5th Sunday of Easter – Gospel Illustration: John 15:1-8 – The Fruitful Branch

1. The story of Dawson Trotman of
Long Beach California
From: Galaxie Software. (2002; 2002). 10,000 Sermon Illustrations. Biblical Studies Press.

2.  Dawson drove a truck for a  One night he was so drunk
living. he couldn’t find his car but
 He was not always the he did find a policeman who
best branch on the vine. changed Dawson’s life
forever with a question.
 When he was young and
 “Son, do you like this kind
still in school he was the of life?”
class president, chairman of  The policeman
the student council, and didn’t arrest him
captain of the basketball for drunkenness
team. but did council
 As if that wasn’t enough he him and get him
graduated with honors and going in the right
was the class valedictorian. direction.
 Dawson attended a Bible
 Then his life crumbled and
study that challenged the
led to gambling, serious group to memorize ten
drinking and other fast and verses about salvation.
destructive living.

3.  Of the group Dawson was  In June
the only one to memorize all 1956,
ten. Dawson
 Dawson then realized that Trotman,
the emptiness he was trying founder of The
to fill with “living in the fast Navigators, a
lane,” could only be filled scripture based
with God. program that had spread to
 As he said, saying you over 90 countries, drowned
were a Christian wasn’t in New York while trying to
enough so Dawson set out save the life of a swimmer
to make disciples for the who was in trouble.
Lord.  At the time of his
 Dawson had begun a Bible death, the now famous Billy
study with a couple of boys Graham, interrupted his
on Saturday mornings in evangelist crusade in
Long Beach. Oklahoma City to preach
Dawson’s funeral.

4.  At the funeral Billy made  It was the sap
the statement that Dawson of the vine, the
had touch more lives than Holy Spirit, that
any other man he knew. fed and led
 Billy should know.
Dawson to
 It was Dawson who
the Bible study
developed follow-up material and the memorization of the
for Billy in his early years of verses which led him to God.
preaching.  What a marvelous vine
 As a young branch on the
grower we have who loves
vine all looked well for his vine, knows when to
Dawson but in time he prune, how much to prune
needed some pruning from and applies the right amount
the vine grower who placed
of fertilizer to feed the
a policeman in Dawson’s branches of his church that
path. produce the fruitful harvest.

5. Excerpts from The Holy Bible : Revised Standard Version Second Catholic edition (2006), with the ecclesiastical approval of the
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Thomas Nelson Publishing for Ignatius Press.