There are three different sets of questions for you to use, whether you are exploring God’s word within your Life Group, in other group settings, or simply using them on your own.

A. DISCUSSION STARTERS

These are simple questions to provoke discussion together out of the talk (ideal if you are watching our Sunday Service online with others in your group):

1) What particularly struck you, or impacted you in the talk?

2) Was there anything that you disagreed with, or found difficult, in the talk?

3) Out of the talk, are there any things that you would like to do differently, or put into place?

B. QUESTIONS TO EXPLORE

These are questions that are based on the talk and the surrounding themes:

1) If you could have a ‘superpower’, what would it be?! Why do we tend to think of superpowers being spectacular, rather than ‘ordinary’?

2) Read Galatians 5:13-26. In this passage the author, Paul, compares being ‘free’ and being a ‘slave’. He describes two types of slavery – being a slave to the ‘law’ (v13-15), and to our ‘sinful nature’ (v16-21). What, according to this definition, does true freedom look like in practice? What about in your life?

3) When you look through the list of ‘sinful’ behaviours that are mentioned in v19-21, some of them can seem pretty extreme (eg. witchcraft, orgies) whereas others seem fairly mundane (eg. selfish ambition, jealousy). What do make of the list? Why do you think Paul includes the phrase “…and the like” (v21)? What do you think it might mean to ‘crucify the flesh with its passion and desires’? (v24)

4) Compare the list in v19-21 to the fruit of the Spirit in v22-23. What do you notice?

5) It is noticeable that the fruit of the Spirit, in v21-23, is singular…these are not a variety of different ‘fruits’ that people might have one or two different ones. No, these are all the fruit of the Spirit. When the Spirit is at work in your life, we can expect to see evidence of all of these. These are not achieved by human effort, but they are what the Spirit does. Think of a view different aspects that are described – can you give examples of what these look like in practice? Have you got any stories of these being lived out?

6) In her talk on Sunday, Jenny highlighted several things about the fruit of the Spirit: a. they are not related to our circumstances

1. they can seem underwhelming or unspectacular
2. they come from being led by the Spirit

What does it therefore mean to ‘keep in step with the Spirit’? (v25)

7) Take some time to pray, asking that God would help you to keep in strep with the Spirit in your life.

C. GOING DEEPER

These are questions to help you go a little deeper, by exploring the wider biblical context.

1) If you could have a ‘superpower’, what would it be?! Why do you think we tend only to think of superpowers as spectacular, rather than the sort of things mentioned in v22-23?

2) Read Galatians 5:13-26. Paul is emphasising the freedom that Christians have – freedom from the ‘law’ (v13-15), and freedom from living for the ‘flesh’ (v16 onwards). Paul talks of ‘freedom’ a lot in Galatians – along with 5:13, also read Galatians 2:4 and 5:1. What do these tell you about how Paul sees freedom?

3) Alongside this passage, also read Matthew 22:34-40. Why do you think Paul emphasises ‘loving one another’ (v14) as a key component of freedom? Why do we so often emphasise our personal freedoms, rather than freedom in relation to genuinely loving others?

4) Read also Romans 8:1-11. What do you think it means to ‘live by the Spirit’ (v16)? What does it not mean?

5) Notice the list that Paul gives in v19-21. Compare with Ephesians 5:1-5. What do you notice? What do you think Paul means by the phrase ‘…and the like’ ?(Gal 5:21)

6) The fruit of the Spirit that Paul describes in v22-23 are remarkable in their ordinariness. And yet, a life like that truly changes the world! Read Romans 7:4-6. Can you give examples of what the fruit of the Spirit looks like in practice, here in the 21st Century?

7) Notice that Paul doesn’t give this as a list of you ‘should’ live like this. Rather, he states that this is what the Holy Spirit does! The list of fruit is evidence of the Spirits work in our lives. Why is this so freeing? What do you think Paul means when he says that ‘against such things there is no law’? (v23)

8) Take some time to pray, asking that God would enable to you live in the freedom that Christ has given to you – freedom to live for him and others, bearing the fruit of the Spirit