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FRUITOFTHESPIRIT“Overview”

FamilyStudyGuideObjectives:

• DefinethefruitofGod’sHolySpirit.• ContrastthefruitofGod’sHolySpiritwiththeworksoftheflesh.• ExplainhowandwhythefruitofGod’sSpiritcanbeproduced.

MemoryVerse:

Galatians5:22-23ButthefruitoftheSpiritislove,joy,peace,longsuffering,kindness,goodness,faithfulness,gentleness,self-control.Againstsuchthereisnolaw.

WesuggestthatyoubeginthisFruitoftheHolySpiritSeriesbylisteningto:• FruitFilledLiving;GaryPetty,March15,2014• FruitoftheSpirit-PartOne:Self-Control;GaryPetty,December3,2016

MuchofthecontentofthisFamilyStudyGuideisfromthosetwosermons.WhatarethefruitofGod’sHolySpirit?ThefruitofGod'sSpirit,listedinGalatians5:22-23,revealtousGod'scharacter.WearelikeGod’strees(Psalm1:1-6).GodwantstowateruswithHisHolySpiritsowecanhaveHispowertoproduceHisfruitandbelikeHim(John7:37-39).ThisiswhatGodwantstoproduceinyourlife.Thisfruitlastsforever!Wewillbestudyingthesefruitinreverseorder,endingwithGod’sLove.

≈ Self-control–allowingGodtodirectourlives.PuttingasideourownhumannatureandreplacingitwiththemindofChrist.

≈ Gentleness–compassion,kindnessandconcerntowardothers.Notstrikingbackwhenwronged.

≈ Faithfulness–istoremaincommittedandfaithfultoGodanddoingwhatisright.

≈ Goodness–isthestrengthtoactivelydogoodandstandagainstevil.

≈ Meekness–amodestsenseofone’sownimportance.Respectful,gentleandkindtowardothers.

≈ Longsuffering–islongandpatientenduranceofinjury,trouble,orprovocation.Itenablesyoutobe

emotionallystrongandforgiveothers.

≈ Peace–isastateofharmonyandtranquility.Isaninternalstateofbeingthatguideshowwereacttoexternalsituations.

≈ Joy–ishappinessandgladnessofheart.Notbeingemotionallycontrolledbycircumstances.

≈ Love–agape—anunselfishconcernforothers.IstheverycharacterandgoodnessofGod.

InadditiontothefruitoftheHolySpiritlistedinGalatians5:22-23,readEphesians5:9,“ForthefruitoftheSpiritisinallgoodness,righteousness,andtruth.”

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GodprovidespowerthroughHisHolySpiritforhumanstoobeyHim.WhenyouareobedienttoGod,HethengivesyoupowerthroughHisHolySpirittohelpyoutocontinueinthatobedienceandproducegoodcharacterorfruit—goodworks.Canwenaturallyorautomaticallyproducethisfruit?ThesearethefruitofGod’sSpirit,notthefruitsofthehumanspirit.Becausewearehumanbeingsandnotspiritbeings,wecannotproducethesefruitsorcharactertraitsnaturally.Naturally,weproducewhatislistedinGalatians5:19-21.Comparethosetogether. Satan’smindandattributes God’scharacterandattributesGalatians5:19(TLB)[“Worksodtheflesh”]Butwhenyoufollowyourownwronginclinations,yourliveswillproducetheseevilresults:impurethoughts,eagernessforlustfulpleasure,idolatry,spiritism(thatis,encouragingtheactivityofdemons),hatredandfighting,jealousyandanger,constantefforttogetthebestforyourself,complaintsandcriticisms,thefeelingthateveryoneelseiswrongexceptthoseinyourownlittlegroup…,envy,murder,drunkenness,wildparties,andallthatsortofthing.Letmetellyouagain,asIhavebefore,thatanyonelivingthatsortoflifewillnotinherittheKingdomofGod.

Galatians5:22-23(AMPC)Butthefruitofthe[Holy]Spirit[theworkwhichHispresencewithinaccomplishes]is*love,joy(gladness),peace,patience(aneventemper,forbearance),kindness,goodness(benevolence),faithfulness,Gentleness(meekness,humility),self-control(self-restraint,continence).*Furtherattributesoflove:1Corinthians13:4-7Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. 1Corinthians13:13Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 14:1 Let love be your highest goal!

WelearnthatonlythroughGod’sHolySpiritareweabletohavetruegoodnesstowardothers.ButthereareactsofasinfulnaturethatarecontrarytoGod’sSpirit.Thosewhoindulgeinthese“worksoftheflesh”arenotonlyhurtfultothemselvesbuttoothers.Galatians5:19-21isalonglistofsinfulactsandthoughts,butitonlyscratchesthesurfaceof“allthatsortofthing”thatpeopledo.Ifwecannotproducethesefruitonourown,thenhowdowedoit?JesustoldusthatGodwouldhelpusbeabletoobeyhimthroughHispower:John14:15(NCV)“Ifyouloveme,youwillobeymycommands.IwillasktheFather,andhewillgiveyouanotherHelpertobewithyouforevertheSpiritoftruth.”Whenyouwerelearningtowalkyourparentswouldhelpyoubyholdingyouup,holdingyourhandandgoingalongsideyoubecauseyouwereunabletodoitbyyourself.

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Inasimilarway-whenwearetryingtodoGod’swillandliveHisways–hesendsushisSpirittohelpusbeabletodoso.Butunlikeababywholearnstowalkonhisown–wealwaysneedGod’sSpirittohelpusinourwalkwithHimonourwaytotheKingdom.GodwillhelpuswithHisSpiritevennowwhilewearewaitingtobeoldenoughtobebaptized.ChristtoldhisdisciplesinJohn14:17(NLT)…HolySpirit,wholeadsintoalltruth.Theworldatlargecannotreceivehim,becauseitisn'tlookingforhimanddoesn'trecognizehim.Butyoudo,becauseheliveswithyounowandlaterwillbeinyou”AfterwearegiventhiswonderfulgiftofGod’sSpirit,whathappenstous?Arewedifferent?Dowelookdifferent?Doweactdifferently?HisSpirithelpsusbecomebetterpeople.ThisHolySpiritwillcomfortuswhenwearesad,helpwhenweneedhelpandremindsusofGod’swayoflife.ItwillhelpustolivethewayGodwantsustolive.Itisnoteasytoalwaysdowhatisright.JesusknewthatifwehadGod’sHolySpirit,itwouldhelpusdowhatweknowispleasingtoGod.UsingthegiftofGod’sHolySpiritinourdailylivescanbringusgreatblessingsandmuchhappiness.WhatawonderfulgiftGod’sHolySpiritis–toactuallybegivenaccesstoapartofGod!WhydoweneedtoproducethefruitofGod’sSpirit?WhatitisthatGodwantstodoinyourlife?GodwantsyouasHischild.HewantsyoutobeinHisfamilyforever.Inthislife,rightnow,HewantsyoutobearHisfruit.ThefruitofGod'sSpirit,listedinGalatians5:22-23,revealtousGod'scharacter.IfwewanttobelikeourFather,likeourBrotherJesusChrist,thenwemustallowGodtogrowthisfruitinourlives.ItispossibletohaveintellectualknowledgeandkeeptheletteroftheTenCommandmentsandnotbearthefruitofGod’sSpirit. 2Corinthians3:18“Butweall,withunveiledface,beholdingasinamirrorthegloryoftheLord,arebeingtransformedintothesameimagefromglorytoglory,justasbytheSpiritoftheLord.”

TruereligionisGodtransformingusintotheimageofHischild.TheLordhereisareferencetoJesusChrist.WhenwelookintothespiritualmirrorweshouldbeabletoseethatthroughGod’sSpiritwearebeingchangedintoafamilyresemblance—andwebecomemoreandmorelikeJesusChrist.

FamilyDiscussionQuestions:

ü WhatistheHolySpirit(Comforter)thatJesuspromisedHisfollowers?

ü HowdoessomeonereceivetheHolySpirit?Aretherethingshemustdo?

ü Discusswithyourchildren,eventhoughtheymaybeyoung,whattheycanbedoingnowtomakesuretheywillbeinGod’sfamily.

ü NameanddiscussthefruitoftheHolySpirit.

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ü Haveyourchildselectoneofthe“worksoftheflesh”anddiscusssomeoftheconsequencesbesidesnotinheritingtheKingdomofGod.

ü Discussandcomparetheworldyouliveinnow,toatimeinthefuturewhereallpeoplewillbetaughtGod’swayoflife.Howwillthingsbedifferent?

ü Usingyourimagination,whatdoyouthinkwouldhappenifmankindcontinuedoninthewayitis

going?

ü Asafamily,visittheelderly—perhapsinanursinghome.Afterthis,discusswhatfruitsofGod’sSpirithelpedbringjoytothesepeople.Talkabouthowthereareblessingsfromdoingwell.Then,toshowhowweareblessedbydoinggood,gogetatreat.

ü AttheFeastofTabernacles,havethefamilythinkofwaystoincludeothersinyourdailyactivities.

VisitwithothersatServices,includeothersinmeals,takeothersonanactivity,orsharesomesecondtithewiththosewhomightbeinneed.

SUGGESTION:TohelpyoungerfamilymembersunderstandtheneedforGod’sHolySpirittoworkwithusandinus,watchoneorbothofthesevideosandthendiscuss:

≈ https://www.nbcnews.com/nightly-news/video/teacher-volunteers-to-donate-her-kidney-to-first-grade-student-661200451862

≈ https://www.godtube.com/watch/?v=YWKKPGNX

• Partofthe“donor”isactuallylivinginsidethekidneyrecipient.Thedonor'skidneyenablestherecipienttoliveandtodothingsthat—withoutthedonor'sgift—theywouldnotbeabletodo.

• JesussaidinJohn15:5,7-8:"Iamthevine,youarethebranches.HewhoabidesinMe,andIinhim,bearsmuchfruit;forwithoutMeyoucandonothing…IfyouabideinMe,andMywordsabideinyou,youwillaskwhatyoudesire,anditshallbedoneforyou.BythisMyFatherisglorified,thatyoubearmuchfruit;soyouwillbeMydisciples.

• Talkabouthowthedonor'skidneylivinginthechild(ormother),issimilartoGodgivingusthegiftofHisspiritthatenablesustoliveGod'sway.

AdditionalResourcesthatyoucanuseinyourfamilystudies:

• UCGBooklet:ThePoweroftheHolySpirithttps://www.ucg.org/bible-study-

tools/booklets/the-power-of-the-holy-spirit

• UCGE-Booklet:TheFruitoftheSpirithttps://www.ucg.org/bible-study-tools/ebooklet/the-fruit-of-the-spirit

• UCGTeenBibleStudyGuide:“TheHolySpirit”https://www.ucg.org/bible-study-tools/teen-

bible-study-guides/the-holy-spirit

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PossibleClassroomActivities

1. DiscussionActivity:

Usenewspapersormagazinestoclipoutarticlesaboutpeoplewhohavedonegoodtoothersandotherarticlesaboutpeoplewhohavedonewrongtoothers.Discussthearticles,bringingoutthepointthatwhenapersondoesgoodtoanother,everyonebenefits.Ontheotherhand,whensomeonedoesevil,theyhurtthemselvesandmanyothers.Discussconsequencesofthevariousworksofthefleshthatthepeopleinthearticlesareguiltyofdoing.(Ex:Whensomeoneisondrugs,hesuffers,hisfamilysuffers.Ifhestealstopayforhisdrugshisvictimisrobbedofhisorherpossessions.Evenifheiscaughtandsenttojail,societysuffers.)Comparethearticlesofpeoplewhodogoodtootherswhodowrongtothemselvesandothers.PointoutthatthisiswhyweneedthereturnofJesusChrist.

2. FruitSaladObjectLesson:

ExplainhowtheclassisgoingtomakeafruitsaladthatrepresentsthefruitofGod’sHolySpirit.Talkaboutsomeoftheclass’sfavoritefruits.Then,foreachfruitoftheSpirit,taketimetoaskthechildrenwhattheythinkthatfruitis,andprovideadefinition.TalkaboutwhythatfruitwouldbegoodinourlivesaswellasexamplesofGodshowingthatcharacteristic.Asyouaredoingthis,placesomefruitinamixingbowl.YouwillwantadifferenttypeoffruitforeachfruitoftheSpirit.Attheend,getoutapieceofrottenfruit.Askwhetherthestudentsthinkthatshouldbepartofthefruitsalad.ExplainhowtherottenfruitisliketheworksofthefleshinGalatians5:19-21.Itisnotgoodforusandcanmaketherestofthegoodsaladbad!ThatiswhyweneedGod’shelptoproducegoodfruitinourlives.Attheend,enjoyeatingyourfruitsaladtogether!(Note:besuretocheckforanyfoodallergiesbeforedoingthisexercise.)

3. FruitoftheSpiritTreeActivity:

Find,makeordesignalargefruitofthetreeonposterboardorhaveasmalleroneforeachstudent.TheneachmonthwhenwestudyaboutanotherfruitofGod’sSpirit,thestudentscanaddthattotheirtree.

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