Hello! Today we are going to dive into the fruit of the spirit - Goodness!
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:
Galatians 6:10 - “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.”
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GOODNESS: Opening songs:
For the younger children:
For the family:
As you watch/sing-along, consider the words. Consider today's topic - patience! 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 Family - Quote by Corrie Ten Boom, Author of The Hiding Place
Often I have heard people say, "How good God is! We prayed that it would not rain for our church picnic, and look at the lovely weather!'" Yes, God is good when He sends good weather. But God was also good when He allowed my sister, Betsie, to starve to death before my eyes in a German concentration camp. I remember one occasion when I was very discouraged there. Everything around us was dark, and there was darkness in my heart. I remember telling Betsie that I thought God had forgotten us. "No, Corrie," said Betsie, "He has not forgotten us. Remember His Word: 'For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is His steadfast love toward those who fear Him.'" Corrie concludes, "There is an ocean of God's love available--there is plenty for everyone. May God grant you never to doubt that victorious love--whatever the circumstances."
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Biblical Example - Goodness - Three Things We Can Learn from Hezekiah
Read 2 Kings 18:1-9
We read in 2 Kings 18:5-7a, “Hezekiah trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel. There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before him or after him. He held fast to the Lord and did not stop following him; he kept the commands the Lord had given Moses. And the Lord was with him; he was successful in whatever he undertook.”
The heart of man is not naturally good. Jeremiah 17:9 says, “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?” Romans 3:10-12 says,”As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.”
One
Since that is the condition of the human heart, where does goodness come from? The biblical testimony regarding Hezekiah’s life gives us some important insight. First, we are told that he trusted in the Lord. He didn’t trust in his ability, his wealth, his position or in his own goodness. Salvation comes from the Lord. Goodness begins with trusting Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Savior. It is the fruit of the Holy Spirit’s presence and working in our lives.
Two
Second, Hezekiah held fast to the Lord. Faith was not a one time experience in his life, he lived by faith. We are saved by faith and then we are to walk by faith. Colossians 2:6-7 says, “So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.” We are to hold fast to the Lord. Goodness is produced in our lives as a result of God’s working in our lives.
Three
Third, Hezekiah committed himself to obeying the Lord’s commands. True goodness is manifested through obedience to the Lord. Goodness is not what the world applauds and approves, it is what is acceptable and pleasing in the eyes of the Lord. Jesus said, “Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them” (John 14:21).
Application
We live in a world where many call evil good and good evil. We must be willing to stand up for righteousness and goodness, and speak out against evil and wrongdoing. We must use our time, money and talents to advance the cause of righteousness. However, we first must make sure that goodness is being produced in our lives by the working of the Holy Spirit as we live by faith.
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Application Questions
1. How are Hezekiah and Betsie (from the illustration above) similar?
2. Hezekiah was successful in all he did 2 Kings tells us. Did God bless Hezekiah with success because he was good? (Think about the illustration of Corrie Ten Boom and her sister Betsie)
3. Why do you think God sometimes allows things, like what happened to Corrie and her sister, to happen? Is God still good, even when things like that happen?
4. Doing the right (good) thing sometimes goes against modern culture, the direction of a group, or society. What does God want us to do in those situations?
5. How is goodness more than the actions we take? (think about righteousness)
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Family Prayer Time
There are two themes coming out in the lesson and questions. One is about the fruit of the spirit: goodness. And the other is about God's goodness, even when unexplainable, unfathomable, horrible things happen. As you share in a family prayer time, think about how goodness is an inward working of the spirit, that it is more than just the actions we take. Ask God to help bear the fruit of goodness in your life. Ask Him for courage and boldness to do good even if it goes against the flow of what others are doing or thinking. Ask Him for forgiveness for times when you may not have bore the fruit of goodness.
Also consider the times when you wonder why God allows something to happen. Do you still trust in His goodness even when you don't understand why? Sometimes it is easy to just see the rain, the storm in front of our eyes. We sometimes forget that the rainbow comes and the flowers bloom as a result of that rain. Ask God to help you trust Him, even when it hurts, even when you don't understand, knowing that He can see the big picture, we only see the rain.
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Thank you for taking time to use this resource! It is our desire that families will come together in the Word. That God would use this as a tool in the lives of the families and groups who use it. It is our prayer that His kingdom might be advanced. Please continue to use and share and let us know how it is making a difference or having and impact in your family.
Thank you,
Daryl and Rachel
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