Get Connected
Notes
Transcript
Connection
Connection
1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinegrower. 2 He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit. 3 You have already been cleansed by the word that I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. 6 Whoever does not abide in me is thrown away like a branch and withers; such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. 7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.
—> Intro —>
—> Story —> cutting back trees
—> Jesus is the true vine.
—> Jesus is the main source for our connection with God
—> Jesus uses the word abide 7 times in 8 versus.
—> What are our connection points to Christ?
—> Abiding corporately
—> worship, Sunday school, bible study, small groups, missions opportunities, outreach opportunities...
—> Abiding in personal relationship
—> prayer, bible reading, devotional reading, personal worship, meditation,
—> What connects you with Jesus Christ and his message for us?
—> Branches connect with each other.
—> What has the potential to be lost on our hearing and understanding of this passage is that “you” is plural.
—> This means that it is never really a singular branch that is the off shoot of the vine but multiple.
—> Our Christian walk is meant to be done within community. The community we have with Christ and the community we have with one another.
—> Like our relationship with Christ, our relationship within our community needs to have connection points as well.
—> How do you connect with other people in our community of faith?
—> How do you know you are connected?
—> We bear fruit.
—> Do others see the signs of Christ in you?
—> We get pruned.
—> At times in our faith journey things will happen that maybe at the time we don’t understand.
—> relationships are severed and lost
—> we move to a new place or a new job
—> Sometimes its a good thing that we have to give up to get a better thing and it is only God that knows in the moment what that is.