Theme:
The Word
Title:
To plant the seed of life, not death
Desired Outcomes:
The aim of this uGroup is for members to understand that whatever seed they plant in their hearts will grow willingly or unwillingly and ultimately manifest itself in his or her life. Therefore, it is important to evaluate the seed before it is planted.
Core Scriptures:
- Proverbs 18:20-21
- Genesis 3:10
- John 10:10
Welcome:
Any fun and welcoming Icebreaker that gets the members moving, on their feet, where all the members can participate in. If there are new members be careful not to create a space where they feel exposed or uncomfortable.
Word:
Introduce the message by asking the following questions:
- What does life mean to you (what does it mean living life)?
- What does abundance mean to you?
In reply the leader can respond to the questions by explaining that Jesus is life (John 14:6) and through His blood He gave us life instead of death which we deserved. Also, whereas Jesus gives life, the devil (sin/flesh/world) takes life – wears you down, tires you out).
The second question’s answer is a combination of things, one of which is, when you bear good fruit e.g. fruit of the spirit, you step into a kingdom lifestyle which results in abundance.
Form a background on life and death to an emphasis on importance.
In Genesis 3:10 we find the first mention of fruit connected with life and death. God gave life to Adam and Eve, then He gave them good fruit to eat, to sustain life. The enemy in turn presented death to them but disguised it as good fruit. The fruit they ate planted a seed of death. A natural question from this is: so, what fruit are you eating, and who’s fruit is it?
Read Proverbs 18:20-21:
These verses clearly state that with the life that Jesus gave us He gave us authority over life and death and that we are not subjected to death anymore.
One can explain at this point, that with the authority given to us by Jesus, that we are now the distributors of the fruit, through our words. It is also important to understand that we ourselves and others will eat of the fruit we sow.
Reproduce after the seed one consumes. Proverbs 18:20 states that the fruit we eat shall satisfy our belly. This fruit is the words, conversations, advice and council we consume daily. The fruit that is consumed leaves behind a seed to grow and eventually bear new fruit. This fruit can then turn into life and flow like living waters (John 7:38), or it can lead to death. It is therefore, important to consider the words you eat, and distribute (Mat. 12:36).
The aim is to be able to discern which fruit (words) is good for eating and which contain a seed of dishonor, deceit of falsehoods. Eliminate those words that plant bad seed into your life and attain onto wise council (Pro 1:5).
Consider going into more depth concerning relationships and their influences.
Consider explaining in more depth the fruit of the Spirit.
Consider a “Fruit of the spirit” theme and working through the different fruits over the next 2-3 weeks.