Summer: A season to bear fruit - 13 August 2025
Ewald Schmidt
This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. John 15:8, NIV
Summer is the season we naturally associate with fruit and harvest. In Israel, grapes are harvested in late summer to early autumn, usually from July to August. In John 15, Jesus uses the image of the vine and its branches to describe our relationship with him. God the Father is the heavenly gardener who has planted the best vine this world has ever known – our Lord Jesus Christ.
He is the vine, and we are the branches. When we remain in him, we bear much fruit; without him, we are fruitless. True life begins in our connection with Christ. Just like a branch receives water and nourishment from the vine, we draw everything we need for spiritual growth from Jesus. He is the source of living water (John 4:13-14), and in him, we have all we need for a life of godliness (2 Peter 1:3).
But how do we remain in Jesus? He tells us in John 15:10 that we remain in his love by obeying his commands. What is his most important command? In John 15:12, He says clearly: “My command is this: love each other as I have loved you.”
Love is not just a feeling, but a way of life. Love becomes the core fruit of our spiritual walk. We are called to love others like Jesus loves us – selflessly, attentively, with care and compassion. When we bear the fruit of love, we glorify the Father. Our lives become visible testimonies of his grace, power and presence at work, and we live in alignment with God’s purpose for us. The wonderful promise follows: Jesus says his joy will be in us – complete and overflowing (John 15:11).
In the summertime of our lives, the calling is clear: bear much fruit to the glory of the Father. Be a blessing to the people around you, and you will experience the joy of Jesus through all the seasons of your life.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for being the true Vine. Thank you that I may be grafted into you as a branch. Help me to bear the fruit of love that glorifies the Father and nourishes those around me. I confess that I sometimes lack your joy in my life. Help me to trust more deeply and walk more closely with you. Amen.