From Roots to Fruits (Week 1 - Love) [Michael's Reworked Large-Group Version)

Introduction:

Attention Grabber:

Skittles Game: Adapt this to the large group by using it as an icebreaker. Pass around a large bag of Skittles, allowing students to take a few each. For each different color, they must share one thing about themselves with the entire group. This encourages openness and sets a friendly, engaging tone.

Need:

Understanding and living out love is crucial for personal growth and community.

We just listened to each other share something about ourselves, which is a small glimpse into the type of love that God has called us to.

The truth is, without love, it is impossible to grow in our walk with Christ, and to actively participate in our community of fellowship.

Today, we are beginning a brand-new 9-week series for the Summer called From Roots to Fruits, where we will be taking a deep dive into the 9 fruits, or “virtues,” of the Spirit.

We need to know how to grow in our faith throughout the Summer as a follower of Christ; and this is how we get there

So, without further adieu, let’s get started!

Body:

Context and Overview:

Galatians 5:22–23 (ESV)

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

In the verses prior (19-21), Paul gives a list of “the works of the flesh”

“The fruit of the Spirit” are given to contrast with the “works of the flesh”

This is what it looks like to stop living a wordly life and to start living a Spirit-filled life!

Q. Is it the “fruits” of the Spirit?

Nope; it is “fruit” (singular)

Why is that?

When we were kids, we probably saw the “fruits” of the Spirit like this.

When, really, a more accurate image is like this.

All of these things are elements of the singular fruit of Christlikeness (being like Jesus).

Also note that it is the “fruit” of the Spirit rather than the works of the Spirit

Q. Why is this significant?

Because these things don’t come from us and our endeavors for self-improvement; they are a gift from God

It will be important for us to keep this context in mind throughout the next 9 weeks.

Introduction to Love

The Greek: Agape

Unconditional, selfless, and sacrificial love.

Not just “I love pizza;” a divine type of love that is from God that we display towards Him and others

Another passage of Scripture that describes to us this first “fruit” of the Spirit is 1 Corinthians 13.

This is often thought of as the “wedding chapter” of the Bible, as this passage is often read at weddings.

But it helps us to understand more about this first “fruit”, so we are gonna take a look at it.

1 Corinthians 13:4–7 (ESV)

4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

This gives us several different descriptions of love

We are going to look at these one at a time

Deep-Dive on “Love”

Love is patient

What is loving about having patience?

It is impossible to be loving without being patient

This is something that you learn in relationships (especially marriage)!

It is through learning to be patient with one another that you learn how to truly love that person

“I love you enough to be patient with you.”

Note: Patience is another part of the fruit of the Spirit, so again, we see that “Love” encompasses all of the other parts as well.

For each of these descriptions of love, we will be given a scenario, and it will be our job to role play and to think of the best way to respond to each situation in a loving way.

Scenario: Your younger sibling keeps interrupting you while you’re trying to do your homework.

Discussion Points:

How can you show patience in this situation?

What are some ways to address your sibling’s interruptions kindly?

Love is patient

Love is kind

How are love and kindness connected?

It is impossible to be loving and unkind at the same time.

Love shows itself in treating others really well.

Note: This is also another one of the parts of the fruit!

Scenario: A classmate is feeling down because they didn’t get picked for a sports team.

Discussion Points:

How can you show kindness to your classmate?

What small acts of kindness can make a big difference?

Love is patient

Love is kind

It does it envy or boast; it is not arrogant

How are these three things connected?

They all involve comparing yourself to other people.

We love to do this, don’t we?

But here’s the truth; the moment that you start comparing yourself to others is the moment that you stop embodying love

To others, and to yourself.

Why is comparing yourself to others never a good idea?

Because it is something that we weren’t created to do

Scenario: Your friend received an award that you were hoping to get.

Discussion Points:

How can you avoid feeling envious and instead celebrate your friend’s success?

What positive actions can you take to show your support?

Love is patient

Love is kind

It does it envy or boast; it is not arrogant

It is not rude

Q. How is this one connected with kindness?

Oftentimes, when you aren’t kind, you are being rude.

But true rudeness is more active than a passive lack of kindness.

Rudeness says “I don’t love or respect you,” and “I don’t care how I treat others.

But, because of how well God has treated us, we should care about how we treat others!

Scenario: Someone accidentally bumps into you in the hallway and doesn’t apologize.

Discussion Points:

How can you respond in a loving, non-rude way?

Why is it important to be polite even when others are not?

Love is patient

Love is kind

It does it envy or boast; it is not arrogant

It is not rude

It is not self-seeking (does not demand its own way)

What does it mean to be self-seeking?

To only care about yourself and others

To be humble

Not thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less (there is a difference).

Scenario: You and your friends are deciding on a movie to watch, but you all have different preferences.

Discussion Points:

How can you show love by not being self-seeking in this situation?

What does it look like to put others’ preferences before your own?

Love is patient

Love is kind

It does it envy or boast; it is not arrogant

It is not rude

It is not self-seeking (does not demand its own way)

It is not irritable

AKA “easily angered”

It is easy for stuff to “set us off”

Each person has their own triggers and their own ways in which they struggle with this.

The Christian response: Take a moment, breathe, and respond calmly

This is what it looks like for a Christian to love others!

Scenario: Your team loses a game due to a mistake made by one of your teammates.

Discussion Points:

How can you manage your anger and respond lovingly to your teammate?

Why is it important to control your anger in such situations?

How can we be loving, even when we’re angered?

Expressing your point of view in a kind manner and tone of voice

Love is patient

Love is kind

It does it envy or boast; it is not arrogant

It is not rude

It is not self-seeking (does not demand its own way)

It is not irritable

It is not resentful

AKA, it keeps no record of wrongs

We naturally do this, don’t we?

We run tabs on everybody, keeping track of every time they have ever done something wrong to us

This can lead to us becoming bitter people, always assuming the worst in people and holding grudges against them.

Scenario: A friend forgot your birthday last year but remembered it this year.

Discussion Points:

How can you show love by not holding a grudge about the past mistake?

What does it mean to truly forgive and move forward?

What good does holding grudges do?

It doesn’t!

The call of love is the call to move as far away from grudges as possible.

Love is patient

Love is kind

It does it envy or boast; it is not arrogant

It is not rude

It is not self-seeking (does not demand its own way)

It is not irritable

It is not resentful

Love doesn’t rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth

Here’s a simple truth; God’s people should want the truth to win out.

Our desire is for the light to penetrate the darkness.

Scenario: You find out a friend is spreading false rumors about someone else.

Discussion Points:

How can you address the situation in a loving way that upholds the truth?

Why is it important to stand up for what is true and good?

Love is patient

Love is kind

It does it envy or boast; it is not arrogant

It is not rude

It is not self-seeking (does not demand its own way)

It is not irritable

It is not resentful

Love doesn’t rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth

Love always protects, trusts, hopes, perseveres.

How are all of these four things connected?

“All things”

True, biblical love is all encompassing and never backs down

Love always goes the extra mile for God and for others

Scenario: Your close friend has been dealing with a lot of stress due to family issues and is feeling overwhelmed. They've started missing school frequently and are falling behind in their classes. Despite their struggles, you believe they can overcome these challenges and want to support them in any way you can.

Discussion Points:

How can you show love by protecting, trusting, hoping, and persevering in this situation?

What are some practical ways you can embody these aspects of love in your everyday interactions with your friend?

Conclusion

Summary

The fruit of the Spirit is one of the most important teachings within Christianity, and love is the foundation of all of it.

Be thinking, “I can I incorporate love into my actions this week?

Prayer

Close with a prayer, asking God to help everyone grow in love and to understand and live out the other fruits of the Spirit in the coming weeks.

Small Group Questions:

What does the word “love” mean to you, and how do you think it differs from the way the world often portrays love?

Can you share a time when you experienced or witness showing real, selfless love? How did it impact you or others involved?

Think about the different aspects of love described in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (patient, kind, not envious, etc.). Which one do you find the most challenging to practice in your life? Why?

How can you apply the principles of protecting, trusting, hoping, and persevering in your relationships with friends and family?

How can our small group show love to each other in practical ways? What are some specific actions we can take to support one another?

How can we pray for each other to grow in our ability to love like Christ? Are there specific areas or situations where you need God’s help to show love?