Connected to the Vine: A Reflective Guide to the Fruit of the Spirit

By David Gwartney

Fruit is a common metaphor found in the Bible. It most cases, the imagery refers to the virtuous actions of those who follow Jesus. This is why Jesus says, “By their fruit you will recognize them.” Picking up on this metaphor, the Apostle Paul lists nine of these qualities in his letter to the Galatians that have come to be known as the Fruit of the Spirit. Few would argue that these nine qualities on this list are good and noble qualities to embody. But how are they manifested in the way we live? Are these pieces of fruit qualities that we can nurture within ourselves or are they simply qualities that God forms within us? After all, they are the fruit of God’s Spirit.

Connected to the Vine is a brief reflective study of the Fruit of the Spirit. Each piece of fruit is examined for its biblical meaning, before applying it to modern life. These qualities were meant to be put into action, and not only something felt within. Each one also includes a couple of reflective questions to contemplate the presence of these qualities in the life of the reader. There is also a section on how to utilize this guide for personal reflection or group study. When periodically revisited, this guide can be a challenging tool to help cultivate these virtues and assist the reader to stay vitally connected to God.

• Language: English
• Publisher: David Gwartney
• Release date: Jul 6, 2013
• ISBN: 9781301686872

David Gwartney

David Gwartney has traveled to biblical sites in Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Greece, and Turkey, gaining an understanding of places that bring scripture to life. He grew up in Tallahassee, Florida and met his wife, Tiffany, in Orlando, Florida, while earning his first master’s degree in Business Administration. He spent the next thirteen years living in Chicago, Illinois. While in Chicago, he earned his Master of Divinity from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, studying both Greek and Hebrew languages. He then planted a church in the Wrigleyville neighborhood of the city, where he pastored for seven years. His travels and studies have led to three books exploring the Greco-Roman context of Paul’s letters to Philippi, (A Journey Through Philippi), Ephesus (A Journey Through Ephesus), and Colossae (A Journey Through Colossae). He currently resides in St. Petersburg, Florida and works as a Business Analyst, but is always planning his next adventure to ancient sites.

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CONNECTED TO THE VINE

A REFLECTIVE GUIDE TO THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT

By David Gwartney

Published by David Gwartney at Smashwords

Copyright 2013 David Gwartney

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, TODAY’S NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. TNIV®. Copyright © 2001, 2005 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

Discover other titles by David Gwartney:

A Journey Through Philippi

A Journey Through Ephesus

A Journey Through Colossae

Ten Essential Words

Table of Contents

Introduction To The Guide

The Fruit Of The Spirit

Love

Joy

Peace

Patience

Kindness

Goodness

Faithfulness

Gentleness

Self-Control

Moving Forward

About The Author

Introduction To The Guide

Several years ago, the church I was a part of in Chicago, Illinois wanted to spend the first Sunday of the New Year reflecting on what kind of people we were becoming.  And what a better measuring stick than the Fruit of the Spirit, found in Galatians 5:22-23:

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

We developed some simple definitions for each characteristic and asked people to assign either a thumbs-up or thumbs-down for each one.  The entire service was dedicated to giving people space to spend some reflective time with this exercise. That exercise turned into somewhat of a tradition at our church.

Over the years, I have personally stuck with this practice.  Looking back through my journals, I now have twelve years of reflection upon what kind of person I am becoming, using the Fruit of the Spirit as a measuring stick.  At the beginning of each year, I find some time alone, read through my previous journals, and then write out how I see myself progressing (or regressing) based on the Fruit of the Spirit.  At the conclusion I try to