Discovering the Fruit of the Spirit: 3 Ways to Be More Fruitful

Aja Sanabria
Based on a sermon by Aaron Chapman & Tony Oravet – Alive Church, May 2024

As I listened to the pastor and guest speaker at Alive Church share about the Fruit of the Spirit, I realized how much better I could be at nurturing those seeds into one healthy, abundant fruit. The biggest factor isn’t my own abilities, but the condition of my soil. Am I—and, by extension, are you—truly fertile ground for the Spirit’s seeds to grow?

The fruit I am referring to is from Galatians 5:22-23. The book of Galatians is a letter in the New Testament from the apostle Paul to the churches in Galatia, who had drifted into error. Paul’s mission in Galatians was to remind the believers that their relationship with God didn’t depend on keeping rules or traditions, but on trusting in Jesus alone. The people of Galatia, however, were undermining his message, insisting that Jews and Gentiles could not be united because of cultural differences and specific Jerusalem laws from the Old Testament. This angered Paul, and that is why we have the Book of Galatians, as his response to those people speaking and acting against the Gospel.

Galatians 5:22-23 (NKJV)
²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

The fruit specifically mentioned was broken into two messages. One by Aaron Chapman, detailing joy, peace, and patience (long-suffering). The other message was by Tony Oravet, who spoke about love. Despite there being multiple descriptors of the fruit of the Spirit, these aren’t individually wrapped and separate from one another. Similar to a pomegranate—one fruit with many seeds—the fruit of the Spirit is whole, yet contains multiple expressions within it. If you are a child of God, the Holy Spirit dwells in you; therefore, you have the capacity to bear this fruit in its entirety.

It may appear in varying degrees; some people may have more abundance of faith and goodness than of peace and long-suffering, and it may even ebb and flow within the same day.

Pastor Aaron goes on to explain what joy, peace, and patience mean and how they can relate to Biblical standards.

Joy: An unshakeable contentment and inner satisfaction that is rooted in our relationship with God.
It is found internally and not externally from other people or objects.

Peace: A permanent and guaranteed hope and assurance that brings calmness and strength.
It is the calm in the midst of any storm. People may often seek you because of the calmness you bring in dire circumstances.

Long-suffering (patience): The ability to endure difficult seasons and situations without giving up hope or losing faith.
You don’t lose hope because you stop believing in what you are seeing in the physical, and instead, you start believing in the spiritual.

Tony Oravet explained love as “pure, selfless, self-sacrificing, unconditional, and intended for everyone, even our enemies, at all costs.” He emphasized that love is more than a feeling—it is a deliberate choice to express ourselves in this way. It is meant for everyone: our friends, family, partners, strangers, and even those who have wronged us.

This sermon mentioned that our lives should reflect the God living inside of us because God is love. To apply love in our lives means to give our time, talent, and treasure to the things around us.

Time

John 15:13 (NKJV): “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.”

We often say that time is money—that we can never get the minutes back or the years back. So when we take time out of our day to serve, to spend time with someone, or simply to listen, it becomes a true expression of love.

Talent

1 Peter 4:9–11 (NKJV): “Be hospitable to one another without grumbling. As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.”

We should share our talents with others, not hoard them for our own glory. Let it be for the glory of God. God gave us these abilities, and when we use them as a gift to others, it becomes yet another expression of love.

Treasure

1 Timothy 6:18–19 (NKJV): “Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share, storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.”

“Ready to give, willing to share.” These should be guiding principles for how we handle our treasure. It is not meant to be hoarded selfishly, but used as a demonstration of God’s goodness and love to others. It is okay to have abundance, but when we share and give to others as well, it becomes a testament to the love we carry—love for God, love for ourselves, and love for His people.

See, we each have these attributes within us, but when we receive the Spirit of God, we begin nurturing these seeds so they grow in a way that reflects the God who lives within us. In order for these seeds to develop, however, God places us in situations that will develop these seeds into good fruit. Our reactions and behavior in these situations will shape the soil the seeds are growing in.

God doesn’t give patience fully grown—He tests it in real situations. Peace may not come at first, but our response matters. Meeting someone in a foul mood is an opportunity to respond with kindness—and transform the moment. This is how the seeds turn into the fruit of the Spirit—it is a continual, never-ending process.

How do you instinctively react to a negative experience? Where do you turn, and how does it impact your energy? These are important questions to ask ourselves when facing uncomfortable situations. By reflecting on them, we can learn to redirect our energy toward the things of God, rather than fleeing toward earthly substitutes such as drugs, alcohol, secular music, pornography, violence, and other harmful behaviors that can damage the fruit of the Spirit within us.

The other seeds that make up the fruit of the Spirit are kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

Here, I will elaborate on what these words may mean in Greek—since the New Testament was written in Greek—and how they relate to us both naturally and Biblically.

Kindness
(Greek: chrēstotēs) speaks to a benevolence that reflects God’s own heart—meeting real needs with compassion and gentleness, not just polite gestures (Ephesians 4:32).

Goodness
(Greek: agathōsynē) is moral integrity in action—choosing what is righteous and upright, even when it costs us (Romans 12:21).

Faithfulness
(Greek: pistis) is loyalty, steadfast trust, and reliability—holding fast to God and His promises, and being dependable toward others (Lamentations 3:22–23; 1 Corinthians 4:2).

Self-control
(Greek: enkrateia) is mastery over our desires and impulses, surrendering the flesh to the Spirit’s leading (1 Corinthians 9:25).

As I mentioned prior, it is not as if we lack the ability to behave in a way that honors God, but more so it is our soil. How rich and fertile it is depends on how we take care of it—of our bodies, our mind, our emotions. These can be enriched daily by the Word of God, by sound doctrine and teaching, by surrounding ourselves with other believers who also want to live a Spirit-filled life.

Though the key verse is in the New Testament, the Old Testament repeatedly shows how much God values holiness and desires His people to be set apart. We are still called to live differently from the world. Otherwise, what marks the difference between believers and non-believers?

Reflective Questions

Here are some questions we can ask ourselves to identify if we are bearing fruit.

1. Is my relationship with Jesus the source of my satisfaction (joy)?
2. In times of worry or distress do I look to God for peace and (re)assurance?
3. Do I patiently wait for results as I develop people or goals? Or do I give up when things don’t go my way?
4. Do I put things in my life in front of Christ?
5. When everything is going wrong do I look to take control or instead seek to surrender?
6. Do people see my inward peace and take courage from it? Or am I weakened by anxiety?

Three ways we can grow the Fruit of the Spirit:

1. Spot your weak points – Identify which aspects of the Fruit of the Spirit you struggle with the most. Awareness is the first step in growth.
2. Pause before you act – Take a deep breath or count from 10 silently before responding. Give yourself a moment to reflect on God’s perspective instead of immediately following your emotions or impulses.
3. Pray to refocus – This is crucial. We’ve developed a routine that feeds our flesh, but it is time to break that habit. Pause, pray, and ask God for strength. Each time you rely on Him, your spirit grows stronger, making it easier to respond rightly in future situations.

Example

If patience is a struggle, we can pause in moments when we feel the urge to rush and take matters into our own hands, and instead, pray for God’s help rather than complain about it. For instance, if traffic is making you late, you might pray:

Speaking to Him like this gradually melts frustration and helps us remain content in His presence, rather than letting circumstances steal our peace or joy.

But to be in one accord with Him, and to let the fruit of the Spirit truly bloom as God intended, you must believe in Him, trust in what His Son accomplished for us, and live a sanctified life, set apart from the world. To begin, here is a prayer I recommend saying between you and God. It is more than words—it is reflected in your heart and in your actions. Truly believing what you are saying and allowing your life to reflect Him is an honor like no other. He already loves you; He is simply waiting on you.

Start by confessing Him as Lord

Romans 10:9–10 (NKJV) reminds us:
⁹ that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰ For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

Confession is simply telling God that you believe in Jesus and are choosing to follow Him.

Pray from Your Heart

Here’s an example prayer you can pray:

“Lord Jesus, I confess that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe that You died for my sins and rose again. I invite You into my heart and life as my Lord and Savior. Thank You for saving me. Amen.”

Remember, it’s not about the exact words, but about faith in your heart.

1 John 1:9 (NKJV) promises:
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Follow Him

After you pray, start growing in your new relationship with God. Read the Bible, pray daily, join a community of believers, and live out your faith. God will guide you every step of the way.

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