The Power of Daily Devotions.
Part 6 – The Fruit of The Holy Spirit.
Happy New Year! May the Lord bless you, and keep you. May He cause His face to shine upon you and give you peace this year in Jesus’ name.
Welcome to Session #6 of the “Small Groups” season at Joy Fountain. We have been discussing the subject “How to have a Fruitful Devotional Session” under the wider subject “The Power of Daily Devotions.” In previous Parts, we covered items #1 to #8 namely
- Begin a Devotional Session talking to The Father with “Thanksgiving and Praise”
- Read and Meditate on the Scriptures
- Pray the Scriptures
- Bring your requests to God
- Repent and enjoy the Father’s forgiveness
- Make it a quiet place and quiet time
- The Holy Spirit
In Part 6 today we will discuss a little more about the Holy Spirit and His Fruit as a result of a devotional habit and lifestyle.
Scripture Memory (Re-read and Recognize)
Before we go further please take a few minutes to read again the Memory Verses from previous sessions. Please repeat reading them all:
Mark 1:35, 1 Thessalonians 5:18, 1 John 2:6, Acts 17:30, Luke 11:13
And here is the new one for today below. Work on memorizing it over the next couple of days.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
Galatians 5:22-23 NKJV
The fruit (not fruits) of the Holy Spirit is a 9-part fruit. That’s interesting, isn’t it?
Love, Joy, Peace, Longsuffering, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness and Self-Control.
Guided Discussions.
The Fruit of The Holy Spirit
The purpose of Jesus Christ coming to earth was that He might pay the penalty for sin once and for all so that whoever believes in Him is saved and enters into a relationship with God. Consequently, God forms us into the same image of His Son Jesus.
While here the Lord promised that after His departure, the Father would send the Holy Spirit to come and be in us and with us. This happened on the Day of Pentecost in first-century Jerusalem recorded in Acts chapter 2. The Holy Spirit now lives in all God’s children (that is those who have received Him as Lord and Saviour) and His job description is stated clearly in John’s Gospel. Ultimately He is working to make you and I like Christ. See Galatians 4:19.
Before the famous description of the Holy Spirit’s fruit in Paul’s letter to the Galatians, a list of the works of the flesh was first enumerated in Chapter 5 verses 19-21. Let us read it and discuss:
19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. 24 And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
Galatians 5:19-25 NKJV
Questions to Ponder and Discuss
- What do you understand by the term “works of the flesh?”
- Compare the “work of the flesh” to the “fruit of the Spirit” and comment.
- How do you think the fruit of the Spirit as listed becomes a reality in each of us?
- What must we do daily to allow the Spirit to work in us to bear fruit? Read Romans 12:1-2
- Is time a factor to consider?
Part 6 Summary and Conclusion
The will of God for His family on earth is that the fruit of the Spirit who lives in us and in His Church is seen working in and through our lives. Our words and actions should be directed by the Spirit.
17 for the Kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit
Romans 14:17 NKJV
16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.
Galatians 5:16-17 NKJV
We have a responsibility as Christians to yield ourselves DAILY to the Holy Spirit. The more we are yielded to Him the more He can work in us for the glory of the Father. Let us read 2 Corinthians 13:14 in closing.
Prayer Time
- Any Praise Reports or Prayer Requests to share?
- Pray for the fruit of the Spirit to grow in each one of us
- Pray that we Go Deeper With Jesus in 2024 and beyond.
- Pray for one another as needed.
Announcements
- Next Small Groups on January 31, as we will take a break for evening prayer sessions during the fast
- Online Prayer on the first day of fasting. Saturday, January 6, 2023, 7 am.
- January Prayer Summit: January 6, 2023, 12 – 3 pm, beginning our 21-day fast.
- Please subscribe to join the fast here https://joyfountain.engagespot.church/events/26.