the squirrels pick it and take a bite and leave it out to rot.

I pop the pepper off of the pepper plant. I take it inside and show it to the boss. Look honey, we grew a pepper on our pepper plant! Isn't it exciting?

Silence. No response from the boss.

Finally, she says. Jeff, the pepper you picked is supposed to be a red pepper. You have picked it while it was green. Disassociated from the vine, it will now never have the chance to be a yellow pepper. Silly husband boy. [I cleaned that up]

Moral of the story. Many Christians are like the pepper that was disconnected from the vine. We never got the chance to become what God wanted for us because we were satisfied with being a green pepper.

The good news about this story is that unlike the pepper, you and I can be reconnected to the vine. God is waiting and willing for us to set aside a bit of the world and get back into the garden.

It's a beautiful day in God's world, be sure to see the good.