Faith Talk – January 25, 2026
Faith Talks are designed to help you keep the conversation going beyond Sunday morning. Use this guide with your family or friends to reflect on the sermon and Life Group lesson, pray together, and put God’s Word into practice. Think of this guide as a starting place—then let God shape the conversation.
Sermon
Title: What It Means to Abide
Scripture: Luke 3:3-9, John 15:1-8, Galatians 5:22-25
Overview: Jesus calls His followers to abide—to remain connected to Him. Fruitfulness in the Christian life is not produced through effort or religious activity but through a living, ongoing relationship with Jesus. When believers stay connected to Christ, spiritual fruit naturally follows. Disconnection leads to spiritual dryness, while abiding leads to repentance, renewal, and transformed lives.
Main Points:
Discussion Questions:
For Kids
For Students & Adults
Application: This week, focus less on trying to “fix” yourself and more on intentionally spending time with Jesus—through prayer, Scripture, and honest conversation with Him.
Scripture: Luke 3:3-9, John 15:1-8, Galatians 5:22-25
Overview: Jesus calls His followers to abide—to remain connected to Him. Fruitfulness in the Christian life is not produced through effort or religious activity but through a living, ongoing relationship with Jesus. When believers stay connected to Christ, spiritual fruit naturally follows. Disconnection leads to spiritual dryness, while abiding leads to repentance, renewal, and transformed lives.
Main Points:
- The goal of the Christian life is relationship with Jesus, not fruit production.
- Fruit is the result of abiding, not the objective.
- Trying to live rightly apart from Jesus is like stapling fruit to a dead tree.
- True spiritual fruit grows from repentance, honesty, and ongoing connection with Christ.
Discussion Questions:
For Kids
- What does it mean to stay close to Jesus?
- Why do we need Jesus to help us do good things?
- What happens to a plant when it isn’t connected to its roots?
For Students & Adults
- Why do we often focus on “doing better” instead of staying connected to Jesus?
- How can religious activity become a substitute for real relationship?
- What are signs in your life that show whether you are abiding or disconnected?
Application: This week, focus less on trying to “fix” yourself and more on intentionally spending time with Jesus—through prayer, Scripture, and honest conversation with Him.
Life Group
Scripture: Esther 3, 8
Christ/Gospel Connections:
All of Scripture points back to Jesus. In our study each week, every age group’s lesson includes a note about how the message connects to Christ. Use these Christ/Gospel Connections as a springboard for meaningful discussion about who Jesus is and what He has done for us.
Preschool – The Jews were in danger, and they needed someone to save them. God made Esther the queen so she could help the Jews. Everyone sins and is in danger. God sent His Son, Jesus, to save people from sin.
Kids – Even though Haman tried to hurt God's people, God was in control and had a plan to save the Jews. Sin hurts us and breaks our relationship with God, but God had a plan from the very beginning to save us through Jesus’ death on the cross.
Students – While the situation seemed hopeless for Esther’s people, the Jews, God was totally in control and had a plan to save them. Humanity’s situation may have appeared hopeless because of the depth of our sin, but God always had a plan for our salvation: the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus.
Adults – God remains true to His covenant in having people for Himself and will provide a way to trust in Him. This was true for Esther, even in a foreign land, and it is true for believers today who trust in Jesus to rescue us from sin and death.
Discussion Questions:
For Kids
For Students & Adults
Christ/Gospel Connections:
All of Scripture points back to Jesus. In our study each week, every age group’s lesson includes a note about how the message connects to Christ. Use these Christ/Gospel Connections as a springboard for meaningful discussion about who Jesus is and what He has done for us.
Preschool – The Jews were in danger, and they needed someone to save them. God made Esther the queen so she could help the Jews. Everyone sins and is in danger. God sent His Son, Jesus, to save people from sin.
Kids – Even though Haman tried to hurt God's people, God was in control and had a plan to save the Jews. Sin hurts us and breaks our relationship with God, but God had a plan from the very beginning to save us through Jesus’ death on the cross.
Students – While the situation seemed hopeless for Esther’s people, the Jews, God was totally in control and had a plan to save them. Humanity’s situation may have appeared hopeless because of the depth of our sin, but God always had a plan for our salvation: the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus.
Adults – God remains true to His covenant in having people for Himself and will provide a way to trust in Him. This was true for Esther, even in a foreign land, and it is true for believers today who trust in Jesus to rescue us from sin and death.
Discussion Questions:
For Kids
- How did God help Esther save her people?
- How does Jesus save us today?
- Can God still be working even when we can’t see Him?
For Students & Adults
- How does the story of Esther show God working behind the scenes?
- Why is trusting God difficult when circumstances feel hopeless?
- How does abiding in Christ help us trust God’s plans more fully?
Pray Together
- Thank God for staying faithful to His people and for rescuing us through Jesus.
- Commit to staying connected to Jesus rather than relying on your own effort.
- Ask God to help you recognize areas where you’ve grown disconnected and to draw you back to Him.
Activity
Connected or Disconnected?
Supplies:
Instructions:
- Paper
- Markers or crayons
Instructions:
- Draw a simple tree with roots, a trunk, and branches.
- On the roots, write ways we stay connected to Jesus (prayer, Scripture, worship).
- On the branches, write or draw fruits of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, etc.).
- Talk together about what happens when the roots are ignored.
- Pray together, asking God to help your family stay rooted in Christ.
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