must submit fully to the authority of Jesus, not merely listening to and understanding His words, but hearing and obeying them. Sometimes it is tempting for branches to imagine that their disobedience will be overlooked by the Father so long as “fruit” can be borne through them. It is true that God can employ flawed vessels to achieve His purposes, whether a talking donkey (see Numbers 22:21–41) or preachers wrongly motivated (see Philippians 1:17–18). But the freedom of God to choose such means