Fruit of the Spirit Bible Study: LOVE

In my 20+ years in children’s ministry, I often saw curriculum that turned the fruit of the Spirit into character traits that kids needed to strive for. Sure, we want to help our kids develop more love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control, but something about that approach always made the back of my brain itch.

Finally, I figured out why.

The fruits of the Spirit aren’t just character traits – we can’t try harder and make them grow. We can’t force ourselves to love more, at least, not on the inside. We can pretend to be more loving, but to be truly transformed into more loving people, we need to be changed from the inside out.

That ☝🏼is what Paul meant when he talked about the fruit. He didn’t mean that love was like an apple! 🍎 

He meant that when we put our roots deep down into God’s love, when our souls are nurtured by Living Water and when we follow the Light of the World, then, like a tree, we will grow good fruit. And the good fruit that grows in our lives as a result of being with Christ is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

This new month-long family Bible study centres around this concept: that as we spend more time with Jesus, basking in his love, we will grow in the fruit of love. (and the rest too, but this first study is about love!)

If you’re ready to 

• deepen your understanding of God’s love
• sense God’s love more deeply
• learn what it looks like to love God back
• learn what God expects of our relationships with others

then this study is for you! 

My family Bible studies are all geared, quite literally, toward the whole family. They’re very simple – each day has a Bible passage and some thought-provoking questions. I try to phrase my questions in such a way that young children, teenagers, and adults can all participate in the discussion. Sometimes adults even do them on their own. 

WHAT’S INSIDE:

• a printable PDF with journaling pages for the 20-day study
• an optional daily email reminder (5 days on, 2 days off – it will take 4 weeks)
• printable memory verse posters in 4 different Bible translations

READY? Let’s grow in love together!

 

**PLEASE NOTE: This is a digital product. No physical items will be shipped.