Bible:)

• Fruit of the Spirit

  The external manifestation of Christ's internal presence within us
• Characteristics of how the Spirit fosters the growth of spiritual fruit

  • Gradual growth
  • Inevitable growth
  • Internal growth
  • Symmetrical growth
• Gradual growth of spiritual fruit

  1. Develops slowly and steadily, like a seed growing into a tree

  2. Unfolds over time as we nurture our relationship with God
• Inevitable growth of spiritual fruit

  A certain outcome for those who walk with the Spirit, just as a healthy tree inevitably bears fruit
• Internal growth of spiritual fruit

  Begins from within, an internal transformation that eventually manifests outwardly
• Symmetrical growth of spiritual fruit


  Balanced and harmonious, the Spirit develops all aspects concurrently
• Jonathan Edwards: 'There is a concatenation of the graces of Christianity'
• Concatenation of the graces of Christianity


  The various aspects of spiritual fruit are interconnected, each one enhancing and complementing the others
• The journey of spiritual growth is a beautiful process of transformation guided by the Spirit
• It's about allowing the Spirit to shape us from within, fostering a gradual, inevitable, internal, and symmetrical growth of spiritual fruit that reflects the presence of Christ in our lives
• Longsuffering


  Being long-tempered as opposed to being short-tempered
• Patience is the ability to idle your motor when you feel like stripping your gears
• God requires longsuffering of us

  God perfectly demonstrates longsuffering
• Development of longsuffering


  1. God gives opportunities to practice patience

  2. God uses problems to develop patience

  3. God uses people to develop patience
• Kindness


  The inward work of the Holy Spirit that produces sweetened outward attitudes and actions
• Goodness


  Moral and spiritual excellence that is known by its active kindness
• Only God is truly good (Ps. 34:8)
• If you take "G-o-d" out of "g-o-o-d" you end up with a big zero ("0")
• Implementation of goodness


  • Goodness is not primarily a matter of what you know, or what you do, but what you are
  • We need the kind of life that has such integrity in relation to Christ that those around us who are comfortable in their apathy, unconcern, and insensitivity will be afflicted by our very presence, and those who are afflicted by the pains and problems of life will be comforted by our same presence
• The way to spiritual fruit bearing is not through trying (self-effort) it is through trusting (Spirit's power)