Welcome Friends
As I continue to grow and mature in the Lord,
I’m grateful for the opportunity to share this passion with you.
By taking the word of God and the experience of the Holy Spirit,
Let’s mature together in our walk the lord
I looking forward to learning and growing together in our faith.
In my last lesson (link at the bottom)
I shared:
Galatians 5:19-21 – the flesh, the way of the world, wrongdoing,
these actions aren’t helpful in building up God’s kingdom
Today I would like to share
The fruits of the spirit
Working together to build God’s kingdom
Galatians 5:22-23-
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”
Love
Not a feeling but it is a verb-something you do.
selfless and sacrificial, A deliberate choice to seek the well-being of others, even at a cost to oneself.
-helping a neighbor in need, even if it’s inconvenient
-parents tirelessly caring for a child with disabilities, sacrificing sleep, personal goals, and time to ensure their child’s well-being,
-A firefighter rushes into a burning building to save a family, risking or even sacrificing their own life so that others might live.
-A teacher stays after school for hours, tutoring kids simply because they want to see them succeed in life
-A person who has been financially saving up for years gives away their hard-earned money to cover a friend’s life-saving surgery.
Joy
A deep, inner gladness that is not dependent on external circumstances
While happiness is often dependent on favorable external circumstances
Joy come from the internal- found from the peace they find in knowing that God is with them,
joy is rooted deeply in trust with an internal shift in perspective.
You can have joy in every situation whether your happy or not
No matter what the circumstances, your day can still be filled with joy
Joy is a choice that comes from trusting God, even in difficult times.
-A woman loses her job and faces financial uncertain, she chooses to trust in God
believing that new opportunities will come verse worrisome and depression.
-A person going through a tough season but is still able to find joy in her day
-A believer who lost a loved one finds joy knowing they will one day be reunited
-person facing chronic illness find joy in small blessings, like kindness from others or a beautiful sunset,
Peace
Knowing that I can rest because God is also at rest. I can rest because I know that God is in control.
I can’t do this one or handle this one so I leave it for God.
It .is not about eliminating challenges or hardships, but about resting in the assurance that God is in control
-A career decision making you feel anxious about the future vs experiencing peace that comes from knowing that the outcome
is not solely in your hands but trusting in God’s plans.
-A student overwhelmed with exams finds peace in surrendering their anxiety to God
-In a family conflict, knowing that you have done everything you can and chooses to step back
and leave rest in God hands rather than sleepless nights, stress and worry
-During times of financial strain, you choose to release your worry and trust that God will provide for your needs
Patience
Patience as more than just waiting.
It’s about actively enduring and responding to challenges with a calm spirit
-A family caregiver showing patience in the daily struggles of caring for an elderly or a chronically ill loved
-A parent or a parent raising a child with special needs, rather than reacting with frustration,
they stay calm
-A customer service rep or table server staying composed with irate customers, treating them with care despite their anger.
-Dealing with an office crisis and staying calm
-A teacher working with challenging students, patiently guiding them through lessons without frustration.
-A spouse dealing with marital struggles listens calmly,
Kindness
It is not just about running around doing nice things but you’re in a position of being usable.
you’re in a useable condition, useable by God.
A readiness to let God use one’s life to make you an effective instrument for God’s work.
A genuine willingness to serve others
-A manager creating a nurturing work environment by mentoring employees, listening empathetically, and forgiving mistakes,
allowing God’s love to shine through in the workplace.
– someone who volunteers at a local food pantry or shelter every week. They don’t just drop off food
but they take the time to listen to people’s stories and offer encouragement
-A neighbor sees tension brewing outside between neighbors and steps in not with judgment or haste, but with a calm, kind demeanor,
offering to mediate or simply listen
-A parent sets aside distractions (like iphones or work) to listen to their teenager. By truly hearing their struggles and joys,
Goodness
Situations that require more than just human goodness.
This is empowered by God, not just by human effort.
It is more than just being “nice”—it is God-empowered goodness that seeks to do what is right, even when it is difficult or even when it’s undeserved
-A church member consistently reaches out to the difficult person in their congregation, offering kindness and patience
-You have a neighbor who is rude, constantly complains, and even spreads false rumors about you
and you offer to help with yard work, greet them warmly or bring them fresh baked cookies.
– Your coworker constantly undermines you at work and you continue to treat them with respect, offer to help them with their workload
Faithfulness
Faithfulness means steadfast commitment to God, trusting that His promises are true even when you don’t see the full picture,
It’s about staying in obedience, holding onto His truth, and continuing in His ways
even when the path ahead is uncertain.
-A mother has prayed for years for her rebellious son to return to the Lord.
Though she sees no immediate change, she remains faithful in prayer and trusts that God is working behind the scenes.
-A wife or husband stays faithful in a struggling marriage, choosing to love, pray, and seek God’s wisdom instead of giving up.
-A college student is mocked for their Christian faith but refuses to compromise their beliefs or values. They continue
to walk with God, even when it means losing friendships or being treated differently
Gentleness
strength under control-
a mild and humble disposition that responds with patience and kindness instead of anger or aggression.
The ability to remain calm, even in difficult situations.
-A teacher is faced with a student who constantly disrupts the class. Instead of losing patience or raising their voice, the teacher responds calmly.
-A parent’s young child throws a tantrum in public. Rather than reacting with anger or frustration, the parent stays calm.
-A supervisor notices that one of their employees has been underperforming and showing signs of frustration.
Instead of acting harshly, the supervisor listens to their concerns and gently offers constructive feedback and support.
-In a heated argument, a husband or wife chooses to speak gently, resisting the urge to raise their voice or say hurtful words
– You receive negative comments on your social media site, instead of lashing back,
you reply graciously, offering a kind and thoughtful response rather than engaging in conflict.
Self-control
mastering one’s own desires and actions, exercising discipline and restraint in the face of temptation and worldly influences.
It’s not only about avoiding sin but actively choosing God’s path and purpose, even when tempted by the desires of the flesh.
It is the power to say “no” to worldly temptations and “yes” to God’s will.
Bringing them under the authority of God, trusting that His ways are better.
– A person notices that they are becoming bitter towards someone. Instead of allowing negative thoughts to control the mind,
replace negative thoughts with positive thoughts
-A person is in a conversation where others are gossiping about someone. Instead of feeling tempted
to join in, they redirect the conversation with something uplifting
-A person is frustrated with their friend. Instead of complaining to others and venting their frustration,
You choose gratitude for the opportunity to grow in patience and resilience
Galatians 5:25–“If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.”
My old life, I was just living life, going through the motions,
not really thinking about the fruits of the spirit as it never occurred to me to think about
the fruits of the spirit.
I would just do what I want to do and try to live good. Satan didn’t have to work to hard on me.
This left me vulnerable, giving Satan and worldly desires a foothold into my heart.
Paul encourages believers to imitate his way of life.
1 Corinthians 11:1–“Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.”
When I came to Christ in my early years, I received the Holy Spirit.
This only became real to me when I hit rock bottom in my life
What a revolution !! I have the Holy Spirit !!
All this time, I was kind of ignoring it.
Now I wake up every morning trying to make intentional consciously choices, in hopes that my choices will start to become lasting habits.
“Out with the old and in with the new”
I am noticing more that I am catching myself before I do wrong so I change my direction.
I want to forget about my old life and replace it with caring about my future.
i now wake up every morning with a renewed mind and intentionally do the fruits of the spirit.
When I am not focused on the fruits of the spirit, there isn’t as much peace or comfort.
I don’t want to go back there.
Galatians 5:22-23-
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
gentleness and self-control
read this backwards- God is going to work on self-control in you first because when
you have more self-control, you will have more gentleness, when your more gentle
you will be more faithful, the more faithful you are, the more goodness and the more goodness,
the more kindness. the kinder you are, the more patience you will be, more patients will bring you more peace,
the more peace you have, the more joy you will find and when you are filled with joy,
then you will have nothing but love
If you haven’t yet invited the Lord to be your Savior and guide over your life,
my prayer is that my own experiences will help shed some light on His love, grace, and the transformation He brings.
I hope that through my journey, you’ll see the goodness of God and be encouraged to seek Him for yourself.
Let us wake up each morning filled with joy, ready to walk in the fruits of the Spirit.
May we intentionally and consciously grow love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control in our daily lives, allowing God to shape our hearts and guide our steps
Together, let’s build up God’s kingdom rather than our own.
Help us set aside our personal agendas and desires, so that together, we may glorify You with one heart and purpose.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Change begins with changing ourselves first—join me today to create a better world together
https://echosofmyfootsteps.com
Interactive Lesson #24-Growing God’s Fruit
