𝗪𝗔𝗥𝗠-𝗨𝗣
• Have you ever tried taking care of a plant? How was your experience?
• When you experience a difficulty or roadblock, how do you respond? Recall an instance explaining this.
• Share a time when you felt like you lost your way. How did you get back on track?


𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗗
“𝘈𝘣𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐 𝘪𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶. 𝘈𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘩 𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘧𝘳𝘶𝘪𝘵 𝘣𝘺 𝘪𝘵𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧, 𝘶𝘯𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘪𝘵 𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘦, 𝘯𝘦𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘶𝘯𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘦. 𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘦; 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘴. 𝘞𝘩𝘰𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐 𝘪𝘯 𝘩𝘪𝘮, 𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘧𝘳𝘶𝘪𝘵, 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘮𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘥𝘰 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨.” 𝗝𝗢𝗛𝗡 𝟭𝟱:𝟰–𝟱

(Read also 𝗝𝗢𝗛𝗡 𝟭𝟱:𝟭–𝟭𝟭.)

Jesus describes Himself as the true vine, and God the Father as the vinedresser. The role of the vinedresser is to care for the vine so that it could grow and bear much fruit. In this imagery, Jesus’ followers are the branches in the vine. God our Father cares for the vine and shows His love by tending to those who abide in Jesus. In this lesson, we will go deeper into these truths.


𝟭. 𝗝𝗲𝘀𝘂𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗲 𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗲.
“𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘦 𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘺 𝘍𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘳.” 𝗝𝗢𝗛𝗡 𝟭𝟱:𝟭

Branches draw upon a vine for life and growth. By calling Himself the true vine, Jesus describes Himself as the only source we can draw true life and growth from. Have you ever found yourself depending on a false source of life and growth? What happened? How did you respond?

𝟮. 𝗪𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗳𝗿𝘂𝗶𝘁 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘄𝗲 𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗝𝗲𝘀𝘂𝘀.
“𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘦; 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘴. 𝘞𝘩𝘰𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐 𝘪𝘯 𝘩𝘪𝘮, 𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘧𝘳𝘶𝘪𝘵, 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘮𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘥𝘰 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨.” 𝗝𝗢𝗛𝗡 𝟭𝟱:𝟱

We bear much fruit only when we abide in Jesus. Abiding in Jesus means to believe in Him, know His word, and continually act according to His word. Fruitfulness is the result of that relationship with Jesus, not the other way around. If we were to focus on bearing fruit more than abiding in Christ, what do you think would happen? Why?

𝟯. 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘄𝗲 𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗝𝗲𝘀𝘂𝘀, 𝘄𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗷𝗼𝘆.
“𝘈𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘍𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘦, 𝘴𝘰 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘐 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶. 𝘈𝘣𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘺 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦. 𝘐𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘬𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘮𝘺 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴, 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘺 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦, 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘢𝘴 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘬𝘦𝘱𝘵 𝘮𝘺 𝘍𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳'𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦. 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘬𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘮𝘺 𝘫𝘰𝘺 𝘮𝘢𝘺 𝘣𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘫𝘰𝘺 𝘮𝘢𝘺 𝘣𝘦 𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘭.” 𝗝𝗢𝗛𝗡 𝟭𝟱:𝟵–𝟭𝟭

Jesus says that He loves us just as God our Father loves Him. He cares for us and wants us to experience the fullness of joy in Him. When we abide in Jesus, we become fruitful, bring glory to God, and experience the fullness of His joy in our lives. What do you think it means to experience the fullness of God’s joy in your life? What would it look like for you?

𝗔𝗣𝗣𝗟𝗜𝗖𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡
• What has been your experience of Jesus as the true vine (John 15:1)? How can you grow in your relationship with Him every day?
• When you are continually abiding in Jesus, what fruitfulness do you see in your life? How can you use this awareness to continually abide in Him?
• Abiding in Jesus leads to fruitfulness and God being glorified. How can you share this truth with your friends and family this week?
 

𝗣𝗥𝗔𝗬𝗘𝗥
• Thank God for caring for us as the vinedresser, and for the love He pours into His Son, Jesus, and into our lives.
• Pray that you will continually abide in Jesus. Ask Him to strengthen you in the spiritual disciplines of prayer and abiding in His word.
• As you abide in Jesus, ask God for more opportunities to bring glory to His name. Pray that you will have opportunities to share His joy with your family and friends this week.