Print off this week's "More to Explore" sheet and use it all week!
This week’s story comes from the book of Galatians. Galatians is an epistle, or letter. The book was written by the missionary Paul. This letter was written to the churches in Galatia. Paul warns against false teachers and preaches the message that salvation is by faith alone.
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Proverbs shares some wise things about the connection between our heart and our actions.
Read Proverbs 4:23 and 27:19.
Then, read in Matthew 12:33-37 what Jesus says about a tree and its fruit.
How do these Scriptures highlight what Paul is talking about in Galatians 5:22-23?
According to these passages, how should disciples of Jesus live?
How do we accomplish this practically in our daily lives?
Earlier in the passage (verse 18), Paul explains that if we are led by the Holy Spirit, we are not under the Old Testament Mosaic law.
Jesus came to fulfill the law (Matthew 5:17-20) and release us from following the law so we could live by faith in Him (Galatians 3:15-29).
The fruits of the Spirit are characteristics that identify disciples of Jesus who have yielded to the Holy Spirit’s work in their life. There is no law (moral, Mosaic or ethical) that goes against them.
Our time on Earth is a tug-of-war between becoming more like Jesus and fighting our desire to sin. When we sin, we need to repent, turn from our wrong choices and ask God to help us choose His ways moving forward.
As we grow in our faith, we grow to become more like Jesus. We rely on the Holy Spirit’s help to make good decisions and choose His ways over sin. We practice, we learn and sometimes we fail and have to try again. This process of growing to look more like Jesus spans our entire life.
Make a fruit basket collage! Draw in your journal a basket full of fruit. Below your collage, write out today’s memory verse. Finally, ask God to help you live out the fruits of the Spirit by following His direction for your life.
Read Galatians 5:16-25 to learn what Paul says about living a life that is led by the Holy Spirit. How does this Scripture relate to culture today?
What is the relationship between sinful (fleshly) desires and the desires of the Holy Spirit? (Hint: Read verse 17.)
What does Paul mean when he says those who are led by the Spirit are not under the law? (Hint: Read verse 18.)
