Live by the Spirit
Read: Galatians 5:16-17 But I say, walk by the Spirit. (v. 16) For the next two weeks we’ll consider Paul’s letter to the Galatians, which includes the listing of the “fruit
Jessica Bratt Carle January 17, 2024
When you follow God’s way, the Holy Spirit cultivates the fruit of the Spirit in your life. The fruit of the Spirit are the qualities that the Spirit grows in you—a beautiful metaphor for your life in Christ.
The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. (Galatians 5:22-23)
Paul gave this list to the church in Galatia to correct bad teaching about the Christian life. This 15-day devotional series will follow Paul’s teaching to the Galatians, and especially his teaching about the fruit that the Spirit wants to cultivate in every believer.
How has following Jesus changed your life? If you are following Jesus, even if you have been following Jesus your whole life, Jesus should be changing you day-by-day.
As you study Galatians, consider where Jesus is working in your life, and look for the good fruit he is cultivating.
Read: Galatians 5:16-17 But I say, walk by the Spirit. (v. 16) For the next two weeks we’ll consider Paul’s letter to the Galatians, which includes the listing of the “fruit
Read: Galatians 1:1-9 To the churches of Galatia . . . (v. 2) Paul’s relatively short letter to the Galatians was not simply meant to inform or encourage the new Christians in Galatia. Instead,
Read: John 15:1-8 But the fruit of the Spirit . . . (Gal. 5:22) Most bookstores that are divided into subject areas will have a decent amount of shelf space devoted to the
Read: Galatians 5:24; John 15:12-17 Those who belong to Christ . . . (v. 24) The fruit of the Spirit is different from the fruit of the self-help movement, and it’s also different from
Read: Galatians 5:22-23; John 13:31-35 But the fruit of the Spirit is love. (v. 22) The first fruit of the Spirit is love, which echoes other scriptural references to the primacy
Read: Galatians 5:22-23; Philippians 1:15-21 But the fruit of the Spirit is . . . joy. (v. 22) What comes to mind when you think of joy? What was the last experience you had
Read: Galatians 5:16-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is . . . peace. (v. 22) Paul lists “strife,” “rivalries,” and “dissension” among the works of the flesh (Gal. 5:20), but peace blossoms from
Read: Galatians 5:22-23; Colossians 3:12-15 But the fruit of the Spirit is . . . patience. (v. 22) No one advertises a smartphone, computer, or tablet as “nice and slow.” Each new technological gadget
Read: Galatians 5:22-23; 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 But the fruit of the Spirit is . . . kindness. (v. 22) One of my favorite poets, Naomi Shahib Nye, wrote a poem called “Kindness” in which
Jessica Bratt Carle lives in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where she has served as a chaplain and more recently as a clinical ethicist at Corewell Health (formerly Spectrum Health) since 2017. She is a minister in the Presbyterian Church (USA). She and her husband have two young sons.