Fruit of the Spirit

OBJECTIVE

  • Today's objective is to introduce the fruit of the Spirit, as this fruit grows in our heart, and how ministry causes this fruit to grow within us. Possibly explaining what we are taking about when we say fruit.

INTRODUCTION AND HOOK 5 Minutes

  • Growing Fruit Anecdote
    • In a day and age where everything is instant, the idea of growing a fruit may seem unreal
    • A man purchased a two year old fruit tree, hoping that it would bear fruit for him
    • After months of waiting, the man gave up on the tree, which sat in his garden barren
    • After talking to a farmer, the man realized it would take years of taking care of the tree in order for it to bear fruit, sometimes as long as five to fifteen years
    • After a few years of hardwork and dedication went by, the tree finally began to produce fruit
  • Review
    • The work and ministry of the Holy Spirit through Peter and Paul was not completed in a year, a decade, a century, or even during their lifetimes, but continues today with us
    • The Holy Spirit continues to work, and He works through His ministers who plant and water, while God brings forth the increase (cf. 1 Co. 3:5-7)

HOLY SCRIPTURE - 10 Minutes

  • 16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. 24 And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another (Gal. 5:16-26)

Memory Verse

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law." (Gal. 5:22-23).

CONTENT - 20 Minutes

  • Walk in the Spirit
    • The Flesh
      • The flesh here is not our body since the body was created for good, but is evil choice
      • The flesh means earthly thoughts that don't care about spiritual or godly things
      • Paul condemns the soul that doesn't care about God or spiritual matters
    • Walking in the Spirit is a Choice
      • We choose whether we walk according to the spirit or according to the flesh
      • We must make a choice to follow and serve God, and God will lead us throughout the way, for "man's heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps" (Pr. 16:9)
  • The Fruit of the Spirit is One
    • The Greek word for fruit used here is "karpos," which is singular, as opposed to "karpon," which is plural
    • When we bear the fruit of the Spirit, we do not bear one quality, but rather we bear all aspects of the fruit, that we may be "filled with the fullness of God" (cf. Eph. 3:19)
  • The Fruit of the Spirit ( this part Neal need a little bit more clarification ) we don't have to go in Great detail for each fruit but what is important is how are the fruit connected to service
  • How is this connected to service
    • Love is first because from it all other virtues are born, and without it there is no virtue
    • As the longsuffering, kindness, and goodness of God has led to salvation (cf. 2 Pt. 3:15), and as God is longsuffering in mercy towards mankind (cf. Nm. 14:18), likewise we are called to bear with one another in love with longsuffering (cf. Eph. 4:2)
    • By faith we have access to the sacraments, by which we partake in the reality of the promises of salvation as well as sanctification and transformation to bear fruit
    • The Holy Spirit teaches to learn from Christ, Who is gentle and lowly in heart (cf. Mt. 11:29)
    • The final aspect of the fruit, self-control, leads us to the first aspect, love, as Peter wrote, "But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love" (2 Pt. 1:5-7)
  • Bearing Fruit in Service ( excellent )
    • The Fruit is from God
      • God created us in His image and likeness and gave us the gift of the Holy Spirit, that we may use our free will to serve the Spirit through the body
      • The work of cultivating and bearing fruit takes time, but through participation in the sacraments and through obedience to God, the Holy Spirit brings forth fruit in our hearts
    • Fruit is a Work of Grace
      • We are God's fellow workers (1 Co. 3:9), cooperating and taking a share in the service
      • Whatever portion we are given in the service, we do these to the glory of God, while we rely on God to cultivate and bring forth fruit
    • The Fruit of Service
      • The fruit of service is the fruit of the Spirit, that may present our bodies as living sacrifices, holy, and blameless before God (cf. Rm. 12:1), that we may have life and have it more abundantly (cf. Jn. 10:10)
    • We must Bear Fruit
      • The servant who does not bear fruit will be cut in two, and his portion will be given with the unbeliever (cf. Lk. 12:46)
      • As Paul warns us, saying, "But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified" (1 Co. 9:27)

DISCUSSION - 10 Minutes

  • Why is it important that the fruit of the Spirit is one? It is possible to have some but not all aspects of the fruit of the Spirit?
  • How may we grow the fruit and how long will it take this fruit to grow within us?
  • If each aspect of the fruit of God may be considered a virtue, is it possible that having one virtue may cause us to acquire the other virtues?

APPLICATION (Action) - 5 Minutes

  • Cultivating fruit is a lifetime work that requires our sincere attention and care every day
  • Since the fruit of the Spirit is one, if we acquire one aspect, the others are soon to follow
    • For example, if I have love, then joy, peace, kindness, gentleness will soon follow

PARENTS CORNER/HOMEWORK

  • Find opportunities for you and your child to serve together, whether it be with the priest or servant, or whether it be helping a family in need or visiting someone in the hospital
  • Ask your child to concentrate on a certain aspect of the fruit as they serve, such as gentleness
  • Afterwards, ask your child how this affected their service, whether being gentle caused them to show more love, be longsuffering, practice self-control, or have joy

LESSON ATTACHMENTS

Fruit of the Spirit Activity.pdf