Hands-On Faith for Families – Week of July 24, 2023
Theme: Connect to Christ through the Church
The Church as Branches on the Vine of Jesus Christ
Scripture: I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in Me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. (John 15:5 ESV)
Play: Have each person write or draw as many different types of fruit as he can in one minute. When done, cross off any fruit that is common (more than one person has it). See who came up with the most fruit that no one else mentioned. Then do the same for the parts of trees and finally for types of vines.
Talk: God made every part of a tree for a purpose. The trunk brings food from the roots to the rest of the tree and supports the branches and fruit. Without the trunk, branches have no food and they die. Grape vines are similar to trunks. In John 15:5, Jesus says that He is the Vine and we who believe in Him are the branches. We can’t do anything without Him. Just like branches on trees, when we stay attached to Jesus, we have what we need to live, grow and bear fruit. This doesn’t mean we’ll grow peaches on our arms. It means when we follow Jesus, our lives develop good attitudes and actions. What kind of fruit have you shown with your words and actions this week?
Pray: Ask God to help you stay attached to Jesus, the Vine, and bear fruit that will last.
— Christine St. Jacques
Copyright © 2013 by Focus on the Family. www.focusonthefamily.com
