Week 2 - JESUS-JOINED
CONNECT
What are you thankful for?
What challenge are you facing?
Have there been any answers to prayer?
Pray for each other.
Did anything stand out to you from last week’s follow-up Bible readings?
How did praying this prayer go for you last week?
GO with Jesus
Lord, how can I join you in mission to those around me?
How did your “I will …” statement from last week go?
How did your sharing goal from last week go?
DISCOVER
Let’s start with a review.
Our mission is to Join Jesus in making disciples of those around us by living a Prayer > Care > Share > Dare lifestyle.
JOIN JESUS
Jesus calls us to partner with Him in the mission of making disciples.
And now …
JESUS-JOINED
Only as we remain in Jesus can we bear the fruit of making disciples.
Ask God to speak to you as you read His Word.
John 15:1-17 (NIV)
1 I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
5 I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
9 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10 If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. 11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command. 15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. 17 This is my command: Love each other.
Have someone retell these passages in their own words.
What stands out to you in these passages?
What do these passages say about God (The Father, His Son Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit)?
What do these passages say about people, including ourselves?
What do these passages say about the life God invites us to live?
Digging Deeper
Does a branch bear fruit to remain in the vine? Or does a branch remain in the vine to bear fruit? What’s the difference?
What does it mean to remain in Jesus?
What fruit is Jesus talking about?
The Fruit of the Spirit
Galatians 5:22-23 (ESV)
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
How would you describe this fruit? How do these fruit describe the character of Jesus?
Why must we remain in Jesus to bear this fruit?
Which fruit in particular do you need the Spirit’s help (and your group’s encouragement) to mature in?
How would this fruit help your witness for Jesus?
What happens to our witness if we don’t bear the fruit of the Spirit?
The Fruit of Disciples
John 4:35-36 (NLT)
35 You know the saying, “Four months between planting and harvest.” But I say, wake up and look around. The fields are already ripe for harvest. 36 The harvesters are paid good wages, and the fruit they harvest is people brought to eternal life. What joy awaits both the planter and the harvester alike!”
How would you describe this fruit?
Why must we remain in Jesus to bear this fruit?
Father-Joined
John 15:9-10 (NIV)
9 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10 If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love.
Why did Jesus need to stay joined with His Father?
How did Jesus stay joined with His Father?
Jesus-Joined
John 15:5 (NIV)
I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.
Why is our first mission priority to stay joined with Jesus? Are you?
What has helped you most to stay joined with Jesus?
Mission Assignment
In FAITH, you were introduced to the Daily Connect connection prompts.
How have they helped you to stay relationally connected to Jesus?
Keep practicing the Daily Connect for the purpose of living a missional life for Jesus. Once again, especially focus on:
GO with Jesus
Lord, how can I join you in mission to those around me?
Fruit’s Memory Work
Here’s our memory work for FRUIT:
John 15:5 (NIV)
I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.
LIVE
What truth have you discovered from today’s Bible passage(s) and conversation?
What would stop you from believing and obeying this truth?
How will you live out this truth this coming week? Finish this statement: “I will ….”
Who else needs to hear this truth? How could you share it with them?
When will we meet again?
Who will facilitate that meeting?
Pray for God’s help as you seek to follow Jesus this coming week.
FOLLOW-UP BIBLE READINGS
After each group meeting, there will be 3 Bible readings to help you dig a bit deeper into what we have discussed.
To help you connect with Jesus, we encourage you to use the Daily Connect connection prompts with the first two Bible readings and the Lord’s Prayer with the third Bible reading.
Here are the Bible passages you are encouraged to read this coming week:
BUDDY SYSTEM
It’s recommended that you set up a buddy system for ongoing encouragement and accountability. Buddy people up and have them contact each other for a midweek check-in. Think of this as a five-minute phone call, rather than an in-person sit-down meeting. Touch base and ask these questions of each other:
How are your readings going?
How’s your “I will …” statement coming along?
How’s your sharing goal coming along?
How can I pray for you?