Month: July 2025

Fruits of the Spirit Interactive Sermon

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I wanted to do a different sermon when I preached earlier this summer, so I decided to have the congregation take an active role in a sermon focusing on the Fruits of the Spirit from Galatians 5:22-23.

First, I gathered some actual fruit and a Sharpie. I used bananas, lemons, and oranges. On each fruit, write one of the fruits-love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, or self-control.

And my friend designed these awesome question sheets on Canva.

And then I wrote an introduction and a wrap up for the sermon.

Just before these verses in Paul’s letter to the churches in Galatia are a list of do not dos. We will not be reading those verses today because we are focusing on the to do! The fruits of the Spirit are actions that pour out of us as a response to God’s love.

The fruits of the Spirit-love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control-are not things we do to be saved. Jesus already took care of that . The fruits of the Spirit are our response to God’s love living inside of us. Because we are filled with God’s love, we can be fruit trees bearing lots of fruit. And this text isn’t just talking about us as individuals-it is talking about the church. So because Buckingham Presbyterian Church is filled with God’s love, our grateful response is being a church that shares all of these fruits.

It is easy to say these fruits so fast that we don’t even think about them. Instead today we are going to dive deep into this fruit salad. We are going to divide into groups and answer the questions on our sheet about our fruit. Then we will come back together and share what we said.

After each group has shared, it is time for the wrap up!

I want you to be on the lookout for these fruits in the coming days. I am giving everyone a Fruit of the Spirit Bingo Card. When you see a fruit or you put one of these fruits in action, cross it off your card. When your card is full, bring it back to church and give it to me. I will have a special prize for you (spoiler alert-it is fruit snacks). We are going to work together as a community of faith to be people who respond to God’s love by sharing love, joy, peace, kindness, faithfulness, self-control, generosity, gentleness, and patience. Amen.

Thanks to my creative friend for making these question and Bingo cards.

Giving Thanks and Turning Off the To Do List

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My wonderful sister sent me this gift recently.

It is a jar filled with 120 Scriptures. They are color coded and one is invited to select one when feeling-happy, anxious, lonely, thankful, sad, or angry.

I was so excited that I dove right into the jar and started pulling out Scriptures and reading them. And then my brain kept going (like it often does). I was thinking this is such a great idea. I could create something like this for my families at church. How wonderful would that be. And yes, it would be wonderful. And yes, it might still happen in the future. Not today. Today, I am going to enjoy this gift. I am going to avoid adding another thing to my to do list. I am going to smile when I pull a Scripture from the jar. I am going to give thanks for the gift and for the giver of this gift. And that will be enough for today.

Giver of All Good Gifts, Remind us that it is okay to say thank you and enjoy a gift. Every great idea does not need to be acted upon immediately. You remind us to be still and know that you are God. So today, help us to be still. Slow down our ideas that make us more work. Let us be still and rest in you. Amen.