Isaiah 28:16-29 The promise of Jesus reminds all that their righteousness will fall short compared to God’s measuring line As an analogy of what is required, He uses the plowman as the example

How are we transformed He is our “husbandman” as He plants and transforms the garden of our life He strategically gives us certain wiring, gifts, and callings on our life to create landscape our lives We then need to allow Him to maintain the flower bed

The way it is supposed to work We must submit ourselves to continuous pruning. John 15 We need to constantly be watching and alert for weeds – Matthew 13 Break Out the Round Up when it comes to the poison ivy of life – Heb 12:12-17

But what if the garden gets overrun?

What if we don’t let Him tend the garden? Trees get out of control and need serious pruning, not the small kind, but major limbs The thorns choke out the flowers and when you pull them out, you uproot the flowers as well - Matthew 13:25-40 Bitterness, disappointment, and unforgiveness are roots that run deep that need to be forcibly yanked out Back to Isaiah 28:27

So What?

Why are we afraid to let Him prune us? Why do we tolerate weeds? Why do we permit poison ivy in our gardens? Back to John 15:9-17