Connected to the Vine (John 15:1-16:4)

Persistent and Productive (John 15:1-8)
Authentic fruit cannot be fabricated or faked.
Fresh fruit is the only positive indicator of the condition of the branch.
Can you name times in the past when your life was more fruitful than it is today? Why is that? Have you strayed from the vine?
What areas of “remaining in Christ” do you struggle with most? Bible study? Prayer? Dependence on him? A combination of all these?

A Legacy of Love (John 15:9-17)
Nothing models Jesus better than a life of love.
What kind of a legacy of love are you leaving? What can you do, starting now, to make that legacy better?

Persecution and Proclamation (John 15:18-16:4)
Persecution is a mark of identity with Christ.
What are you doing to prepare for persecution?
Are you insulating yourself from the possibility?
Or are you accepting the inevitability and trying to draw strength from the vine?
How would you rate yourself at testifying for Jesus?
When was the last time you were rejected or put down because of Jesus?
If never, why not? Is it because nobody knows? Do you fit in too much with the world? Do you need to broaden your circle of friends? Or do you not even belong to Jesus?