Choose Love! Choose Joy!

KEY VERSE

Galatians 5:22-23

STICKY STATEMENT

Our roots are shown by our fruits.

LESSON OBJECTIVE

Children will learn how to show love and have joy through the help of the Holy Spirit.

CHECKLIST

1. A Power Point is available for this lesson.

2. “Fruit of the Spirit – Go Fish” https://teachersource.wol.org/videos/oly18/23-1/ (0:00-3:15). (Younger Adaptation)

3. “If you give a little love, you can get a little love of your own” https://teachersource.wol.org/videos/oly18/23-2/ (4:35) (Introduction)

4. Visuals 1-2 (Body)

LESSON OVERVIEW

Using the example of a tree, we will show how you are “rooted” in a personal relationship with Jesus. God puts in us the “seed” of our faith by displaying the “fruit” of the Holy Spirit. We will focus on the fruits of “love and joy” in this lesson. We will explain how it is a daily choice to show your faith through using the fruit of the Spirit to handle life’s situations and show others how God can help you be loving and joyful.

Younger Adaptation

Teacher’s Note: Show the “Fruit of the Spirit – Go Fish” video, https://teachersource.wol.org/videos/oly18/23-1/ (0:00-3:15).

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INTRODUCTION

Teacher’s Note: Watch both videos and choose the one that is most appropriate for your group. This fun music video can be used with either age group, but we recommend it for your younger children: “Fruit of the Spirit – Go Fish” https://teachersource.wol.org/videos/oly18/23-1/ (0:00-3:15). For a more dramatic story displaying love, show the video, “If you give a little love, you can get a little love of your own” https://teachersource.wol.org/videos/oly18/23-2/ (4:35).

How many of you like fruit salad? Tell me what fruits you would include in a fruit salad? [Allow children to respond.] You made some wonderful suggestions. Bananas are a great choice but only using bananas would not make it a fruit salad. The combination of several fruits gives a fruit salad its great taste.

Today, I have a video for you to watch about fruit. No, it’s not a cooking show video. The fruit in this video is the fruit of the Spirit. After it’s over, I have some questions to ask you about this kind of fruit. [Show the video of your choice.]

Teacher’s Note: If you used the music video, “Fruit of the Spirit – Go Fish,” ask the following questions for the children to answer. Can you remember some of the words that were used to describe the fruit in this video? [Write the words on the board as they are shared: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.]

All these words describe the Fruit of the Spirit. Have you had some of the problems that these kids had? What did the kids in this video do when they had a bad day? [They prayed for God to help them show the fruit of the Spirit.]

Teacher’s Note: If you chose to show, “If you give a little love, you will get a little love of your own,” ask the following question.

How was love and joy shown in this video? [One person helped another, and then that person helped someone else. In the end, the boy painting the graffiti was helped by many others.]

BODY

In order for us to learn more about the Fruit of the Holy Spirit, please open your Bible to Galatians 5. Are you ready? [Assist those children who may need help.] Follow along as I read verses 22-23. [Read Galatians 5:22-23.] As you can see, the Fruit of the Spirit has nine parts. Today, we are just going to talk about the first two parts of the Fruit of the Spirit which are love and joy.

Let’s talk about the parts of a tree since God refers to these godly characteristics as fruit. [Show Visual 1.] What are the parts of the tree that you can see? [Answers: trunk, branches, and the leaves.] Just like trees, people can only see and know what we are like from the outside. The roots of a tree are also very important even if we can’t see them. Just like roots, what a person believes is very important.

A person with godly roots is one who has admitted their sin and received Jesus as their personal Savior. As a result, God’s Spirit lives in them. The seed of God’s character is found in us like the seeds found in a piece of fruit. The Holy Spirit living in us helps us to demonstrate God’s kind of love and joy, as well as all the other fruits of the Spirit. We can say that our roots are shown by our fruits.

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[Show Visual 2.] Just like a seed has to die in order to produce life and grow into a fruit bearing tree, we also have to die to our own selfish ways to produce fruit. That means we say to God, “You first, not me.” When we put aside our own will and do God’s will, others will see the fruit of the Spirit, like love and joy in our lives. We must choose to allow the Holy Spirit to produce this fruit in us. Our roots are shown by our fruits.

Have you ever tried to describe your best friend to someone who hasn’t met him or her yet? If you had a picture, you would probably show the picture of your friend to them. What words would you choose to describe your friend’s character and personality?

When we ask Jesus into our life, God sends His Holy Spirit to live in us. There are no photographs of God; He is invisible to our physical eyes. However, if your roots are in Jesus, then you can show a picture of God by allowing the Holy Spirit to show His godly fruit in your life like love and joy.

God is love, and we show God’s love by loving others. Godly love means putting the needs of others before your own. When you would really like to play on the computer, but instead you choose to help mom in the kitchen, that is love. When you see someone getting bullied, but refuse to join in and stand up for the victim, that is love. Our roots are shown by our fruits.

What is joy? People often confuse joy with happiness. We are happy when we have a new video game. We are happy when our ball team wins. We are happy when things go our way. But what happens when things don’t go our way? Can we still be happy? We might not be. We may be sad or angry. Happiness comes and goes but true joy stays.

Let’s find out what Romans 15:13 says about joy. [Read Romans 15:13.] The word joy is connected to hope and peace. Joy is having that satisfying confidence that God is in control of everything. You may not be happy if have to move and leave your friends, but you can still have joy. Your joy is because you have hope that God will give you new friends and that gives you peace. God’s Holy Spirit will fill you with hope when you trust God. Our roots are shown by our fruits.

APPLICATION

Let me ask you some very important questions. First, can you remember a time when you placed your faith in Jesus as your personal Savior? Have you admitted that you are a sinner and accepted Jesus’ death on the cross for you? Are you rooted by your faith in Jesus? If you are, then the Holy Spirit lives in you. Because of the Holy Spirit, you have the ability to show the Fruit of the Spirit that we talked about today. Our roots are shown by our fruits.

All nine fruits of the Spirit are important but today’s focus was on love and joy. Who will you choose to show love to this week? Don’t choose that person you find easy to love. Ask the Holy Spirit to bring someone into your life who really needs to see the love of God in your life.

Let me give you some situations. I would like you to finish this statement in a way that shows love to another person. Think carefully. How would you finish this one? You are finally chosen to be the captain of the kickball team. You want to pick your best friend first but _______________________. [Call on a child to finish the statement to show love.] That’s love.

Let’s try one more. Your church is collecting money to help a family with a sick child. You just saved enough money to buy yourself a new soccer ball but _____________________. [Call on a child to finish the statement.] That’s love.

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The next time someone asks, “Are you happy?” Tell them you are full of joy. Your happiness comes and goes, but the joy of the Lord can stay with you forever no matter what happens. Ask the Holy Spirit every day this week to help you show His joy to others. Don’t be surprised if someone says, “How can I get what you have?” The Holy Spirit can help you use your joy to share the Good News of the Gospel with others. [Close in prayer.]

PERSONAL TRAINING TIMEGoal of this Personal Training Time

The children will find ways to experience growth in love and joy through the help of the Holy Spirit.

Discussion Questions

1. What are some ways you can actively choose to show love to others on a daily basis? (Discuss ways that they can put God and others first.)

2. How is joy different from happiness? What are some ways you can actively choose to have joy? (Happiness is dependent on our circumstances; it comes and goes. Joy is having that satisfying confidence in God. Joy comes with hope and peace. Romans 15:13.)

3. What does a person need to do in order to have the fruit of the Spirit? (First, we must ask Jesus into our heart to be Lord and Savior. When we do, God puts His Holy Spirit to live in us.)

PARENT CONNECTION

The children learned this week about two parts of the Fruit of the Spirit: love and joy. We learned that God’s kind of love and joy does not happen on its own. We need the help of the Holy Spirit to grow this fruit in us. When a seed is planted, it takes time for the seed to die, sprout, and grow into a beautiful plant.

As a parent, we want our children to learn to love with a godly love and to have joy that is complete, lacking nothing. This week, purchase a packet of flower seeds and help your child put them in a pot or a plastic cup with a little potting soil and water. Label the cup with “Love and Joy.” Set it by the window to get sun light. Remind your child that this plant must have water throughout the week. Then over a period of time, watch it grow and let it remind you that God is also taking time to grow His character in us.

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Visual 1

Visual 2

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