false http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1179929632m/974122.jpg 974122 17 No one said it would be easy. In the first installment of his BreakThrough series, Dr. Bruce H. Wilkinson urged Christians to find the abundant life through following a simple prayer. In <i>Secrets of the Vine</i>, his follow-up to the bestselling <I>The Prayer of Jabez</I>, the president of Walk thru the Bible Ministries explores compelling images from Bible verse John 15 in support of his message that asking for God's blessings may result in suffering and difficult circumstances. Through Jesus' symbolic portrayal of himself as the vine, the Father as vinedresser, and his followers as the branches, Wilkinson believes that Christians can better understand God's methods for ensuring personal fulfillment, and find a closer walk with him. <p> Grapes need pruning--and so do Christians, Wilkinson writes. God's "pruning" is painful, but Wilkinson argues that this pruning away of "self" is necessary to gain desirable results. He notes, "Pruning will intensify as God's shears cut closer to the core of who you are." Wilkinson urges Christians not to confuse "pruning" with "discipline," and offers a helpful chart to distinguish between the two. He discusses four levels of fruit bearing, from "no fruit" to "much fruit," and the connection between God's pruning and an abundant harvest. <p> Wilkinson's warm, personable writing style helps him come across as a confidant and mentor. Even though he admits, "I assure you that I possess no special knowledge in these matters," millions of readers seem to think he does. He lays down the challenge: "If you don't know and apply Jesus's vineyard teachings, you'll never experience the abundant life you long for. There is simply no other way." Christians aspiring to maturity in their spiritual lives will likely sit up and take notice. <I>--Cindy Crosby</I> 959019 2000 Secrets of the Vine: Breaking Through to Abundance total:233|5:82|4:80|3:42|2:21|1:8| 233 906 316 37 4 0 false false Tue Jun 23 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Tue Jun 23 00:26:23 -0700 2009 Tue Jun 23 00:43:33 -0700 2009 more...]]> 4 0 false false Sun Jan 11 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Tue Dec 30 19:56:10 -0800 2008 Sun Jan 11 17:08:05 -0800 2009
This little book has some big truths in it, and I would recommend it to any Christian.

Wilkinson talks about the vin...more...]]> 5 1 false false Sun Apr 26 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Wed Apr 15 22:40:06 -0700 2009 Tue May 26 11:45:42 -0700 2009 more...]]> 0 0 false false Mon Dec 29 09:23:48 -0800 2008 Mon Dec 29 09:27:02 -0800 2008 The Prayer of Jabez). I have several friends who are *tiny devotional junkies*, and I am trying to bring them into the realm of less *sp...more...]]> 4 0 false false Mon May 18 12:27:27 -0700 2009 Mon May 18 12:29:35 -0700 2009 more...]]> 0 0 false false Sun Aug 16 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Mon Aug 17 09:51:51 -0700 2009 Mon Aug 17 09:53:31 -0700 2009 more...]]> 5 0 false false Thu Jan 22 09:59:51 -0800 2009 Thu Jan 22 10:04:00 -0800 2009 5 0 false false Sun Mar 01 12:57:43 -0800 2009 Sun Mar 01 12:58:37 -0800 2009 2 0 false false Thu Aug 20 06:52:28 -0700 2009 Thu Aug 20 06:53:08 -0700 2009 5 0 false false Thu Jan 15 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Mon Feb 16 09:12:41 -0800 2009 Mon Feb 16 09:18:18 -0800 2009 0 0 false false Sun Oct 04 18:01:19 -0700 2009 Tue Sep 29 11:40:54 -0700 2009 Sun Oct 04 18:01:19 -0700 2009 5 0 false false Sun Feb 22 17:33:37 -0800 2009 Sun Feb 22 17:42:00 -0800 2009 0 0 false false Thu Jan 01 14:45:38 -0800 2009 Thu Jan 01 14:46:36 -0800 2009 4 0 false false Mon Dec 29 19:45:03 -0800 2008 Mon Dec 29 19:50:23 -0800 2008 4 0 false false Fri May 29 08:16:17 -0700 2009 Fri May 29 08:16:17 -0700 2009 4 0 false false Fri Jul 24 06:58:41 -0700 2009 Fri Jul 24 06:59:20 -0700 2009 5 0 false false Thu Mar 01 00:00:00 -0800 2007 Thu Oct 11 10:47:24 -0700 2007 Thu Oct 11 13:21:22 -0700 2007
Secrets of the Vine helped me rediscover and understand God better, as the ...more...]]> 5 0 false false Sun Jul 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007 Sun Jan 20 16:24:40 -0800 2008 Sun Jan 20 16:26:19 -0800 2008 more...]]> 5 0 false false Sun Sep 01 00:00:00 -0700 2002 Tue Jan 15 09:57:16 -0800 2008 Tue Jan 15 10:03:50 -0800 2008 more...]]> 5 0 false false Thu Jun 01 00:00:00 -0700 2006 Thu Mar 20 21:37:29 -0700 2008 Thu Mar 20 21:41:19 -0700 2008 more...]]> http://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/8?book_id=974122