Locations & Times

1. What will show on a healthy branch? (fruit)
2. What is a healthy branch connected to? (vine, tree)
3. Why are we called “branches?” (Like a branch on a tree, we should stay connected to Jesus.)
4. Is it better to work really hard at producing good fruit, or stay connected to Jesus to produce good fruit? (stay connected to Jesus)
5. How do you think you can stay connected to Jesus? (some ideas to talk about: pray, read your Bible, worship, talk about him with your friends)

Read: John 15:1-8; Galatians 5:16-26

Connected. This series is all about connection to Jesus. He is the source of grace, love, and mercy in our lives, and when we stay connected to him, good things come out of us. The Bible calls these good things the fruit of the Spirit. Throughout this series, we will explore four questions about the fruit of the Spirit so we can wade through some common misconceptions and dig into the real, no pun intended, fruit.

Second Question: If the fruit of the Spirit is a list of nine attributes (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control), why doesn’t the Bible call them “fruits” of the Spirit?

Answer: The singularity of the noun used in Galatians 5 for the fruit of the Spirit is on purpose. One characteristic cannot exist without the other. For example, someone who is loving is always patient and kind, and someone who is faithful is also exhibiting self-control and goodness. You get the idea. So rather than think of the fruit as a list of attributes, it’s important that we consider them to be a unified whole. A better way to think about the fruit of the Spirit might be to call it character development rather than characteristics. The fruit is a metaphor for the character that the Holy Spirit produces inside of us as we get to know and follow Jesus. We become the kind of people who act like Jesus, think like Jesus, see situations and people like Jesus, etc. etc.

The list of nine attributes is simply a way to try to encapsulate the wholeness of the character of Jesus and the people who he is at work transforming. We’re not trying to act a certain way, instead, we are becoming someone totally new.

How have you seen the inseparable nature of the fruit of the Spirit in your life or the lives of others?

“The Greek word translated “fruit” refers to the natural product of a living thing,” – Kathy Howard. What are some ways you see character developing in your life as a natural product of your relationship with Jesus – one that is growing and alive? It might help to rope in some trusted people to help you answer this question.