John 15

Fresh Ink, Pt. 4

Every time we gather as a group, these are some ways we ensure the best group discussion:

• We make the circle safe by staying honest and transparent - leave the masks at the door.

• We keep it inside the circle. Each person’s story is theirs alone to share.

• We look to the Bible for wisdom and truth, and work together to let it shape how we see the world.

• We don’t try to fix each other in front of each other or give unsolicited advice. We lovingly save hard conversations for private moments.

• We respect each others’ time by starting and ending when we say we will.

• We believe that in Jesus Christ, there is hope for everyone.

John 15:1-6

I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 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...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.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.

► Keep the REMAIN thing the MAIN thing.

How do we keep the REMAIN thing the MAIN thing?

• Learn to Listen

  • Isaiah 30:21
    Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.”

  • Annie Dillard
    “How we spend our days is how we spend our lives.”

  • “Remain in me, as I also remain in you...Live in me. Make your home in me just as I do in you.”

• Trust the Gardener

  • Questions to ask:

    • What is keeping me from letting the Gardener get close?

      • Psalm 139:23-24
        Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

    • What am I going to do about it?

    • Am I willing to ask for help?

    • Am I willing to surrender?

Start with M.U.D.
Memorable + Understandable + Doable

• What was the most memorable part of the message or service this weekend for you personally? Why?

• Did anything you heard challenge or influence how you think about God or your life?

• How can what you learned influence or change how you live in everyday life? What tangible steps would it take to make that change a reality?

Additional Questions

Jen talked about balance and how quickly our lives get thrown out of balance - sometimes because of external circumstances and sometimes because of our own decisions.

• Does your life feel balanced or out of balance right now?

  • If balanced… how have you worked to keep it that way?

  • If out of balance… what external circumstances or personal decisions have thrown it out of balance? How can you get it back in balance?

The first step to remaining in Jesus is learning to listen. We listen to Jesus primarily through reading Scripture, spending time in prayer, and talking to wise counsel (friends that are following Jesus alongside us).

• What all are you “listening to” throughout your day? Where do you go for information, encouragement, direction, and hope?

• Which of those three areas - Bible, prayer, and wise friends - is strongest right now in your life? Which is weakest? What’s making it weak?

Jen challenged us to ask ourselves four questions about “trusting the gardener.” Everyone take a few minutes to think about these questions and answer a few questions ABOUT these questions.
► What is keeping me from letting the Gardener get close?
► What am I going to do about it?
► Am I willing to ask for help?
► Am I willing to surrender?

• Which of these questions needs the most attention right now? Can you share some thoughts on your response to that question with the group?

• What habits or practices do you need in your life that will help you remain, trust the gardener, and surrender? How can you implement something this week?