Fruit of the Spirit: Faithfulness: Cultivating Spirit-Given Character
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About this ebook
Best-selling author Calvin Miller has written an in-depth, biblically based study on the Fruits of the Spirits (Galatians 5:22). This unique study guide can be used as a personal study or in a small group setting.
Features include:
- Lesson overview of each 6-week study
- Questions for reflection
- Character studies
- Bonus parable study
- Questions for small group discussion
Calvin Miller
Calvin Miller (PhD Min, Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary) served as a senior pastor in Omaha, as writer-in-residence and professor of communications and homiletics at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, and taught at Beeson Divinity School. He was a poet, artist, novelist, and evangelist who wrote over forty books, including the Singer trilogy, Snow, Wind, Shade, The Book of Jesus, and Into the Depths of God.
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Fruit of the Spirit - Calvin Miller
1 FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT
FAITHFULNESS
Fruit of the Spirit Study Guide Series
Love
Joy
Peace
Patience
Kindness
Goodness
Faithfulness
Gentleness
Self-Control
CALVIN MILLER
1 FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT
FAITHFULNESS
© 2008 Calvin Miller
All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other—except for brief quotation in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the publisher.
Published in Nashville, Tennessee, by Thomas Nelson. Thomas Nelson is a trademark of Thomas Nelson, Inc.
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Typesetting by Gregory C. Benoit Publishing, Old Mystic, CT 2
Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are taken from the HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations marked NASB are taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®. © The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977. Used by permission.
Scripture quotations marked NKJV are taken from THE NEW KING JAMES VERSION. © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations marked TLB are taken from The Living Bible. © 1971. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4185-2842-3
Printed in the United States of America
08 09 10 11 12 RRD 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction
How to Use This Guide
Week 1: God’s Blessing on Faithfulness
Week 2: Faithfulness—The High Art of Persistence
Week 3: Faithfulness—The Habit of Spiritual Dependency
Week 4: Faithfulness—Commitment to What is Right
Week 5: Faithfulness—No Compromise
Week 6: Faithfulness—The Road That Ends in Victory
Endnotes
9781418528423_INT_0005_001But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,
goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
Against such things there is no law.
—Galatians 5:22–23
9781418528423_INT_0006_001INTRODUCTION
Society tells us that faithfulness is an archaic concept; the Bible tells us faithfulness is who God is. One idea is right, the other is wrong. In the Old Testament, God established covenants that were guaranteed by his character. When the prophets of Baal faced off against Elijah, God’s faithfulness came through. Time and time again, God showed that he keeps his promises; he is faithful.
That characteristic is realized in the lives of believers only as we allow God to dominate our lives. By nature we are promise breakers; God is the promise keeper. If we desire to be promise keepers, we must first allow God’s character to override our character. It’s the ultimate makeover.
If God had ever broken one of his promises, we would have reason to never trust him. Yet he shows us perfect faithfulness. We, on the other hand, probably have more examples of faithlessness than we’d care to admit.
God’s promises never sleep. They are the heartbeat of nature resounding in the pulse of our existence. The promise of a Savior came alive in that Bethlehem manger. The promise of redemption accompanied Golgotha’s cross. The promise of eternity rose on that resurrection Sunday. In our minds, promises were made to be broken; in God’s mind, promises are made to be kept.
That’s where this study comes in. This isn’t about learning to be faithful; it’s about letting God’s faithfulness become the essence of who you are. It’s not about getting something; it’s about becoming something. You can never be faithful until you allow God to become your faithfulness. Therefore, this study will move you toward a relationship with God that invites his faithfulness to become yours.
9781418528423_INT_0008_001HOW TO USE THIS GUIDE
Galatians 5:22–23 is not a plan to achieve better faith. Rather, it is a description of God’s personal gifts to all of us. If we follow God and seek his blessing, then the fruits of the Spirit are a natural overflow in our relationship with God. We are to grow in character so that one day we will reflect the image of our Lord.
This series of nine six-week studies will clearly focus your spiritual life to become more like Christ. Each study guide is divided into six weeks, and each of the six-week courses covers