Connection Group Questions

I am... Appointed to Bear Fruit

May 6, 2012

Connections News

Mom2Mom will meet at 2pm, Monday May 7

Paper Product Shipment Arriving May 8 Keep your email on for the exact time to show up, unload, and sort.

Bibles For Missions Thrift Store Open House, May 12 2020 Hyde Park Road, 10am-1pm. Come see the new space and find out how you can get involved.

Serve at the ARK, Wednesday May 9


Our church serves dinner at the ARK the second Wednesday of every month.We the evening runs from 6:15-9pm.If you want to serve next week we may still have a spot for you.Contact the church office asap.

Advanced Care Planning Worship May 15, 7-9pm
This is NOT a sales pitch.It is a workshop to help you prepare for the things in life some of us hate to think about:Living wills and end-of-life care.If you have questions about this stuff, then you will find answers and direction at this workshop.

Budget Update:

Budget for Year 2012                 $272,306.28

Budget to Period ending April 30 $87,522.02

Expenses incurred to Date                 $85,235.75

Revenues Collected to Date         $67,758.85

Surplus (SHORT)                -$17,476.90

Bible Study

Read John 15:1-17
As always, feel free to discuss the bible passage and let it direct your conversation.
Also, feel free to agree with, disagree with, and discuss the Sunday message.


God's "end game" for your life is to bear fruit.
Not just any fruit, but eternal fruit that brings glory to God.
Here's how He works to bring about this kind of life...


Cutting:
How has God cut out dead branches from your life?
Have you ever gone through a season where God needs to cut everything out of your life until all that was left was a stump?
How did God use this season to bring new growth in your life, or through your ministry?
If you are in a season of cutting the correct response to God is to repent.  What does repentance look like, and how can you specifically repent of the "dead" things in your life?


Pruning:
Maybe  your life is fruitful, but that does not mean it does not require work.
What things, what stuff, might God need to prune out of your life to bring maximum fruitfulness?
What would a life of more, abundant fruit look like for you?
If you are in a season of pruning how can you release these things to God?


Remaining (Or Abiding):
The way to bear the most fruit is to simply abide more in Jesus.  It is in him, and through him, that we will get all we need to produce the fruit that he desires.
What can you do to practice abiding, or remaining more?
Sometimes being more fruitful means doing less, and abiding more.  Talk about what this actually looks like in practice.


In the end we are promised, "I have appointed you to bear fruit..."
How does that make you feel, or what does that inspire you to attempt for God?


Bonus:
Discuss the kind of eternal fruit you'd like to see produced in your life?


Sometimes a passage like this is used to promote a "health and wealth" message.  That is, if we can get anything we ask in Jesus' name, ask for anything you want and you'll get it!
So what is the difference between health and wealth, and bearing fruit and abiding?
What kind of community grows around health and wealth churches?
(How can you talk about cutting and pruning if all you're supposed to do is bear fruit?  What if you are going through a really touch season of pruning?)


Make sure you give your group time to close in prayer.
Focus in praying through this passage of scripture.