星期五：信实——爱的果子

“圣灵所结的果子就是仁爱，喜乐，和平，忍耐，恩慈，良善，信实，温柔，节制。这样的事没有律法禁止。”加拉太书5:22-23

让我们一起来学习世界上水果的奥秘吧！

马托克

马托克是东非的主要水果，属于香蕉家族，外皮是绿色的，里面是白色的。 这种水果主要在绿色和未成熟时用于烹饪。 烹饪方式与土豆非常相似，需要先软化并煮熟才能食用。马托克味道鲜美，甜度很低，是几种主菜的绝佳搭配。

马托克在刚丰收的时候是绿色的，人们仔细去皮，然后煮熟，常被搅成香蕉泥或将其碎末加入饭菜中。在乌干达和卢旺达，这种水果是蒸熟吃的，马托克香蕉泥在两国都被视为国菜。

今日的属灵果子是信实.

加拉太书5:22和23节记着说：“圣灵所结的果子就是仁爱，喜乐，和平，忍耐，恩慈，良善，信实，温柔，节制。这样的事没有律法禁止。”

词典网（Dictionary.com）将忠诚定义为：“在人际关系，尤其是婚姻和友谊中，持久的忠诚和可信赖。” 此外，“忠于某人的话或承诺的事实或品格，如某人承诺要做的事，或声称相信的事等。” 并且，“坚定不移地献身或履行自己的职责的事实或品质，如工作等。”

家庭祷告周是一个很好的机会，可以和大家强调忠诚是爱的果实，这果实来源于被上帝的圣灵充满。在我们与他人的关系中真正的忠诚——尤其是在我们的家庭中——是由上帝对我们的爱所生发的。每次我们信守对彼此的承诺，在家庭关系中彼此忠诚，这都表明了上帝的爱在我们心中结出的果实。每当我们忠于婚姻誓言，无论是在家还是出差，爱的果实便体现在我们的忠诚中。

忠心是在圣灵里生活的结果（22 节），而淫乱、污秽、邪荡行为（19 节）则是情欲的表现。 我们必须自问：我是否像约瑟被波提乏的妻子诱惑时那样忠心？ 约瑟对波提乏夫人不适宜挑逗的回应是：“我怎能作这大恶，得罪上帝呢？ ” （创世记 39:9）。被上帝的灵充满意味着凭着圣灵忠心行事，并立即抵抗情欲的诱惑。 这两种力量是对立矛盾、不可协调、互不相容的。 一个来自光明之君，而另一个来自黑暗之君。

我们每个人都可以选择顺从圣灵（第 22、23 节）或顺从肉体的行为（第 19-21 节）。顺从圣灵意味着我们会结出顺服的果子，这就是信实的全部意义。

怀爱伦在《服务真诠》中谈到过忠诚的生活意味着什么：“我们需要不断得到基督的新启示，和与衪的教训相符合的日常经验。高尚圣洁的造诣是我们可以达到的。上帝的旨意是要我们在知识和德行上不断地进步。”（《服务真诠》p. 503）。

是的，只有当我们与耶稣同行，在每日的生活中不断成长，并过与祂的教导相符的生活时，才是真实的信实。只有当我们被上帝的灵充满时，才可以实现这样的信实。所以，今天就摘下信实的果实吧，不仅是在你家庭关系中容易的事情上，也在那些更困难和更具挑战性的事情上，这表明你已经选择与耶稣同行。

愿上帝赐福我们今天和每一天都忠诚，直到耶稣再来。

祈祷：

亲爱的主，感谢祢如此爱我们，无论我们做什么，无论我们走到哪里，祢都与我们同在。帮助我们在对彼此的爱、对祢和彼此的忠诚中保持信实。奉耶稣的名求，阿门。

忠诚果子小活动

你会需要：

• 在室内、地毯上或室外柔软的草地上创建短距离障碍训练场的物体。

• 用作眼罩的柔软围巾或织物。

活动指示：

• 设置一个有安全物品的障碍训练场，里面有可以四处走动、可以在下面爬行的毯子、可以爬过的低矮的东西等等。尝试包括大约 5-6 种不同的物体，可协商调整。

• 然后，依次给每个孩子蒙上眼睛，并让大人小心、安全地引导他们通过障碍物。

• 成人将始终确保孩子是安全的，但会握住他们的手，给予他们非常明确的指示如何在物体下方和周围移动（也可以不给提示）。

• 一旦每个孩子都被安全引导通过障碍物，就坐下来谈谈他们的经历。大人要孩子忠实。他们致力于保护他们的安全，并与他们一起度过旅途的起起落落，他们不会让他们失望。这与神对我们的信实有什么不同？即使生活艰难，我们如何才能忠于上帝和他人？

圣经经文活动

你会需要：

• 大而光滑、白石头； 油漆、永久性记号笔等； 清漆/密封胶/稍微稀释的白色 PVA 胶水。

活动提示：

• 清洁石头并涂上淡色。 当它们变干时，用油漆或永久性记号笔在一块单独的石头上写下这节经文的每个词和圣经注释。

• 轮流将它们按照经文的正确顺序排列，直到你熟练掌握这节经文为止。

• 如果您愿意，您可以用清漆刷石头或密封这块石头以保护油漆和文字。 也许你可以把它们放在你的花园里，或者你家门口，提醒人们要忠诚。

• 你也可以在一块彩色石头上写一段鼓舞人心的圣经经文或单词，涂上清漆/密封，然后留给别人找。 或者你可以把它作为小礼物送给他们，鼓励他们忠诚。

一起讨论的问题

• 我认为忠诚是……

• 信实是圣灵的果子，因为……

• 耶稣向我们展示了当祂…

• 其他忠于上帝和其他人的圣经人物是……

• 我发现在以下情况下最难保持忠诚/忠诚/值得信赖……

• 帮助我忠诚/忠诚/值得信赖的一些事情是……

• 有一次我本周试图保持忠诚的时候是……

• 我们可以通过……互相帮助，忠于上帝。

• 祷告：上帝，感谢你帮助我们在这周忠心……

Friday

FAITHFULNESS:

A Fruit of Love

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”

” -Gal 5:22-23

Let’s learn about fruit from around the World:

MATOKE

Matoke is a staple fruit in East Africa. It belongs to the banana family. It is green on the outside and white on the inside. Matoke fruit is used mainly for cooking when they are green and unripe. It is cooked very similarly to potatoes. They need to soften and cook through to be eaten. It has a savory taste, with very little sweetness, making it a great companion to several main dishes.

The fruit is harvested green, carefully peeled, and then cooked and often mashed or pounded into a meal. In Uganda and Rwanda, the fruit is steam-cooked, and the mashed meal is considered a national dish in both countries.

TODAY’S SPIRITUAL FRUIT IS FAITHFULNESS

Galatians 5:22 and 23 reads: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”

Dictionary.com defines faithfulness as: “lasting loyalty and trustworthiness in relationships, especially marriage and friendship.” Also, “the fact or quality of being true to one’s word or commitments, as to what one has pledged to do, professes to believe.” And, “the fact or quality of being dedicated and steadfast in performing one’s duty, working for a cause.”

This is the Family Togetherness Week of Prayer, an apt opportunity to highlight faithfulness as a fruit of love that comes from being filled with the Spirit of God. True faithfulness in our relationship with others—especially in our families—is fueled by God’s love in us. Each time we keep our promises to one another and are loyal to each other in our family relationships it demonstrates the fruit of God’s love in our hearts. Every time we are faithful to our marriage vows, whether at home or on a business trip, we display the fruit of love through our faithfulness.

While faithfulness is an outcome of life in the Spirit (vs. 22), sexual immorality, impurity, indecent behavior (vs. 19) are indications of the desires of the flesh at work. We must ask ourselves the question: am I faithful like Joseph was when he was tempted by Potiphar’s wife? Joseph’s response to Mrs. Potiphar’s inappropriate advances was: “How then could I do this great evil, and sin against God?” (Gen 39:9). Being filled with the Spirit of God means having the fuel to walk by the Spirit in faithfulness and at once standing against the desires of the flesh. These two forces are antagonistic, contradictory, discordant and incompatible with each other. One comes from the One Who is the light, while the other comes from the prince of darkness.

We each have been given the choice to either walk by the Spirit (vss. 22, 23) or to engage in the deeds of the flesh (vss. 19-21). To walk by the Spirit means we will bear the fruit of obedience, which is what faithfulness is all about.

Addressing what it means to live a life of faithfulness Ellen White shares in The Ministry of Healing: “We need constantly a fresh revelation of Christ, a daily experience that harmonizes with His teachings. High and holy attainments are within our reach. Continual progress in knowledge and virtue is God’s purpose for us” (The Ministry of Healing, p. 503).

Yes, faithfulness is only faithfulness when we continue to grow in our daily walk with Jesus and live a life compatible with His teachings. This is only achievable when we are filled with God’s Spirit. So, pick the fruit of faithfulness today, not only in the easy matters of your family relationships, but also in the more difficult and challenging ones that demonstrate you have chosen to walk with Jesus.

May God bless us to be faithful today and every day until Jesus comes again.

PRAY:

Dear Lord, thank You for loving us so much that You stay close to us no matter what we do or where we go. Help us to remain steadfast in our love and in our faithfulness to You and to each other. In the name of Jesus, amen.

Fruitful Faithfulness Activity

You will Need:

• Objects to create a short obstacle course, either indoors, on a carpet, or outside on soft grass. • Soft scarf or fabric to use as a blindfold.

Instructions:

• Set up an obstacle course with safe items to walk around, a blanket to crawl under, something low to climb over, etc. try to include about 5-6 different objects to negotiate.

• Then, blindfold each child in turn and have an adult guiding them carefully and safely through the obstacles.

• The adult will always make sure the child is safe, but holding their hand, and/or, giving them very clear instructions about how to move under and around objects.

• Once every child has been safely guided through the obstacles, sit down together and talk about the experience. The adult is faithful to the child. They are committed to keeping them safe and being with them through the ups and downs of their journey, and they don’t let them down. How is this like God’s faithfulness to us? How we can be faithful to God and to others, even when life is difficult?

Bible Verse Activity

You will Need:

• Large, smooth, pale stones; paint, permanent marker pens, etc.; varnish/sealant/slightly diluted white PVA glue.

Instructions:

• Clean the stones and paint them with a pale color. When they are dry, use paint or permanent marker pens to write each word of the verse, and the Bible reference on a separate stone.

• Take it in turns to arrange them in the correct order for the verse, until you have learned it well.

• If you wish, you could varnish/seal the stones to protect the paint and writing. Perhaps you could arrange them in your garden, or by your doorstep, to remind people to be faithful. • You could also write an encouraging Bible verse or word on a colorful stone, varnish/seal it and leave it for someone to find. Or you could give it to them as a little gift, to encourage them to be faithful.

Questions To Talk About Together

• I think faithfulness is…

• Faithfulness is a fruit of the Spirit because…

• Jesus showed us how to be faithful when He…

• Other Bible characters who were faithful to God and others were…

• I find it hardest to be faithful/loyal/trustworthy when…

• Some things that help me to be faithful/loyal/trustworthy are…

• One time that I tried to be faithful this week was when…

• We can help each other to be faithful to God by…

• Pray: Thank You, God, for helping us to be faithful this week when…