Christian Education for all ages.

UNIT 2: The Fruit of the Spirit

Lesson 9: The Spirit Produces Love, Joy, Peace

Study Text: Luke 10:17-21; John 14:27; 16:33; Romans 5:1-2; 12:18-21; Galatians 5:22-23; Philippians 4:4-7; Colossians 3:13-15; 1 Thessalonians 1:5-7; 1 John 3:16-18

Central Truth: The Holy Spirit produces love, joy and peace in the believer.

Key Verse: 1 John 3:18 (New King James Version) – My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.

As we dive into our detailed study of the fruit of the Spirit, let’s think about the difference between a fruit tree and a Christmas tree. Christmas trees are valuable because of external factors: the ornaments we place on them and the gifts we place under them. Fruit trees, on the other hand, are known for what they produce on their own. Think of the fruit of the Spirit as something that is naturally produced rather than something with which we decide to decorate ourselves. With that in mind, let’s walk through God’s produce department and start examining the Spirit’s fruit.

The gifts of the Spirit are expressions of God’s grace freely given to meet needs in the Church, while the fruit of the Spirit is evidence of personal transformation. A person producing fruit is being changed into the likeness of Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Emotions are natural feelings arising from our circumstances— the psychological responses to what’s happening to us. Because they are so changeable, they cannot always be trusted.

The fruit of the Spirit, however, describe attitudes the Spirit produces in believers’ lives. They are based on what is true about God, our relationship with Him, and His will for us. They naturally grow as we walk in the Spirit day by day.

Tune in LIVE to learn more.