Expressions:  The Fruit of the Spirit 

• The _____________ of walking in step with the Holy Spirit 

 

Galatians 5:22–26 (NIV)
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things, there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking, and envying each other.

_____________ in Jesus

 

John 15:1–4 (NIV)
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

CORE Expression - Love

Personal Statement:
I express the love of Christ through the working of the Holy Spirit to love others unconditionally
 
Key Verse: 
1 John 4:11
Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

Question:
What is your favorite expression of love?
What is your least favorite expression of love?

 

Question:
What is the Enemy of Love?

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Galatians 5:19–21 (NIV)
19 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

 

Enemies of Love:

• Hatred – enmity – things that _____________

• Discord – emulations – rivalry – A competitiveness that _____________

• Fits of rage – outbursts of anger 

• Selfish ambition – self-centered effort – similar to rivalry

• Dissensions – division

• Factions – tribalism –  cliques - divisive because there are at least two sides

• Envy – the inability to celebrate another person’s well-being and success

 

Question:
How do any of these get in the way of walking in step with the Spirit?

 

Galatians 5:22–26 (NIV)
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

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• Agape – the _____________ expression of Christ’s love 

• Love is the _____________ fruit and expression of the Holy Spirit

• Love is a _____________ attached kind of love

• Love is _____________ love, not ours

 

1 Corinthians 13:1–13 (NIV)

Love _____________:
If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 10 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast,  but do not have love, I gain nothing. 

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• The absence of love _____________ spiritual effort

• The absence of love _____________ the intent of the gift

• The presence of love _____________ the presence of God

• The presence of love enriches the _____________ of the gifts

Love _____________:
4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 
Genuine love is always about the person being loved

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• Love _____________ the person being loved

• Love _____________ the lover to have no strings attached

• Love focuses on the _____________ and not the negative

• Love _____________

 

A Comparison of Love to the Fruit of the Spirit

 

Love … 
… is patient
… is Kind
… does not envy
… does not boast
… is not proud
… does not dishonor others
… is not self-seeking
… is not easily angered
… keeps no record of wrongs
… does not delight in evil
… always protects
… always trusts
… always hopes
… always perseveres

 

The Fruit of the Spirit is …

… Love

… Joy

… Peace 

… Patience

… Kindness

… Goodness

… Gentleness

... Faithfulness

… Self-control

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Love is _____________
8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. 11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. 12 For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. 
13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

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• Love never fails or falls – there is never a situation in which love is the _____________ expression.

• Gifts will end but love will not – Gifts will no longer be necessary when we are in the _____________ presence of Christ. 

  • Language – all will hear the voice of God – one language

  • Knowledge – Complete

  • Prophecy – Not needed – Jesus is the pure source of insight and eternity is real

• Maturity – when we grow up, we learn sacrificial love – it’s no longer about us

• Mirror – the fog, then completeness

• Three remain:  

  • Faith – Trust

  • Hope – Confidence

  • Love – The nature of Christ – love will never end

 

We will live in a love context for eternity

Conclusion:

• Avoid the enemies of love

• Take the strings off of our love 

• Embrace the nature of Enrichment – Are the gifts about you or others?

• Embrace the nature of Edification – Are people better because of your expression of love?

• Embrace the nature of enduring love – Are you hanging in there with the difficult people?

• Seek to remain in Christ so that love becomes an outcome of your relationship with Jesus

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