Theme

Abiding in Christ as a basis for fruitful living

Questions

• What does leading productive or fruitful life mean to you? Is there a difference between being busy and being productive?
• Describe the relationship between the vine, the gardener and the branches? How does this relate to our life in Christ?
• In several places John uses the word ‘abide’ (sometimes translated as ‘remain’ or ‘stay’).
  • Find all of these verses.
  • What does the word ‘abide’ mean to you?
• Being in Christ produces a fruitful life (v.5). What do you think are the marks of a fruitful life?
• What is God’s response to lives that do not produce fruit (v.2 & 6 – compare these verses to Isaiah 5:1-7)? How does this response make you feel?
• God ‘prunes’ branches in order that they become more fruitful (v.2) - pruning happens to living, fruitful branches, not dead branches. What do you think pruning looks like, or feels like? What is the benefit?
• Jesus tells us to remain in him, and we cannot be fruitful without remaining in him (v.4), then he says “apart from me you can do nothing” (v.5).
  • Do you believe this is true?
  • How do these verses challenge your views about the accomplishments, productivity, actions you take in life?
• Look back at John 8:31-32. Is this an encouragement to remain in God’s word?
• Jesus encourages his followers to remain not only in his word, but to remain in him (v.7), how does remaining in his word help us to remain in Christ himself (look at Psalm 1:1-3, for example)?
• What do you think the link between love and obedience is in v.9-10 – does loving God require obedience to him? (compare with 1 John 2:3-6, v.6 also uses the word ‘abide’)
• Jesus’ command is that his followers “love one another” (v.12-13). He says something similar in John 13:34-35.
  • How does our actions of loving one another reflect our relationship with God?
  • How does the way we behave towards one another show our faith to those around us?
• In Christ I am Productive is the theme for this week. How did this passage help you think about the fruit produced in your life? Did you learn something new, or were you challenged by something in particular?