Bear fruit that will last

John 15:1-17

¹ “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower.

² He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit,
and every one that does he prunes so that it bears more fruit.

³ You are already pruned
because of the word that I spoke to you.

⁴ Remain in me, as I remain in you.
Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own
unless it remains on the vine,
so neither can you unless you remain in me.

⁵ I am the vine, you are the branches.
Whoever remains in me and I in him
will bear much fruit,
because without me you can do nothing.

⁶ Anyone who does not remain in me
will be thrown out like a branch and wither;
people will gather them and throw them into a fire and they will be burned.

⁷ If you remain in me
and my words remain in you,
ask for whatever you want
and it will be done for you.

⁸ By this is my Father glorified,
that you bear much fruit
and become my disciples.

⁹ As the Father loves me,
so I also love you.
Remain in my love.

¹⁰ If you keep my commandments,
you will remain in my love,
just as I have kept my Father’s commandments
and remain in his love.

¹¹ “I have told you this
so that my joy may be in you
and your joy may be complete.

¹² This is my commandment:
love one another as I love you.

¹³ You can have no greater love
than to lay down your life for your friends.

¹⁴ You are my friends if you do what I command you.

¹⁵ I no longer call you slaves,
because a slave does not know what his master is doing.
I have called you friends,
because I have told you everything I have heard from my Father.

¹⁶ It was not you who chose me.
I chose you
and appointed you
to go and bear fruit that will last,
so that whatever you ask the Father in my name
he may give you.

¹⁷ This I command you: love one another.

Remain in me.       Bear much fruit.