Feb. 19, 2023

LIFEGROUP QUESTIONS FOR THE WEEK OF 2/19/2023-2/25/2023:

1.  Have someone in the group pray for the Holy Spirit to encourage and enlighten with His truth through the scriptures today.

2.  Have someone in the group read aloud John 15:1-17  READ JOHN 15:1-17

3.  Talk about it: 

• What Analogy does Christ use to demonstrate the type of relationship He has with His disciples (verses 1 - 5)?
• Who is the Vine?  Who is the Vinedresser?  Who are the branches?
• In Verse 4, Christ uses the word, Abide, which means to Remain.  It has a sense of nearness to it and lasting duration as well.  Talk about Abiding in Him.  
• What are practical things that we can do to abide in Christ?  
• By what is God the Father glorified, according to verse 8?
• What does it mean to bear much fruit?  Is this the fruit of the Spirit (as seen in Galatians 5?), or is it bearing "fruit" of making new disciples?
• What can we do apart from Christ?  _________________(from verse 5).  
• Really?  Literally nothing?  Flesh the above statement out a little bit (verse 5).  
• Sometimes we as Christians experience "dry seasons" (stretches of time when we feel discouraged, hopeless, depressed, far from God).  Does this passage tell us that if we Jesus telling us to get our act together and produce, OR ELSE?  Is that what Christ means here - that we can lose salvation if we're in a dry season?  (Note:  Consider Judas Iscariot had made his decision to pull out from Christ and betray Him just before Jesus started sharing the vineyard talk with the other 11 disciples.  See also 1 John 2:19.) 
• Has Christ encouraged you through His talk from the vineyard (this passage)?  If so, Share a little bit with the group how Jesus has encouraged you.