Fruit of the Spirit: Goodness

There are certain things are just natural to our flesh; looking after ourselves is that way, no one has to teach us to do it we just do. However, goodness is different it is lived out by looking out for the welfare of others instead of ourselves; it is unnatural, it is the fruit of God working in our hearts. I feel like this is something that I am constantly working to teach my children; while I can make them understand what goodness is only God can help them to live out!     

Lesson: Remember that we have been talking about the fruit of the spirit, which are words that describes people who have the Holy Spirit. Galatians 5:22-23 says, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” So this week we are going to talk a little about goodness.

 Goodness is working for the benefit of others instead of for our own benefit. The bible says that says in 1 Corinthians 10:23-24; 31 says, “All things are lawful, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful, but not all things edify. Let no one seek his own good, but that of his neighbor… whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” In other words just because you are allowed to do something doesn’t mean that you should; before you do anything you should think about whether what you want to do will be helpful or harmful to others, and in everything we do we should seek to bring glory to God.

 Jesus is the ultimate example of this kind of goodness; everything he did was for the good of others in order to bring God glory. Jesus didn’t have to come as a man to live an ordinary life, but he did. Very few people loved him while he was on earth, though he sought the good of everyone, those he came to help had him put to death. He came to display God’s goodness, to show lost men the way of salvation, and to pay the penalty for the sins of all who would repent, turn from sin, and trust in his good works instead of their own! He did all that not for his own good, but for ours in order to bring God glory!  

 Lesson Recap:

• What is the Fruit of the Spirit? (Things or words that describes people who have the Holy Spirit)
• What is goodness? (Working for the benefit of others instead of for our own benefit)
• Just because we can do something, does it mean that we should? (No)
• What kinds of things should we not do? (Things that bring harm to others or make them sin)
• Fill in the blank: whatever you do, do all to the_________. (Glory of God)- 1 Cor. 10:31
• Who is the ultimate example to us of goodness? (Jesus)
• Why was Jesus such a good example to us? (Because everything he did was for the good of others in order to bring God glory)
• What is repentance? (The act of turning from sin)
• What does it mean to trust in Jesus? (To trust in His good works and not our own)

It is worth spending some time really explaining the passage from 1 Corinthians 10:23-24; 31. While I have touched on it in this weeks lesson there is so much more that could be said. Kids tend to think that just because they can do something that they should, this is just the work of the flesh. They need lots of practical examples to really grasp this concept, and to understand how to apply it to their lives. Apart from God working in the hearts of our children the idea of giving up something they can have just because someone else can’t have that something will seem very unfair. It’s alright if your child struggles to put-on goodness (Eph. 4:22-24), it points to their need for Jesus and offers more opportunity to share the gospel. It is very easy to let lessons on the fruit of the Spirit become moralistic lessons, but we must make it clear that good things done apart from Christ are not really good. It is only when we are motivated by God’s glory that our good works are really good. 

The following is a link to a message on the Fruit of the Spirit: Goodness by Mark Carter, one of the elders at Living Acts Church in Tyler, Texas. I hope it is a blessing and help as you labor to lead your child to the cross!

http://livingactschurch.com/sermons/?sermon_id=74

Fruit of the Spirit: Kindness

Kindness is an amazing thing, it seems so simple, but the bible makes it clear that it is far more than just being nice. Kindness is the ability to see the needs of another, and then provide for that need. A few years ago I got a humbling lesson in kindness; I had been teaching a bible study in my home, and some young ladies who were relatively new to our church started coming. They came for several months, then they came to me together, and told me that they never felt welcome in my group. It was one of those moments that I am so thankful for God’s grace in my life, my flesh didn’t want to believe that I had done anything wrong. I struggled to understand what should have been done differently, but I was submitted that as the groups leader it was my responsibility to make sure that everyone who comes feels welcome and loved. I was not as quick to repent as I should have been, but didn’t really know what I needed to repent of. The next Sunday our pastor preached on kindness, and it really opened up my eyes to my failure. I failed because I was too wrapped up in my routine to notice my two friends whose were feeling unwelcomed to the point of not wanting to come back. I was too focused on myself, to notice they were in need. I was polite to them, but I never demonstrated kindness. Kindness is focused on another, it is willing to sacrifice to see the need of another met.

It’s easy to believe that the stakes are not all that high, after all who isn’t rude or self-focused from time to time? However, in Romans 4:2 we are told of the great power of kindness, “Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?” 

The stakes are very high indeed, I think about all of the times I have disciplined my children in anger. There are times when my heart screams, “they have gotten in the way of my comfort, and now they are going to face the consequences!” When that happens I am only concerned with myself; I am certainly not, in that moment at least, concerned with God’s glory or their need for patient, loving, gospel centered discipline! I am not pointing them to the cross, and am not showing then the way of repentance. My kindness is not what leads them to repentance, but my lack of kindness/self-centeredness can stand in their way of understanding the kindness of God, which does.   

If you have read many of these posts you are familiar with my disclaimer: this is not something you can do on your own, and as you teach your children you must emphasize that point. As believers with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit we get to participate in the cultivation of fruit through ongoing repentance. As we repent we remove the things in our life that prevent us from being fruitful, and the Holy Spirit gives us what we need so that we can produce spiritual fruit.  

Lesson: Remember that we have been talking about the fruit of the spirit, which are words that describes people who have the Holy Spirit. Galatians 5:22-23 says, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” So this week we are going to talk a little about kindness.

What do you think of when you think of kindness? Kindness is an ability to see what a person needs without them asking, and then working to providing for their need. In order to be kind you have to focus on other people instead of yourself.

 In the beginning of the book of Acts we are told about how Peter and John saw a lame man laying besides a gate begging for money. Peter saw this man and saw his need; his heart was moved and he wanted to help. Peter knew that the man needed money, but he didn’t have any to give. However, He had the gospel, the good news of Jesus, and he knew that through the power of the Holy Spirit he could heal the man. Peter told the man, I have no money, but what I have I will give to you; then he commanded the man in the name of Jesus Christ to get up and walk. Then Peter took the opportunity to share the gospel with the man as well as all the people who had gathered around. Not only was the lame man healed, his greater need was met with Jesus, and 5000 men were saved as a result of see and hearing what Peter said and did.

 Peter loved God, and as he grew in his relationship with Him he was more and more able to see the needs of others instead of focusing on his own. It is only as we grow in our understanding of God’s love, patience, and kindness towards us that we will grow in our ability to show kindness to others. God showed us kindness in the greatest way possible sending Jesus to meet our greatest need, our need for a savior! 

 Review:

• What do we mean when we talk about the Fruit of the Spirit? (The Fruit of the Spirit things that describe that people who follow Jesus and have the Holy Spirit in them.)
• What is kindness? (Kindness is an ability to see what a person needs without them asking, and then working to providing for their need.)
• Sometimes we don’t know what we really need, the lame man thought he needed money, but Peter knew better. How did Peter show the man great kindness? (By healing him by the power of the Holy Spirit and by giving him the good new of Jesus)
• Which need do you think is more important: having money for food or having your sins forgiven? (Having your sins forgiven)
• What amazing thing happened after the man was healed? (5000 men came to know Christ)
• What is the kindest thing that God has done for us? (Saved us from our sins)

I think the final point is my favorite! God provided for our greatest need in the most sacrificial way imaginable when he sent Jesus! Jesus gave up all His glory and honor, and came to earth in the image sinful man. He lived the life we could not, and then paid our penalty; our debt to God was immeasurable, but he washed it away with His blood. He gave and gave of himself, and he never complained or grumbled about those who he came to save even though they have nothing to offer him but suffering. He died a physically brutal death, then faced a brutal spiritual separation, and he did it for one reason: to glorify God by meeting the need for salvation of condemned sinners who were incapable of saving themselves!

I am attaching a link to the sermon that our lesson was based on; it is a good listen! I hope this has been helpful as you labor to lead your children to the cross!

http://livingactschurch.com/sermons/?sermon_id=75

I would love to hear your feedback!     

Fruit of the Spirit: Patience

As a mom I have found that patience is an area of my life I can always grow in; it seems that when I grow to the point I can patiently endure a situation the heat gets turned up requiring more patience to continue to honor God and avoid falling into sin. Teaching my children about patience has been very humbling, it makes me all the more mindful of my failings. As with every area of weakness I see in myself it is important that I acknowledge my short comings, especially if I want my children to take my instruction seriously! While it is very difficult I encourage you to be honest with your children, when you fall short of what God has called you to!

As with the other fruit described in Galatians 5:22 there is a progressive nature; as we grow in our ability to love, as we experience joy and peace, and as a result of knowing God’s love and experiencing his peace in our hearts we will be increasingly patience! Scripture is filled with narrative that can help in teaching what patience looks like in the life of a believer. As you work on teaching this concept the story of Joseph from Genesis 37,39-45 is a great narrative to use; Joseph was sin against by many but he exemplified the fruit of patience. He served God despite the sin committed against him, and he waited for years to be delivered. He trusted God to work in the situation giving him the peace necessary to suffer long in a God honoring way!

Lesson: Remember that we have been talking about the fruit of the spirit, which are words that describes people who have the Holy Spirit. Galatians 5:22-23 says, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” So this week we are going to talk a little about patience.

What do you think of when you think the word patience? I always thinking of having to wait to get something I really want. Have you ever had to wait to get something you really wanted? Like what? Was it easy? No, waiting to get things that we really want is not easy. Have you ever felt really bad, and wanted to feel better? Was that easy? You see the word patience means more than just waiting for something you want without complaining, the word patience is also sometimes replaced with the word long-suffering. It means to suffer sometimes for a long time without complaint while continuing to honor God; people who have the Holy Spirit are willing to suffer through difficult situations without grumbling against God or the people who brought their suffering.

Do you guys remember how the apostle Paul was arrested and put in jail for many years, because of the Jews? During all the time Paul was in jail he waited on God to work the situation out. However, Paul didn’t complain about the jailers, the food, or his lack of freedom, instead he obeyed God and preached the good news of Jesus to anyone who would listen to him. Paul continued to honor God by ministered to his fellow believer through letters, even though he would have rather gone to see them face-to-face.

When Christians face difficult situations, like the apostle Paul, where they are kept from doing something that they want, and instead have to do something that they don’t want they can continue to honor God with obedience and a good attitude, because they have the Holy Spirit working in their hearts producing the fruit of patience.

As with all of the fruit of the spirit it is important to remind your children that these are things they cannot do on their own. They can cooperate in growth through a growing understanding of God through the study of his word and through the act of ongoing repentance of sin, but apart from His Spirit working each one of us we are simply not capable of growing in these areas! Fruit that is added to a dead tree cannot mature; only fruit grown from a healthy tree will mature properly. Apart from the Holy Spirit working in us we are dead; it is His Spirit that gives us life and the ability to produce fruit!

I hope this is encouraging to as you seek to lead your children to the cross!

Fruit of The Spirit: Peace

We continued to teach the kids at our church about the fruit of the Spirit this week, with a primary focus on peace. Last week I talked about how our joy is rooted in God’s profound love for his children, the same is true of peace. In fact I would go so far as to say that peace is the result of knowing God’s great love and experiencing the joy that springs from it, leading us to trust Him and His plan for our lives. To put it more simply we must know God’s love, which produces joy, leading to trust, which produces peace. It sounds neat and tidy, but it fleshes itself out in far less tidy circumstances, typically during the messiest most trying circumstances of life. The other primary component is an understanding of God’s sovereign power over His creation, if we don’t grasp both his love and his power we will see Him either as a powerless sap or we will see him as tyrannical terror- both miss the character of a loving and powerful God. Putting these two characteristics together confronts our pride, and our desire to rule our own world as a sovereign deity. If we are to teach our children well, we must have a biblical grasp of these issues. Romans 8:26-37 is one of my all time favorite passages, it connects God’s love and sovereign power so beautifully.

Romans 8:26-37-

“In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words;  and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.  And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified. What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?  Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies; who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.  Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?  Just as it is written, “For Your sake we are being put to death all day long; We were considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, northings present, nor things to come, nor powers,  nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

You see God loves us too much to allow us to continue in sin, because we are told earlier in Romans that sin brings death! However,  God is working all circumstances together to help us grow into the likeness of Christ. This is the good that comes from every trial a Christian faces! However, if we do not understand God’s love and experience Joy in our salvation that we will not have peace even if we understand that God is in control of everything. I realize that perhaps I have gotten a bit preachy, but I want you as a parent to be able to teach beyond the lesson written for the kids. Peace in our hearts is a deep thing, we need to understand it if we are going to share it!

Lesson: Remember that love and joy were what we called fruit of the spirit, which means that they are words that describes people who have the Holy Spirit. Galatians 5:22-23 says, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” So this week we are going to talk a little about peace.

 What do you think of when you think the word peace? In the Bible the word peace means stillness, quietness, or be calm. What the bible is telling us is that people who follow Jesus and have the Holy Spirit living in them will have a quietness or stillness inside even when life is very difficult. In other words followers of Christ will be calm in their hearts even when they face bad situations, because they know God’s love and trust in His plan.

 Do you remember a few months we talked about the different situations the Apostles faces as they preached the gospel from town to town? In one of our lessons from Acts 12 we talked about king Herod having Peter arrested, and how he was going to have him put to death. However, Peter had peace; he knew that God was going to save him. Peter was so confident in God’s ability to rescue him from Herod’s evil plan to kill him that even all chained up he was able to sleep soundly. In the end God saved Peter by sending two angles to help him escape the jail.

 Have you ever been scared of the dark? Why were you scared? The dark can be scary because we can’t see what is around us. You may not be locked in jail facing death like Peter, but you may find that you face things that scare you, like being in alone in a dark room. For those who repent, turn from sin, and trust in the good works of Jesus not their own, instead of being scared they can have peace, because they trust in God to take care of them.

 For a follower of Christ peace is the result of our trust in God; as we grow in our relationship with Jesus we see Him work in our lives, and we learn to trust him more and more. As we learn to trust in him more we will have more peace in our hearts! 

Peace with God comes only through repentance and faith, a truth we must never forget and one we must remind our children of often, because without peace with God inner peace is not possible. Inner peace grows out of our trust in God; as we trust in Him and see His work in our lives we grow in ability to trust in Him, peace in our hearts in a byproduct of trusting His plan even in the face of great uncertainty. The flesh instinctively trusts in itself; it goes against our fallen nature trust to another, but as we grow in faith, and witness first hand God’s love and power we will grown in ability to trust and experience greater and greater peace in our hearts.

Remember: As we work through these characteristics it is important that we do not let our children think that these are things that we can do them on our own apart from God’s work in our heart through the Holy Spirit.

The following is a link to a message on the Fruit of the Spirit: Peace and Patience by Brandon Davis , the Pastor of Living Acts Church in Tyler Texas. I hope it is a blessing and help as you labor to lead your child to the cross!

<http://livingactschurch.com/sermons/?sermon_id=76&gt;