What are your initial reactions to John 15:1-17? If your background is like mine1, you may feel a mixture of conviction and encouragement in Jesus’ words. A wealth of wisdom and hope are seen, but what about the difficult parts of the text? I want to examine why someone might expierence a slight uneasiness from verses such as: Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.