Love Is the Fruit the Spirit Grows
Month 10: Loving One Another · Walking in the Spirit
Today's Scripture
Read together: Galatians 5:22-26
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, 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 walk in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying one another.
Memory Verse
“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no account of wrongs.”— 1 Corinthians 13:4-5 (BSB)
📖 Bible-in-a-Year (optional)
Today's reading: Matthew 16–18
Reading the whole Bible in a year — do this when you have extra time.The Heart of It
By now your family might be feeling the weight of this love list. Patient. Kind. Not envious. Not proud. Not easily angered. Keeping no account of wrongs. Who can actually do that? The honest answer is, not one of us, on our own strength. And that is exactly why God didn't leave us to try harder by ourselves. When Paul lists the fruit of the Spirit in , look at which one he names first. "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace…" Love isn't something we squeeze out of ourselves by gritting our teeth. It's fruit that the Holy Spirit grows in a life connected to Jesus.
Think about how fruit grows. An apple tree doesn't strain and grunt to make apples. It stays rooted, it drinks up life, and the fruit comes naturally in season. That's the picture of walking in the Spirit. Paul says, "Since we live by the Spirit, let us walk in step with the Spirit" (). We do it step by step, staying close beside Him. The very love that describes is the love that says God "poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit." So when love feels impossible in your home, the answer isn't "try harder." It's "stay close to Jesus, and ask His Spirit to fill you." We don't make this fruit ourselves. We receive it, as we walk with Him.
Around the Table
The Holy Spirit grows good things in our hearts, like love, the way a tree grows yummy fruit. We just stay close to Jesus.
Let's do it: Pretend to be a tree growing fruit. Start as a tiny seed. Then "grow" tall, with arms full of love-apples!
Love is the first fruit of the Spirit. We don't make it ourselves. The Spirit grows it as we stay close to Jesus.
Let's talk: What does an apple tree have to do to grow apples? What does that teach us about how to grow love?
To walk in the Spirit means staying in step with Him day by day. The love of is His fruit, not our willpower (; ).
Let's go deeper: When loving someone feels impossible, what's the difference between "trying harder" and "walking in the Spirit"?
💬 Conversation Starter
What's your favorite fruit, and how long does a tree take to grow it?— The Spirit grows love in us patiently, too — and it's worth the wait!
🛡️ Defending the Faith
How do we know the Holy Spirit is really at work, and not just people being naturally nice? Watch for fruit that goes beyond a person's natural bent. Look for patience in someone hot-tempered, or love toward an enemy. Changed lives are real evidence, and we point to them gently and respectfully ().
For Dad · Go Deeper
This is the heart of classic Pentecostal discipleship, and it protects your family from two ditches at once. On one side is dead moralism, the "just behave better" message, which produces tired, guilt-ridden children and dads running on willpower. On the other side is hype that chases spiritual experiences for their own sake. The Spirit-filled middle is this. We lean on the Holy Spirit, day after day, and He grows Christlike character in us, with love at the top of the list. The same Spirit who empowers us for witness and gives gifts is the Spirit who makes us loving. And the fruit is a surer sign of His work than any gift. So teach your kids to ask the Spirit for help in the moment. Show them how to pray, "Holy Spirit, help me love my brother right now." Then let them watch you do the very same thing out loud. When they see you leaning on the Spirit, you give them one of the best gifts you can give.
Draws on: Robert P. Menzies, Pentecost: This Story Is Our Story.
Let's Pray Together
"Holy Spirit, we cannot love like this on our own. And we are so glad we don't have to. Pour Your love into our hearts. Grow Your fruit in our family. Help us walk in step with You today. In Jesus' name, amen."
I don't have to squeeze out love on my own. The Spirit grows it in me as I stay close to Jesus.