Week 3 - Day 2
THE MISSION
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JESUS’ CHARACTER (2)
DAILY DIRECTIONS
Use a sentence or bullet points to finish these statements.
UP - Lift Up Your Praise
Lord, I praise You for …
DOWN - Bow Down In Repentance
Lord, I repent of …
IN - Take In God’s Word
Galatians 5:13-25 (CSB)
For you were called to be free, brothers and sisters; only don’t use this freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but serve one another through love. For the whole law is fulfilled in one statement: Love your neighbor as yourself. But if you bite and devour one another, watch out, or you will be consumed by one another.
I say, then, walk by the Spirit and you will certainly not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is against the Spirit, and the Spirit desires what is against the flesh; these are opposed to each other, so that you don’t do what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
Now the works of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, moral impurity, promiscuity, idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambitions, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and anything similar. I am warning you about these things—as I warned you before—that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. The law is not against such things. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.
Romans 13:14 (NIV)
Clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh.
Once again, the fruit of the Spirit is the character of Christ. That’s because Jesus is loving, joyful, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, gentle and self-controlled. One of the roles of the Holy Spirit in a believer’s life is to reproduce the character qualities of Jesus in the believer.
Why do you think Paul talks about the fruit (singular) of the Spirit rather than the fruits (plural) of the Spirit?
For example, how would your witness be if you had lots of love but no patience?
Or again, how would you be at showing the character of Christ if you had loads of joy but no self-control?
So the fruit of the Spirit isn’t 9 different fruit, it’s 1 fruit with 9 different parts. Think of an orange cut in half. Though it is just 1 fruit, it has 9 different slices. These slices would be 9 different fruit of the Spirit.
Work through the fruit and spend some time in self-evaluation. Answer these three questions for each …
How could you mature in this Christlike character?
How could the Spirit help you?
How could your group help you?
Love
Joy
Peace
Patience
Kindness
Goodness
Faithfulness
Gentleness
Self-Control
Think of your circle of influence (where you live, learn, work and play). Especially, think of YOUR 3. Which fruit of the Spirit do they need to see most from you right now? How will you display it?
Philippians 3:12-14 (NLT)
I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.
When Paul fell short of being perfectly like Jesus, what did he do?
Don’t be discouraged. Celebrate the life you see and cultivate its growth. Remember the Christian life isn’t about perfection, but progress. That’s why Paul uses the image of the fruit of the Spirit. There’s always room for growth and the Spirit is always there to help us mature. If and when you fall into some fleshly sin, make sure you fall forward into your Father’s arms through repentance and faith, assured of His love and forgiveness.
John 15:1-8
I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
What does this passage say about how to bear fruit for Jesus?
Why is bearing fruit so important?
Lord, I hear You saying to me …
Now, with Your help I will …
OUT - Pray Out Your Requests
Lord, I pray for …
STOP - Stop, Look and Listen
Lord, what do You want to show me or say to me?
GO - Go Through Your Day
Lord, I pray for Your help as I anticipate these events today …