Apostle and Prophet Deborah continue the sermon series of being full of the spirit by asking each of us to truly test ourselves on how much we allow the Holy Spirit to work those fruit into our lives. By asking hard questions believers can reveal the focus points and pray that the Holy Spirit work in those areas.
We are called to be both fruit inspectors and to be inspected by fruit inspectors.
Galatians 5:22-23 Amplified Bible
22 But the fruit of the Spirit [the result of His presence within us] is love [unselfish concern for others], joy, [inner] peace, patience [not the ability to wait, but how we act while waiting], kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law.
On a scale of one to 10 how active is the Holy Spirit in your life every day? _____ (Can you hear the Holy Spirit’s voice in a very busy day? When your emotions are on 10, is the Holy Spirit’s voice still the loudest?)
1- Love- ____ (When there is a new opportunity, do you think of others first or yourself first?)
Matthew 24:12
Because sin and iniquity abound the love of many will grow cold. The opposite of love is sin.
- What is coming is… an incredible opportunity to share with and serve many people God has put in your life. That their success, would feel like your success.
- Love is serving others like God/Jesus does. Sin is the epitome of selfishness, which is… what’s best for me.
2- Joy- ____ (When things are difficult or very difficult, do you find strength in the gift of joy that is inside of you?)
Can you show joy and happiness when there is nothing funny?
- What’s coming is… some serious turmoil in your life where you get to exercise your joy.
Matthew 2:10
10 And when they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. Two years of waiting!
3- Peace- _____ (When there’s great conflict going on on the outside of you, do you feel an inner peace that you can’t even explained inside?)
- What’s coming is… developing the God-given habit of standing still and seeing the glory of the Lord. In other words, when the noise outside gets very loud, get very quiet and look inside for the gift of peace. And stay there till the storm passes.
Matthew 10:13
13 And if the house be worthy, let your peace come upon it: but if it be not worthy, let your peace return to you.
4- Patience- ____ Emotions are great, they just can’t lead. When you feel rushed, pressed for an answer, or overwhelmed by manipulative people around you, can you wait for God’s instruction? Not just the ability to wait, but how we act while waiting.
- What is coming… more responsibilities and more opportunities are on the way so that you can grow in your patience.
- And in your patience you possess everything.
- Synonyms= endurance, constancy, steadfastness, perseverance, and slow to avenge wrongs.
5- Kindness- ____ Kindness is not an act you perform, it is a way you think and live. Kindness is shown in your moral goodness and integrity.
- What is coming… Being kind to people who really irritate you. The ability to forgive, when forgiveness is very hard to do.
Ephesians 4:32 New International Version
32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
Kindness is the opportunity through compassionate discernment, to feel what your brothers and sisters are feeling. This opens the door to ‘real ministry.’
6- Goodness- ____ When no one is looking, is there uprightness in your heart and in your life. (Is there goodness in your emotions and in your belief system?)
- I didn’t mean it, it just slipped out. When you squeezed what’s inside always pops out..
Is kindness your response where it seems it’s not deserved? Grade?
Romans 15:14
And I myself also am persuaded of you, my brethren, that ye also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another. (Do you have all three?)
- What to expect… the continual opportunities to do the right thing outside of religious circles. The goodness in you won’t allow sin or crudeness to go unchecked.
7- Faithfulness- ____ Do you have the conviction of the truth in your relationship with God and with divine things?
Do you generally trust God and brothers and sisters in the faith?
Matthew 8:10
When Jesus heard it, he marveled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.
- What to expect… You will be surrounded by lack of faith, which will demand your faith to grow.
8- Gentleness- ____ (Gentleness has a lot to do with how you speak to people and how you touch people)
- Do you feel instantly convicted when you respond harshly rather than gently?
- What to expect… if you want more gentleness, you will be surrounded by cruel and desensitized people that are dying/longing for the gentleness inside of you.
Romans 11:22 The Message
21-22 If God didn’t think twice about taking pruning shears to the natural branches, why would he hesitate over you? He wouldn’t give it a second thought. Make sure you stay alert to these qualities of gentle kindness and ruthless severity that exist side by side in God—ruthless with the deadwood, gentle with the grafted shoot. But don’t presume on this gentleness. The moment you become deadwood, it’s game over.
9- Self-Control- ____ (When you have self-control, you begin to control the atmosphere around you)
What makes you lose control of your emotions or passions? Do you feel that is just who you are or something that can be corrected by the Holy Spirit.
- What to expect if you want more self-control. Being involved daily around circumstances that are out of control.
- This is where you start internally and control yourself, and the ripple effect starts to change the atmosphere.
Temperance= The virtue of one who masters his desires and passions, esp. his sensual appetites/not just sex.
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