LEADERS IN TRAINING: Abiding in the Vine Leader Guide Year Two Spring Session. Revised Copyright 2005, 2014 by Clint May

Transcription

1 TM n i g n Abidi the Vine YEAR TWO: SPRING SESSION LEADER GUIDE

2 Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishing. LEADERS IN TRAINING: Abiding in the Vine Leader Guide Year Two Spring Session Revised 2014 Copyright 2005, 2014 by Clint May Published by Leaders In Training 1211 Wade Hampton St. Benbrook, TX (817) Written by Clint May and Kevin Harris Edited by Amy McMullin Typesetting and layout by D awn Howland ( Initial design by Precision Creations ( All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission of Leaders In Training. Printed in the United States of America

3 table of contents welcome to Leaders In Training! Welcome to Leaders In Training!...3 Introduction: Abiding in the Vine...3 Developing a Christian Worldview...3 The Cross... 4 Disciple Group Information... 6 Orientation Information... 8 Weekly Memory Verses Week 1: The True Vine Week 2: Chosen to Bear Fruit Week 3: God s Discipline...20 Week 4: Fruit of the Spirit Week 5: The Holy Spirit and Love Week 6: The Holy Spirit and Joy Week 7: The Holy Spirit and Peace Week 8: The Holy Spirit and Patience...40 Week 9: The Holy Spirit and Kindness...44 Week 10: The Holy Spirit and Goodness...48 Week 11: The Holy Spirit and Faithfulness...52 Week 12: The Holy Spirit and Gentleness...56 Week 13: The Holy Spirit and Self-Control...60 Week 14: Abiding Faithfully...64 Week 15: Abiding Together...68 Week 16: Abiding in Grace Week 17: Abiding Humbly Week 18: Abiding Forever...80 Endnotes...84 Leaders In Training (L.I.T.) Disciple Group is a great time to get to know the children in your group and to build accountability. This resource is to help you have success as you plan your small group Bible study each week. The materials are very simple and should give you plenty to discuss and do during your Disciple Group time. The number one rule of teaching and being a discipler is surrender. Surrender to God for His filling. He will then empower you to model and exemplify Christ. He will also guide you as you lead your group in prayer and worship. Introduction: Abiding in the Vine For the next eighteen weeks, you will be helping the preteens in your Disciple Group discover the secrets of Abiding in the Vine. The Christian life does not stop at salvation; it has an invitation to join the Master in bearing fruit. Jesus said in John 10:10, The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. We want children to experience the abundant life that Christ describes. In order for them to do so, they must learn to abide in Him. They will learn that the true source of strength and power is Christ. Jesus said in John 15:1, I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. By helping the L.I.T.s discover this power source, they will experience the promised abundant life. Developing a Christian Worldview There are many beliefs in our world. These beliefs can be considered a person s worldview. A worldview is how a person determines what they believe about who they are as a person, their purpose for being here on Earth, what they believe to be truth, what they believe about family, and how they view the needs of the world around them. As Christians we look at things differently because we have a tool that guides us God s Word. On sunny days, some people wear sunglasses to filter out the sun s rays. They find it easier to see with sunglasses on bright days. As we live in the world, we need to have a filter to help us determine what is right and wrong. It is like putting on sunglasses to block out the sun. So the believer takes up the Bible to block out those views that do not line up with God s Word. Parents need to have a Christian worldview and instill in their child a biblical perspective of the world. Parent Talk: Developing a Christian Worldview is the Day 7 devotional for each week in the student devotional book. It is based on the admonition in Deuteronomy 6:6-7, These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. This section is designed to assist parents in helping their children apply what they are learning. 2 year two: spring session abiding in the vine 3

4 the cross Parts of The Cross ¾ The Center of The Cross Jesus Is Lord: Jesus Christ must be Lord of every area of the L.I.T.s lives. They will learn to allow Him to live His life through them. (Galatians 2:20) ¾ The Base of The Cross Read the Bible: In order to find God s will, they must read His Word daily. (Psalm 119:105) ¾ The Top of The Cross Talk With God: Prayer is the open invitation to spend time talking with God each day. The children can talk with Him anytime and anywhere. (Jeremiah 33:3) ¾ The Left Side of The Cross Tell Others: Jesus commands His followers to tell the world about His great love for them. The L.I.T.s will be challenged to share their faith daily. (Matthew 28:19-20) ¾ The Right Side of The Cross Gifts and Ministry: The Holy Spirit has given gifts to every child of God, and the children are to use these gifts to serve God in the church and in the world. (Ephesians 2:10) ¾ The Circle around The Cross Life of Obedience: The Lord Jesus calls believers to obey His leadership. In following the parts of The Cross, the L.I.T.s can accomplish His desires for their lives. The Cross will be your tool to help your Disciple Group stay on track with their walk with God. It is a formula for spiritual growth as you and your students learn to put it into practice. God has a plan for every person s life. He desires a relationship with us. He has made this relationship possible through Jesus Christ. Some of your students will have already made the discovery while others may not have. Your responsibility as their Disciple Group leader is to continue pointing students to Christ first, for salvation, and second, for them to experience the abundant life that Jesus promises (John 10:10). Salvation is key, and from that point the journey begins. Then we have to constantly remember we must live a life that is totally and completely dependent and surrendered to Him. From there, we find direction for our lives through His Word. God s Word always points to God and His purpose for our lives. His Word is the road map for our lives. His Word is the instruction manual by which we put our lives together. It is our light through a dark world bent on destroying our lives, and it is our handbook for discipling children. We teach them to look at life through biblical eyes. They must learn to face life with the instruction manual in front of them. As we submit our lives to Him, we can find His will for our lives through His Word. We have the wonderful invitation in Jeremiah 33:3, Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know. First John 5:14-15 says, This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us whatever we ask we know that we have what we asked of him. Therefore, we can come boldly before the Lord in submission to Him and He will answer our request. This is our personal relationship with Him. The vertical part of The Cross represents our relationship with God. Jesus said: Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment (Matthew 22:37-38). The second part of our relationship with God becomes horizontal. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments (Matthew 22:39-40). Looking at The Cross, we are called to Tell Others the wonderful Gospel message, and God has given us gifts for ministry. When we are doing all the parts of The Cross, we are living out a life of obedience to Christ. 4 year two: spring session abiding in the vine 5

5 Learning Objective disciple group The Learning Objective should be the desired outcome of each week s Disciple Group Bible study time. This is the objective for your group to achieve each week. Memory Verse The L.I.T.s are given a memory verse for each week. One of the most important parts of your group time is reviewing the memory verse. During Bible Study Review time, make sure the students have memorized their verse. It is also a good idea to review the past weeks verses so that the children can always keep them in their hearts and minds. information Each Disciple Group will be made up of three to five children. Before going to your small group, go through the materials and become familiar with your studies. The group study will complement what your L.I.T.s studied at home in their daily quiet times during the previous week. This Leader Guide is designed to provide you with Bible study aids and activities to help the students learn the biblical concepts you are teaching. You will most likely not have enough time to do everything presented here, so plan on using the materials that you believe will be most effective with your students. The following is a basic outline of each week s lesson: The Armor of God can be found in Ephesians 6: In order to teach your group the importance of the armor, each week have them all stand up before prayer time and go through the motions of putting on the armor. For example: Belt of truth Using their hands, have them pretend to put a belt around their waists. Breastplate of righteousness They can act like they are sliding it over their heads and strapping it on. Sandals of peace Have them sit down and put on their sandals. Complete the armor with the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit. Starting with prayer will help you and your students get focused and prepared for Disciple Group time. Bible Study Review This section provides the students with the opportunity to quote their memory verse for the week, recite previous weeks verses, and review the past week s devotionals that they did at home. The review questions are designed to evaluate learner comprehension. After asking these questions, you may find that your group lacks understanding in a particular area. If so, discuss the materials they did not understand. The Cross The Cross reminds the students each week of how we relate to God and to others in living a life of obedience to the Lord. This section will explain how The Cross applies to each week s lesson. Object Lessons and Learning Activity Some children are visual learners. The Object Lessons and Learning Activities are provided to further enhance learning and help give children a better grasp of biblical principles. The Learning Activities give preteens a hands-on activity that will reinforce the message of the lesson. For some studies there may be one or two Object Lessons, just a Learning Activity, or one of each. P.R.A.Y. The P.R.A.Y. acrostic is a reminder of how to pray daily and in small group time. You want to help children develop a daily prayer time beginning with praise and thanksgiving (P), followed by confession and repentance of sin (R). Teach your L.I.T.s to ask, or make their requests known to God (A). The most important part of the Christian life is SURRENDER, or yield (Y). This is key to their personal growth and gives them a daily reminder of who is in control. The best way to follow the acrostic in your prayer time is to read the prayer suggestion provided in this guide, then have one child begin the prayer, allowing everyone a chance to pray one after another. Lead the group in praise and thanksgiving, then move into confession of sin. Next, have them tell God their needs. End prayer time with them yielding and surrendering their lives to God. It is important for you to allow the Holy Spirit to guide each child as they pray. Leader Notes & L.I.T. Prayer Requests This section is provided as a place for you to write down any thoughts or ideas you may have as you study and prepare for Disciple Group time each week. You can also write down any prayer requests your L.I.T.s share with you when you make your weekly phone calls. Spiritual Preparation These are suggestions and ideas for you to pray and think about as you prepare for your Disciple Group. They will guide you in the direction of personal preparation and help you pray specifically for the children in your group. Opening Prayer Begin your Disciple Group time with prayer. Pray on the armor of God first because you have an enemy who wants to frustrate and hinder your Bible study time together. God has provided the armor for your protection. Biblical Explanation The Biblical Explanation will give you a brief interpretation of Scripture and further insights for your small group time. Bible Exploration The Bible Exploration section gives preteens an opportunity to search the Bible for additional passages that relate to the week s lesson and discuss their meaning. L.I.T. Challenge These challenges give the L.I.T.s a practical way to apply the lesson to their lives and encourage them to live it out when they leave Disciple Group. If the children do not understand how to apply the lesson to their daily lives, they will not have learned effectively. 6 year two: spring session abiding in the vine 7

6 orientation information Begin by welcoming the children in your group to Leaders In Training. (You can invite their parents to your first Disciple Group meeting so that they can learn about the L.I.T. devotional books and what is expected of their children during their devotional times.) This small group session will allow you to get acquainted with the children in your group. In addition, it will give you an opportunity to explain how the daily devotional works. Give each child a copy of the L.I.T. Year Two: Spring Session devotional book. Have them write their name in the front of their book then turn to the following pages to learn how to use their devotional book. Welcome to L.I.T. (page 5). Read the first two paragraphs on this page to help the L.I.T.s understand the importance of growing in their relationship with Jesus Christ and living in obedience to Him. Encourage your students to read the remaining information on the page at home before they begin their first devotional. (You will explain this information in more detail on the next page of this book.) How to Have a Quiet Time with God (page 11). Take your time explaining to the group how to spend time with the Lord. (When you get to numbers 8 and 9 in the list, be aware that we will be looking at a prayer for putting on the armor of God on page 7.) Armor of God Prayer (page 7). This prayer is written to help the L.I.T.s understand the symbolic meaning of each piece of armor and to pray for God to cover each area of their lives with His presence, His Word, His power, and His truth. It is very important that we put on God s spiritual protection daily because it gives us the ability to stand against the enemy s attacks. Encourage your students to put on the armor of God every day. Learning to Hear From God (page 6). Children often find it difficult to understand the different ways that God speaks to us. This section will help you explain the various ways that God reveals His message to us. Encourage them to listen carefully so that they will hear the voice of God in their lives. Prayer and Worship God Encounters (page 8). This section takes a look at Isaiah s experience when he went before the throne of God. It takes the parts of Isaiah s prayer and teaches us how to pray. Using the P.R.A.Y. acrostic, the L.I.T.s will learn how to start their prayer times with Praise and thanksgiving, move into a time of Repentance and confession of sin, Ask God to provide for their needs or the needs of others, and finally to Yield, or surrender, their lives to the Lord and His will for them. Take Up Your Cross Daily (page 9). The Cross is a visual representation of living the Christian life in obedience to Jesus Christ. We will be looking at The Cross repeatedly throughout this Bible study session. The students will become extremely familiar with its various parts, and you will want to encourage them to live out every part of The Cross. Weekly Memory Verses (pages 13-14). These are the weekly memory verses your preteens will be learning during the next eighteen weeks. The memory verse for each week is referenced with each day s devotional to remind the L.I.T.s to learn it (see Week 1, Sunday Journal on page 15 where it says MEMORIZE). Explain to your group that memorizing Scripture can be easy if they will start on the first day of the week instead of waiting until the last day to do it. Encourage them to begin by memorizing only three to five words the first day, then adding a few words each day after that until they have it down. Week 1, Day 1 (page 15). Daily Devotionals: This book is designed a bit differently from the previous L.I.T. devotional books. Each week, the students will have six daily devotionals to be done on Monday thru Saturday. Next to the word Day, they will write in the day of the week in which they complete each devotional (see page 16). Each devotional includes a Bible passage to look up and read followed by review questions. (It is recommended that students use the New International Version 1984 of the Bible.) For example, if your L.I.T. Disciple Group meets on Wednesday, the students will need to start the first devotional page of the week on Thursday (page 16 for Week 1). Do page 17 on Friday and page 18 on Saturday. Then, on Sunday, go back to page 15, and on Monday, go to the devotional on page 19. Tuesday will be page 20, and Wednesday will be the Parent Talk on page 21. That will complete Week 1. If your Disciple Group meets on Sunday, the L.I.T.s will start the first devotional page of the week on Monday (page 16 for Week 1). They will do each page after that in order until they have completed the Parent Talk on page 21 on Saturday. Then, on Sunday, go back to page 15 to complete Week 1. SOAP Acrostic: In one devotional each week, the students will use the SOAP acrostic as they read and answer questions (see page 17). This acrostic has them write down a verse or part of a verse from their reading that especially spoke to them, then write what they believe God is saying to them through that verse. Next, they will write how the verse applies to them today, and finally, they can write out a prayer for that day. Focus on the Memory Verse: One day each week will be purely devoted to the memory verse (see page 18). On this day, the students will meditate on the memory verse and practice learning it. There will also be a section for journaling related to the memory verse. Sunday Journal: There is no devotional for Sunday; however, the L.I.T.s will fill in the Sunday Journal note-taking page (see page 15) that day as they listen to the pastor s sermon or their Bible study lesson at church. Memory Verse and Prayer: The students need to work on memorizing their weekly memory verse and pray on the armor of God each day. The student devotional book does not include a Prayer Journal because each day, the preteens will be instructed to write out a prayer in relation to the daily lesson. They may also write down their prayer requests as well. Parent Talk: Developing a Christian Worldview: One day each week, a parent needs to sit down with their child and read through the Parent Talk section together (see page 21) and discuss the devotionals for that week. The L.I.T. will need to quote the memory verse to their parent, answer review questions, and pray with their parents. After completing the Parent Talk section each week, parents are encouraged to put their initials in the box on that page to indicate that this section was completed with a parent. The L.I.T.s will earn a token each week if their Parent Talk section is signed by the parent. (Parents should be shown page 10 in the devotional books where they can read about the Parent Talk sections.) Emphasize to your students that the daily devotionals are to be done daily! The goal is to get into the habit of spending time in God s Word and praying every single day. Encourage the students not to get behind because it will be very difficult to catch up. Incentive Page (pages 2-3). The Incentive Page is designed to reward the students for completing all of their devotionals each week, learning their weekly memory verses, exhibiting good behavior during Disciple Group meetings, and doing the Parent Talk section with a parent each week. The L.I.T.s will receive a sticker for each of the four categories already mentioned if completed each week. Their goal is to get as many stickers as possible by the end of eighteen weeks. At the end of the session, they will be rewarded the number of tokens as the number of stickers they received during the session. If your church provides prizes, the L.I.T.s will be able to use the tokens to purchase fun items that will be made available to them at that time. 8 year two: spring session abiding in the vine 9

7 weekly Week One I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener I am the vine; you are the branches. (John 15:1, 5a) Week Two Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. (John 15:4a) Week Three This is to my Father s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. (John 15:8) Week Four But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23a memory verses The following are the weekly memory verses that the L.I.T.s will be learning. It is important that you also learn the memory verses. As a leader, you will want to be an example for your students, so you should be faithful in Scripture memory as well. Week Seven Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. (Romans 5:1) Week Eight A patient man has great understanding, but a quicktempered man displays folly. (Proverbs 14:29) Week Nine Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else. (1 Thessalonians 5:15) Week Ten For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light. (Ephesians 5:8) Week Twelve I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. (Ephesians 4:1b-2) Week Thirteen Like a city whose walls are broken down is a man who lacks self-control. (Proverbs 25:28) Week Fourteen Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth. (Psalm 46:10) Week Fifteen It was he who gave some to be apostles...to prepare God s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up. (Ephesians 4:11-12) Week Sixteen If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9) Week Seventeen He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way. (Psalm 25:9) Week Eighteen How great are his signs, how mighty his wonders! His kingdom is an eternal kingdom. (Daniel 4:3a) Week Five Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. (John 15:13) Week Six The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart. (Psalm 19:8a) Week Eleven Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. (Proverbs 3:3) 10 year two: Spring session abiding in the vine 11

8 Learning Objective The L.I.T.s will understand that Jesus Christ is their Source of supernatural power for bearing fruit for God. Memory Verse I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener I am the vine; you are the branches. (John 15:1, 5a) Spiritual Preparation Call the L.I.T.s in your group, and ask them if they have any specific prayer needs. Pray for each of them by name. Pray for the preteens to understand God s role in creating them and helping them grow. Pray that they would trust Him to prune them so that they would become stronger in their faith. Ask the Lord to begin a work in the hearts of the students in your group. Pray that God would help you be sensitive to His leading and help you overcome any sin and other things that cause you to disconnect from Him. WEEK 1 The True Vine Opening Prayer 1. Begin your Disciple Group meeting with a time of prayer. 2. Have your L.I.T.s pray on the armor of God piece-by-piece. (Remind them of the importance of praying on the armor every day during their daily quiet time.) 3. Ask the students in your group to share their prayer requests and praises. Remember to pray for friends and family members who may be lost. Pray for the L.I.T.s to have the courage to share their faith each day this week. 4. End the prayer time by asking the Lord to help the L.I.T.s listen and learn during Disciple Group today. Biblical Explanation Jesus said, I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener [or vinedresser] (John 15:1). Jesus is the Source of all strength and power in the Christian faith. Children must learn to abide in Him and live a life that gives Him glory. Jesus gives a wonderful picture of how to abide in Him. He uses a simple grapevine to illustrate an amazing biblical truth. When Jesus says vine, He is referring to the trunk of the plant that grows from the ground. A typical vine grows to about four feet high. 1 From the vine, the branches grow in different directions. David Brown explains, The spiritual oneness of Christ and His people, and His relation to them as the Source of all their spiritual life and fruitfulness, are here beautifully set forth by a figure familiar to Jewish ears. 2 Isaiah 5:1 says, I will sing for the one I love a song about his vineyard: My loved one had a vineyard on a fertile hillside. Jesus is the Source of all fruit in the Christian faith. Spiritual fruit can be shown in many ways; it does not always mean leading others to Christ. In Galatians 5:22-23a, Paul describes the fruit of the Spirit as follows: But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and selfcontrol. Spiritual fruit has eternal value because it lasts forever. The believer will receive eternal rewards for what they produce for God here on Earth. Spiritual fruit that is pleasing to God is that which brings glory to Him. Jesus is the Vine, and God is the Gardener. God is the great Caretaker of the vineyard. He is the one who tends to the branches so they will produce maximum fruit. 3 He prunes away the bad so that new growth will produce greater fruit. Warren Wiersbe says, The vinedresser is in charge of caring for the vines, and Jesus said that this is the work of His Father. It is He who purges or prunes the branches so they will produce more fruit. 4 There is a progression of growth in the believer s life that God works on going from no fruit, to fruit, to more fruit (John 15:2). It is God who works in the life of the believer to trim and prune in order to produce more fruit. Bible Exploration Ask several L.I.T.s in your group to look up the following verses and answer the questions: Mark 4:4, 15 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. How can a hard path be made useful for planting and growing seeds? (It needs to be plowed up and softened.) How does God soften your heart sometimes to hear and believe His Word? (When bad things happen to you, you may begin to see your need for God and become open to hear Him.) Mark 4:5, Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow...others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. But, since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. Why does no root develop in rocky soil people? (There is not much soft soil above the hard rock.) Why do you suppose that rocky soil people receive the Word with joy? (The soil is fertile and ready for something good to grow, but there is just not much of it.) Mark 4:7, Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. Why was there no room for the good seed to grow in the soil in verse 7? (There were so many weeds and thorns that it did not have a healthy place to grow.) If a person in the weedy, thorny soil is going to produce good fruit, what must happen in their life? (They have to get rid of the weeds and thorns so there is more room for good.) Mark 4:8, 20 Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, multiplying thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop thirty, sixty or even a hundred times what was sown. Did the good crop cause itself to grow? (No, it had to be planted in good soil by a gardener.) Will the good crop continue to be good if it is left alone? (No, the gardener has to continue to remove the weeds and thorns and provide what the plant needs to grow.) The Cross Explain the importance of The Cross: ¾ The center of The Cross is Jesus Is Lord. When Jesus is Lord of your life, you will be able to accept the pruning that He does in you that allows Him to produce spiritual fruit. ¾ The base of The Cross is Read the Bible. Read the Word of God so that you will learn more of who God is and trust His character when things in your life do not go as you plan. ¾ The top of The Cross is Talk with God. When you talk with God and yield your will to His, He will tell you the things that He has in store for you and lead you to follow Him. ¾ The left side of The Cross is Tell Others. You will produce fruit that lasts for eternity when you tell others of the love of God and what Jesus has done for you. ¾ The right side of The Cross is Gifts and Ministry. As you use your gifts in ministry to honor God, you will begin to see His perfect plan for your life and bring glory to Him. ¾ The circle that goes around The Cross represents a Life of Obedience. When you follow God and spend time with Him daily allowing Him to grow you as a disciple, you will live a life of obedience, which will bring you joy and bring glory to Jesus Christ. 12 year two: spring session week 1 the true vine 13

9 NOTES Bible Study Review 1. Have the L.I.T.s in your group recite this past week s memory verse and explain what this verse means to them. 2. Have the students open their books to page 15. Go through the Week 1 materials with them day-by-day, and discuss their answers. Allow them to discuss their thoughts about what they have learned. 3. Ask the L.I.T.s how they can apply what they have learned to their lives. 4. Ask the following review questions: Who is the Vine? What does it mean to abide in Jesus? Who is the Gardener? What does the Gardener do? What is spiritual fruit? How do we produce spiritual fruit? Leader Notes & L.I.T. Prayer Requests P.R.A.Y. Close your Disciple Group meeting with a time of prayer. Pray through the P.R.A.Y. acrostic. Remind the children that when they come to Yield and Surrender, the key to victory is giving their lives to Christ in total dependence on Him. Object Lessons 1. Take a cluster of grapes with you to Disciple Group. Ask: What are these? How do they taste? Grapes are sweet and juicy. They are great to taste. Give each child some of the grapes to eat. Explain: As a Christian, you are called to bear spiritual fruit for God. Spiritual fruit is the kind of fruit that brings glory to God. Spiritual fruit not only involves leading someone to Christ, but it also includes every thought, word, and action in your life that brings glory to God. Read Galatians 5:22-23a. 2. Hold up a single grape. Ask: Without the vine, how long will this grape stay fresh? Not very long! Can a grape grow if it is not attached to the vine? Why not? Neither can you grow and produce fruit for God unless you are totally dependent on Jesus. You must abide in Him every moment of every day. L.I.T. Challenge Challenge your L.I.T.s this week to spend time with God and with their parents developing spiritual goals for this semester. As they are discussing and praying about their goals, encourage them to consider setting goals such as sharing the Gospel and their testimony with others, having a good attitude toward others, overcoming sin, using their spiritual gifts, finding ministry opportunities in which to participate, and setting priorities that glorify God. Challenge them to be intentional about sharing Christ and letting God direct their decisions. P Praise and thanksgiving Praise God that He is both allknowing and perfect in loving you, which means that you can trust Him when His plans are not the same as your plans. R Repent and confess Confess to God times when you have been stubborn or rebellious instead of obedient to Him, accept His forgiveness, and allow Him to make you more like Jesus. A Ask Ask God to help you hear when He is speaking to you and to help you accept His discipline when He works to make you more Christ-like. Y Yield and surrender Give God your plans, talents, and time, and ask Him to make what matters to Him be the things that matter the most to you. You, as the leader, should close the prayer time to bring focus and a good ending to your time of prayer. 14 year two: spring session week 1 the true vine 15