Fruit of the Spirit: Kindness

Summary

Tonight, we continued our series on the fruits of the Spirit with a focus on kindness. I shared the importance of kindness by discussing its impact and how even small acts can change attitudes and create positive environments. I used personal anecdotes, including my experience from when I worked at Subway where kindness transformed a customer's attitude.

We conducted an interactive activity to illustrate following instructions and discussed Ephesians 4:32, emphasizing compassion and forgiveness. We also explored Matthew 25:34-36, highlighting acts of kindness like feeding the hungry and visiting the sick.

I encouraged the students to apply kindness in their daily lives, even in simple ways like compliments or helping others. We ended with a kindness scavenger hunt challenge for them to practice at home. My hope is that these lessons inspire them to spread kindness in their communities and reflect the love of Christ.

• Dinner Table Discussion Guide

  Here are five dinner table discussion guides you can use throughout this week to get your teens talking through what they’re learning.

  Discussion 1: The Importance of Kindness

  • Question: What does kindness mean to you, and why do you think it's important in our daily lives?

  • Activity: Share a recent experience where someone was kind to you or where you showed kindness to someone else.

  • Follow-Up: Discuss how these acts of kindness made you feel and how they affected the other person.

  Discussion 2: Kill Them with Kindness

  • Question: Have you ever heard the phrase "kill them with kindness"? What do you think it means?

  • Activity: Talk about a time when someone was unkind to you. How did you respond, and how might responding with kindness have changed the situation?

  • Follow-Up: Brainstorm ways you can respond with kindness the next time someone is unkind to you.

  Discussion 3: Acts of Kindness

  • Question: What are some simple acts of kindness you can do at school, at home, or in the community?

  • Activity: Create a kindness challenge for the week where each family member commits to performing at least one act of kindness per day.

  • Follow-Up: At the end of the week, share your experiences and how those acts of kindness impacted others and yourself.

  Discussion 4: Compassion and Tenderheartedness

  • Question: Ephesians 4:32 talks about being kind, tenderhearted, and forgiving. What do these words mean, and how can we apply them in our relationships?

  • Activity: Role-play scenarios where someone might need compassion or forgiveness, and discuss how you would handle these situations with kindness.

  • Follow-Up: Reflect on a time when you found it hard to be compassionate or forgiving. What can you do differently next time?

  Discussion 5: Kindness in Action

  • Question: How can we be kind to people we don't know, like strangers we meet at the store or on the street?

  • Activity: Plan a family kindness project, such as making care packages for the homeless or writing thank-you notes to community workers.

  • Follow-Up: After completing the project, discuss how it felt to work together as a family to spread kindness and how the recipients reacted.

• Sermon Outline

  Starter:

  • Introduction to the fruits of the Spirit series.

  • Recap of the fruits discussed previously.

  • Focus on the final fruit: kindness.

  • Interactive question: "What does 'kill them with kindness' mean?"

  Message:

  • Personal anecdote: Pastor Amanda's experience at Subway.

  • Importance of kindness in changing attitudes and creating positive environments.

  • Illustration activity: Simon Says with cups of water to demonstrate following instructions and kindness.

  Dig Deeper:

  • Ephesians 4:32: Be kind, tenderhearted, and forgiving.

  • Discussion on the meaning of compassion and how it relates to kindness.

  • Matthew 25:34-36: Acts of kindness such as feeding the hungry and visiting the sick.

  Application:

  • Encouraging students to practice kindness in their daily lives.

  • Examples of small acts of kindness: compliments, helping others, showing compassion.

  • Introduction of the kindness scavenger hunt challenge for students to complete at home.

  Conclusion:

  • Recap of the main points about kindness and its impact.

  • Encouragement to spread kindness in the community and reflect the love of Christ.

  • Closing prayer for the students to embrace kindness and the fruits of the Spirit in their lives.