Rooted (part 4): Embracing What's Next

TO START

Tonight would be a fun night for a fruit bar! Consider putting out some weird/rare fruits and letting members guess what kind of fruit it is. 

Have you ever personally harvested fruit? Like real, delicious food-fruit? How’d it taste? Tell your group about your apple-picking, strawberry-picking, banana-plucking adventures!

TO DISCUSS

This week we’re talking about the relationship between fruit and roots. So, what is it? Give us a basic botany lesson. Can you have fruit without roots?

Read John 15:1-8.

  • Just like a tree has roots, in this metaphor branches are attached to (abiding in) the vine. What does the vine represent here?

  • How does one “abide” in Christ? Other translations use the word “remain” or “stay.”

  • “Abiding in Christ” (“being rooted in Christ”) lead to what?

  • What happens if we don’t bear fruit?

  • What happens if we do bear fruit?

  • Do either of those answers concern you? Why or why not?

  • What is the purpose of our fruit?

So, to recap, where does fruit come from? What’s our part in bearing fruit? What action do we need to take in order to bear more fruit?

It is certainly possible that members of your group will examine their lives and determine that they are not actually bearing fruit. What can we do if we find ourselves barren? What practical next steps should we take?

In this series we’ve talked about being rooted in the context of a community and being rooted in God through trust. We’re defining fruit as “an outward manifestation of inner health that benefits others.” 

  • Consider the relationships in your life with the deepest roots. What fruit have you seen there?

  • Consider your relationship with God. What outward manifestations of growing health have you noticed?

  • What fruit have you seen in the lives of your fellow small group members? Share how you’ve seen one another grow.

TO READ

Read Galatians 5:16-25 and Luke 6:43-45.

Different roots bear different fruits. 

  • What are the “fruits” of obeying the flesh?

  • What are the fruits of the Spirit?

Consider where you’ve planted yourself. Are you planted in the Spirit (in relationship with God and His Spirit-filled people) or have you put down roots in the flesh (rooting yourself in community with flesh-led people, anchoring yourself to your own desires and impulses)?

  • What roots might you need to tear up?

TO PRAY

Pray for fruit! Where would you most like God to grow you right now? OR Where do you feel like God’s leading you to grow? Share it with the group and pray for roots bearing fruit. 

FOR FUN

These time lapse videos of fruit growing have us mesmerized. You might play a couple and encourage group members to meditate on what fruit God’s growing (or wanting to grow) in them. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_tNMJTvy7I

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3-PAhaO1VI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJmHxLxBnko


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