Hello! Today we are going to dive into the fruit of the spirit - Gentleness!
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:
Philippians 4:5, “Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.”
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PATIENCE: Opening songs:
For the younger children:
For the family:
As you watch/sing-along, consider the words. Consider today's topic - gentleness! 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 -
For the whole family - A fable of Gentleness
The North Wind and the Sun
The North Wind boasted of great strength. The Sun argued that there was great power in gentleness.
"We shall have a contest," said the Sun.
Far below, a man traveled a winding road. He was wearing a warm winter coat.
"As a test of strength," said the Sun, "Let us see which of us can take the coat off of that man."
"It will be quite simple for me to force him to remove his coat," bragged the Wind.
The Wind blew so hard, the birds clung to the trees. The world was filled with dust and leaves. But the harder the wind blew down the road, the tighter the shivering man clung to his coat. Then, the Sun came out from behind a cloud. Sun warmed the air and the frosty ground. The man on the road unbuttoned his coat. The sun grew slowly brighter and brighter. Soon the man felt so hot, he took off his coat and sat down in a shady spot.
"How did you do that?" said the Wind.
"It was easy," said the Sun, "I lit the day. Through gentleness I got my way."
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Biblical Example - Gentleness - Nathan
Read 2 Samuel 12
In 2 Samuel 12 we read the story of the Lord sending the prophet Nathan to confront David regarding his sin. This was obviously a very difficult assignment. What he had to say to David was harsh, but Nathan does it with gentleness. Nathan tells David a story of a rich man and a poor man. The rich man had a large number of sheep and cattle. The poor man had only one little ewe lamb that had become like a member of the family. When a traveler came to visit the rich man, rather than taking one of his own sheep, he took the lamb that belonged to the poor man and prepared it for the traveler. David was incensed when he heard the story and said that the man must pay four times over for what he had done. Nathan then shows great strength in his gentleness by saying to David, “You are the Man!” He then proceeds to deliver the message of judgement God had given him regarding David. Nathan spoke truth into David’s life, but he did it with gentleness. This gave David the opportunity to hear God’s message and to repent and turn from his sin.
Ephesians 4:15 says, ”Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.” Some people are very willing to speak the truth, but they come across as very harsh and unloving. Others, out of a desire to avoid conflict or not wanting to hurt anyone, shy away from telling the truth. The person who is gentle has the God-given ability to speak the truth in love. This reflects maturity in Christ. This is produced by the Holy Spirit’s working in our lives.
Application
A boy was once asked, “Who are the meek?” He thought for a moment and then replied, “They are the people who give soft answers to harsh questions.” His definition, though limited, expresses the spirit of this fruit of the Spirit.
A gentle person is not quarrelsome. Philippians 2:14-15 says, “Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, ‘children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.’ Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky.”
A gentle person is forgiving. Colossians 3:12-13 says, “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”
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Application Questions
1. What is your attitude when someone disagrees with your point of view?
2. How do you respond when someone wrongs you?
3. How was Nathan like the Sun in the fable above?
4. What are some ways that you can practice gentleness in everyday life?
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Family Prayer Time
As you share in a family prayer time, ask God to help you to remember to be gentle, even when it is difficult. Ask God to help you forgive others when they wrong you. Thank Him for being gentle with you.
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Thank you for taking time to use this resource! We hope that they are useful to you and help lead your family closer to each other and deeper in your walk with the Lord!
Thank you,
Daryl and Rachel
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