Ready for Impact (10 minutes)
Take time to welcome any newcomers and catch up on the past week (over drinks or snacks if possible). Then ask people to:
- Tell the story of a time you were specially chosen for a role. How did you feel to be asked to do this role? (It could be at school, university, in a sports team or elsewhere).
Over this term, we’re exploring eight of Jesus’ claims starting, each with the words ‘I am.’ Not only will this help us understand Jesus better, but we’ll come to understand ourselves better too.
Ask for a volunteer to read John 15:1-11. Then pray a short prayer asking that, however much group members have previously come to know God, they’d know him better as a result of your time together.
Watch
Download this video to watch offline or read the transcript here.
Impacted by the Word (20 minutes)
The prophet Isaiah wrote his message more than six hundred years before Jesus. His words provide the background to Jesus’ claim to be the true vine.
- Read Isaiah 5:1-7. What does this passage tell us about God’s hope for his people?
How did God’s people continually fall to meet this expectation? - Now read Isaiah 27:2-6. Isaiah predicts how things will be different in the future.
What’s different about this vine from the first one?
Back in John 15, Jesus picks up Isaiah’s imagery of the vine.
- How do Isaiah’s prophecies help us understand Jesus’ claim to be the true vine? (verses1-2)
- Instead of commanding the disciples to bear fruit, why is Jesus’ only command ‘remain in me’? (verse 4)
- What do you think it means to ‘remain’ in Jesus? (see verses 4, 7, 9-11)
- Some people think the ‘fruit’ Jesus speaks about refers to new Christians. But branches produce grapes, not other branches! What else could ‘fruit’ possibly refer to?
- OPTIONAL: God the Father’s work as gardener is to ‘cut off every branch… that bears no fruit’ (verse 2). What do you think this means? Have you ever known a time of pruning?
- If a Christian doesn’t think they’re bearing fruit, what do you think Jesus would say to them?
Throughout the Old Testament, God’s people are described as a ‘vine’ (see, for example, Psalm 80:8-19, Isaiah 5:1-7 and Jeremiah 2:21). Knowing the touch of God the gardener, God’s design was that his people would be ‘fruitful’ for him in his world. Israel were to show the nations the celebration, joy and abundance that come through relationship with the Living God. Yet, in each of the references above, the people are depicted as fruitless, unfaithful and facing God’s judgement.
In a couple of key passages (such as Psalm 80:17-18 and Isaiah 27:2-6), the writers look forward to when the vine will be fruitful.
In claiming to be the true vine, Jesus identifies himself as the true fruitful Israel. He, at last, is a sprawling grapevine, fruitful in a way that God’s people have always failed to be. In turn, others can only be part of God’s true fruitful people through being joined to Jesus. God sent Jesus to connect dead branches to him – and to know life.
Impacting Our Hearts (10 minutes)
Discuss together:
- What do you do to maintain important relationships in your life? How does this help us think practically about how we remain in Jesus?
Some Christians find certain rhythms or habits helpful for consciously ‘remaining’ in Jesus.
- Ask group members to describe what they find helpful.
(You might think about patterns of reading the Bible, praying, Christian community etc.)
Picture yourselves as healthy branches, bearing rich fruit. Use this image to focus your prayers for each other. Ask God to help you to become the people he wants you to be.
If you’re able to sing in your group time, there are plenty of songs that will help you go deeper into Jesus’ commission for us to honour God and offer hope in his world, including: Build Your Kingdom Here; Christ Be Magnified and I Surrender All.
Impacting the University (15 minutes)
Christmas is coming! This is a wonderful time for our friends to hear for themselves about what Jesus came to earth to do. So how might we share something of the fruit giving Vine this season?
Share what your CU already has planned for Christmas. Then arrange to do something extra as an Impact Group. Here are some ideas:
- Christmas competition – Each Impact Group member takes a photo of a house, flat or window they have decorated with friends. Then, gather together over party food, awarding a prize to the team with the best decorations. Someone could share the difference knowing Jesus makes to them at Christmas. Or simply invite everyone along to the CU carol service!
- Christmas pick and mix – Gather as an Impact Group with friends for a Christmas party. Think buffet party food! Ask everyone attending to bring something that symbolises what Christmas means to them. As you eat, share what makes Christmas special to each of you. Again, an invite to the CU carol service is a must!
- Christmas feast – Cook Christmas dinner between you, and invite friends to join you. Between the main course and dessert, share a video to aid discussion on the message of Christmas, and let the discussion flow!
(If you aren’t using this material at Christmastime, consider creative ways you could adapt the above ideas for your time of year).
Chat about next steps: when to hold your event, who to invite and the resources you’ll need. Then pray together for the plans you’ve made and pray by name for those you’d love to come and be connected to Jesus.
Wrap-up – think TACOS 🌮
Thank You – Thank everyone for coming, and ask someone to thank God for your time together in prayer.
Ask – Ask those who are new to reading the Bible if they’d like to explore Uncover, a set of sessions in Mark’s Gospel, allowing them to investigate one of the earliest accounts of Jesus’ life alongside one of you.
Church and CU – What does the CU have planned ahead? And what help would group members value in finding a local church?
Others – Who else could you invite to join your CU Impact Group next week? These friends don’t need to be followers of Jesus and may really appreciate being invited.
See You Soon – Tell the group where and when you’ll meet next week, and arrange who will bring snacks. (You might like to alternate healthy and less healthy weeks!). See if anyone would be up for sharing a meal or just hanging out in the meantime!