Acts - Unstoppable: A Church On Fire! | Week 21 | 12 October 2025 | 09:30

The fruit of the Spirit is a vibrant, life-giving reality that God intends to display through His people. Just as a fruit tree cannot help but bear fruit when it is healthy and rooted, so too does the Holy Spirit produce His fruit in the lives of those who belong to Christ. This fruit is not something we can manufacture by our own effort or discipline; it is the supernatural result of the Spirit’s presence within us. We are like jars of clay—ordinary, fragile, and incapable of producing anything of eternal value on our own. Yet, when we are filled with the Spirit, the very life of God overflows from us in love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

The contrast between the works of the flesh and the fruit of the Spirit is stark. In our own strength, we produce only brokenness, division, and pain. But through faith in Jesus Christ, we are born again, and the Spirit takes up residence within us. Remaining in Christ—abiding in Him as the true vine—is the only way to bear fruit. This is not a matter of trying harder, but of trusting deeper. The fruit is miraculous, a testimony to the power of God at work in weak vessels.

Love is the foundation of all the fruit, the root from which the others grow. Without experiencing the Father’s love, we live in fear and self-protection, unable to give ourselves away for others. Joy and peace are not mere emotions, but a deep, Spirit-given stability and hope, even in suffering. Patience and kindness flow from knowing God’s patience and kindness toward us. Goodness and faithfulness are seen in lives devoted to God’s ways, even when it costs us dearly, as in the example of Jesus and Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Gentleness is not weakness, but strength governed by love, choosing restraint and humility. Self-control is not self-generated, but the Spirit’s power enabling us to say no to the flesh and yes to God.

Our role is to trust, to remain in Christ, and to expect the Spirit to do what only He can do. The fruit is not for us alone, but for the world—to bring the life and presence of God to those around us. As we go, may we carry this fruit into every relationship and situation, so that others may taste and see that the Lord is good.

Key Takeaways

• 1. The fruit of the Spirit is not a product of human effort, but a miraculous work of the Holy Spirit within us. Like a fruit tree, we cannot produce this fruit by striving; it is the natural outflow of abiding in Christ and trusting the Spirit to do what we cannot. Our part is to remain connected to Jesus, the true vine, and to believe that God will fill us with His life. [06:32]
• 2. Love is the foundational fruit, the root from which all others grow. Without a deep experience of the Father’s love, we inevitably live in fear, self-protection, and self-interest. Only as we receive and trust in God’s love can we truly give ourselves away for others, living in the freedom and security that perfect love brings. [16:35]
• 3. The fruit of the Spirit is for the benefit of others, not just ourselves. When we walk in love, joy, peace, patience, and the rest, those around us encounter the life of God through us. Our daily interactions become opportunities for others to “taste and see” the goodness of God, making our lives a living testimony to His presence. [04:11]
• 4. Faithfulness and goodness often require costly choices, sometimes even suffering. The examples of Jesus and Dietrich Bonhoeffer show that true faithfulness means keeping our word and doing what is right, even when it hurts. This kind of steadfastness is only possible by the Spirit’s power, and it produces a fruit that endures and inspires others. [25:19]
• 5. Self-control is not about self-mastery or willpower, but about the Spirit’s strength within us. The ability to say no to the flesh and yes to God is itself a miracle, evidence of the new creation at work. As we yield to the Spirit, He empowers us to live differently, putting to death the old self and walking in the freedom of the new. [32:48]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [01:49] - Introduction to the Fruit of the Spirit
• [02:20] - Eldership Team and Family News
• [03:22] - The Narchi Orchard and Fruit Analogy
• [04:11] - Do Others Taste the Fruit in You?
• [05:19] - The Symbolism and Life of Fruit
• [06:15] - Only the Spirit Produces True Fruit
• [07:21] - Jars of Clay: God’s Power, Not Ours
• [08:25] - The Works of the Flesh vs. the Fruit of the Spirit
• [09:35] - Receiving the Spirit Through Faith in Christ
• [10:17] - Abiding in Christ: The Vine and the Branches
• [12:15] - The Miraculous Nature of the Fruit
• [14:18] - Love: The Foundation of All Fruit
• [19:12] - Joy and Peace: Stability in Christ
• [20:40] - Patience and Kindness: Responding Like the Father
• [23:00] - Goodness and Faithfulness: Devotion and Reliability
• [27:04] - Gentleness: Strength Governed by Love
• [31:19] - Self-Control: The Spirit’s Power Within
• [35:07] - Remaining in Christ and Sharing the Fruit
• [36:41] - Taking the Fruit to the World

Bible Reading

Galatians 5:16-26 (ESV) — > But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

John 15:1-8 (ESV) — > “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.”

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (ESV) — > Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Observation Questions

1. According to Galatians 5, what are some of the “works of the flesh” that are contrasted with the fruit of the Spirit? ([08:25])
2. In John 15, what does Jesus say is necessary for a branch (us) to bear fruit? ([10:17])
3. How does the sermon describe the difference between what we can produce on our own and what the Holy Spirit produces in us? ([07:21])
4. What is described as the foundation or root of all the other fruit of the Spirit? ([14:18])

Interpretation Questions

1. The sermon says we are like “jars of clay”—ordinary and fragile. Why do you think God chooses to display His power through weak vessels instead of strong ones? ([07:21])
2. The fruit of the Spirit is described as a “miraculous” result of the Spirit’s presence, not something we can manufacture. What does this mean for how we approach spiritual growth? ([12:15])
3. The sermon mentions that love is the foundation of all the fruit, and without experiencing the Father’s love, we live in fear and self-protection. How does knowing God’s love change the way we relate to others? ([16:35])
4. Faithfulness and goodness are said to sometimes require costly choices, even suffering. Why might God allow us to go through hard things as we seek to be faithful? ([25:19])

Application Questions

1. The sermon asks, “Do your friends and colleagues walk away from their experience with you having tasted something of the fruit of the Spirit?” Think of a recent interaction—what kind of “fruit” did you offer? ([04:11])
2. The message says that the fruit of the Spirit is not for us alone, but for the world. Who in your life right now needs to “taste and see” the goodness of God through you? What is one way you can intentionally show them the fruit of the Spirit this week? ([36:41])
3. Love is described as the root of all the fruit. Is there an area of your life where you are living out of fear or self-protection instead of love? What would it look like to trust God’s love more deeply in that area? ([16:35])
4. The sermon gives examples of faithfulness and goodness that come at a cost, like Jesus and Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Is there a situation where you are tempted to take the easy way out instead of being faithful or good? What would it look like to choose faithfulness, even if it’s hard? ([25:19])
5. Gentleness is described as “strength governed by love.” Think of a time when you had the power to respond harshly but chose restraint. How did that impact the situation? Is there a relationship where you need to practice gentleness right now? ([28:12])
6. Self-control is not about willpower, but about the Spirit’s strength within us. Is there a specific area where you struggle to say “no” to the flesh? What would it look like to invite the Holy Spirit’s help in that area this week? ([32:48])
7. The sermon says our role is to “trust, to remain in Christ, and to expect the Spirit to do what only He can do.” What is one practical way you can “remain in Christ” this week—through prayer, Scripture, or another practice? ([35:07])