A Family That Bears Fruit
Month 9: The Spirit's Power for Witness · Family Worship
Today's Scripture
Read together: Galatians 6:7-10
7 Do not be deceived: God is not to be mocked. Whatever a man sows, he will reap in return. 8 The one who sows to please his flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; but the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. 9 Let us not grow weary in well-doing, for in due time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. 10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to the family of faith.
Memory Verse
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”— Galatians 5:22-23 (BSB)
📖 Bible-in-a-Year (optional)
Today's reading: Psalms 139-141
Reading the whole Bible in a year — do this when you have extra time. (Around Day 268 of 365 — "Search me, O God, and know my heart... and lead me in the way everlasting.")The Heart of It
It's family worship day. It's time to gather up everything this week has taught us about the fruit of the Spirit. Paul gives us a farming truth so simple a child can grasp it and so deep a grown-up never outgrows it: "Whatever a man sows, that he will also reap." If you plant corn, you get corn. If you plant weeds, you get weeds. Our lives work the same way. We can "sow to the Spirit" by staying close to Jesus, choosing kindness, practicing self-control, and doing what's right even when it's hard. Then, Paul says, we reap the beautiful fruit of the Spirit and "everlasting life." This week we saw the fruit (Day 262). We memorized it (Day 263). We learned that changed lives prove God is real (Day 264), that fruit grows slowly as we abide (Day 265), that we answer gently (Day 266), and that kindness opens hearts (Day 267). It all comes down to what we plant.
Then Paul adds the encouragement every tired family needs: "Let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart." Bearing fruit takes time and steady effort. Sometimes we get tired of being patient, being kind, and doing the right thing when no one notices. But God promises a harvest "in due season," at just the right time, for those who don't give up. And look at His aim in verse 10: "Do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith." A fruitful family keeps sowing good seeds. We sow toward each other at home first, and then out toward a watching world. That's a family on mission. We're not perfect, but we're planting, day after day, trusting God to bring the harvest.
Around the Table
If you plant apple seeds, you get apples! When we choose to be kind and good, God grows good things in us too. What good "seed" can you plant tomorrow?
Let's do it: Pretend to plant a tiny seed in your hand, then "water" it. Name one kind thing you'll do this week.
"Don't grow weary while doing good." When is it hardest for you to keep being kind or patient? What helps you not give up?
Let's talk: What does it mean that we "reap what we sow"? Name one good seed and one bad seed and what each one grows into.
Sowing to the flesh leads to decay, but sowing to the Spirit leads to life. Tie the whole month together. Power for witness and the fruit of the Spirit both come from staying close to Jesus and refusing to lose heart.
Let's go deeper: Where is your family tempted to "grow weary in doing good"? What would it look like to keep sowing to the Spirit there, trusting God for the harvest in His timing?
💬 Conversation Starter
What's one good "seed" our family has been planting for a long time that we're starting to see fruit from? And what's one new seed we should start planting now?
🛡️ Defending the Faith
Picture a family that visibly bears the fruit of the Spirit. They're patient, kind, joyful, and faithful over the long haul. They become a living argument for the gospel that neighbors can read without a single word being spoken. When people ask what makes your home different, you'll be ready to point to Jesus, "with gentleness and respect" (). Consistency over time is one of the most convincing witnesses there is.
For Dad · Go Deeper
The principle of sowing and reaping is one of the most practical tools a father has, and is the verse for the long, unglamorous middle of parenting: "Let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart." Discipleship is agriculture, not manufacturing. You cannot rush a harvest, and you cannot fake one. Tony Evans urges fathers to think in terms of legacy. The small, faithful seeds of family worship, repentance modeled, kindness practiced, and Scripture memorized are planted now and harvested over years, sometimes after you are gone. The temptation is to quit when the soil looks bare. Don't. The fruit of the Spirit you've taught this month is grown the same way, by abiding, sowing, and not losing heart. Keep planting. God has promised the harvest to those who don't give up.
Draws on: Tony Evans, Raising Kingdom Kids.
Let's Pray Together
"Father, thank You for Your Spirit, for His power and His good fruit. Help our family plant good seeds every day: love, kindness, patience, and faithfulness. When we get tired of doing good, help us not give up. Bring a beautiful harvest in Your good time. In Jesus' name, amen."
What our family plants, we will harvest. So we'll keep sowing the Spirit's good seeds and never lose heart.