Sunday Services:
During the school holidays, the St John’s Kids program is in recess, to give our leaders a well-deserved break. There will be activity sheets available, if needed, to keep hands busy while listening to the talk at our in-person services. Those watching the online service may like to print and use some of these:
Family Discipleship:
In this week’s bible passage (READ Galatians 5:13-25) Paul sums up the Old Testament law and Jesus’ teachings with one instruction: Serve one another in love – Love your neighbour as you love yourself.
When we decide to follow Jesus, God gives us the Holy Spirit to live in us and help us to become more like Jesus. The ‘fruit’ of the Spirit are gifts that God gives us to help us live the way he wants us to, and to show others what his love looks like.
ASK your children what they think of when they hear the expression ‘fruit of the Spirit’.
EXPLAIN that the gifts that God gives us are like seeds that he grows inside of us as we seek to know Jesus more. Fruit are all different – apples, bananas, watermelon – they look different, smell different, taste different – but they are all fruit, they are all good for you, and they all start out life as a little seed. The ‘fruit of the Spirit’ – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control – are all qualities that Jesus modelled to us, they all have different roles and they start out as seeds in our lives and the more we nurture them and seek to make them a priority in our lives, the more they grow in us to help us become more Christ-like.
Look at each of the ‘fruit’ mentioned in Galatians 5:22-23 and DISCUSS how someone might behave if they don’t have the fruit of the Spirit and how they might behave if they do have the fruit of the Spirit. Try to think of situations that fit your own lives. (e.g. Are you patient when you have to wait your turn to talk to someone? Do you show kindness to your brother/sister when they take something from you? Do you exercise self-control when you are told to only take one chocolate?)
ACTIVITY: You might like to incorporate the theme of ‘fruit’ into one of your meals this week and enjoy fruit salad or fruit kebabs. Use the opportunity to chat more about the ‘fruit of the Spirit’.
This week, structure your PRAYERS together around the ‘fruit of the Spirit’. You may like to use these Fruit of the Spirit Pocket Prayers as starters.
Have a great week,
Kylie – Children & Families’ Minister
St John’s is committed to Child Safety and welcomes your feedback on how we can keep improving.
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