How Does Your Garden Grow

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How Does Your Garden Grow

• October 11

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Think About It
A garden is an awful responsibility. You never
know what you may be aiding to grow in it.

• Agree or disagree
• In todays study Jesus explains
• how our spiritual gardens should grow and
• what controls what grows within them.

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Listen for the actions God performs as the
gardener who tends the vines.

• John 151-3 "I am the true vine, and my Father is
  the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me
  that bears no fruit, while every branch that does
  bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more
  fruitful. 3 You are already clean because of
  the word I have spoken to you. Consider the
  three personalities spoken of in the passage, God
  the Father, Jesus, and believers.

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Branches Need Pruning

• How does the gardener tend to the branches that
  bear fruit and the branches that do not?
• What is Jesus role in this analogy?
• Consider the purposes of pruning actual plants
• train the plant how to grow.
• maintain the health of the plant
• remove diseased portions.
• improve the quality of the plant

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Branches Need Pruning

• What are some common types of pruning that
  Christians need?
• What are some ways in which God accomplishes
  this kind of pruning in our lives?
• ? Each type of pruning helps to train us to bear
  fruit that represents the Gardener.

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Listen for results of a genuine relationship with
Christ and the results of not remaining in Christ.

• John 154-8 " Remain in me, and I will remain in
  you. No branch can bear fruit by itself it must
  remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit
  unless you remain in me. 5 I am the vine you
  are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in
  him, he will bear much fruit apart from me you
  can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not remain in
  me,

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Listen for results of a genuine relationship with
Christ and the results of not remaining in Christ.

• he is like a branch that is thrown away and
  withers such branches are picked up, thrown into
  the fire and burned. 7 If you remain in me and
  my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish,
  and it will be given you. 8 This is to my
  Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing
  yourselves to be my disciples.

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Branches Must Stay Connected

• Lets identify the various elements of the
  analogy and their meaning.
• What did Jesus say the branches must do in order
  to bear fruit?

Elements Identity Meaning
Vine
Branches
Fruit
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Branches Must Stay Connected

• What does it mean to abide in Christ, to remain
  in Him?
• What results do you see in this passage from a
  genuine relationship with Christ?
• Consider the following case study

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Case Study

• A young minister had completed his seminary
  training and was serving in his first full-time
  pastorate. This church was significantly larger
  than the two churches he had served as pastor
  during his student days. Nevertheless, the young
  minister was confident. He had received good
  training and believed that he had all the skills
  needed to lead a church effectively.

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Case Study

• Several months into his new pastorate, the young
  minister described his vision for the
  congregation. He presented a plan that was
  designed to result in a 50 increase in
  attendance during the next year. The pastor also
  appointed a long-range planning committee to
  study the needs for additional buildings.

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Case Study

• The pastors vision and plan met with little
  opposition, a fact that he interpreted as
  support. Nine months later, however, the
  expected attendance increase had not
  materialized attendance had, in fact, declined.
  The young minister became very discouraged and
  considered resigning from his position as pastor.

How might our passage be used to provide helpful
counsel to this young minister?
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Branches Must Stay Connected

• Why do some Christians (not only pastors) try to
  serve Christ depending only on their own
  resources and skills rather than depending on
  Christs power?
• What kind of fruitfulness does Jesus mean when He
  says, If a man remains in me and I in him, he
  will bear much fruit?

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Remain in the Gardners Love

• What kind of skill have you learned by watching
  someone else repeatedly perform the skill?
• How was this method of learning more effective
  than just reading a book about the skill?
• Listen for How Christ teaches us by His example.

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Listen for How Christ teaches us by His example.

• John 159-11 "As the Father has loved me, so have
  I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10 If you
  obey my commands, you will remain in my love,
  just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and
  remain in his love. 11 I have told you this so
  that my joy may be in you and that your joy may
  be complete.

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Remain in the Gardners Love

• How does Christ teach us by example?
• What evidence does Jesus mention about abiding in
  Christs love?
• When do you struggle with loving others the way
  Jesus has loved you?
• What is the connection between abiding in
  Christs love and obedience to Christ?

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Application

• Be aware of events in your life as part of God's
  pruning both good and bad events can be a
  part of that growing and improving process
• Look back over recent events
• How has God taught you things, drawn you closer
  to Him as a result of these pruning events?
• ? Thank Him for His loving shaping and molding of
  your life to be more like Him

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Application

• Ask God to show you ways in which you can be
  abiding in Him more
• Trust Him to produce fruit in your life
• Ask Him to make that fruit abundant

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Application

• List ways in which Christ has made your joy
  complete.
• provisions
• protection
• blessings
• relationships
• Thank God for the joy He gives

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How Does Your Garden Grow

• October 11