Stay Filled with the Holy Spirit, Bearing His Fruit 

Yes, struggling believer, you will prevail in your soul’s battle between your new spiritual nature and your old corrupt nature. We will stand with you, and God will give you the victory.

Yes, Lord Jesus, we yearn for Your Holy Spirit’s fruit in our lives. Prune us, fill us and guide us.

Grow in grace, knowledge and Christ-like character, even though it entails bumps.

Keep confessing all your sins to God, turning away from them by His transforming power. Surrender daily to the will of God and the leading of the Spirit.  

Help each other cultivate the fruit of the Spirit.

Let the Holy Spirit transform you into the image of Jesus as you strive to imitate Him. [The English first-person imperative occurs so rarely, that it startles of repels readers.]

Shield new believers from judgmental folk who expect babes in Christ to be perfect from their start.

Balance the body by harmonizing teaching with the other vital ministries.

Keep the local Body healthy and holy by not over-emphasizing anyone’s pet ministry. 

 Resources For While You …

Defang modern Pharisees. This story depicts vividly how to liberate believers who struggle against petty rules and dogmatic arrogance. Do so by unleashing God’s free grace:

River of Grace, a story, combat petty rules, legalists

Sense the crushing force of Eden’s events. Relive Adam’s and Eve’s catastrophe with its universal effect of original sin. This fun drama lets adults and children act together to portray our first parent’s fall:

Escape the Dragon’s Fangs

Expose devilish hypocrisy. Act out Jesus’ miraculous healing that exposed Pharisees’ haughty spirit:

Jesus healed a blind man on the Sabbath, causing an uproar

Ensure believers of their free entry into heaven. Jesus’ trial by fire of believers’ works is a strong incentive for holiness. Relive Moses’ testing of Midianite contraband, and see how it compares with Jesus’ coming judgment seat. Scripted to reenact: [Is there a “customs” desk at heaven’s door? Do we want new believers to think so?]

Jesus will try our works by fire, let what is good enter glory, scripted

Play the plumber. Unclog a common blockage by clergy of the flow of God’s grace:

Calling clergy to repent of failing to release God’s apostles

Choosing between Moses and Messiah. Avoid common, painful legalism stemming from confusing Old Testament Law with New Testament standards for living:

jit 4d 91 Key contrasts between Old, New Testaments, 3 pages

Fortify faith. Enact Abraham’s battle with five pagan kings and other exploits of faith:

Cultivate faith like Abraham’s

Calm the soul’s conflict between humanity’s two natures. Help believers escape painful stress by replacing their old, bent animal nature with the new nature born of the Spirit:

Works of flesh compared with fruit of Spirit, diagram

 Lay historical foundations for global outreach. Relive how God launched His worldwide campaign to reach all nations. Scripted to act out:

God’s promise to Abraham, basis for all missions, scripted

Find how Abraham’s faith changed the course of the entire world. Scripted to reenact:

Abraham obeys God, offers to slay his son, scripted

Common Traps To Avoid

Church policies that replace God’s guidelines for naming shepherds, for serving Communion and for baptizing.

Petty rules that churches or misguided believers impose on others in order to control them.

Manipulate believers’ conscience to make them feel guilty so they yield to abusive leaders.

Cite Old Testament laws to govern New Testament believers.