Fruit of the Spirit: Kindness

Study Scripture:

Hebrews 7:7 - "And without question, the person who has the power to give a blessing is greater than the one who is blessed." (NLT)

Lesson From Scripture: The Good Samaritan in Luke 10:30-37

Most Christian teens have heard the phrase "Good Samaritan," but the phrase itself comes from the parable told by Jesus in Luke 10. In the story a Jewish traveler is severely beaten by bandits. A priest and temple assistant both passed by the man and did nothing. Finally, a Samaritan man came to him, bandaged the wounds and arranged for rest and recovery at a local inn. Jesus tells us that the Samaritan man was a neighbor to the Jewish man and to be the ones to show others mercy.

Life Lessons:

There is great significance in the story of the Good Samaritan. We are commanded to love our neighbors as ourselves. In the time Jesus told his story, religious leaders were so wrapped up in "The Law" that they had set aside their compassion for others. Jesus reminded us that compassion and mercy are valuable traits. Samaritans at the time were not liked, and often mistreated, by Jews. The Good Samaritan showed a great deal of kindness for the Jew by being willing to put revenge or contempt aside to help a hurting man.

Kindness is a fruit that you can build on, and it is a fruit that takes a lot of work. Christian teens can easily get caught up in day to day activities and anger at non-Christians to forget how to be kind to one another. Gossip is one way that many Christian teens lose sight of this fruit of the spirit. It is easy to be kind to those you like and those who like you. Yet are you willing to put your own contempt aside to help someone that has not been kind in return? Jesus tells us that we are to show mercy to all...not just the people we like.

Fruit of the Spirit: Faithfulness

Study Scripture:

Philippians 3:9 - "I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith." (NLT)

Lesson From Scripture: Noah in Genesis

Noah was a God-fearing man who lived in a time of great sin and turmoil. People around the world were worshipping other gods and idols, and sinfulness abounded. God was so upset with his creation that He considered wiping them off the face of the Earth completely. However, the prayers of one faithful man saved humanity. Noah asked God to have mercy on man, and so God asked Noah to build an ark. He placed representative animals on the ark and allowed Noah and his family to join them. Then God brought forth a great flood, wiping out all the other living things. God then promised Noah that He would never again bring a judgment such as this on humanity.

Life Lessons:

Faithfulness leads to obedience, and obedience brings about rich blessings from the Lord. Proverbs 28:20 tells us that a faithful man will be richly blessed. Yet being faithful is not always easy. Temptations abound, and as Christian teens your lives are busy. It is easy to become distracted by the movies, magazines, telephone calls, Internet, homework, school activities, and even youth group events.

Yet being faithful means making conscious choices to follow God. It means standing up when people disrespect your faith to explain why you're a Christian. It means doing what you can to become stronger in your faith and evangelize in a way that works for you. Noah was probably not accepted by his fellow man, because he chose to follow God rather than commit great sins. Yet, he found the strength to remain faithful - which is why we are all still here.

God is always faithful to us, even when we are not faithful to Him. He is there by our side, even when we do not seek Him or even notice He is there. He keeps his promises, and we are called to do the same. Remember, God promised Noah that He would never again wipe out His people on the earth as He did in the flood. If we trust in God to be faithful, then He becomes our rock. We can trust in all He has to offer. We will know that there is no trial too great for us to bear, and thus become a light to the world around us.

Fruit of the Spirit: Gentleness

Study Scripture:

Proverbs 15:4 - "Gentle words are a tree of life; a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit." (NLT)

Lesson From Scripture: Boaz in Ruth 2

Ruth was not a Hebrew woman, but she loved her mother-in-law so much that, after her husband died, she went to live with Naomi in Naomi's homeland. In order to help with food, Ruth offers to pick through the grain left behind in the fields. She comes to a field owned by Boaz. Now, Boaz knows all that Ruth has been helping and caring for Naomi, so he tells his workers to not only allow Ruth to pick the leftover grain, but he also tells them to drop extra grain for her and allows her to drink the water from his well.

Life Lessons:

While it may not seem like a big deal that Boaz allowed Ruth to gather the leftover grain or even had his men drop extra grain, it was. In most other fields Ruth would have been harassed or placed in danger. However, Boaz showed her great kindness coming from a gentle spirit.

We often face situations where we have to make a choice on how we treat people. How do you treat the new kid in school? What about the boy who doesn't quite fit in? Do you stand up for those that are being teased or bullied? If you see a girl drop her books, do you stop to help her pick them up? You would be amazed how these gentle acts and kind words affect people.

While everyone else may think you are crazy for speaking kindly of people or avoiding gossip and unkind words, God knows that your actions come from a gentle heart. It's not always easy to be gentle. Sometimes we get angry or selfish, but allow God to change your heart from those selfish ways to put you in the other person's shoes. Allow your heart to be moved so that it becomes more gentle over time.