Aim

To know the fruits of the Spirit.
To appreciate why Jesus is a role model for Christians.

Preparation

Before the lesson photocopy one of both resource sheets for each group.
Prepare spiritual fruit basket (Optional)

Lesson

Begin lesson by reminding children that last week they looked at the gifts and talents which they do possess and those which they would like to possess.

• Are any of the children closer to acquiring any of their desired talents?
• What about gifts of the Spirit?
• Can any of the children remember any of them?

Inform the children that this week, they are not going to think about what they can and cannot do, but about the types of people they are - their personalities.

From the range of adjectives on the work sheet, ask them to chose five which most accurately describe their personality. Invite volunteers to share the choices with the rest of the class.

• Do the class feel the person under consideration has chosen accurately?
• Which personal qualities are most highly valued?
• Which are most despised?
• Is there someone in the class whom the children admire for his/her personal qualities?

Christians spend their lives trying to be more like Jesus. Their desire to imitate Him is not based on the things He can do, but on the type of person He is.

To each group, distribute one episode in the life of Jesus which reflects His love and compassion:

• Jesus heals a man at a pool
• His arrest
• The healing of Jairus' daughter.

Which of the adjectives on the Personality Types work sheet could best be used to describe Jesus in this narrative? From their knowledge of other Gospel stories, are there any other adjectives which could be applied to Him?

The qualities of the person of Jesus which you are trying to draw out include; loving, joyful, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, gentle and self-controlled.

Christians commit themselves to try to become more like Jesus. In this task, they are helped by the Holy Spirit. After a while, Christians should begin to develop some of the above qualities, in the same way that an apple tree, after a while, should begin to bear fruit. For this reason, Christians call these qualities the fruit of the Spirit.

Do the children believe that their class would be a better place if there were more "Fruits of the Spirit" being produced in it?

Conclusion

Conclude the lesson by introducing the children to the idea of a 'spiritual fruit basket', which is a vessel containing small objects upon which the names of the Spiritual fruits are written. Each morning, particular children are invited to choose an item of fruit which they feel they will most need during the coming day. The basket and fruit could either be provided by you or designed and constructed by the children as part of a Technology lesson.