PASSAGE SUMMARY

In John 15, Jesus uses the image of the vine and branches to show what it means for God to make His home in us. “I am the true vine,” He says, revealing that life, identity, and fruitfulness come only through remaining connected to Him. When God makes His home in a believer, that person no longer needs to draw from the shallow wells of self-reliance or cultural affirmation, but can live from the deep, sustaining life of Christ. The Father, as the Gardener, lovingly prunes His people, removing what hinders growth and refining them to reflect the likeness of Jesus more fully. God’s indwelling presence is not abstract—it produces real, visible change.

Abiding in Jesus means staying intimately connected to Him, and this happens through a life lived in the Spirit. Jesus promises not only to remain with His disciples but to live in them through the Spirit (cf. John 14:17). The Spirit brings the presence of Christ into the hearts of believers, teaching them, empowering them, and making Jesus’ words alive within them. This spiritual union is not passive—it leads to fruitful living: joy, obedience, love, and endurance. God’s home in us is shown in how we live, what we desire, and how we love—not by human effort but by the Spirit’s power working through our ongoing surrender.

But a life shaped by God’s presence will not always be welcomed by the world. Jesus is clear: “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.” When God makes His home in us, our lives begin to reflect His truth, and truth often offends. The same world that rejected and crucified Jesus will resist those who bear His name and character. Yet this opposition is not evidence of failure but of faithful witness. The Spirit equips us not only to bear fruit but to endure hatred with grace. Through the Spirit, we respond not with fear or bitterness, but with Christlike courage and love.

That love becomes the defining mark of those in whom God dwells. “Love one another as I have loved you,” Jesus commands. When the Spirit lives in us, we become people who imitate Jesus’ sacrificial love—even toward those who misunderstand or mistreat us. Our love becomes a testimony of the indwelling Christ. Jesus no longer calls His disciples servants, but friends, sharing His life and mission with them. This intimate relationship, made possible by the Spirit, draws us into deeper obedience not out of duty but from joy and communion with the One who laid down His life for us.

To have God make His home in you is to live in step with the Spirit, anchored in Christ, and shaped by love—even in a world that rejects Him. It’s a life of dependence, pruning, and power—a life that bears lasting fruit. It’s also a life that faces resistance, because light challenges darkness. But in that tension, Jesus is not absent. Through the Spirit, He remains in us, and we in Him. And in that abiding fellowship, we live as branches on the true vine—growing, bearing fruit, and glorifying the Father, even as we walk a path that leads through both joy and rejection.

PERSONAL REFLECTIONS

1. What does it look like when God makes his home in you? 
2. How does this impact how you think of life in the Spirit?
3. What specific step can you take this week to live out the reality of what you have heard?

*We are a church located in Greenville, South Carolina. Our vision is to see God transform us into a community of grace, passionately pursuing life and mission with Jesus.

SUGGESTED COMMUNITY DISCUSSION GUIDE

Remember, these are “suggested” questions. You do not have to go through every single one of them. No matter which campus you attend, these questions will help open up a discussion in your group.

Opening Prayer: Pause for a moment, then open by praising God for the life that you now have in the Spirit. Give him thanks for calling you to himself and ask him to use your time together to make you more like Jesus. 

Read the Passage: Take time to read John 15.

Discuss:

1. How has it been challenging to live in the Spirit this week? 
2. When do you find you depend on the Spirit most frequently? 
3. How does John 14 (the coming of the Spirit) impact how we are to understand Chapter 15 (abiding/persecution)? 
4. What does it mean for God to "make His home" in you?
5. Does your lifestyle reflect a life of one in whom God has made his home? 
6. What does Jesus’ command to “love one another as I have loved you” practically look like in your current relationships with people that you love and people that are more difficult for you to love?
7. How does what you heard shape how you understand life in the Spirit? 
8. Who is someone that is hard for you to love, and what does it look like to love them as Jesus has loved us? 
9. What has the Spirit taught you through John 15, and how will that change how you make decisions tomorrow? 
10. Who is someone that you can share what you have learned on Sunday or in John 15 with? 

Closing Prayer: Spend some time in prayer for each other and specific ways you can begin to live in the Spirit, thanking God for making his home in you.  

Practical Application: 

Life in Community: As we reflect on Jesus’ command to “love one another as I have loved you” in verse 12, think of a person in your life who’s difficult to love. Make it a point to ask the Spirit to guide you in loving them the way Jesus would. 

Life with Jesus: Spend regular, intentional time this week asking the Spirit to give you insight and a softened heart when thinking about and interacting with someone who is hard for you to love. 

Life on Mission: Who is someone that you can encourage to live on mission this week? Reach out to them with encouragement.