“But 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

How many fruit of the spirit can your children remember?

I found it helpful teaching our kids that there are 3 fruit with 1 syllable, 3 fruit with 2 syllables, and 3 fruit with 3 syllables.

This week we’ll be asking our kids to help us grow in our fruit.

Take out a marshmallow or two and put it on a plate in the microwave. In less than a minute it should double in size. Being careful not to let little fingers touch, place the plate with gigantic marshmallow on the table for the kids to see. It is helpful to place a regular marshmallow beside to prove it has grown. Which marshmallow looks juicy and plump? It looks more delicious.See how quickly it grew!
(Most kids find it pretty amazing, and I haven’t heard a single complaint about a marshmallow exploding in the microwave)

If you have a green banana or other “not ready” fruit, place it on the table along with a fruit that is edible.   Which fruit looks sweeter?

The Holy Spirit gave us 9 wonderful fruit, but we need to properly develop them so they can be big in our lives.

Ask the kids if they know what the 9 fruit mean and look them up if necessary. Then- here’s the real challenge mom and dad, ask the children to point out your biggest fruit, and your smallest fruit. Ask them to help you grow bigger fruit and brainstorm ways you can make better choices. The next time you notice somebody acting with kindness praise them for developing sweet, juicy fruit!

 

Finish off with a quick family prayer. God cares about every area of our lives; let’s encourage the children to pray about whatever is on their hearts. Add to your prayer journal weekly, and be sure to leave space to jot down a quick note when God answers the prayer. Your kids will grow stronger in their faith when they can look back and see what the Lord has done.

How did this work for you? Did you adapt it to fit your family?