SESSION 6

OUR NEED FOR PURPOSE

54 SESSION 6

Homewor

k

Take out

trash

Soccer p

ractice

Youth gr

oup

Study fo

r test

When was a time that you

realized you were too busy?

How did you realize it?

BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 55

THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE“I’m just too busy.” We hear that a lot, don’t we? Some people say it with sighs, but they also have hints of pride in their voices. Being busy is like a badge of honor in our world. It can be a way to convince ourselves we are significant and important. We pack our schedules with AP courses, extracurricular activities, and events with our friends. Life is often overwhelming and busy, and this can present a problem.

Busyness does not equal productivity.

We cram our calendars full of activities and projects, but do we ever slow down long enough to ask ourselves what we’re really accomplishing? Too often we race through our busy lives, never living with purpose. We try to prepare for the next step, while rarely impacting the step we are currently on.

Ultimate purpose is never found in what we do. Purpose is more personal. Finding purpose is about knowing Christ and allowing Him to shape our lives. Meaningful, satisfying life comes from connecting to Jesus and allowing His life to flow through our own.

Jesus explained this practically, and He did it by talking about a vineyard.

THE POINT

Jesus empowers us to live productive lives for God.

56 SESSION 6

The Setting

The setting for this study is similar to that for the previous study—Jesus’ final night on earth relaying necessary truths to His as‑yet‑unsuspecting disciples—with two particular distinctions. It was now somewhat later in the evening, and the location had shifted out of the upper room (see 14:31). Perhaps Jesus and the disciples were making their way to the Mount of Olives and Gethsemane, perhaps they had already arrived, or perhaps they had stopped along the way.

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?John 15:1-81 “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vineyard keeper.

2 Every branch in Me that does not produce fruit He removes, and He prunes every branch that produces fruit so that it will produce more fruit.

3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.

4 Remain in Me, and I in you. Just as a branch is unable to produce fruit by itself unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in Me.

5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in Me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without Me.

6 If anyone does not remain in Me, he is thrown aside like a branch and he withers. They gather them, throw them into the fire, and they are burned.

7 If you remain in Me and My words remain in you, ask whatever you want and it will be done for you.

8 My Father is glorified by this: that you produce much fruit and prove to be My disciples.

BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 57

What does pruning look like

in our lives and how does it

make us more productive?

THE POINT Jesus empowers us to live productive lives for God.

JOHN 15:1-3Just hours before Jesus’ arrest and crucifixion, He taught that He is the source of life and purpose for all believers. He did this by telling a story with a very important meaning.

Y The Vine (Jesus): source of life and growth for every branch

Y The Branches (Believers): live and grow because they’re connected to the Vine

Y The Vineyard Keeper (God the Father): prunes and cares for every branch in the Vine

Y Fruit: clear evidence of a living and growing connection to Christ

What does spiritual fruit look like?

Y Some people equate fruit with the number of people you lead to faith in Jesus.

Y Some people identify fruit with acts of service you do in the name of Jesus.

Y Some people insist fruit is about developing the character of Christ.

Bearing fruit includes all three of those things: leading people to Jesus (John 4:36); serving them in Jesus’ name (Matt. 7:16-20); and developing the character of Christ (Gal. 5:22-23). As people see that our faith is genuine, consistent, and influential, spiritual fruit becomes visible.

God also prunes branches. Pruning applies to those with true evidence of their faith. God continually works to produce spiritual fruit in believers' lives and develop Christ’s character in them. Pruning can be painful at times, but it always shapes us to be more like Christ. Change that brings us closer to Christ is always for our good. We must always ask ourselves, Am I becoming more like Christ?

58 SESSION 6

What does remaining

in Christ mean in

your daily life?

JOHN 15:4-7Jesus uses the word remain in different forms 10 times in John 15:4-10. This word is important because we are dependent on Him to find life and purpose. Remain means to live or dwell within something. It carries the idea of personal, intimate residence, like a home. Jesus emphasized that His followers must remain in Him, and He in them. This relationship between Jesus and His followers can be difficult to express, but it is impossible to overstate. Jesus wants His followers to live in Him as closely as He lives in them.

Jesus said that when a branch does not remain in Him, it withers and will be tossed into the fire. When we do not abide in Christ, we are not living the life or purpose He created for us. If we want to live the life God designed us for, we must remain in Him.

As believers, we have incredible privileges, including unlimited access to God in prayer. Remaining in Jesus and His Word will transform our minds, hearts, and lives—along with our desires. Believers who remain in Jesus begin to pray about the things that are on God’s heart, because their hearts have been changed.

Y Humble yourself.

Y Reflect on God’s Word.

Y Consider what Jesus would pray in your situation.

Y Pray with boldness.

You’ll always receive God’s best answer for your good and His glory.

How can you apply these steps in your own life?

1. Humble Yourself:

2. Reflect on God's Word:

3. Consider what Jesus would pray in your situation:

4. Pray with Boldness:

BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 59

How does remaining in Christ

impact a believer's prayer life?

THE POINT Jesus empowers us to live productive lives for God.

JOHN 15:8Bringing glory to God is the goal for every believer. To make His name famous, we must put Him on display in our lives. We can glorify God in two ways:

1. We glorify God when we produce much fruit. When we lead people to Christ, serve Christ in each area of our lives, and experience heart change, people will notice. God gets the glory when we humbly acknowledge our inability to generate any of these things on our own.

2. We glorify God when we prove to be His disciples. No one can generate genuine life change on their own, and when others see that change in you, it points to God.

Busyness does not equal fruit. This is not to say that all activity is bad. The issue is not filling your schedule, but the reason behind your schedule.

Y A bad reason. It’s a mistake to fill our lives with religious activities because we think by doing so, we earn favor with God.

Y A good reason. Be secure in your relationship with God and serve Him simply out of gratefulness. Paul wrote, that no matter what we do or where we go, we are called to live for the glory of God (1 Cor. 10:31; Col. 3:17).

Action Point

You can probably guess that the quarterback has the highest paid position in the NFL, but you may not know that the second highest paid player is often the defensive end. It isn’t the first position that comes to mind when we think about fame and glory, but without a strong defensive end, a good team struggles. Purpose doesn’t always take the form that we expect it to, but every job and position has great value.

Y How has Jesus given you purpose in your life?

Purpose is found when you step off the treadmill of duty-bound religious busyness and get on the slow-but-sure track to bearing fruit for Christ. Commit yourself to Jesus, and ask for the grace and strength to glorify Him as you tackle your everyday life.

Y A life in Christ is a life with purpose.

Y When have you seen fruit in someone's life bring glory to God?

60 SESSION 6

"The Christian shoemaker does

his duty not by putting

little crosses on the shoes,

but by making good shoes,

because God is interested in

good craftsmanship."2

— M A R T I N LU T H E R

APPLY ITJesus is your source for purpose in life. Remain in Him and consider the following ways to bring glory to God:

Y Reflect: Think of a prayer you often pray that is motivated by a self-centered desire. Change your prayer to reflect how Jesus would pray in that situation.

Y Remember: How has God changed you or used you in a way beyond your capability? Write your answer down in a journal to remind yourself of God’s goodness so you will attempt great things for Him in the future.

Y Think: Look at your weekly schedule. Make sure you do every activity in Christ’s power and to glorify Him.

Fun Facts

A 2007 study showed that the average student spends 6.8 hours a week on homework.1

BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 61

LIVE IT OUT

WHO VS WHATColossians 3:17-25

When electronics, clothes, cars, or computer programs fail us, we become frustrated at the product and the company who made it. On the other hand, we applaud companies that produce really great and effective products. When Paul wrote to the Colossians, he wanted every believer to realize that their lives reflected what they believed about Christ. No person or job is too small to reflect God’s glory. Every life and life stage is incredibly valuable to God. Paul instructed the people to work for Christ and not for men. Christ doesn’t call us to be perfect; He calls us to give Him our best and let Him use us. Whether it is in school, at a job, with our chores, or in our sports, everything we do is a chance to reflect Christ. Remember, it’s not about what we do, it’s about who we serve. Below, write your three biggest responsibilities. How can you give your best to God in each area?

Y My Responsibilities:

Y My Reflection:

62 SESSION 6

DAILY READING

Y Day 1: John 18:21-40

Y Day 2: John 19:1-21

Y Day 3: John 19:22-42

Y Day 4: John 20:1-15

Y Day 5: John 20:16-31

Y Day 6: John 21:1-12

Y Day 7: John 21:13-25

BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 63

UNIT 1, SESSION 1

1. “Is the gift preferable to the Giver?” Great Quotes for Quoting [online],

[cited 16 July 2015]. Available from the Internet: https://thequotes.wordpress.

com/category/satisfaction-in-christ/

2. “The Straight Scoop on Ice Cream,” Icecream.com

[online], [cited 6 October 2015]. Available from the Internet:

www.icecream.com/icecreaminfo

3. “What can we learn from Jesus’ feeding of the 5,000?” gotquestions.

org [online], [cited 6 October 2015]. Available from the Internet: www.

gotquestions.org/feeding-the-5000.html

UNIT 1, SESSION 2

1. “Christ our Everlasting Light,” Great Quotes for Quoting [online], [cited

16 July 2015]. Available from the Internet: https://thequotes.wordpress.com/

category/satisfaction-in-christ/

2. “Uncover the Facts Behind Our Most Common Phobias,” In the

Nation [online], [cited 6 October 2015]. Available from the Internet:

www.inthenation.com/common-phobias-statistics/

UNIT 1, SESSION 3

1. “Leaning on God,” Great Quotes for Quoting [online], [cited 16 July 2015].

Available from the Internet: https://thequotes.wordpress.com/category/

satisfaction-in-christ/

2. Samuel Heenan, “30 interesting Facts About Pompeii and Mount

Vesuvius,” Around Rome Tours [online], 5 September 2014 [cited 6 October

2015]. Available from the Internet: ww.aroundrometours.com/30-interesting-

facts-about-pompeii-and-mount-vesuvius-art39-uid1.htm

3. “Sheep Facts,” Sheep Facts [online], [cited 6 October 2015]. Available from

the Internet: www.think-differently-about-sheep.com/Sheep%20_Facts.htm

UNIT 1, SESSION 4

1. “Hope Quotes,” Brainy Quote [online], [accessed 16 July 2015]. Available

from the Internet: ww. brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/r/rickwarren456861.

html?src=t_hope

2. “Baseball Opening Day Fun Facts,” History.com [online],

28 March 2011 [cited 6 October 2015]. Available from the Internet:

www.history.com/news/baseball-opening-day-fun-facts

UNIT 1, SESSION 5

1. “19 Beautiful Quotes about God’s Peace,” Christian Quotes [online],

[accessed 16 July 2015]. Available from the Internet: www.christianquotes.

info/top-quotes/19-beautiful-quotes-about-gods-peace/

2. Joy Lanzendorfer, “11 Facts About To Kill A Mockingbird,” Mental_Floss

[online], [cited 6 October 2015]. Available from the Internet: ttp://mentalfloss.

com/article/62868/11-facts-about-kill-mockingbird

3. “Key Statistics about Trust,” Franklin Convey [online], [cited 6 October

2015]. Available from the Internet: ww.speedoftrust.com/How-The-Speed-of-

Trust-works/Statistics

UNIT 1, SESSION 6

1. “Martin Luther > Quotes > Quotable Quote,” Goodreads [online],

[accessed 16 July 2015]. Available from the Internet: ww.goodreads.

com/quotes/924405-the-christian-shoemaker-does-his-duty-not-by-

putting-little.

2. “Youth Indicators 2011,” National Center for Education Statistics [online],

[cited 6 October 2015]. Available from the Internet: https://nces.ed.gov/

pubs2012/2012026/tables/table_35.asp

REFERENCES