June 28 – July 4

Weekly Reading for June 28 – July 4

Preparing for Next Week’s Message

Sermon Series: Redefine
Sermon Title: Redefining Comfort

This reading plan will get your heart and mind set for the next message on July 5, 2020:


Reflecting on the Most Recent Sermon

Sermon Series: Redefine
Sermon Title: Redefining Success
Delivered On: June 28, 2020

VIEW SERMON NOTES

Memorize and Reflect

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." (John 15:5)


Prayer Direction

Thank God for loving you enough to reveal Himself to you and offer His saving grace through Jesus. Ask God to show you with clarity any areas in your life that do not align with His will and His desire for what is best for you. Ask God to grow your love for Jesus and trust in Him as you navigate the complexities of your life in this particular season. Ask Him to realign any priorities in your life that are not where they need to be. Pray for a heart that is open to the pruning of the Holy Spirit and hands and feet that are willing to serve Jesus and love others in the manner He modeled and calls us to love.


“Live It!” Challenge

This week take time at the end of each day and evaluate the time you spent engaged in different activities throughout your day. As you look at your daily calendar and the various activities you engaged in, ask yourself honestly if the time spent helped you learn more about Jesus or grow to be more like Him or was that time spent doing something else. As you account for the time spent each day, identify one simple shift you could make to better prioritize your day and focus your mind, heart, eyes, hands and feet on Jesus. At the end of the week, write down what you learned and make a plan to correct it in the coming week. Repeat this process for 30 days and see what a difference it makes throughout your day.


Small Group Discussion

  1. How do you define success? How does the world define success?

  2. How has this season of life helped redefine or affirm your definition of success or helped affirm your own definition of success?

  3. How do you define success? How does the world define success?

  4. In John 15:1, Jesus references himself as the “true vine”. The vine represented the covenant people of God, planted and tended by him so that Israel would produce fruit (Psalms 80:8-18; Isaiah 5:1-7). Generally in the Old Testament when Israel is depicted as a vine or vineyard, the nation is being chastised for not bearing fruit as God expects.

  5. How does Jesus, unlike the nation of Israel and its leaders and priests accomplish salvation for all people and serve as the ultimate source of life?

  6. Read: John 15:1-7. Take a moment and count the number of times Jesus uses the word “remain” (Greek: meno). What does that word imply for a follower of Jesus? How would you describe what that looks like in your own life?

  7. Read: John 15:5. What is the result of the branch remaining in the vine? What can we expect to accomplish of eternal consequence without a relationship with Jesus?

  8. Read: John 15:8. What type of fruit is Jesus describing here? (Hint: see Galatians 5:22-23) How does the fruit we are called to bear, differ among believers in rate of growth and amount of growth?

  9. In your own life, where have you seen the most growth in the Fruit of the Spirit? One that you would like prayer and accountability in for greater growth?

  10. Read: John 15: 12-13. Jesus commands His followers to love one another sacrificially. How does that shape how we interact, care for, pray for, and share with other Christ-followers? How does our love for one another impact others (Hint: John 13:34-35) and point the world to Jesus?

  11. How do you define success? How does the world define success?

  12. How has this season of life helped redefine or affirm your definition of success or helped affirm your own definition of success?

  13. How do you define success? How does the world define success?

  14. In John 15:1, Jesus references himself as the “true vine”. The vine represented the covenant people of God, planted and tended by him so that Israel would produce fruit (Psalms 80:8-18; Isaiah 5:1-7). Generally in the Old Testament when Israel is depicted as a vine or vineyard, the nation is being chastised for not bearing fruit as God expects.

  15. How does Jesus, unlike the nation of Israel and its leaders and priests accomplish salvation for all people and serve as the ultimate source of life?

  16. Read: John 15:1-7. Take a moment and count the number of times Jesus uses the word “remain” (Greek: meno). What does that word imply for a follower of Jesus? How would you describe what that looks like in your own life?

  17. Read: John 15:5. What is the result of the branch remaining in the vine? What can we expect to accomplish of eternal consequence without a relationship with Jesus?

  18. Read: John 15:8. What type of fruit is Jesus describing here? (Hint: see Galatians 5:22-23) How does the fruit we are called to bear, differ among believers in rate of growth and amount of growth?

  19. In your own life, where have you seen the most growth in the Fruit of the Spirit? One that you would like prayer and accountability in for greater growth?

  20. Read: John 15: 12-13. Jesus commands His followers to love one another sacrificially. How does that shape how we interact, care for, pray for, and share with other Christ-followers? How does our love for one another impact others (Hint: John 13:34-35) and point the world to Jesus?