Easter 05: The Vine and the Branches

Redemption Church KC Sermon Podcast

1. In preaching about the passage from John 14 in which Jesus says, “I am the True Vine,” Mandy discussed what it means to “bear fruit,” and suggested several related questions.

So, what do you think? What *does* it mean to “bear fruit?” And, if you can, share a bit about how you arrived at your answer or, perhaps, what influences led to your conclusions.

What is it that you think God wants from you (personally & individually)? How does it differ from with what you think God wants from us, as the Christian body of the church?

Finally, what do you think God wants from us, as the collective of humanity. Compare your answer to the answers you provided in the previous two questions.

What do you notice when observing the way these answers (yours & those of the group altogether), compare to one another?

2. Mandy preached about the intended interconnectedness of not only people generally, but also in our lives as Christians. She shared a quote from Nadia Bolz-Weber that ends by saying, “dependence is not a matter of personal morality or preference; it’s a matter of life and death - branches that refuse to cling to the vine die.”

Of this, Mandy said, “That’s not a threat; it’s just what happens.”

Do you really believe this? That we affect each other in crucial ways? That we need each other, really? That the point of your Christian existence isn’t really about you?

How much do your answers to these questions line up with the actuality of your calendar and life? How connected & interconnected do you feel to the people around you? To your church? To “the” Church? Where are the biggest disconnects between what you “believe” and how you live your life? How do you understand those incongruities? Respond with kindness to what surfaces in you as you contemplate them.

3. In the scripture passage for today, Jesus urges us to abide in him.

Before moving on, briefly discuss what that means to you or what it might mean.

Mandy gave us some different phrases in exploring what it means to abide: to tarry, to stay, to cling, to remain, to depend, to rely, to last, to persevere, to commit, to continue, to tolerate, to endure, to acquiesce, to accept, to hang-in-there-for-the-long-haul, and to make ourselves at home.

Read this list out loud slowly a few times as a group. Spend a moment considering and listening.

Which of these comparable phrases jumped out to you? Which caught your attention?

How similar or dissimilar are these concepts to what you discussed about what it means to abide?

Do you see, as Mandy suggested we might, a tension between our own proclivity for activity, adding more and what may be intended in this direction to abide in Him? What surfaces as you consider this dynamic in your own life?