Abiding in Christ

Jesus told us that, apart from him, we cannot bear fruit. If we want to bear fruit for God, we must learn to continually abide in Christ. We must learn to do this when things are going well, and when things are not going well. In the good times and in the difficult times.

This lesson focuses on listening to Jesus, understanding what he wants for us, and walking out our path following him.

• Break up into groups of 3-4
• Read John 15:1-8
• Discuss these questions:
  • What are some things that you notice in this passage?
  • Who is the gardener? Who is the vine? What are their roles?
  • Who are the branches? What is their role?
  • What does it mean to bear fruit? How do we do that?
  • What are some ways that we can practically abide in Christ?
• Spend 15 minutes in silence.
  • Read John 15:1-8 once again to yourself.
  • Ask Jesus how he wants you to abide in him. Ask him for a specific action or way that you can do this.
  • Ask Jesus for a reason why he wants you to do this.
  • Write down what you heard from him, including both what you will do and why he wants you to do this.
• In the same small groups, each person read aloud their notes from their time spent in silence.
• Come back to the larger group to respond: What did you learn from your discussion and your time listening to Jesus?