Hello! Today we are going to dive into the fruit of the spirit - Faithfulness! Here is another Fruit of the Spirit that is timely during our Covid-19 quarantine. How many of you have been feeling frustrated, angry, lonely, fearful...and the list goes on? Are you finding it difficult to remain faithful? Sometimes it is difficult to see that God has a plan. Understanding that nothing happens that God isn't fully aware of, has allowed, has a purpose for, is key to remaining faithful. We want to challenge you, when those negative feelings creep in, take it to the one who holds the key, who holds it all in His Hands. He wants to be your rock, the one you cling to. So cling to Him and His faithfulness during this time!
Over-arching Fruit of the Spirit memory verse:
Galatians 5:22-23, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”
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GET TO KNOW THE FRUITS!
Use this to engage your young children in the content. It tends to be a younger crowd favorite, so you may want to begin each "Fruit of the Spirit" session with this song.
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Optional memory verse:
Hebrews 10:23 - “Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.”
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FAITHFULNESS: Opening songs:
For the younger children:
For the family:
As you watch/sing-along, consider the words. Consider today's topic - faithfulness! How is that Fruit shown in this song? How can you see yourself bearing this fruit in your everyday life?
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Modern illustration/introduction
For the Youngers -
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Biblical Example - Three Examples of Faithfulness
Read Hebrews 11:1-40
Habakkuk
Habakkuk 3:17-19 says, “Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no foo, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stall, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior. The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to tread on the heights.”
Habakkuk was a prophet of the Lord at the time of the fall of Jerusalem. He had asked God why He didn’t punish the Israelites for their sin and rebellion. God responded by revealing to Habakkuk what He was about to do. He was going to use the evil Babylonian Empire to bring judgment on the Israelites. Faced with the harsh reality of what was coming, Habakkuk determined in his heart that he was going to rejoice in the Lord no matter what.
The circumstance he describes in chapter 3, verses 17 to 19, are about as desperate as it can get. There is no food, no money, no resources, and yet his trust is in the Lord. Faithfulness is that quality in a person’s life where they trust in God and follow Him no matter how difficult or bleak their circumstances may be. This is the fruit of the Holy Spirit’s working in a person’s life.
Stephen
We again see this quality in Stephen as he is being stoned to death and he says, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.’ Then he fell on his knees and cried out, ‘Lord, do not hold this sin against them” (Acts 7:59-60). His eyes were fixed on Jesus to the very end.
Paul and Silas
Faithfulness is the quality we see in Paul and Silas when they were in the Philippian jail. They didn’t know what the outcome would be when they appeared before the court. But they were praying and singing songs of praise to God while in the jail. Faithfulness is produced in our lives by the Holy Spirit as He reveals to us the unchanging love of God for us and God’s faithfulness in fulfilling His promises to us.
Application
When we stand before God at the final judgment, He will not be judging us based on how successful we have been. The issue will be whether or not we have been faithful. Have we been faithful in our use of time? Have we been faithful in our use of the gifts and abilities God has given to us? Have we been faithful in our use of money and possessions? Have we faithfully trusted God and followed Him?
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Application Questions
1. Explain how faith was shown in one of the 3 examples given.
2. By having faith in God should we expect that He will only bring good things into your life? Why or why not?
3. Do you see any of the other Fruits of the Spirit in any of these examples of faith? Which ones? What does this tell you about the Fruits of the Spirit? (we can, and should be bearing more than just one).
4. Think about the questions in the application portion. Have you been faithful in the areas of time, gifts/abilities, money/possessions, trusting God? Which area could you work to be more faithful in?
5. The bible says, "If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can move mountains." If faithfulness is not something we can just pray for and have in abundance, what are some things we can do to help grow our faith?
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Family Prayer Time
As you share in a family prayer time, ask God to help you be faithful, not just in the big things, but also in the small things. Ask for Him to reveal to you where you haven't been entirely faithful, and ask Him to forgive you and help you be faithful in that area. Thank Him for his unwavering faithfulness to you. Tell Him how much you love Him and that you desire to be faithful to Him, even when life doesn't go how you hoped or thought it would.
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Thank you for taking time to use this resource!
Thank you,
Daryl and Rachel
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