Preteen and Elementary Object Lesson: The Fruit of the Spirit
Make the fruit of the Spirit practical! Use this lesson to teach kids about Galatians 5:19-23 and have them brainstorm how they can display fruit of the Spirt in their everyday lives.
Prepare for the Fruit of the Spirit Object Lesson
You’ll Need:
Easy Prep:
- Before the children arrive, tape the bulletin-board paper to the wall. At the top of the bulletin-board paper, write Galatians 5:22-23.
- Underneath the verse, draw a tree with roots.
- Then, draw nine pieces of fruit in the tree. Label each fruit piece with one of the fruits of the Spirit.
Lead the Fruit of the Spirit Object Lesson
Talk About How Trees Grow Fruit
Gather the children near your bulletin-board paper picture.
Say: Today we’re going to learn a verse about fruit. To do that we’re going to think like fruit farmers. Sometimes fruit trees produce good fruit, and sometimes fruit trees produce bad fruit.
Direct kids to look at the tree on your bulletin-board paper. Point out how the tree has parts above ground (the branches and the trunk) and parts below the ground (the roots).
Ask:
- What things above the ground could affect the fruit the tree is able to grow? (Answers could include sunshine, shade, wind or animals.)
- What things below the ground could affect the fruit the tree is able to grow? (Answers could include soil type, water, or depth of the roots.)
Say: Things like getting enough sunshine and water help trees grow good fruit. But things like being in bad soil or being attacked by animals might cause a tree to grow bad fruit. That reminds me of something the Bible says.
Talk About Good and Bad Fruit
Read aloud Galatians 5:19-21.
Say: The Bible tells us that sin affects us negatively. If we surround ourselves with sin, we act in ways that don’t honor God. That’s kind of like how trees in bad environments grow bad fruit. But the Bible has good news about good fruit! Let’s see what it says…
Read aloud Galatians 5:22-23.
Say: Just like how trees in good environments grow good fruit, when we let the Holy Spirit be in our lives, the Bible says we get to produce good fruit. That means we get to act in ways that do honor God—like showing kindness and acting with self-control.
Make It Practical
Say: Let’s brainstorm what it could look like to display these fruits of the Spirit in our everyday lives.
- Form nine groups, and assign each group a fruit of the Spirit. If you have a smaller number of kids, you can assign each group two fruits of the Spirit.
- Give each group several index cards and a pencil.
Say: You have 5 minutes to write as many situations that would happen in your daily life where you could show your fruit of the Spirit. For example, if your fruit is self-control, you could say that you could show self-control by staying quiet when someone says something mean to you.
- Set your timer for 5 minutes and let kids work.
- Walk around the room giving kids examples when they get stuck.
- When time is up, have each group share one of their ideas with the class.
- Then let groups post their cards on the mural next to their group’s fruit of the Spirit.
Pray: Jesus, we know we can’t produce the fruit of the Spirit without your help. Be with us this week, and help us show love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and self-control through our words and actions. Amen.
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