![]() ![]() The student with his eyes closed should turn in the direction where he believes the sound is coming from. One partner should close his eyes while the other partner snaps his fingers in various locations around his partner. They’ll help students discover who the Holy Spirit is. Use one or both of these activities when you teach the Fruit of the Spirit for kids. In the same way, if we are not living the way that the Spirit directs us, that fact will be immediately noticed, and the results can be disastrous. Anyone who has watched a marching band knows how obvious it is if one person is out of step with the others. Paul uses an interesting image when he stresses our need to live by the Spirit. These characteristics identify us with Christ. And they describe our inner values of goodness, faithfulness, and self-control. They deal with our behavior toward others: forbearance, kindness, and gentleness (power under control). They include such all-encompassing ideas as love, joy, and peace. These characteristics of Christians are quite varied. They grow in our lives just as fruit grows on a tree that is properly cared for. The fruit of the Spirit includes different attitudes and actions that become more and more evident in our lives as we follow God’s way. On the other hand, the choice to follow the Spirit produces very different results for this life and for eternity. ![]() Ultimately, that choice means eternal separation from God. People who choose to follow the flesh can expect their lives to hold the things that way of life produces. Paul is clear about the results of each way. The decision of which way to live makes an impact on all aspects of life. One pair of opposites that he looks at in detail is living by the flesh (following human desires) and living in the Spirit (following God’s desires). He looks at the differences between the gospel of Christ and false gospels, faith and observance of the law, promise and law, freedom and slavery. Much of Paul’s discussion in the book of Galatians focuses on opposites. Model for your students what it looks like to live by the Spirit, showing and sharing with them the fruit of your life. ![]() When God and others look at our trees-our lives-they should see nothing but “love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” “Each tree is recognized by its own fruit” (Luke 6:44).įortunately, we don’t have to guess what the fruit of a Christian’s life is to be, since Galatians 5:22-25 tells us. ![]()
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