INTRODUCTION

We live in an age with no shortage of entertainment or content to fill our minds. From binge-watching shows on Netflix to doomscrolling Instagram reels and TikTok videos, it is easy to get sucked into spending hours absorbing all sorts of content. But the paradox of all that entertainment at our fingertips is that we end up overstimulated and under-fulfilled. Only when we learn what dependence in Christ truly means can we find joy. 

DISCUSSION

1. Read John 15:1-17. Jesus elaborates about being the true vine and His Father as the vinedresser. Abide in Him and bear much fruit. To abide is to remain in Him and to stay connected to the vine.

    

   a. What are some signs that a person is truly abiding in Christ?

   b. In what ways do we sometimes try to “produce fruit” without staying connected to the vine?

2. God is our source, not just our resource.  We often approach God with our laundry list of requests, with the attitude that we can pick and choose what we want from a vending machine or rely on Him as our spare tyre when we run a flat. We approach Him for an extra boost of energy to last through the week, or we use Him like a painkiller to get us through life’s challenges. But when God is our source, there is an overflowing life-giving power in our lives that is far more lasting than a resource.

   a. Which image in this paragraph (vending machine, spare tyre, energy boost, painkiller) resonates with you most and why? What areas of your life are you most tempted to keep self-sufficient rather than God-dependent?

   b. How might seeing God as our source change how we view our time, energy, work, and relationships?

3. In John 15:4, there is a promise that when we remain in Him, He promises to remain in us. He is the vine, and we are the branches. When we remain in Him, we feel His delight over us. In Zephaniah 3:17, we are reminded that God rejoices over us with singing. And beyond the love and delight that God gives, we are called to be conduits, connected to God as our source and overflowing as a result. Our role is to be the delivery system of joy.

   a. How might knowing that God delights in us change our prayer life or how we read scripture?

   b. What does it mean that our role is not to manufacture joy but to deliver joy to the world around us?

    

4. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.” John 15:11. In this verse, Jesus highlights that it is not just any joy that completes us, but His joy that truly fulfils. This joy is not meant just for us to keep, but to flow through us like a conduit to others.

    

   a. Can you share a time when something that promised joy left you empty? How different was that joy compared to the joy of the Lord?

   b. Joy brings about endurance and resilience, regardless of circumstances. Do you agree? Why?

5. Review Luke 19:1-10. Zacchaeus encountered Jesus, and his life changed dramatically. Previously shunned and hated by others, he experienced the love and acceptance of Jesus. Mere head knowledge of the love of God is not enough to produce enduring change. Experiencing His love in a deep and personal way heals all our brokenness, completes our joy, and allows that joy to overflow to the people around us.

   a. Reflect on the times you experienced the love of God. How have your experiences changed how you love, serve and respond to others?

   b. What would our communities look like if we were all filled with the joy of the Lord and we started living as conduits of His love and delight? 

WHAT WILL YOU DO

System Reboot:
See God’s face delighting over you. 
Say this prayer daily: Lord you are with me, You are Mighty to save. You rejoice over me 
Stay in that for 30 sec

Practice daily: 
CTRL: Control: God, I give you control 
ALT: Appreciate (recall one good thing) 
DEL: Delight (stay in that memory) 

Create a “Joy Cloud” backup and be a conduit of that joy today.

MEMORY VERSE

“I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.” – John 15:11