What is something in your life that sends you straight into planning mode whenever it comes up? Why does it make you not want to go without a plan? Have you considered coming up with a plan for your spiritual growth? Why or why not? Eric said, “And it’s easy to get discouraged with our day-to-day faith habits too – for the system to feel stuck. While we know there is power in our habits and we believe there are things we should be doing when it comes to our faith, it’s so easy to feel guilt, shame, and just overall discouragement too – that I’m never doing enough or working hard enough. We can try to do something spiritual and leave feeling more shame and frustration than when we started.” In what ways can you relate? Taking ownership of our faith is important, but it’s not about just trying harder, doing better, and being more committed. How could that lead us down a misleading, pressure-filled path where we feel we can’t win? Read John 15:1-5. Describe what it looks like to “remain” in the Lord. According to these verses, what are the results when we remain in the Lord? What are the consequences when we don’t? Read Galatians 5:22-23, 25. What’s the difference between a person doing good things and the Lord producing the fruit of the Spirit through a Christ-follower? What step related to spiritual discipline can you start this week to better learn how to remain in Jesus? Which of the nine fruits of the Spirit do you want to see more of in your life? Describe a scenario where abiding in the Lord could help this become a reality. What is a hurdle right now in your spiritual growth? What would it mean to overcome it?