I. What do I believe about what My Life should “Produce” For God?
a. What have I accomplished in my life so far that might be eternally important from God’s point of view?
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A Life Harvest Inventory
1 = Strongly Disagree
2 = Slightly Disagree
3 = Unsure
4 = Agree
5 = Strongly Agree
___ Accepting Christ is just the beginning of God’s plans for my life.
___ God wants my life to add up to a significant harvest for His Kingdom.
___ God wants me to know what He expects from my life and to understand hoe to cooperate with Him every day.
___ Trying hard to stay busy & productive doesn’t guarantee that I’m pleasing God or that I’m doing what really counts for eternity.
___ God wants me to live up to my potential life harvest so much that He will intervene in my life to help me produce a big crop.
_________ What is your Score
II. What is God’s Vineyard & What does it mean for Me? John 15: 1-8
· The Vine is _____________________________ (v.1)
In the vineyard, the vine is the main stem or trunk that grows up out of the ground
· The Vinedresser is God the _____________________ (v.1)
A vinedresser cares for each branch in such a way that it produces the mist grapes possible
· The Branch is a ______________________(v. 5)
The branch grows out from the vine & produces leaves, shoots, & fruit
· The Fruit doesn’t grow in the vine, but on the ____________________ (vv. 2, 5)
A large harvest of fruit is the desired result from a well-tended vineyard.
Jesus, the vine. Jesus was born to human parents but He along with the Father & Holy Spirit is God. He is God the Son.
a. Jesus is the _____________. The _________________ of God (John 20:30-31)
b. Jesus died for our _________, & after 3 days He ________ from the dead (1 Corinthians 15:3-4)
c. Whoever ______________ in Jesus Christ receives the forgiveness of sins & the gift of eternal life (John 3:16; 20:31)
The Father, The Vinedresser. God the Father is the unseen King of heaven. Along with the Son & the Holy Sprit, He is God.
a. God the father is the source of _________________________ (John 5:21)
b. God is the ____________ of our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:3)
c. The Father is called the God of all ________________ (2 Cor 1:3-4) an the source of every _____________ & _______________ gift (James 1:17)
The Christian, The “Branch in Me.” A branch in Christ is a person who has received the gift of salvation through faith in Christ (John 15:2,5)
a. Early Christians identified one another as who were __________ Christ Jesus (1Peter 5:14)
b. There is no condemnation to those who are _____ Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1)
c. A person “in Christ” is a __________ creation (2 Cor 5:17)
III. What Qualifies as Fruit?
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IV. How Important is it for ME to Bear Fruit?
The “Grape Commission”
Read John 15:16
Notice how Jesus describes His Followers?
Take the key actins words & personalize them
a. I am _________________ & I am _____________________
b. God wants me to ________________ & ________________
Read Ephesians 2:10
I am God’s _________________, _______________ in Christ Jesus for good works
God has prepared these works ________________ so I can accomplish them.
V. How much fruit does God want or expect?
In John 15, Jesus reveals 4 levels of fruit bearing:
LEVEL 1 No Fruit
LEVEL 2 Fruit
LEVEL 3 More Fruit
LEVEL 4 Much Fruit
1. Clearly, God wants more fruit, not less from us. Look at verse 8
“By this My Father is glorified, that you bear ________________ ______________”
In fact, only for the category “much fruit” does Jesus emphasize the God receives glory.
If Jesus sat down today to talk with you about the quantity and quality of fruit in yor life, what do you think he would say?
VI. What can I learn from a Bible Character about Fruitfulness?
1. Peter was a fisherman from the lakeside town of Bethsaida. One day Jesus showed God’s power to Peter and his fishing partners. After He told the men where to fish, the caught such a ____________ of fish that their __________ began to break (Luke 4:19)
2. Then Jesus invited the men to do more than just make a living: “ Follow Me, and I will make you _________________ of _____________” (Matthew 4:19)
3. Even though Peter had been personally taught & discipled by Jesus (Matthew 10:1), he sinned under pressure
Read Luke 22:56-62 What did he do?
4. Later, Jesus asked Peter, “Do you love Me?” (John 21:15-17) each time Peter said yes, Jesus told him to care for His sheep. Jesus wanted Peter to realize that if he truly loved Him, Peter would do what Jesus had appointed him to do. Have you ever consciously measured your love for God by what you are willing to for Him?
5. In Acts, Peter became the first leader of the church. God worked through him to bring an abundant harvest for eternity. List some fruits you can find in his ministry.
Acts 2:38-41 Acts 3:1-8 Acts 4: 8-13
Acts 5: 14-16 Acts 10: 34-48
6. Years later, Peter urged believers to live in such a way that nonbelievers might “by your good ______________ which they observe, __________________ God (I Peter 2: 11-12)
“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:16
VII. What can Keep me from a Fruitful Life?
Exchanging Barren for Abundant
Too Ordinary I’m not gifted, so how can God expect my life to produce eternal results?
1 Corinthians 12:7,11/Ephesians 2:10/1 Peter 4:10-11
Too Busy I don’t have time to bear fruit for God
Luke 12:22-31/1 Timothy 4:8
Too Discouraged Every time I try I fall on my face. I don’t want to try again.
Romans 15:13/2 Cor 12:9-10/Galatians 6:7-10/James 5:7
Too Indifferent Seems like fruitfulness matters just for religious professionals like pastors & missionaries and that is not me. 1 Tim 6:18-19/Hebrews 10:23-25/1 Peter 2:9
To Inexperienced I want to do great things for God but I don’t have the background or training
Zechariah 4:6/ I Corinthians 1:20-31/1 Tim 4:12-16
