Fruit and Gifts: The Spirit’s Purpose in Our Lives

Devotional

Day 1: When Healing Falls Like Warts from a Shoe

The story of the woman’s hidden healing reveals how God’s power often works in unexpected, even embarrassing ways. Though she remained silent when called forward, her miracle unfolded privately—a shoe emptied of warts became a testament to God’s quiet faithfulness. This moment reminds us that the Holy Spirit’s work isn’t always immediate or visible, yet it still transforms lives. His gifts operate beyond our timetables, inviting us to trust even when results seem delayed. What feels like a failed risk in ministry may still bear fruit in hidden corners. [25:22]

A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other. To one person the Spirit gives the ability to give wise advice; to another the same Spirit gives a message of special knowledge. The same Spirit gives great faith to another, and to someone else that one Spirit gives the gift of healing. (1 Corinthians 12:7-9, ESV)

Reflection: Where have you hesitated to ask God for healing—physically, emotionally, or relationally—out of fear of embarrassment or disappointment? How might His quiet faithfulness surprise you today?

Day 2: Fruit Grows Slow, But Roots Go Deeper

The Holy Spirit’s fruit—love, joy, peace—ripens gradually, like crops nurtured through seasons. Just as a recovering addict discovered sober peace over months of surrender, spiritual growth requires abiding in Christ daily. Fruit isn’t manufactured through effort but cultivated through connection to the Vine. Impatience with the process often distracts us, yet God’s power works deepest in unseen soil. [39:38]

But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! (Galatians 5:22-23, ESV)

Reflection: What area of your spiritual growth feels frustratingly slow? How might Jesus be inviting you to trust His timing rather than striving for quick results?

Day 3: Faith Jumps Where Fear Stares

Smith Wigglesworth’s phrase “faith jumps” challenges believers to act despite uncertainty. Like Lonnie’s awkward call for wart healings, stepping into spiritual gifts requires risking failure. Miracles seldom happen without someone first obeying a nudge to pray, prophesy, or serve. The Holy Spirit distributes gifts not to the qualified but to the willing. [47:50]

There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all. There are different kinds of service, but we serve the same Lord. God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us. (1 Corinthians 12:4-6, ESV)

Reflection: When has fear of “getting it wrong” kept you from praying for others or sharing a prompting from God? What one step could you take this week to practice “jumping”?

Day 4: Power Without Character Burns; Character Without Power Falters

Lonnie’s frustration after the failed healing reveals the danger of prioritizing gifts over fruit. Yet the recovering addict’s story shows how inner transformation (fruit) sustains lasting change. The Holy Spirit’s work is both/and: miracles ignite faith, while patience and kindness sustain it. A life rooted in Christ balances explosive power with enduring love. [28:37]

He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. (Psalm 1:3, ESV)

Reflection: Do you lean more toward chasing dramatic spiritual experiences or cultivating quiet faithfulness? How might God be calling you to embrace both this week?

Day 5: Your Ordinary Shoes Can Hold Miracles

The woman’s wart-filled shoe—a mundane, even shameful object—became a vessel for God’s glory. Similarly, the Holy Spirit uses ordinary people willing to offer their imperfect “yes.” Encounter nights, small groups, and daily routines become spaces for miracles when we expect God to move. Gifts aren’t reserved for experts but entrusted to those who stay connected to the Vine. [33:16]

Earnestly pursue the greater gifts. And now I will show you the most excellent way. […] If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains but do not have love, I am nothing. (1 Corinthians 12:31, 13:2, ESV)

Reflection: What ordinary part of your life—a relationship, routine, or struggle—could become a stage for God’s power if you invited the Holy Spirit into it today?

Sermon Summary

The Holy Spirit is not meant to stay mysterious, distant, or reserved for a few unusually gifted people. The old phrase “Holy Ghost” can make the Spirit feel mystified, but God invites ordinary followers of Jesus into a daily walk with his presence and power.

The contrast between Lonnie Frisbee’s gifts and his anger shows why gifts alone are not enough. God can use spiritual gifts to bless the world, while also wanting to transform the person carrying those gifts. Gifts without fruit become power without character, and that kind of power can go badly. Fruit without power, though, leaves people trying to face real battles with nothing more than determined effort.

Paul names the fruit of the Spirit as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. The Spirit produces that fruit, which means Christians cannot manufacture patience by trying harder or create peace through a human facade. The image of fruit matters because fruit takes time. Roots need to stay connected, soil needs tending, and seasons of pruning are part of the process.

Jesus shows both the fruit and power of the Spirit perfectly. The Gospels show miracles, healings, and authority over death, but they also show a life marked by joy, peace, love, humility, and self-control. The power that gives peace to an anxious person, joy to a depressed person, and self-control to an addicted person is no less miraculous than a physical healing.

Paul also names gifts of wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, prophecy, discernment, tongues, and interpretation. The Spirit distributes those gifts in different ways and in different moments so that the church can help one another. A marriage, a friendship, a family, and a church all need people willing to pray, listen, encourage, and step out in faith.

The tension between fear and faith comes down to risk. Fear looks, waits, and watches somebody else go for it. Faith jumps. The Spirit does not ask believers to make healing happen or force a prophetic word to come true, but he does call them to stay connected to God and take the risky step of trying.

The fruit and gifts of the Spirit belong together. God grows deep, abiding character so that transformed lives point people to Jesus, and God gives spiritual power so that his kingdom can break into real battles on earth as it is in heaven.

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Key Takeaways

1. Fruit and gifts belong together The contrast between fruit and gifts refuses an either-or Christianity. Character without spiritual power leaves many battles untouched, while power without character can damage the very people it claims to serve. The Spirit forms both a life that looks like Jesus and a people who act in his power. [28:37]
2. The Spirit produces the fruit The fruit of the Spirit cannot be forced into existence through more effort, better intentions, or spiritual performance. Connection to Jesus is the place where love, patience, peace, and self-control slowly grow. The responsibility is not to manufacture fruit, but to stop planting life in places that produce dysfunction. [33:42]
3. Fruit grows slowly through abiding The image of fruit gives room for seasons, pruning, and patient growth. A life rooted in Jesus will not become mature overnight, but it will become different over time. The Spirit’s work is often seen in the quiet miracle of a person becoming more free, peaceful, and loving. [36:05]
4. Faith takes a risk The gifts of the Spirit require more than interest, observation, or admiration. Fear keeps looking for certainty before acting, while faith takes a step and trusts God with the outcome. The Spirit carries the responsibility for the gift, but believers must be willing to try it on. [47:21]
5. God’s power meets real battles The world contains battles that another determined lifestyle cannot fix. The Spirit gives power for healing, encouragement, discernment, freedom, and the inbreaking of God’s kingdom. A surrendered life becomes a place where God can work both inwardly and through others.

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Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[16:15] - The Holy Ghost and Daily Life
[20:05] - Lonnie Frisbee and Jesus Revolution
[22:58] - The Story of Healing Warts
[26:08] - Gifts That Bless and Transform
[27:10] - Fruit and Gifts of the Spirit
[29:29] - Galatians 5 and 1 Corinthians 12
[33:42] - The Spirit Produces Fruit
[36:27] - Jesus Displays Perfect Fruit
[38:28] - The Miraculous Power of Inner Change
[40:33] - Gifts of the Spirit for the Church
[43:23] - Spiritual Gifts in Everyday Life
[46:33] - Faith Jumps and Takes Risks
[48:48] - Power for Real Battles
[50:36] - Praying for Fruit and Gifts

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Galatians 5:22-23
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” [33:42]

1 Corinthians 12:7-11
“To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.” [41:15]

John 15:4-5
“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.”

Observation questions

In Galatians 5:22–23, what specific qualities are described as the fruit the Spirit produces in a believer’s life?
In John 15:4–5, what images does Jesus use to describe the connection between himself and his followers, and what happens when that connection is broken?
According to 1 Corinthians 12:7–11, who gives spiritual gifts, and what shared purpose do those gifts serve in the church? [41:15]
What contrast is shown between Lonnie Frisbee’s spiritual gifts and his response when the wart healing did not immediately appear? [26:26]

Interpretation questions

Galatians says that the Spirit produces fruit. What does this suggest about the difference between trying to appear patient or peaceful and becoming genuinely patient or peaceful through abiding in Jesus? [34:22]
Jesus says that branches bear fruit by remaining connected to the vine. What might it look like for someone to be connected to Jesus on an ordinary weekday, not only during a church gathering? [36:05]
Paul says that gifts are given “so we can help each other.” How does that purpose shape the way a person should use a gift such as wisdom, healing, encouragement, or discernment? [42:46]
Why can gifts without fruit become harmful, while fruit without dependence on God’s power can leave real needs and battles untouched? [28:37]

Application questions

Which fruit of the Spirit feels most needed in your life right now—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, or self-control? Where are you most aware of your need for the Spirit’s help?
What is one place where you may be “planting” your life in something that feeds dysfunction rather than helping you stay connected to Jesus? What is one small change that could help you tend the soil of your heart this week? [35:30]
Think about a change in your life that has come slowly—perhaps greater peace, sobriety, patience, freedom, or love. Where can you see God’s Spirit already producing fruit, even if the process is not finished? [36:27]
Is there a real battle in your family, friendships, health, work, or inner life where determined effort alone does not seem sufficient? How could you invite the Holy Spirit into that situation and ask others to pray with you? [49:36]
When have fear, uncertainty, or concern about making a mistake kept you from praying for someone, sharing encouragement, or taking a step of faith? What might a wise and humble step of faith look like this week? [47:21]
Who in your life could be strengthened by a simple prayer, a word of encouragement, or an offer to ask God for wisdom or healing with them? How could you take that step without feeling responsible to control the outcome? [48:33]

Sermon Clips

43s

“Because if you have gifts without fruit, then you have power without character. And we could probably all, like, pull out our Rolodex of people who were really gifted in power and didn't have deep character, and that is dangerous. It it almost always goes poorly. But at the same time, if you have a ton of fruit and no power, there are just some battles that you won't be able to face. Because if you pay attention to the world around us at all, there we're surrounded by battles. And for for most of us, to succeed in any kind of way, to see any kind of fruit grown in our life or the kingdom advanced at all, we are going to tap into god's power to face those battles”

34s

“Imagine the kind of power it takes for a depressed person to be filled with joy, an anxious person to experience peace, an angry person to experience patience, a greedy person to be overcome with generosity and goodness, or an addicted person to find self control. It is the power of the holy spirit to grow fruit in your life, and it's just as miraculous as the power of the holy spirit so that you operate in his gifts. It's both and.”

36s

“Because I think that's incredibly important for us to notice. It is still the work of the holy spirit that produces the fruit of the holy spirit in your life. You can't, like, muster up enough energy and think to yourself, like, patience, grow. And then all of a sudden, you grow the fruit of patience. Like, it doesn't work that way. You have to abide in the vine. You have to stay connected to Jesus. And as you do, it's the holy spirit's job to grow the fruit in your life. It takes all the pressure off.”

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