Children were an important part of the first Palm Sunday. The Lord said that children were capable of “perfected praise.” That’s why we include them in our worship service today. The Lord would have us all learn from children as well as learn how to become like children in the matter of faith. Our lesson, today, is about how Christ’s Spirit comes into our life, through the new birth and changes our lives and makes us fruitful in the things that please the Lord.

So, now we will hear Galatians 5:22-23

Where does this fruit come from?

Let’s first note that it is called “The Fruit of the Spirit.” It is not the fruit of the person who tries real hard to be loving and joyful and peaceful, etc. Though we are to cooperate with God’s work in our lives, we cannot produce these things ourselves. It is when we receive Christ into our hearts and are born again that this fruit will come. It is the love of Christ that makes the difference.

Love is the Key

We love Him because He first loved us. His love is what motivates us and multiplies in us. His love casts away fear and gives us desire and strength to do His will. Something else that gives us strength is His joy.

His Joy = My Strength

God never has a bad day. His goodness, wisdom, sovereignty and love give Him perpetual contentment and pleasure. We need to keep His perspective on life and draw strength from His joy. This will result in great peace for our heart and mind.

How can you have peace & Harmony in a world of Chaos?

Peace is often considered the absence of war and conflict. That is only a by-product. Think of peace as being in harmony with God’s will and His ways. As we “line-up” with the Lord there is less friction…Oh, there may be friction with the world, but God’s peace makes up for that. Now, let’s think about something peaceful. Imagine a lovely, fruitful grape vine.

Let’s hear John 15:5 & 15:8

It’s all about Jesus

God laid out the rules a long time ago, but we humans weren’t getting it. Christ had to come down and not only set the example, but he had to pay the price for our disobedience on the cross. Then He rose from the dead. Now, His Spirit will come into our life, after we surrender and turn to Christ for salvation.

When you have this relationship, you become one with Him – like the relationship between a grapevine and its branches. That’s when the fruit starts being produced.

Now, let’s hear Ephesians 5:9

Who’s counting?

Galatians 5 gives us a list of 9 things that describe the fruit of the Spirit.

Ephesians 5 only lists 3 things. It’s not about counting off a list of items. It is called the fruit. And it takes many words to try and describe it. You can’t just imitate the attitudes and actions on some list of words that describe the fruit of the Spirit. You need Jesus in your heart and mind. You need to become like Jesus.