In Galatians 5:22-26, Paul is writing to churches who are being pressured to earn their place in God’s family through external markers that can be summed up as walking by the flesh. Instead, Paul calls the Christians then and us today to a new life: that of walking with the Spirit. What exactly does that life look like? Paul describes it from the inside out in the fruit of the Spirit.
From root to fruit, being grounded in Christ is the key to growth. This new life only comes from belonging to Christ and having our entire being anchored in Him. This serves as an important reminder for us today. The fruit are the visible result of an invisible root system. The fruit of the Spirit are not a list of rules to follow but instead are a cornucopia of what naturally grows when a life is rooted in Jesus Christ.
Practically speaking, however, how can we tend to this root system, both as individual Christians and as a church? I believe there are four truths we need to remember: Growth is gradual. Growth is inevitable. Growth is internal. And growth is symmetrical.
The good news of the fruit of the Spirit is that it is available to all. The rich and poor. The included and excluded. The up and at ‘em or the down and out. All are called and invited to receive the gift of the Spirit, and to trust that He is at work in them, growing what cannot be self-manufactured.
Dinner Table Conversations:
Adult & Teen Table Talk:
- Examine yourself. How can you see the fruit of the Spirit growing in you life?
- What are the idols which need identifying and dismantling in your life? How can you replace them with Christ?
Little Learners’ Table Talk:
- Have you ever planted a garden or watched a seed grow? What do you think this teaches us about Jesus?
Sermon Title: The Fruit
Sermon Series: Set Free
Sermon Passage: Galatians 5:22-26
Closing Scripture: 1 Corinthians 3:5-9
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