Lesson 1 By Their Fruit (John 15 & 16, Luke 6, Acts 2) Introduction: Would you love it if you could call

Jesus on the phone and discuss with Him whatever is on your mind? Uncertain about how to handle a situation? Just speed dial His number! Christians sometimes lose sight of the fact that Jesus sent His Spirit to be with us after Jesus returned to heaven. We cannot live a proper Christian life without the power of the Holy Spirit. This series of lessons is about the result of having the Spirit in our life. Let's dive right into our study of the work of the Holy Spirit! I. The Promise

a. Read John 16:7. If you knew nothing about Jesus and "the Counselor," which
would you think was the most valuable? (Jesus says a reason for Him to leave is that the Holy Spirit will come. That is an astonishing statement!) i. Is Jesus just being humble? ii. Or, is it true that we are better off with the Holy Spirit than with Jesus? (The practical advantage is that the Holy Spirit can be everywhere at once, but Jesus could not be several places at the same time.) b. Our studies are about the fruit of the Spirit. If you knew nothing about the Holy Spirit, but knew that He was a replacement for Jesus, what would you logically expect from the Spirit? (That the Spirit would continue the work of Jesus in some improved way.)

c. Read John 16:8. What does this text say that the Holy Spirit will produce?
i. Does any of this seem like fruit to you? ("Fruit" is the end product of the plant. This sounds like the end product of what Jesus was doing.)

d. Let's read on a bit further. Read John 16:9-11 for a greater description of the
work of the Holy Spirit. i. When the Bible says that the Spirit will "convict the world of guilt" in regard to sin, does that mean that guilt is a good thing? 1. What does this have to do with people not believing in Jesus? (We can have three reactions to sin. We can embrace it. We can try to ignore it or we can fight against it.) a. What happens if we try to fight against it? (It seems hopeless. That is where we realize a need for a Savior. One who has won the victory on our behalf. That is how I think sin and belief in Jesus are linked.) ii. When the Bible says that the Spirit will "convict the world of ... righteousness" because Jesus is going to the Father, how are those two connected? (Jesus is our righteousness!) 1. Wait a minute! Why is this something about which we need to be convicted? (Apparently, some people need to be convinced that they cannot do it themselves. The fact that Jesus is not around to remind us is another reason why the Holy Spirit takes on this important work.) a. If you think that you can handle sin on your own, is that an indication that the Holy Spirit is not bearing fruit in your life?

iii. When the Bible says that the Spirit will "convict the world of ... judgment" because the "prince of the world now stands condemned," how are those two concepts related? I thought that Satan (Revelation 12:10-12) was our accuser. Is Jesus now accusing us because He defeated Satan? (When Jesus won the victory, He won back the right to claim the justice of His kingdom. God's kingdom not only gives us a way out of sin, but it promises to destroy sin and sinners in a final judgment.) iv. As you consider this fruit of the Spirit, does it carry on the results of Jesus' work? (You could sum this up by saying that the Holy Spirit is combating the sin problem.) II. Our Connection a. We have learned that the Holy Spirit carries on the work of Jesus. Is it possible to just believe in Jesus and not the Holy Spirit? Do you know Christians who seem to ignore the Holy Spirit? i. Is it possible to have too great a focus on the Holy Spirit?

b. Read John 3:5-6 and 2 Timothy 3:1-5. How do these texts answer our questions
about the relative importance of the Holy Spirit? (The power of the Holy Spirit is essential to the Christian life.)

c. Read Acts 1:4-5. How important was Holy Spirit to the work of the disciples?
(They were not to start working without it!)

d. Read Acts 2:1-4. How was the power of the Holy Spirit manifest to the disciples?
(Sound, fire and speaking in tongues.) i. We just learned that the Holy Spirit is essential to a Christian's life. I've never had sound, fire and tongues appear anywhere that I have worshiped. Although I am not charismatic, I regularly worship with charismatic Christians. Does that mean we are all in trouble? Noncharismatic Christians are afraid of these things, and charismatic Christians are still hoping for them! ii. Let's look at this from another angle. What was the point of the sound, fire and tongues at Pentecost (Acts 2)? (If you read Acts 2 you see that the sound attracted the crowd, and the gift of tongues allowed the gospel to be effectively preached.) 1. Does that fit what we first learned about the work of the Holy Spirit? (The goal is preaching conviction of sin, righteousness through Christ and a coming judgment. The sound and fire were like Jesus' miracles in that they got the attention of the people who then were able to hear His message.) 2. What would be the equivalent of this today? (Sound and fire would get the same results today - but the underlying goal is to use a method to get the attention of unbelievers so they can hear the gospel.) III. Our Fruit

a. Read Luke 6:43-45. What does Jesus teach about the Christian and fruit? (That
the product of our life (the fruit) reflects the thoughts of our mind.)

b. Read Luke 6:46-48. Does Jesus expect us to have good fruit? (It is essential to
withstanding the storms of life.)

c. Context is extremely important. What was Jesus talking about in Luke 6 just
before His started talking about fruit, minds and storms? (If you scan Luke 6:17-

38 you will find Luke's version of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount.) i. What does the Sermon on the Mount have to do with fruit? (Jesus explains the extraordinary life He is looking for in His followers, and then essentially says,"If your mind is right your actions will be right.")

d. Read John 15:1-4. What is the source of our "fruit?" (Remaining in Jesus.)
i. What does this mean following Jesus' return to heaven? (Keeping a connection with the Holy Spirit.) e. Let's circle around and make the logical link. Can you see any connection between the sound, fire and tongues of Acts 2 and the fruit of the life connected to the Holy Spirit today? (Recall that the whole purpose of the sound, fire and tongues was to get the attention of the people and then share with them the gospel. A life lived in accordance with the Sermon on the Mount will get you noticed! I believe that in many ways it is the equivalent of the fury and glory of Pentecost. I'm still looking for sound, fire and tongues, but what seems to be available to us is a Spirit-filled mind that reflects a life lived in accord with the Sermon on the Mount.) f. Some argue that our actions make no difference. The law is abolished and we need not be concerned about how we live because we are saved by grace. Does this seem right in light of what we have just studied? (Our actions reflect our thoughts. They show whether we are connected to the Holy Spirit.)

g. Friend, is the Holy Spirit present in your life? If you don't see sound, fire and tongues, do you see a life lived in accord with the Sermon on the Mount? If you do not see either, why not, right now, ask the Holy Spirit to come into your mind with power? I. Next Week: The Fruit of the Spirit is Love. www.gobible.org/study/588.php

Lesson 2 The Fruit of the Spirit is Love (Deuteronomy 6, Matthew 22, 1 Corinthians 13) Introduction: A song says "love is all around." If true, it sounds wonderful, right? Imagine a world in which every one showed a loving attitude to you. Love is a top priority in the Kingdom of God. But, what it means, and how we show love are difficult issues. Not difficult because God is less than plain on the subject, but difficult because of our selfish hearts. Let's dive into our study of the Bible and learn more about the connection between the power of the Holy Spirit in us and love!

I.

Love For God

a. Read Deuteronomy 6:4-6. Do you love God?

i. Is this the same as loving your spouse? Your children? Your dog? Ice cream? ii. Notice that the text says to love "with all your heart" and "all your soul" and "all your strength." Are these different instructions? If so, what does this say about the nature of love? (They are different. Barnes' Notes suggests that "heart" refers to our understanding, "soul" refers to our will and "strength" refers to our energy.) 1. Let's break this down to better understand God's command. What do you think it means, as a practical matter, to love God with your understanding? (I know that God created me and died for me and I have gratitude and affection for Him because of that sacrifice.) a. Do you have that kind of love towards God? 2. What does it mean to love God with your energy? (It means that I spend my time and effort advancing God's kingdom.) a. Do you have that kind of love towards God? 3. What does it mean, as a practical matter, to love God with your will? (It means the natural desire of my heart.) a. Do you have that kind of love towards God? i. a. Is this the most difficult of these three "do you have that kind of love" questions? (Yes. You can intellectually love, and you can put in the time and effort, but desire is not something you can control.)

II.

Love for Humans

a. Read Matthew 22:37-40. Love for God is equated with love for those we know
(God says,"the second is like it"). How well would you do on answering the series of questions I just asked you about God, if they applied instead to your neighbor? i. Do you have an intellectual, physical (meaning devoting time and effort) and emotional (meaning natural desire) love towards those you know? 1. Now think about the person you know who irritates you the most. How about applying these questions to that person?

b. Read Matthew 7:12. If I do this, have I satisfied all three levels of my love
obligation to others? (If so, I feel a lot better because I was struggling with the last question. I don't have to like someone to treat them fairly.)

c. Re-read Matthew 22:39. Is this different than Matthew 7:12?

i. Do both of these texts use the standard "What would I do for myself?" III. Holy Spirit Time a. Let's give this some practical application. Each week I send the lesson to a list of over twenty people who agreed to translate it into another language. I don't pay any of them, but I don't get paid for writing this lesson. Can I say that I love my translators, as opposed to stealing their time, because none of us get paid?

i. I've had some of my translators mention that they needed a new (or better) computer. I just bought a new computer for my home. I have never bought (or even helped to buy) a computer for a translator. Is that not proof that I do not love them like I love myself? And, the translators are more than just my neighbor, they are co-laborers! (It would be hard, every time I needed a new computer, to have to buy twenty computers.) ii. Let's use Bill Gates as a point of comparison. Could Bill afford to buy me a new computer? Of course, he could afford to buy me a new car, house or airplane. Since I love myself, but do not expect Bill to buy me anything that I might need, can I now say that I love others as much as myself when I fail to buy others things they need? 1. Does the fact that I do not expect anything from Bill let me off the hook in terms of others expecting things from me?

iii. From the texts we have studied, we know that God expects us to love
Him as much as we love other humans. If the love for God is supposed to be equal to our self-love, why does God historically only require ( Malachi 3:8-10)ten percent and we get to keep ninety percent?

1. a. Isn't an equal split more representative of loving God as much as we love ourselves? If we throw our neighbors into this equation, would it mean we all got a third of my stuff?

b. When I ask myself the series of questions we just discussed, I realize that I have
both an attitude problem about love and a concern that I don't even understand exactly what God has in mind (even though the "as yourself" rule seems pretty clear). Read Galatians 5:22-23. What is the cure for our wrong attitudes and understandings about love? (Having the Holy Spirit in our life. Love is the first fruit of the Spirit.) i. 1. If love is a result of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, does that clear up our concern about not having a natural desire to love others, including a concern about a natural love for God? (It shows us where to go to obtain something that we cannot obtain through hard work and determination.)

c. Read 1 Corinthians 13:1-3. Are Jesus and Paul in agreement on the importance
of love? (Jesus says everything hangs on it and Paul says other good works and spiritual powers do not matter without it.)

d. Read 1 Corinthians 13:4. Consider each of those character traits and whether
they exist in your life?

i. 1. Do these exist when you drive your car? e. Read 1 Corinthians 13:5. Consider each of those character traits and whether
they exist in your life? (If you are like me, you probably said "mostly no" to the traits in verse 4, but did a little better with the traits mentioned in verse 5.)

f. Read 1 Corinthians 13:6-7. I'm an optimist, and my family teases me about my

frequent use of the phrase "I hope not" when someone says something negative. How about you? Are you hopeful? (After admitting all of these bad things about myself, I've got to mention something good!)

i. 1. What about the issue of "delighting" in evil? There is some evil that all
of us hate, but is there some evil that you like? An evil that takes advantage of others? Or, harms others?

g. This is not "beat yourself up" week, but if you are honest, from the very beginning of this study of love we can see that when we use God's definition of love, we fall far short of the love standard that God has set for us. Indeed, we are not completely clear (or do not want to be clear) on what He requires.

i. 1. Is the Holy Spirit a complete way out of this?

ii. iii.

iv. 2. Or, is this high standard simply the motivation to declare "I'm saved
by grace alone?" (Read 1 Corinthians 14:1. Being saved by grace does not give us a pass on the obligation to love. Paul is the strongest advocate of righteousness by faith alone, yet he instructs every one of us to "follow the way of love.") v. vi.

vii. 3. What does the use of the term "follow" suggest to us about the work
of the Holy Spirit in our life when it comes to love? (That this is a progressive work. Attaining the love goal that God has set before us, is a process that results from the power of the Holy Spirit working out "fruit" in our life.) h. Friend, are you a quart low on love? Why not ask the Holy Spirit to come into your heart today and give you a mind that understand's God's love goal for us and a heart that reaches towards that goal? II. Next week: The Fruit of the Spirit is Joy. www.gobible.org/study/589.php

Lesson 3 The Fruit of the Spirit is Joy (Philippians 4, Luke 15, John 15 & 16) Print this lesson | Bookmark/Share: Introduction: Is life a little bit discouraging? You get up each day and go through the same routine. Then you go to bed. The next day you do it all over again. Sort of like a rat on a treadmill. Would you like a little more joy? Our lesson this week reveals how a Christian can have joy not only in everyday life, but also in difficult times. Let's jump right into our study and discover the Bible's secret to joy! I. Joy in Conflict?

a. Read Philippians 4:2-3. What does this suggest is going on between these two
women? Are they good people?(These are good Christians who simply disagree with each other. Paul wants them to stop the fight.)

b. Read Philippians 4:4-5. Is there a connection between the dispute and Paul's
next statement about rejoicing? i. If you say "yes," how can a person be in a dispute and still rejoice? (Some people have an evil attitude that enjoys conflict, but normal people do not like to be in a dispute. Something different is going on here.)

ii. If you say, "no," does this dispute at least illustrate that you cannot "always" rejoice? Is Paul suggesting the impossible? iii. Last week we studied love and decided that we needed a lot of help to love certain people the way God suggests we should. Is joy or rejoicing all the time just like that - we need a lot of help with it? iv. What does Paul's direction to rejoice "in the Lord" mean? What does it suggest for our discussion about rejoicing in difficult circumstances? (When our joy depends on humans, we have the problem of changes in their mood. When our joy comes from God, we have an unchanging Father who continually loves and cares for us. These two women had a common reason to rejoice - their relationship with God. So do we.) II. Sheep Joy

a. Read Luke 15:3-6. Is the shepherd calling for a party? b. Read Luke 15:7. The picture is that God and His angels experience joy when we
accept Jesus. If you were the lost sheep, how would you feel about being found? i. Compare the happiness of the sheep with the happiness of the shepherd? Who should be happier?(The shepherd has 99 other sheep. For him, that lost sheep is one percent of his concern. For the sheep itself, its own welfare is 100% of its concern. The sheep should be one hundred times happier than the shepherd.) ii. How should that thought play into our joy in the Lord? (The mere fact that God saved us from eternal death and forgave our ugly sins should be a source for great joy!) III. Obedience Joy

a. Read John 15:9-10. If we disobey God, does He stop loving us?

i. If you say, "God always loves us regardless of our actions," what does He mean when He says "If" you obey, you will remain in my love? Isn't that clearly conditional?

b. Read Matthew 7:21. Is obedience the key not only to God's love, but the key to
the kingdom of heaven?

c. Read Psalms 19:8. Do God's precepts (His rules) give joy to us even when we do
not obey them? i. If not, does that mean that joy, like God's love, is conditional on obedience?

d. Let's go back to John 15. Read John 15:10-11. It seems that God takes joy in our
obedience to Him. How do we have complete joy in obedience? What about obedience gives us joy? (I'm coming to believe that the Bible is not so much a book about rewards for obedience, as it is a book revealing the secret laws of the universe. When Psalms 19:8 refers to "giving light to the eyes," it means we see something about the way the universe operates that we did not see before. God loves us even when we are sinners ( Romans 5:8). But, in His great love, God revealed to us the rules for better living. If we obey those rules we benefit from God's wisdom. Living better gives us joy. If we stray from the rules we suffer and that takes away our joy.) e. Let's continue reading what Jesus says about the relationship between obedience and heaven. Read Matthew 7:21-23. When I added the next two verses, it sounds like the people who are lost also had works. If obedience and works are not the key to the kingdom of heaven, what is?

f. Let's continue with Jesus' essay by reading Matthew 7:24-27. What relationship
do we find between obedience and better living? (This is another example of my secret rule book theory. If works can save us, those who performed miracles and drove out demons should have been saved. Instead, the person who survived and thrived is the one who understands the principle of building on a proper foundation. The person who knew that secret, and used that knowledge, was able to withstand the storms of life.) IV. Destination Joy

a. Read John 16:16-18. Do you understand what Jesus' disciples did not
understand? (That Jesus was going to leave them, but that He would come back to see them after His crucifixion.)

b. Read John 16:19-24. Jesus mentions joy several times in these verses. As you
consider the context, what is a source of joy for you today? (Just as the disciples would have joy in Jesus' resurrection, so we can have joy in the fact that Jesus has overcome sin on our behalf.)

c. Read John 16:33. In the prior section, I suggested that obedience to God's secret
rule book gives us a better life. Does this text show that I am wrong? (The disciples were heading for unavoidable trouble and we will have trouble in our life. Following God's rules not only helps to keep us out of unnecessary trouble, but when we get into necessary trouble, the knowledge that Jesus has defeated sin is the source of both joy and hope.) V. Spirit Joy

a. Our series is about the Fruit of the Spirit. We have not said a word about the
relationship of the Holy Spirit to joy. Let's explore that. Read Galatians 5:22-25. Is the sinful nature opposed to joy? How does the Holy Spirit help us to have joy? (The suggestion is that sinful passions and desires are contrary to a Spirit led life. They lead to trouble.) i. Is that how we experience joy in the Holy Spirit - because we are released from sinful passions and desires?

b. Read Acts 2:28. We have a reference here to God's secret rule book of life, but
we also are told that God's presence brings us joy. How can we come into the presence of God? (This is the Holy Spirit. God's spirit can be everywhere - which allows you to live in the presence of God. This text (quoting David) links God's presence and knowing and following "the paths of light" - God's secret rule book.)

c. Read Acts 8:6-8. By whose power were the people healed? How is this joy
connected with the presence of God? (Philip healed through the power of the Holy Spirit. The power of the Spirit to help us with the problems of life brings joy.)

d. Read Acts 13:49-52. Have you ever been asked to leave? Have you ever been
tossed out of a city, church or home? i. Would you say that you were happy about it? ii. The text says the disciples were filled with joy "and" with the Holy Spirit. Why are they joyful about getting booted out? What has that to do with the Holy Spirit? (Normally, we do not take joy in rejection. However, the presence of God reassured the disciples that they were doing the right thing. That gave them joy.) e. Friend, would you like more joy in your life? I'm sure you would. Why not increase your joy by asking the Holy Spirit to come into your life and lead your thoughts and actions into obedience to God?

I.

Next week: The Fruit of the Spirit is Peace. www.gobible.org/study/590.php

Lesson 4 The Fruit of the Spirit is Peace (Romans 5, Ephesians 2, Matthew 11) Print this lesson | Bookmark/Share: Introduction: Galatians 5:22 tells us that another fruit of the Holy Spirit is peace. Is your life peaceful? Are you at peace with your spouse? At peace with your children? At peace with your boss? At peace with your health? How valuable is peace to you? What would you pay for it? What do you think it would take to bring peace into your life? Let's jump into our study of the Bible and discover what it teaches us about obtaining peace! I. Peace With God

a. Read Romans 5:1-2. Are some people at war with God? Why would you rather
not be at war with God? (I recall a couple of comedians, now dead, who would openly challenge God as part of their comedy routine. It made me shudder - what foolish and dangerous behavior.)

i. These two clowns I'm thinking of were deliberately challenging God.

Have all of us challenged God in some way? (Read Romans 5:9-11. Because of our sinful nature and our personal sins, we were enemies of the perfect and sinless God. By faith in Jesus' sacrifice on our behalf, we can have peace with God.)

b. Read Ephesians 2:13-18. You might want to read the entire chapter to get the full
meaning of this, but what do you think is meant by those (verse 17) who were far away and those who were near? (Those near were God's special people (the Jews who were seeking to obey) and those who were far away were the Gentiles who did not even know God). i. Does it matter whether we are near or far from God, are we still "enemies?" (Whether we are near or far from God based on our own works, we are still in a state of war against God. Keeping the commandments cannot make us good enough for a holy God. Only Jesus can bring peace.) ii. What does it mean (verse 18) to now have "access to the Father by one Spirit?" (It means that Jesus has not only reconciled us to God, it means that the Holy Spirit opens a line of communication for us with God.) c. Do you remember misbehaving as a child and being told by your mother that when your father came home he would administer your punishment? How did it feel to wait in dread of the time your father came home? i. Can you imagine a world in which we are waiting for God to punish us for our sins? (This is one way in which we can be at peace - knowing that God is not coming to punish us.) II. Peace in Life a. When I was a little older, I had to worry about the Soviets launching nuclear missiles and blowing us all up. (If you are a reader in the former Soviet Union, you probably worried about American missiles.) If you can relate to this, how much of a worry was that for you? i. Would that worry be comparable to the kind of worry we would have if

Jesus had not died for our sins? (Our world would be much worse if Jesus had not won the battle over sin, but some may be saying "My final fate is not something that creates a day-to-day worry.")

b. Let's read Romans 5:3-5. Does suffering cause worry for you? If you tend to
dismiss long-term problems, what about daily issues that cause you to suffer?

i. Let's re-read Romans 5:2-5. What does this say is the cure for day to day
problems? (We have hope in the "glory of God." Not only can we have the assurance that we will not be punished for our forgiven sins, but we have assurance that God will welcome us into His love and glory. This hope give us peace.) III. Peace and Pride

a. Read Matthew 11:28. To whom is Jesus speaking? (If you review the entire
chapter, Jesus is teaching and preaching to regular people in Galilee.) i. What kinds of burdens and weariness is Jesus speaking about? (These would be the burdens and work of the everyday person. The problems faced by the "average guy," such as the spouse, children, job or health.)

b. Read Matthew 11:29-30. If I already feel weary and burdened, how is it going to
help to have someone else place yet another burden on me - a yoke? (The burden already exists. The yoke is a way to move the burden with the help of someone else. Jesus is offering to share our burdens.)

i. What does Matthew 11:30 suggest will be the result of sharing our
burdens with Jesus? (Things will get a lot easier.)

ii. Let's explore how this happens. Is Jesus just offering to lift part of our
load? Or, is there more to it? (Notice Matthew 11:29 tells us that part of sharing the load with Jesus is learning from Him.) iii. Why does Jesus tell us that He is gentle and humble in heart? What has that to do with His ability to pull part of our load? 1. How much of your burden in life comes from trying to impress others? a. How would your life be different if your only goal was to promote the Kingdom of God? 2. How much of your burden in life comes from being tough with others? a. How would your life be different if you decided to be gentle with others? iv. Jesus suggests that humility and gentleness bring peace to our life. Does that seem right to you? 1. I once heard a pastor tell a story about how he kept his car windows up on a hot day just so it would look to other drivers like he had air conditioning. I had to admit that I had done that myself on at least a couple of occasions when I was driving a nice car with broken air conditioning. What kind of silly pride wants to impress people we do not even know? Are there examples like that in your life? IV. Peace with Difficult People

a. Read Romans 12:14-16. Should I quit my day job? I'm a professional fighter
(lawyer) who teaches others (law students) to become professional fighters.

i. Many number of years ago I noticed a Christian attorney who closed his e-mails with the word "blessings." I thought about that and decided that I would follow his example. Since I've started this, I've noticed that new opposing counsel seem more friendly. Does that make up for threatening to sue their client? ii. Can you live in harmony and still enforce what is right? (All of my cases involve the defense of religious or political freedom. I do my best to "live in harmony" with the opposing attorney while we are using the process authorized by the state for resolving differences.)

b. Read Romans 12:17-19. Do these instructions apply in a marriage? Do they

apply in dealings with our children? i. How do you balance enforcing what is right and living in peace? Should you balance them? (As a teacher, I would have "peace" with students if I had low standards for their performance. But, low standards would harm their success in the future. We have to do both: try our best to live at peace while doing what is right.)

1. Why does Romans 12:17 say "what is right in the eyes of

everybody?" Is doing right a matter of taking a vote or having a consensus? (This is practical advice. If you think something is proper, and everyone else in your church disagrees, then that is a warning flag that something is wrong with your judgment.) ii. I have heard Christians say that if you are obedient to God, you will have trouble with the world. Is that true? (These texts tell us the goal is harmony and peace. My general impression is that people at war with the world are also at war with fellow Christians.) iii. Why not revenge? Don't the "bad guys" deserve to get punished? (God says that is not our job assignment. He will punish the evil.) c. II. Friend, the Bible gives us a path to peace. Will you determine by the power of the Holy Spirit to take it today?

Next week: The Fruit of the Spirit is Patience. www.gobible.org/study/591.php

Lesson 5 The Fruit of the Spirit is Patience (Exodus 34, Romans 15, James 1) Print this lesson | Bookmark/Share: Introduction: Galatians 5:22 tells us that another fruit of the Spirit is patience. I have lots of things to do and I do not like to waste my time unless the goal of my activity is to relax and "waste" time. How about you? Do you see pointless wasting of your time as a gift from God? What if I told you that "longsuffering" is another way to translate this word patience. Do you want to be suffering? While I was doing more research on what the Bible really meant by "patience," what I found were texts on endurance. The New Bible Dictionary defines patience as "restraint in the face of opposition or oppression." That sounds like a cross between suffering and endurance, rather than wasting time. Let's plunge into our study of the Bible and learn more about God has in mind with the gift of patience!

I.

God and Patience

a. Read Exodus 34:5-7. Is being "slow to anger" a form of patience? (The Interlinear
Bible reveals that the Hebrew words mean "longsuffering." Thus, what God is saying about Himself is very much like the "patience" described as a fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22.) i. Something very important is being said in Exodus 34:6. Notice that when God describes Himself, "slow to anger" is the third term He uses, and He places it before love. Is being slow to anger more important than love? ii. As you consider the context, in what way is God slow to anger? In what way is He patient? (All of these descriptions seem to be in the context of dealing with humans about our sin problem. Thus, slow to anger means slow to anger about our sins.) 1. What do you see as a benefit in that? (If we are talking about my sins (as opposed to yours), then I appreciate God not disciplining me (or destroying me) right away. Giving me a break is something I greatly appreciate.) iii. Frankly, I was less concerned about God giving you a break about your sins. If God shows patience towards your sins, am I also required to show patience towards your sins? 1. Should I consider it a virtue to be longsuffering (suffer long!)because of your sins towards me? iv. We all understand why we want God to show some patience with us when we sin. But, why should He? What point is served by waiting? (If we look at our Exodus text, what follows from sin is punishment. Therefore, it seems that God is patient in the hope that we will turn from our sins and escape punishment.)

v. Read Joel 2:13 and 2 Peter 3:8-9. Why do Joel and Peter suggest that
we should turn from our sins? (The idea is that God is not waiting to "chop our head off." He is not rubbing His hands together with glee waiting to destroy us. Quite the opposite, God is giving us time to turn to Him by repenting and escaping punishment. God is taking His time in the hope you will turn to him.) II. You and Patience

a. God is patient with us. Great! So, what reason do we have to be patient with
others? (Read Matthew 18:32-33. If you do not know this story, read Matthew 18:23-35. On a very basic level, if God shows patience to us to allow us to turn from our sins, then we have an obligation to give that same opportunity to others.) i. Think about this for a minute. What kinds of sins has God forgiven you? Compare your sins with the sins of those who test your patience? ii. Does this requirement apply to parents in dealing with their children? With children in dealing with their parents?

b. Read Romans 15:5. What reason does this text give us for being patient
(showing endurance) with our fellow Christians? (Unity. Being longsuffering helps to promote unity.) i. Have you ever met someone who is determined to point out the sins of others?

ii. How do you like it when fellow church members point out your sins? (The exercise of judgment is called for, but the clear direction is that our God shows patience (endurance) towards us and we need to show that same patience to our fellow church members. An attitude of patience promotes unity in the church.)

c. Read Ephesians 4:1-3. Paul reinforces what we just learned: that our goal of
unity in the church is promoted by being patient and "bearing with one another in love." However, Paul adds a new idea. He writes of being humble and gentle. What do humility and gentleness have to do with patience? i. How many Christians "correct" another member of the church because of pride and a lack of gentleness? ii. Think about the last time when you heard a member (as opposed to the pastor or a duly elected church official) rebuke another member? Was it over a disputable issue on which the "rebuker" (due to pride) was sure he or she was right?

d. Read Romans 14:1-4. What opportunities do we find here for condemning

another church member? (First, the vegetarian (the one who wanted to avoid eating meat offered to pagan idols) should not condemn those who do not see the issue in the same way. Second, those who think the vegetarians are being silly, should not condemn them.) i. What?! No standards? What about upholding the standards? (Notice the topic is "disputable matters." However, be sure that your pride has not transformed a disputable matter into a standard.)

ii. How does Paul suggest that we should handle these kinds of debates
about disputable issues? (Read Romans 14:22-23. We should keep these things to ourselves. We should show patience, instead condemnation, towards those who do not believe as we do. At the same time, if we believe something is sin, we need to follow our conscience.) III. Character and Patience

a. Read James 1:2-4. The New International Version translates the last word of
verse 3 as "perseverance." Other translations read "patience," "steadfastness" or "endurance." This is another aspect of patience. As you look at the context, what kind of patience is described? (The ability to look forward in faith when we are going through trials.) i. James tells us that this makes our faith "mature and complete." How is this the product of patience? (When we go through something unpleasant, if we trust God, and He sees us through it, this gives us confidence when the next temptation or trial comes. We look back on what God has done in the past and we have confidence that He will be there to help again. This kind of faith gives us a mature attitude.) b. Let's look at how we should apply these spiritual lessons to the realities of your life. When you are driving a car are you patient? Should you be? Or, are these other drivers just wasting your time and no spiritual issues are involved? i. What are the reasons why other drivers are holding you up? (A driver who just stays in the passing lane, not passing, but holding me up, is either selfish, inconsiderate or ignorant of the rules of the road. This sounds a lot like sin. Indeed I'm sure it must be sin!) 1. What kind of attitude did we decide that we should have towards other sinners? (Since God is patient with us in dealing with our sins, we should be patient with others.)

c.

What about your job? Are you impatient for promotion? Do you feel that you should have been given more responsibility, more money and more authority?

i. Look again at James 1:3-4. Does this text provide any helpful advice
about promotion? (It suggests that perhaps we are not ready for promotion right now, and that patience in our present position will improve our skills and help us to be mature and complete.) d. What about patience while waiting in line? Is waiting in line a pure waste of time? (Here is a secret so that you will never have to waste time waiting in line again use the time to pray and contemplate God's will for your life. I suspect that most people do not spend enough time in prayer. You can trade this wasted and otherwise frustrating time into productive time with God.)

e. What about patience in waiting for Jesus to return and take us to heaven? (Read
Matthew 24:45-46. Jesus tells us that we should fill the time waiting for Him by doing the jobs He has given us. If we focus on the task, instead of the wait, it will not seem like we are waiting.) f. Friend, do you feel impatient? Why not resolve to do this: fill your waiting time with productive work. Be generous when it comes to the slowness of others because God has been generous to you in your slowness in doing His will. Will you decide today to seek the help of the Holy Spirit to be more patient?

III.

Next week: The Fruit of the Spirit is Kindnesss. www.gobible.org/study/592.php

Lesson 6 The Fruit of the Spirit is Kindness (2 Samuel 9, Matthew 5 & 11) Print this lesson | Bookmark/Share: Introduction: Galatians 5:22 tells us that another fruit of the Spirit is kindness. How much do you appreciate it when people are kind to you? In the rough and tumble of life, I notice and appreciate kind people. If you continue reading beyond the list of the fruits of the Spirit in Galatians, you come to Galatians 6:7. That verse tells us that we reap what we sow. By being kind to others, we cultivate kindness towards us. The question is, how do we become kind? Let's plunge into our study of the Bible and learn more about God's gift of kindness! I. Deserved Kindness

a. Read 2 Samuel 9:1. What was David's motivation to show kindness? (Read 1
Samuel 20:12-15. Jonathan protects David from Jonathan's father, the King. Jonathan realizes that David will eventually become the King (rather than Jonathan) and so he asks David to show kindness to his family. David is remembering their agreement.)

i. Read 1 Samuel 20:16-17. What was at the bottom of this concern for
David? (It says that Jonathan loved David as he loved himself. This is the attitude that Jesus requires of us. Matthew 22:39.)

b. Read 2 Samuel 9:2-3. What kind of power and influence did this son of Jonathan
possess? (None. He did not have physical power or political influence. He seems to have been forgotten.)

c. David sent for this son, whose name is Mephibosheth. Read 2 Samuel 9:6-8.

Was Mephibosheth afraid of David? If so, why? (His grandfather was King Saul. David might have thought it important to kill all of Saul's descendants so that they would not be able to claim the throne.) i. What is your answer to Mephibosheth's question about noticing a dead dog? (It was because of the love of Jonathan. Jonathan, by the way, had been killed in battle a long time before this.)

d. David shows kindness to a dead man's son. David has nothing further to gain by
this kindness, and, it turns out, a lot to lose (see 2 Samuel 16:3-4). What lessons can we learn about kindness from this story? (It started with Jonathan showing unselfish love towards David. Our first step in showing and receiving kindness is to demonstrate unselfish love towards others.) II. Undeserved Kindness

a. Read Matthew 5:43-48. How does the story of David and Mephibosheth fit into
this teaching of Jesus? (It does not fit very well. David was not expecting anything from Mephibosheth, but David's kindness reflected the kindness of Jonathan.) i. What is Jesus teaching us about love (and kindness) in this text? (David was doing what we might expect. Jesus is teaching us to do more than is expected. Be kind to those who are not kind to you.) ii. Does this teaching apply to your marriage? (If someone I love insults me, my natural inclination is to withdraw. I guess "sulk" is the best description. Jesus says do not withdraw, "greet" those who are harming you.) 1. Is this easy? (Notice that Jesus says the goal is perfection: "be perfect ... as your heavenly Father is perfect." Perfect is far from easy.) b. What have we learned so far about kindness? (That we need to show it towards everyone. Showing kindness should result in returned kindness to us and our family.) III. Humility and Kindness a. Can you remember a time when you deliberately withheld kindness from someone else? i. If so, take a moment and try to figure out why?

b. Read Matthew 11:28-30. We studied this text last week, but I want to come back
to it. Do you think being gentle is something like being kind? i. Do you think humility is related to being kind? ii. If not, go back to the time when you deliberately withheld kindness from someone. Was it because you were angry or unhappy with that person? Was it because you thought helping that person was "beneath" you? iii. If your answer to either of these questions is, "yes," would humility (on your part) have solved the problem? (Yes!) 1. For example, how many times are you angry or unhappy because someone has humiliated you? 2. If you were more humble, would you still think you were "above" someone else?

c. You may be coming to the conclusion that humility is one of the keys to being
kind. Since Jesus tells us to learn to be "gentle and humble in heart" ( Matthew

11:29), how would you learn to be humble? It is, after all, a learned trait according to Jesus! (One way to become humble is to be humiliated.)

i. Let's review our discussion so far. David showed kindness to Jonathan's

son because Jonathan first showed kindness to David. But, Jesus teaches us to show kindness to everyone - including those who insult us ( Matthew 5:43-46). 1. What is the benefit of being insulted? (Generally, when I think about the times I felt truly insulted, it was because I was humiliated. Being humiliated teaches me to be humble.) 2. Can you see now why Jesus told us to learn to be gentle and humble? (Learning to be humble is the path to learning to be kind!) IV. Gentle Tongues

a. Read Proverbs 15:1 and Proverbs 25:15. Last week we studied patience, now
we study being kind. Can you break bones with your tongue? i. What would be a "gentle tongue?" (One that speaks in a kind way.) ii. In your experience, does a gentle answer keep the other person from being angry?

b. In Matthew 12 we find that the religious leaders accused Jesus of using the
power of Satan to do His miracles. Read Matthew 12:34 and Matthew 23: 33. Has Jesus forgotten the gentle answer proverb? Is this what Jesus had in mind when He said to "greet" our enemies: "Hello, viper! Burn in hell." i. These lessons I write each week generate a number of e-mails. Some want to know why their e-mailed lesson did not arrive. (Answer, sign up again.) Some write to thank me for the lesson. Some have questions. And, some send verbal bombs. Last week a fellow read one of my lessons about the principles of understanding Bible prophecy, and he wrote to tell me that I was lying. I wrote back that he needed to study his Bible more and become more mature. He responded that I was a dunce. Clearly, I was making progress. Is "Hello viper" ever the right response for us? ii. How does the idea of being humble fit into the "Hello viper" response? c. d. e. i. How does that fit into humility? ("I'm helping the other person to learn humility" is not an acceptable answer!) How many times have you used sharp words, or a witty, harsh response, to show that you are smarter than your opponent?

f. When Jesus tells us to "learn from Me" ( Matthew 11:29) does that mean we can
do exactly as He did? (What concerns me is that Jesus knew the hearts of the vipers, and I do not. While I am still struggling with this issue, it seems to me that it is pride which motivates me to make "viper" comments more than anything else. Why not examine your motives for "viper" comments.) g. Friend, being kind is something that we can learn through the power of the Holy Spirit. The path of learning kindness involves love and humility. Will you, right now, invite the Holy Spirit to develop love, humility and kindness in your heart? IV. Next week: The Fruit of the Spirit is Goodness.

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Lesson 7 The Fruit of the Spirit is Goodness (Mark 10, Romans 3 & 7) Print this lesson | Bookmark/Share: Introduction: Last week, I heard a speaker talk about the time after you end your schooling. In general, I liked being in school - especially college. It was fun to learn. It was great to be in charge of your own schedule. When grades came out you had feedback on the quality of your work. What happens after that? The speaker asked us to imagine that after college we were actually expected to do something with what we learned! Imagine that! If you regularly read these lessons, you are in "college." We are learning about what the Bible says. Our study this week is about actually doing something about what we learn from the Bible. Let's dive right in and learn more about goodness! I. God is Good, All the Time.

a. Read Mark 10:17-18. Our Lord says that only God is good. Should we forget the
rest of this study about goodness and go turn on the television? i. Wait a minute, I thought we agreed that Jesus is God? Is Jesus saying He is not God? ii. Does the question of whether Jesus is God have anything to do with the question of going to heaven? (Who, but God, has complete knowledge of the qualifications to enter heaven? I think Jesus is challenging the sincerity of this man's question. I don't think Jesus is denying He is God.)

b. Read Mark 10:19-20. Our Lord now tells us that keeping the commandments
(works) is the path to heaven. Does the this man keep the commandments? (According to him, yes. He is qualified for heaven!)

c. Read Mark 10:21. Where is this found in the Ten Commandments?

i. Is Jesus one of those guys you don't want to play games with because He changes the rules whenever you are winning?

d. Read Mark 10:22-26. The disciples were amazed to hear that those who had
been blessed by God with earthly wealth somehow were less likely to be blessed by God with eternal life. How does anything that Jesus has said make any sense? Let's go through Jesus' statements. i. What do the Ten Commandments have to do with taking money from those who have earned it and giving it to those who have not? (When the rich man answered that he had always kept the Ten Commandments, he spoke of his own efforts. By asking him to give away his money, Jesus was asking him to rely on God rather than the money produced by his own efforts.)

ii. Is Jesus telling us that we must keep the Ten Commandments to go to

heaven? Is giving up all of our stuff part of the Ten Commandments? (Recall that Jesus first told the rich man "only God is good." Reason was to have the rich man acknowledge that Jesus was God. When Jesus asked the rich man to sell his stuff and follow Jesus, that was a request to depend wholly on Jesus. The first commandment ( Exodus 20:3) says we should have no gods before the true God. By choosing money over Jesus, the rich man showed he was not keeping even the first of the Ten

Commandments.)

1. When Jesus said ( Mark 10:21) "one thing you lack," He

apparently meant the rich man lacked the first thing when it came to keeping the Ten Commandments! What kind of score do you think you have in keeping the Ten Commandments?

e. Read Mark 10:27. What does this teach us about goodness? (Only God is good.
Any goodness we have comes from God, we cannot produce it by our own efforts.) i. Is effort not involved at all? Would it not take the most determined effort for this man to give away his money? 1. What if God asked you to give away your best car? Not everything, just your car. How difficult a decision would that be?

f. Read Romans 3:19-20. Paul and the rich man who questioned Jesus seem to
have two different views of the Ten Commandments. After the rich man spoke with Jesus, would he agree with Paul? (Yes. Jesus gave the rich man a deeper insight into what it meant to keep the Commandments. Instead of thinking that he kept the commandments, the rich man was silenced and sad. Paul tells us that if we understand the Commandments, we become conscious of the extent of our sins.) i. Must we, like the rich man who came to Jesus, come to God to more clearly understand the vast gulf between our actions and true goodness? ii. What do Jesus and Paul teach us about the nature of goodness? (Only God is good. Our first step towards goodness is recognize our need to depend on God.) II. Humans are Good, All the Time?

a. Read Romans 7:7-9. If sin is dead apart from the law, then it would be important
to get rid of the law, right?

i. There are many Christians who do not think the law has any relationship
to their new covenant life today. Are they right? Or, are they like the rich man who came to Jesus to find out what he needed to do to enter heaven? (Read Romans 7:13. The rich man did not understand the sinful nature of his heart, he did not understand the depth of the law's requirements. The same is true of anyone who ignores the law. They are incapable of understanding their true lack of goodness.)

b. Read Romans 7:14-20. Are good works, is goodness, just impossible for us?
i. Is Paul sounding like your children - "he made me do it?" (Paul does say that "sin made me do it." But his point is not to create blame, but rather to show that it is essential to recognize the sin in our life.)

c. Read Romans 7:24-25 and Romans 8:1-4. It appears that goodness is possible
afterall. What is the key to it? (Claiming the perfect life of Jesus in place of our life. Living according to the Spirit. "But the fruit of the Spirit is ... kindness." Galatians 5:22!)

d. Read Romans 8:5. What does this text tell us is goodness? (Setting our mind on
what the Spirit desires. I think we have the first two steps to goodness. Depending on God, and then setting our mind on what God desires in our life.)

e. Read Romans 8:12-14. Will our goodness increase? Can our "goodness rating"
improve? (When Paul writes of putting to "death the misdeeds of the body" he is

talking about reducing the bad actions in our life. Being good starts with the proper mental attitude of dependence on God, but living a life in the Spirit means there will be concrete improvements in our life.)

f. How can we set our mind on what the Spirit desires? Is this just a declaration on
our part? A gritting of our teeth? Concentrating? (Read Psalms 119:9-11. The clearest way to set our mind on God's will is to read His will - the Bible! A second way is to constantly invite the Holy Spirit to guide our decision-making. The two methods will not conflict with each other.)

g. Read Ephesians 2:8-10. What is the reason for our creation? (To do good works!
To show goodness.) i. What percentage of your time is used to do good works? If that is the reason for your creation, how are you living up to your purpose? 1. If the last question staggered you, and you want to increase your good works time, how would you do it? (The same process we discussed. Depend on God, live in the Spirit, learn God's will by reading His word. The answer is not "do more good works," but seek God's will in doing more good works. Ask God to open up these opportunities for you.)

h. Read Titus 2:11-14. In case my last suggestion seemed a little vague, what are
the concrete points of action that we find here? (God's offer of salvation teaches us to say "No" to the passions and ungodliness of the world, and "Yes," to selfcontrol, upright and Godly lives.) i. What kind of attitude can the Spirit give us when it comes to goodness? (As living in the power of the Holy Spirit purifies us, we become eager to do God's will - i.e., live a life of goodness.)

i. Read Titus 2:15. I've followed this command in this lesson, friend, how about
you? Will you teach that the life of the Christian is not just enjoying grace, but having a desire to live through the Spirit a life of goodness. Unlike the rich man, will you decide to depend upon God, set your mind on what the Spirit desires and live a life of goodness? I. Next week: The Fruit of the Spirit is Faithfulness.

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Lesson 8 The Fruit of the Spirit is Faithfulness (Matthew 25, John 16) Print this lesson | Bookmark/Share: Introduction: Imagine parents whose children repeatedly rejected them. The children even went so far as to claim their parents had died (when they had not) and then asserted that they were children of another couple! One day the real parents lost their lives rescuing their ungrateful children from a fire. That is a picture of faithfulness. That is the picture of what our God has done

for humans. As followers of God, what does He expect of us when it comes to being faithful? Are we called to be firefighters? How do we get to the point where God calls us ( Matthew 25:21) a "good and faithful servant?" Let's jump into our study of the Bible and find out! I. Wedding Faithfulness

a. Read Matthew 25:1. We have television shows where twenty women will
compete to marry one guy, or twenty men will compete to marry one woman. Do we have ten potential brides? Or, is this a polygamous marriage and we have ten brides? (The Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary suggests that these are the bride's attendants. The groom would go to the bride's home to take her back to his home for the marriage. Thus, these attendants are waiting with the bride for the groom to come.)

b. Read Matthew 25:2-4. How important was it for these attendants to be ready at
whatever time the bride came? (Very! They were not just some of the friends, they were a part of the wedding.)

c. Read Matthew 25:5-9. Let's talk about the "wise" attendants for a while. How can
they be wise and fall asleep? i. Who was it who woke them up? Someone more faithful than they were?

ii. Did the wise love the foolish "as themselves" ( Matthew 22:39) when they
refused to split their extra oil with them?

d. Read Matthew 25:10-12. The wise and selfish attendants go in, and the foolish
are shut out because they were working hard to buy more oil. Does this seem fair to you?

e. Read Matthew 25:13. Jesus suggests the problem is that the foolish did not
"keep watch." What would you say if you were a foolish (but smart) attendant? (I would point to the fact ( Matthew 25:5) that all of the attendants fell asleep. No one was properly keeping watch!) i. Something else troubles me. Why would the groom say that he never knew them? They were just late! ii. When Jesus says "Keep watch, you don't know the day or hour," is He talking about weddings? (No. Matthew 25:1 says this is about "the kingdom of heaven." Christians understand Jesus to be telling a parable about His Second Coming - the time when Jesus takes us home to heaven.) f. Let's examine this story more deeply to understand what Jesus is trying to teach us. What were the most important factors for a favorable outcome? (Having an extra oil supply and being ready at the right time.) i. What factors have no impact on the outcome of the story? (Having some oil, having a lamp, falling asleep, having to be alerted by someone else to the coming of the groom.) g. Our lesson is about being faithful. In light of Jesus' parable, what do you think it means to be faithful? i. What is the oil and where do we get an extra supply? 1. The traditional answer is that the oil is the Holy Spirit (see Zechariah 4), but how does that fit with the idea of an "extra supply?"

ii. Read John 16:7-15, but specifically focus on John 16:13-15. Based on
this, what do you think it means to have an extra supply of the Holy

Spirit? (Understanding God more fully. The deeper our understanding of the Bible, the more "oil" we have.) 1. What does this say about whether the wise attendants were selfish? (You cannot instantly sell or share a deep understanding of God. Each person must, through the power of the Holy Spirit, study to know God.) h. Why was being asleep not important to the outcome? (This shows that we can be mistaken, we can be asleep, we can fail to understand things correctly, but if we have this deep understanding of God, if we have a desire to know Him, then He will waken us to truth at the right time.)

i. Why was being chosen as an attendant, being part of the bridal party, having oil
and a lamp irrelevant to the outcome? (Being a Christian, being a church member, having some degree of the Holy Spirit in your life, and even being a "light" do not guarantee the outcome. God is looking for those who take their Christianity seriously. Those who have an intense desire to know and do God's will. Those are the faithful. Those are the ones who God knows ( Matthew 25:12).) II. Servant Faithfulness

a. Read Matthew 25:14-15. On what basis did the master decide to distribute his
property? (By the relative talents of the servants.) i. I have this idea that God can work wonders through anyone. The disciples seemed to be ordinary people. On the other hand, Moses and Paul, seem extraordinary. What does that teach us about faithfulness? (If you were born with natural talents, God expects more of you. What you can do with God's blessings is extraordinary.) 1. What if you are like me, and you see people around you who are more talented? (God has important work for us. We should not be envious of those with more natural talents.)

b. Read Matthew 25:16-23. Notice the final score - ten talents for the one guy and
only four for the other. One fellow has 100% and one fellow has 40%. Forty percent is a very failing score in my class. Why are they both called "faithful?"

i. How does this fit into the "extra supply" lesson that we just learned from
the story of the wedding attendants? (The smarter you are, the more natural ability you have to understand God's word. (But see, 1 Corinthians 1:20-21.) Natural talent may mean you are given more opportunities, but it plays no role in the final verdict: "Well done, good and faithful servant! ... Come share your master's happiness!")

c. Read Matthew 25:24-27. If the fellow had put the talent in the bank and collected
interest, would he have been commended? i. Did this fellow get a break from the master because he only started out with one talent? (No - at least not from the obligation to do something to advance the master's interests.) ii. What must we do to avoid the fate of this one talent fellow?

d. Read Matthew 25:28-29. Why give the one talent to the ten talent guy as
opposed to the faithful four talent guy? i. What does this teach us about the nature of our natural talents? (They are not static! I started out talking about natural abilities, those we had a birth. But, this reveals an important Bible secret - that the same God who

endowed us with natural talents at birth can expand and improve those talents during our life if we put them to work for Him.) e. As you consider these two stories, what picture do you now have about the meaning of faithfulness? (First, it means that through the power of the Holy Spirit we study to better understand the will of God. Second, it means that we take that understanding, combine it with our natural abilities, and we go to work to advance the interests of our Master. We advance the Kingdom of God. We are not troubled by people with more natural talent who seem to be able to do more, but we know that if we are diligent, God will bless us with more "natural" talent.) f. Friend, this is a challenge. Will you decide, right now, to partner with the Holy Spirit to seek to more completely understand God's will? As your understanding of God's will improves, will you use your natural talents to advance God's will? If so, look forward to these words: "Well done, good and faithful servant! ... Come share your master's happiness!"

V.

Next week: The Fruit of the Spirit is Meekness. www.gobible.org/study/595.php

Lesson 9 The Fruit of the Spirit is Meekness (Matthew 11, Ephesians 4, 1 Peter 3) Print this lesson | Bookmark/Share: Introduction: Raspberries are my favorite fruit. Although I like all common fruits, I faintly recall an exotic fruit I did not like because of its bitter taste. If I had to rank the fruits of the Spirit, meekness would not be my raspberries! Consider Jesus' statement in Matthew 5:5 that the meek will inherit the earth. How can that be right? I thought it was the aggressive and hard-working who were successful. I've never read a self-help book that suggested meekness as the road to success. A further problem with the idea of being meek is that most translations (including the NIV) translate the Greek as "gentleness," rather than meekness. What does it mean to be "meek" when dealing with the world? What does it mean to be "meek" when dealing with fellow Christians? Let's explore these mysteries and this unpopular fruit by diving into our study of the Bible! I. A Meek God?

a. Read Matthew 11:28-30. We have examined this text several times during this
series of studies. The word the NIV translates as "gentle" is translated as "meek" in other Bibles. Does meek look good here? Would you prefer to have Jesus use a different term? (I like gentle or meek here, because Jesus is dealing with me!) i. One commentator wrote "Meekness is the absolute ceasing to fight for our agenda and believing that God will fight on our behalf for His." What do you think about that statement? (My first reaction was, "That's crazy!" My next reaction was, "If our agenda is not God's agenda, I guess this makes sense.") 1. What if we are trying to make God's agenda our agenda - should we stop fighting?

2. Notice that Matthew 11:29 offers "rest" for our souls. What does
this suggest about learning gentleness (meekness) from Jesus? (That this fruit of the Spirit is the key to rest. It is a lot easier to

rest if we are not fighting!) 3. The text suggests that Jesus' meekness makes our life better. How? (We discussed the idea of Jesus being gentle with us, but Jesus says "learn from Me." There is something about the meekness of Jesus that will improve our life. Let's turn to that next.) II. A Meek You?

a. Read Ephesians 4:1-3. Recently, I read a blog attacking my church. The writer
claimed to have been a member of the church, but I noticed that the writer always made an error in writing the name of the church. I wrote a response saying essentially "If you do not even know how to write the name of the church, how can you claim to know enough to criticize it?" My "meek and humble" message: you are an ignorant dolt. The blog author wrote an angry response and the whole endeavor was likely a complete waste of time.

i. What kind of approach would Ephesians 4:1-3 suggest when someone

who attacks your religious beliefs or your church? ii. What if you are dealing with ignorant dolts, and your thinking is much sharper than the that of the people attacking your beliefs? How does that fit with the instruction to be "completely humble?" (If you are thinking you are a lot smarter, that is not a completely humble attitude, right?) iii. The easy thing is just to ignore people who are annoyingly wrong. How does that fit the direction to be "bearing with one another in love?" (Some judgment is called for here in "bearing" with others. While ignoring someone is often an insult, sometimes that is the only way to avoid an unproductive dispute. We need to decide what would advance love.)

iv. Does Ephesians 4:3 give me an excuse for my blog behavior since we
are called to be humble, gentle and loving with fellow members? People who attack the church and pagans in the world had better watch out!

b. Read 1 Peter 3:15-16. Who is being answered here - a church member or the
world? (The world!) i. How does this suggest that we should answer? (With gentleness (meekness) and respect!) ii. How does Peter suggest that the world will treat us? (They will be malicious, but we should respond in a gentle way. The idea is that our gentle answer will cause them to be ashamed of their maliciousness.)

c. Read 2 Timothy 2:22-26. In this text are we dealing with people who know the
truth and are logical? (No. These are people who do not know the truth and who engage is foolish and stupid arguments. These are ignorant people who are not too bright. They make ridiculous arguments.) i. What kind of approach should we take with them? (Gentle instruction. Meek instruction!) ii. How can you win any arguments this way? How can you show them how stupid, ignorant and ridiculous they are? (Notice verse 25, God grants them repentance. These texts have opened up my eyes about how I've been missing the mark! My goal has been to show how the pagan's position is illogical and silly. Any reasonable person should laugh at their ideas. But the idea that I can win their heart and mind by making them look foolish is much like the idea that I can earn my own salvation.)

d. Recall that we started with Matthew 11:29 which said that if we learned
meekness and humility from Jesus we would have rest? Think about the last time you got into a heated debate about your faith. Did you experience rest? (I get annoyed when someone attacks Christianity or my specific faith. However, if I lob a "logic grenade" back, and they return with any angry response, I'm more agitated then if I just read the attack and did nothing.) III. The Inheritance of the Meek

a. Read Philippians 2:5-7. Why do you think Jesus came to earth and made Himself
"nothing?" He had all the right and authority to at least come as royalty! (Read Hebrews 4:15-16. Jesus came to earth in such a way that none of us can say that He had some earthly advantage over us.)

b. Read Philippians 2:8. When I think of being meek, I think of giving up my right to
be respected. Is this what Jesus did? (Certainly some people did not treat Jesus with respect, but I don't think that was His goal. Instead, His goal was to be like us - not to have the advantages of wealth, position, and power that the average person does not have. Hebrews emphasizes the idea that Jesus experienced what we experience.) i. How do we apply this concept to our life?(When we argue and defend the faith from the point of view of superiority: that the other side is stupid, ignorant and evil, we take a much different approach than that of Jesus when He came to earth.)

c. Read Philippians 2:9-11. When we started out in this lesson, I pointed out that no
self-help book that I know about argues that we should be meek to win. Yet, Jesus says in Matthew 5:5 that the meek will inherit the earth. How did that happen for Jesus? (God the Father intervened and makes things right.)

d. Read Psalms 37:7-11. How does this suggest that the meek will inherit the
earth? (God wins their battle. He destroys the wicked. Only the meek are left standing.) IV. What About Defenders?

a. Should we just meekly accept whatever unjust thing takes place on earth? Read
Psalms 82:3-4 and Matthew 5:38-42. Can you reconcile those two texts? Should we ignore the Old Testament text on the basis that it has been superceded? (The two texts can be reconciled. One speaks of standing up for your own rights, and the other speaks of standing up for the rights of others who need help. If I am not right on this, then I need to quit my law job defending the little guy.) b. Friend, do you need to change how you relate to those who attack and make fun of you and your faith? I have definitely been convinced by this study that I need to change my aggressive approach in defending the gospel. I see now that the idea that we can beat the enemies of the gospel into submission by our own skill is all vanity and arrogance. God, alone, can change hearts. Will you join me in a renewed effort to ask the Holy Spirit to give us a meek and gentle attitude? VI. Next week: The Fruit of the Spirit is Self-Control.

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Lesson 10

The Fruit of the Spirit is Self-Control (1 Corinthians 9 & 10, Colossians 3, Romans 5) Print this lesson | Bookmark/Share: Introduction: For just a moment contemplate Galatians 5:22: "But the fruit of the Spirit is ... selfcontrol." Isn't this a logical contradiction? The "Spirit" is the Holy Spirit, God's Spirit. If God is giving me control, how can it be called "SELF-control?" Does the Spirit give me big muscles and then send me off to control myself? Clearly, the people who argue that my works are important, are on to something here. What, I'm not sure. As always, let's dive into our study of the Bible and try to figure out what this self-control stuff all about! I. Training

a. Read 1 Corinthians 9:24-25. What is the crown "that will last forever?" (Paul is
taking about going to Heaven. He is talking about eternal life.) i. Is going to Heaven really like the Boston Marathon race - you have one winner? Or, one winner in each class?(No. Otherwise, Moses crossed the finish line before we were born!) ii. If Paul's analogy is not perfect, what is his point? (At a minimum, Paul is teaching us that we need to take seriously our training on the road to heaven.)

b. Read 1 Corinthians 9:26-27. Paul gives us two more analogies: running like you
are clueless about the location of the finish line; and, a boxing contest in which you don't realize you are supposed to hit the other guy. Does strength have anything to do with either of these problems? (No. You can be the fastest runner and the hardest hitter and still have these problems.) i. What would be the fix for these kinds of problems? What kind of "training" is Paul suggesting? (Bad weather has discouraged me from riding my bicycle to work, so I've started exercising using video games. One of them involves putting your foot at the precise moment on the precise point. It took me a while to figure out what I was supposed to be doing. I think Paul's point is that we have to understand the goal of the contest. We have to understand what moves are needed.) ii. Paul talks about being "disqualified" from the prize. What is the barrier to getting the prize? (Paul writes about beating his body. It must be that we need to get our body in line with the goal.) iii. What happens if we do not get our body in line? (Since the prize is heaven, Paul is saying our salvation is at stake!) c. So far we have seen that Paul teaches us that we need a goal and we need to get our body in line with that goal. What is that goal? (I think we need to press on to the next chapter. A chapter division did not exist in Paul's original letter.) land.) i. They were baptized, ate spiritual food and drink, and "drank" from Christ. Do these things sound like reasonable actions for self-control? (Yes.)

d. Read 1 Corinthians 10:1-4. Did these people have a goal? (Yes. The promised

e. Read 1 Corinthians 10:5. Paul tells to go into strict training to get our body in line
with the goal, and now we see people whose bodies are "scattered over the desert" even though they did these proper things. Can you make any sense out of what Paul is saying? f. Let's see if Paul will help us out. Read 1 Corinthians 10:6. What was the problem? (Their hearts were set on evil things. They had a goal problem.)

i. What was the goal of the runner running aimlessly? The boxer punching in the air?(They did not have any goals. Or, if they had goals, their goals did not make any sense. Paul's training is about setting goals: have some and make sure they are righteous.) II. Right Goals

a. Let's further explore the issue of our training goals. Read 1 Corinthians 10:7.
How would you describe this training goal? (Worship only God.) i. Is this a goal on which we can engage in "strict training?" (It takes selfcontrol to trust God and give Him first place, rather than trusting myself and giving myself first place. We need to say to self, "Get out of the way!")

b. Read 1 Corinthians 10:8. How would you describe this goal? (Sexual purity.)
i. Is this a goal on which we can engage in strict training? (This is an area in which I can clearly see goals and training. A recent speaker at Regent University said the first step towards love is to spend time with someone. If you are spending lots of time with someone who is not your spouse, beware! If you are spending time with porn, you are training for the wrong goal. Billy Graham has a rule that he is never alone in a room with a woman who is not his wife. He had goal-oriented rules.)

c. Read 1 Corinthians 10:9. What does it mean to "test the Lord?" i. Read Numbers 21:4-6. This is the event to which Paul is referring. How
would you describe this sin? (They were not trusting God. They were not giving God credit. They were looking at the negative side of things.) 1. How could this be a training goal? (Give God credit! Do not look at the negative side of things.) ii. Is this a goal on which we can engage in "strict training?" (Isn't this the essence of keeping self in check: to accept God's plan, to give Him credit and to trust Him?)

d. Read 1 Corinthians 10:10. How would you describe this as a training goal? (Don't
complain.) i. Is this a goal on which we can engage in "strict training?" (It takes selfcontrol to stop complaining.)

e. Read 1 Corinthians 10:11. Can you see a pattern here in these warnings?
(Except for the sexual immorality issue (which also had a pagan worship aspect) these all seem to have to do with our relationship to God. Do we trust God and give Him first place, do we give Him credit, do we praise Him rather than grumbling? These are our goals. We need to beat our body (more likely our brain) into submission on these topics by strict training.) III. Grace and Works a. If you believe in righteousness by faith, are you getting a little nervous about the idea that we can beat our brains into submission? If you are not, I am! Read Romans 5:1-5. Where, in this sequence, do we find beating our brains into submission? (We are justified by faith in Jesus, but the life of the Christian is a progression towards righteousness.)

b. Read 1 Corinthians 10:13. What does this suggest about your role and God's role
when it comes to temptation and self-control in your life? God places a cap on the temptation so that successful resistance is possible. God provides a way out of the temptation. My role is to resist temptation to the extent of my ability. To

look for the door God provides as a way out of the temptation.)

i. What does this teach us about the nature of self-control? (There is a

SELF in "self-control." Being saved by grace is just the beginning of the walk with God. We are not entitled to lay down and rest thereafter, instead we are involved in a team effort with God to live a life reflecting His goals. Failing to engage in that effort may mean we lose the prize ( 1 Corinthians 9:27).)

c. Read Colossians 3:1-3. What suggestion does this give us for resisting
temptation? What goal are we given? (To set our hearts on the things that God desires. To explore what God has in mind.)

d. Read 1 Corinthians 10:14. Remember that our first goal (1 Corinthians 10:7) was
to put God first. What additional advice does Paul give for achieving that goal? (Run away from idolatry!)

e. Read 1 Corinthians 10:15-17. What does the "loaf" have to do with running away
from idolatry? Do we need carbohydrates to run? (Paul points to the symbols of salvation by faith, and in essence says "Idolatry gets in the way of relying on Jesus' sacrifice on your behalf!")

f. Read 1 Corinthians 10:18-22. How are grace and works described in these
verses? (Paul is arguing the very close connection between grace and works. If your works are "sacrifices" to Satan, how can you claim to be accepting grace? Our works should line up, to the best of our abilities, with the "table" at which we eat. If we eat at the Lord's table (an analogy to Communion and thus grace), we need to have goals and training (self control) that is consistent with eating at that table.) g. Friend, Paul is the strongest advocate in the Bible of salvation by faith alone, but we can see in these texts that the Christian life is a team effort in which righteous goals need to be set and maximum effort applied to meet those goals. God will not let our sin problems get out of hand, but we are called to a life of self-control. Will you commit to getting off your spiritual coach and start training for right living? VII. Next week: The Fruit of the Spirit is Righteousness.

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Lesson 11 The Fruit of the Spirit is Righteousness (Ephesians 5, Romans 3 & 5, 1 John 2) Print this lesson | Bookmark/Share: Introduction: Each week we have been going through the list of Spirit fruits found in Galatians 5:22. Last week we came to the end of the list in Galatians, so you might be wondering where we found yet another Spirit fruit? We found it on the "light tree!" Ephesians 5:9 says "for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth." In the grocery store, the fad for some

time now has been "light" food. This is the food that is supposed to be more healthy for us. Let's jump into our study of the Bible once again to find out what it means to have a "light" spiritual fruit, the fruit called righteousness! I. Finding Righteousness

a. Read Romans 3:21-24. How do we become righteous? (It comes from God, it is
free, and it requires faith in Jesus.)

b. Read Romans 3:25-28. Can we become righteous by obeying the Ten

Commandments? (No. If we could keep the law we would have something to boast about. But, righteousness comes from faith - and we cannot boast in the deeds of another (Jesus). This righteousness we are told (twice) is "apart from observing the law.")

c. Read Romans 5:17-19. Whose act of obedience is the Bible speaking about?
(Jesus' act of obedience.) i. Does this suggest that I need to worry only about Jesus' obedience and not my own? 1. If that is true, then righteousness truly is a "light" fruit! What could be easier - let someone else do the heavy lifting! II. Acting the Part

a. Read Romans 3:29-31. How does this conclusion (that "we uphold the law")
logically follow? If we teach that we cannot become righteous by keeping the law, how does that uphold it? Doesn't that make the law irrelevant? i. It was someone else who took on the challenge of keeping the law and that victory applies to me! This keeping the law stuff is ancient history, right?

b. Read Ephesians 5:1-3. Can you be a "holy person" and be greedy, sexually
immoral, and impure? i. If you say, "no," then must we get rid of our greed, sexual immorality and impurity to become holy?

1. If you say, "yes," then re-read Romans 3:21-24 and Romans

3:28!

c. Look again at Ephesians 5:1. What is God telling us when He says to "imitate"
Him? (Romans 3 teaches us that we are evil, and our only path to righteousness comes from faith in Jesus. His holy life and death on our behalf, make us holy. However, a holy people are supposed to act like they are holy. Therefore we are called to "imitate" our Holy God.) i. Is an imitation the real thing? (No.) 1. So, what does that mean for us? God is the butter and we are the margarine? God is the wood and we are the printed plastic? This does not sound very encouraging, so let's look more deeply into Ephesians 5.

d. Read Ephesians 5:3-7. What has happened to my righteousness by faith? How

can the same man (Paul) be inspired by the Holy Spirit to write these verses and Romans 3 & 5? (This "imitation" instruction is serious. We have a reputation to live up to. Since Jesus made us holy, we need to act like it. That is why the Ten Commandments are not some ancient, irrelevant text. They are at the heart of our "imitation.")

i. Are some Christians deceiving us about the fact that our actions (and the law) do not matter? (Paul warns us in verse 6 about deception on this very point.)

e. How would you sum up the lesson to be learned from Romans 3 and Ephesians
5:3-7? (We cannot earn righteousness by obeying the law. Jesus did that for us. But, we can lose our salvation by our evil works.)

i. Isn't this just the "backdoor" way of saying that our works earn our
salvation? Sort of like your employer saying "Your salary is a free gift as long as you are employed. But, if you don't work, then you are fired." You might reasonably conclude working is important. (Look again at Ephesians 5:5. Paul calls the people who are involved in these evil works "idolaters." This means they rely on something other than Jesus. Our works are an indication of our thought process. Works reflect the decisions of our mind. They reveal whether we have faith in Jesus or not. I think of them like the gas gauge in your car - the gauge does not power the car, but it reveals how much power is available.) III. Light Fruit

a. Read Ephesians 5:8-10. Now we come to the light fruit. If someone told you to be
"light," what would you do, jump? Move to the moon? Change your name to Edison? i. Does Paul explain what he means by "living as children of light?" (Yes. He tells us that what comes out of light living is "goodness, righteousness and truth.")

1. Is this a choice? Or, is this automatic when we become righteous

by faith? (Since Paul tells us in Ephesians 5:8 to "live as children of light," this tells us that we have a choice. We need to choose to live right lives.)

ii. How should we go about making that choice? Tell me how to do this, as
a practical matter. (Notice Ephesians 5:10 again: "find out what pleases God." This is an instruction to read our Bibles, find out how God wants us to live, and then live life that way.)

b. Read Ephesians 5:11-14. Notice that we have an assignment, as "light fruit," to

"expose" the deeds of darkness. Does that mean we should videotape the sin in our community? Should we be in the newspapers identifying sinners? i. What does the Bible mean when it says "it is light that makes everything visible?" (The primary way in which we "expose" the darkness is to be an example of right-living. I don't think we should be shy about calling sin by its right name, but I don't think this is what the Bible is talking about here.)

ii. In what direction does Ephesians 5:14 say that Jesus will shine His light?
(On us! This strengthens the idea that our "light" is about our good deeds - not directly pointing out the bad deeds of others.) iii. What is the world's reaction to Christians who are not "light fruit?" (The world holds them (and Christianity) up to ridicule. We are saved by grace alone, but we are in a battle between light and darkness. How we live not only reveals our loyalty to the light side, but it helps the light side to win the battle against darkness.) IV. Knowing God a. We have discovered that our right works, our "light," is an attempt to imitate God

and is important to the conflict between good and evil. That seems to omit a very important question, what motivates us to do this? Is it the battle? Is it a desire for conformity with our God?

b. Read 1 John 2:1-3. What does the Bible suggest as a motive for right-living?
(Knowing God. As an aside, it is pretty hard to imitate someone if you do not know them.) i. What is the first thing that the Bible suggests is important about knowing God? (Jesus died for our sins, and is currently defending us in heaven.)

c. Read 1 John 2:4-6. How does knowing God motivate you to do what is right, to
walk in the light? (God's love for us motivated Him to live and die on our behalf. That gives me joy! My death sentence has been lifted! Knowing that Jesus died to satisfy the requirements of the law, knowing that the light of my life helps to expose the darkness of sin, these things motivate me to obey God. This begins the process in which (verse 5) God's love is made complete in me.) d. Friend, if you choose, you can be saved by grace alone. If you have made that choice, then you have an obligation to act like it. Would you like God's love to be made complete in you? If so, learn about God so that you can know Him. In that wonderful process, you will take your place in the ranks of the "light fruit," those who walk in the light, those who walk in righteousness. VIII. Next week: The Fruit of the Spirit is Truth.

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Lesson 12 The Fruit of the Spirit is Truth (John 14 & 16, 1 Corinthians 9, Romans 14) Print this lesson | Bookmark/Share: Introduction: Toby Keith sings a song containing this line, "I wish I didn't know now what I didn't know then." Is that your view of life? Something unpleasant has happened and you wish you had never heard about it? Or, is knowing the truth always better? The Bible presents an amazingly truthful account of its Old Testament heroes. This suggests that it is always better to know. On the other hand, Paul seems to suggest that being completely open is not always the best approach. In my life, truth comes in two packages. One is truth about God, salvation and the operation of the universe. The other is truth about my life and the truth about the lives of others. I'm sure I want to know the truth about God. As to the truth about me .... Let's jump right in and explore what the Bible has to teach us about truth! I. Truth About God

a. Read John 14:1-4. How important to you is the truth of Jesus' statement?
(Nothing is more important. The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 15:19: "If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men.") i. What relationship does truth have to trust? Jesus calls on us to trust Him before He makes this important statement. (We don't know whether to believe people if we cannot trust them.)

b. Read John 14:5-7. How does Jesus answer Thomas's question? (Jesus says

that He is the way.) i. Let's explore Jesus' statement a bit more. What does Jesus mean when He says He is "the way, the truth and the life?" 1. What "way" is under discussion? (The way to heaven. The route to eternal life.) 2. What "truth" is Jesus speaking about? (The whole thread of the conversation is truth about eternal life.) 3. How is Jesus the "life?" (Eternal life comes from knowing and accepting God. We come to the Father through Jesus.) ii. I've read the teachings of the Dali Lama, I've read large sections of the Koran. It seems to me that Buddhist teachings about how to live your life are very close to what Jesus taught us in the Sermon on the Mount. Islam, amazingly, accepts large sections of the Old Testament as truth. Judaism accepts the truth of the entire Old Testament and Jesus was Jewish! Because of these similarities, I've contemplated before whether all of these major world religions are just another approach to the truth of God. What does Jesus say about this? (No. "No one comes to the Father except through Me.") 1. Do you understand the logic behind Jesus' claim? Or, is this something that is beyond reason, and must be accepted by faith, if accepted at all?(I'm not a expert in world religions, but what I know about them is that they are all based on human works. Obedience gets you to heaven or the next level. Romans 3 tells us what I observe to be the truth - we are all evil. Only Christianity teaches that God obeyed on our behalf, God died on our behalf for sin, and God overcame sin and death on our behalf. We cannot work our way to heaven. It is only God. Surely, "no one comes to the Father except through [Jesus]!")

c. In John 16, Jesus again gets into a discussion with His disciples about the fact
that He is going to heaven. Read John 16:12. What does this suggest about God telling us the truth? (He does not always tell us the entire story.) i. Are you hearing strains of Tobey Keith? Is it honest not to tell the entire story? 1. Does it make a difference that God is making this judgment instead of you? 2. We now have two thousand years of hindsight. Do you agree with Jesus that the entire story would have been too much for the disciples to bear? II. The Holy Spirit and Truth

a. Read John 16:13-15. What is the role of the Holy Spirit in helping us to
understand truth? (He guides us.)

i. What does the illustration of a guide suggest about our role? (Read
Jeremiah 29:13. Explorers seek out guides. The reference to a guide suggests that we need to seek out the truth. God tells us to seek Him "with all [our] heart.")

b. Read John 16:7-11. Part of the Holy Spirit's work with the truth is to "convict the
world of guilt ... righteousness and judgment." When you think about learning the truth, is it just about hearing the correct information? (Part of truth is knowing the facts. A more important part of truth is understanding the facts and taking them

seriously. People know that smoking is not good for you. People know that being overweight is not good for you. The real issue is whether you take the information seriously.) i. What role does the Holy Spirit have in helping us to take truth seriously? (Only the Holy Spirit can bring conviction.) ii. What role does the Holy Spirit play in our efforts to bring the gospel truth to others? (Again, it is the Spirit's role to bring conviction of truth.)

c. We just got through discussing the "partial truth" issue. What does John 16:13 tell
us about God and the entire truth? (The Holy Spirit will lead us into "all truth.") i. If you knew that the entire truth would be revealed to you, but that for your benefit God timed the entire revelation, would that be satisfactory? ii. Should we take that approach with others? Tell them the entire truth - but not at once? III. Our Truth

a. Read 1 Corinthians 9:19. What is Paul's attitude about converting others? (That
he gives up his own rights to bring others to Jesus.)

b. Read 1 Corinthians 9:20-22. What do you think about Paul's methods and the
truth? i. Is this a "give them part of the truth at a time" approach? 1. Does this text give us enough information to make an informed judgment on Paul's methods?

c. Read Romans 14:13-18. Is there absolute truth when it comes to diet?

(Apparently not. Paul says that he has one view, but if someone else has a different view, they are bound by that view.)

i. When Paul instructs us in Romans 14:15 "Do not by your eating destroy
your brother for whom Christ died," what is he suggesting? 1. Is he suggesting that it is okay to eat whatever is in dispute, but just not in front of the "brother?" a. Does that mean you are misleading your brother about what you think is all right to eat?

d. Read Romans 14:22-23. What does this suggest about truth? (We are
accountable to God. We do not need to be completely transparent with fellow believers if we think it would harm them.) i. Is this an authorization to be a hypocrite?

ii. Is this an authorization to hide sin from fellow believers? (Read Romans
14:1. The topic is "disputable matters." Lying to hide true sin is simply adding sin to sin. But there is a category of disputable matters, in which an action can be sin for one person and not sin for the other. In that narrow area, truth turns on consideration for the welfare of others.) 1. When you lie, who are you looking out for? (Lies are generally to protect ourselves. Paul is not suggesting lies, he is just suggesting keeping our mouth shut on certain disputable issues.) e. Friend, how are you and truth? Will you commit today to seek the truth of God with all of your heart? Will you commit to partner with the Holy Spirit to both learn more truth and share it with others? Will you commit to being sensitive about how your view of the truth impacts fellow believers?

IX.

Next week: The Fruit of the Spirit: The Essence of Christian Character. www.gobible.org/study/599.php

Lesson 13 The Fruit of the Spirit, Christian Character (Matthew 6, 2 Corinthians 3, John 15) Print this lesson | Bookmark/Share: Introduction: Have you ever heard of "hurry sickness?" In the United States we have all sorts of illnesses which are not considered a traditional illness. Hurry sickness is one of these fake illnesses, and I have it. I'm always in a hurry to finish whatever it is I'm doing. Get it done, move on to the next task. Whenever I'm driving, I'm in a hurry. We will be driving to the airport to pick someone up and my wife will tell me to slow down because we will arrive too early. I know this is true, but find it hard to accept that advice. This is the last in our series of studies about the fruits of the Spirit. Our study of the Bible this week suggests that the quality of our journey, rather than hurrying to heaven, is of most concern. Let's dive into our study and find the cure to spiritual hurry sickness! I. First Things First

a. Read Matthew 6:31-33. Do pagans have hurry sickness? (Yes! They run after the
things of this earth.) i. What does this tell Christians to do and what does it tell them not to do? (Not to worry about necessities. Rather, seek "His kingdom and His righteousness.") 1. Are these two (His kingdom and His righteousness)related? a. Is the order of seeking important? If so, what does it mean to seek first God's kingdom, as opposed to God's righteousness? (This reflects the idea of salvation by faith first, and then setting the goal of living a righteous life.) 2. Step back and contemplate these verses. What is being promised here? (That if we accept salvation by faith, and pursue righteousness, we need not have to pursue anything else.) 3. From time to time I read the writings of a minister whose theology I think is suspect. One day he wrote that he was going to suspend his Bible work, and take a break to make some money to help secure his retirement. Since I did not like his theology, I thought this was a splendid idea! How does his idea square with Matthew 6? (It is contrary.) b. Have you ever thought that if you made the advance of God's kingdom your primary goal, that it would not only produce the fruits of the Spirit, but also provide those things the pagans are hurrying to obtain? II. On the Glory Road

a. Read 2 Corinthians 3:7-8. The letters engraved on stone are the Ten
Commandments. What glory, seen on the face of Moses, came with the Ten Commandments? (Read Exodus 34:29-30. Being in the presence of God made Moses' face radiate with God's glory.)

b. Read 2 Corinthians 3:13-18. Do you have the possibility of your face reflecting
the glory of God? (Yes!) i. Why did Moses have to use a veil and you do not? (The law did not lead the people around Moses to righteousness. Thus, they could not stand the glory of God. But, being saved by grace removes the need for a veil for your face also reflects God's glory.) ii. Once we see that glory "shine," on our faces, have we reached our goal? (By no means! We "are being transformed into His likeness with everincreasing glory.") iii. Friend, do you want people to be startled to see God's glory on your face?

iv. How is such a transformation possible? (Notice the last part of 2

Corinthians 3:18 again: "which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit." This is the work of the Holy Spirit in our life. Perhaps the title for this lesson should have been: The Fruit of the Spirit is a glowing face.) v. vi. On our journey of life, we are not called to hurry after things, but we are called to radiate!

c. III.

Lane Guards

a. Some modern cars are equipped with devices which sound an alarm if you have
strayed outside your lane. Read 2 Corinthians 13:5-6. Should we have such a device monitoring our daily activities? (The Bible says that we should "test ourselves" to see if we are in the faith.) i. What is the default position? That is, do we start out in faith or out of faith? (These are Christians, so the Bible says the default position is "Christ Jesus is in you." Unless, of course, "you fail the test." ii. What happens if we fail the test? (These verses suggest that we are not "in faith.")

b. Read 2 Corinthians 13:7-9. What does Paul say about his own example? (He
says he cannot do anything against the truth, but people might think he has failed the test.) i. Does this mean Paul is not in the faith? (Paul is likely saying "No one is perfect, including me, but the goal is perfection.")

c. Read 2 Corinthians 13:11. What is the goal of our life? (To "aim for perfection."
To live a life that radiates the glory of God.) i. What important concepts are included in the term "aim?" (Aiming is an intentional act. It is a knowing decision. Aiming also means we have not yet arrived.)

d. Read John 15:1-4. Can we be lost if we are not generally on the path to
perfection? (If you do not "bear fruit"(the spiritual fruits we have been discussing), then we are subject to being cut off.) i. What is the key to bearing fruit? (Remaining in Jesus. The way Jesus states this, it seems so simple. How can a section of a plant bear fruit unless it remains attached to the main plant?)

e. Read John 15:9-10. What kind of test do we find here? When will our lane guard
alarm go off? When will we know we have stopped radiating and have started

hurrying? (When we stop obeying God's commandments.)

i. Earlier we discussed ( 2 Corinthians 3:14) how the Ten Commandments

made the minds of the people "dull." Does Jesus disagree with Paul?

f. Read John 15:12-17. Is Jesus suggesting a new approach to keeping the

commandments? (I'm not sure it is new, but it is different than the approach taken at Mount Sinai. If we just grit our teeth and obey the Ten Commandments, we have taken the "dull mind" approach. We don't really understand what is going on. On the other hand, if we contemplate how Jesus loved us so much that He died a painful death on our behalf, and that He died that death to satisfy the requirements of the law when we could not, then that stirs a loving desire in our hearts to show love to others by obeying God's commands.) i. Can you see the practical difference between the two approaches? ii. What does Jesus' discussion about servants and friends reveal to us? (A servant is like a young child - you just tell them what to do. Explanations are unneeded. You cannot just tell a friend or a peer what to do. You need to explain it so they share your goal. We must not treat the Ten Commandments like a bunch of rules to follow to get the reward of heaven. Instead, we should treat them like an insider's guide to a loving relationship with God and others.) g. Friend, our current connection to God is through the His Spirit. Will you, today, start praying that the Holy Spirit will come upon you in power to give you the right attitude so that the fruits we have discussed in this series will be shown in your life? Will you pray that your life will move forward on the path to perfection? Will you seek to radiate God's glory rather than just hurrying along the path of life? X. Next week: We start a new series on health. www.gobible.org/study/600.php