#BibleStudy Timeless Truths. The Miracle Tree – Fruit of the Spirit. #1 LOVE






19 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
Galatians 5:19-23

#1 Love
The fruit of a tree is useless unless you do something with it.

 The miracle is not the tree producing fruit; the miracle depends on what we do with the fruit.
The “Love Trees” in Scripture are CREATIVE, RELATIONAL, and GIVING.

CREATIVE LOVE. (Genesis 2)

 The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil was created out of love.

 God’s love is creative as it works miracles in the lives of people.
David asks for a new heart to be created in him in Psalm 51:10.
Create in me a pure heart, O God,
    and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

Paul writes of becoming a new creation in Christ in 2 Corinthians 5:17.
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come:
The old has gone, the new is here!

God wants to make each of us new!


RELATIONAL LOVE. (John 15)
Love that bears fruit is the love we seek.

 This Love Tree is relational.
5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing… 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. 9 “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love… 12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.
John 15:5, 8-9
Stop worrying about being right.
Instead,
Demonstrate a right relationship.

GIVING LOVE. (John 19)

 The Love Tree upon which Jesus was crucified is a giving tree.
Through this tree, God gives us life!

God’s love is creative, relational, and giving.
He wants us to love creating relationships and giving what is necessary to make the relationship strong and healthy.

Try this.

  1. Cut out a few leaf shapes and a few apple shapes.
  2. Write a request for a relationship on each leaf.
  3. When the answer comes, write that on the apple shape and tape or staple it on top of the leaf.

Mark 2:1-5, 10c-11 relates the story of a paralytic healed by Jesus.
A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home. 2 They gathered in such large numbers that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them. 3 Some men came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. 4 Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus by digging through it and then lowered the mat the man was lying on. 5 When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” …
…So he said to the man, 11 “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” 12 He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. 

 In this event, Jesus demonstrates love that is
CREATIVE LOVE. He heals the man’s physical problem.

 RELATIONAL LOVE. The four friends carry the man to Christ.

 GIVING LOVE. Jesus forgives the man’s sins, giving him eternal life in heaven.

How’s the LOVE crop on your
Miracle Tree coming along?
Thanks to Dr. Scott Peterson for the primary teachings in this blog post.

     SOE: New Testament, knowing God, living a Christian life

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