Rotten :: The Good Soil
Clean hands and cover their mouths when they cough. :) // If someone is clearly under the weather notify Chad, Jimmy, or Heather.
Take a second and have a students tell you the parable of the sower.
You can refer the scripture if need be, but hopefully repetition has locked it in their memories.
The fruit of the Spirit
Have a student read Galatians 5:22-23
Below is every Fruit of the spirit. Have your group decide which fruits they are the most interested in exploring and then follow in that order. Each fruit has a simple definition, a few notes to help teach the concept and some action steps.
Keep in mind these all require ABIDING so explore all of these through that lens.
The Fruit of Love
Love is the counter-intuitive decision to desire the best for another person even if it comes at personal cost.
The ability to listen and learn from others is great expression of love.
Love speeds the growth of trust. It is an antidote for selfishness and contempt.
In life, consistent love towards others, even those you don’t like, will cultivate trust and orient your heart to apply other fruit.
Even when you don’t agree, you can still love someone.
Take the time to listen to others. Listen to their story.
The Fruit of Joy
Joy is a delight of the mind that is independent of present happiness.
It comes from powerful memories and our hope, through faith, in our eternal future with God.
Joy is powerful because it can dispel gloom and negativity, helping us to recover our momentum and stride.
Joy is different than happiness. Joy is something you keep with you, regardless of circumstances. It is available to you in spite of circumstances.
Joy is a powerful defense against bad news or fear that things will never get better.
Take moment to make a list of things that bring you joy – people, places, hobbies, a memory, a song, a movie, etc.
The Fruit of Peace
Peace is a deep sense of contentment and well-being rooted in our relationship with God and all that Jesus accomplished for us in His sacrifice.
Peace means completeness, soundness and well being. It is not just something eternal we will have someday – we can have it now.
Peace can be experienced regardless of circumstances. Peace comes by the grace of God – we can’t earn it.
In life peace gives a steady hand under pressure as it puts everyday pressures in perspective.
Have a student read Philippians 4:6-7 and have students share one place in their life where they need peace. Pray for peace as a group.
The Fruit of Patience
Learning to remain constant no matter what may be happening at the moment.
Have a student read James 1:2-4
Ask the students share times in their lives where they are impatient?
Point out the problem with expectations and how those are opportunities to see patience as the gift it is.
The Fruit of Kindness
Kindness is a visible demonstration of your feeling towards others.
Kindness is often the way people see, perceive and receive our love.
The better you get at practicing kindness the more readily those around you will trust you.
A culture of kindness can be cultivated by simple acts of appreciation to those you work with.
Kindness is expressing care about those in your life. People don’t care what you know until they know that you care.
Challenge the students to start looking for ways to display kindness first and foremost in their homes. With small acts like taking out the trash or helping with Dinner etc.
The Fruit of Goodness
Goodness is the intentional choosing and doing the right thing.
Goodness is not the act of “not sinning”.
“good” means you do what is right even when no one is looking.
The Fruit of Faithfulness
Faithfulness is the practice of holding fast to what you have promised in the face of challenges.
Faithfulness is sticking with it even when the job is more difficult than expected.
This is the opposite of giving up.
Have the students share times where didn’t give up? Celebrate those times and talk through how those times when they didn’t they were casting seed on other soils.
The Fruit of Gentleness
The Mark of Humility
Gentleness and patience work hand in hand.
True gentleness comes from knowing what it’s like to desperately need gentleness from others and from God.
In life, gentleness can often gain cooperation from others when we humbly seek help from others to avoid making mistakes
Often times it is the difference between responding and reacting.
Ask the students to explain the difference between responding and reacting.
The Fruit of Self-Control
Consistent Character
People with Self control can handle the heat and stress of situations and can handle setbacks.
Showing self-control is a good way to steadily accumulate trust over time and gain the reputation for being a steady and reliable person.
Self-control touches all of the other fruit and guards us against potentially rotten soil that could cost you relationships, and cause a lot of turmoil.
Have a student read Proverbs 25:28
Talk about how vulnerable your soil is when you lack self-control.
Close by praying as a group.
We will know we have hit our target if:
-Students retain the parable of the sower including the 4 soils.
-Everyone understands the cause and effect of the parable of the sower - especially when it comes to good soil.
-Students grasp the truth that all followers of Jesus should be growing Spirit fruit with all the flavors - not just a few.
-Students understand Abiding.