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Sermon: Fruit of the Spirit – Kindness
Opening Thought / Icebreaker
Take a moment to check in with one another. Share a recent experience where someone showed you unexpected kindness. How did it impact you?
Scripture Focus
2 Samuel 9:1-13 – The story of David and Mephibosheth
Discussion Questions
1. Story Reflection
Question:
What stood out to you most in the story of David and Mephibosheth? Why?Leader Note:
Encourage people to notice David’s repeated use of hesed—his intentional kindness—and how it transformed Mephibosheth’s life. Invite reflection on the emotional and spiritual impact of God’s kindness in our own lives.2. Personal Connection
Question:
When you think about your own life, where do you feel “Podunk” and in need of God’s hesed? How might His kindness move you from that place toward the “palace”?Leader Note:
This is a reflective question; allow silence if needed. Guide the group to consider areas where they feel unseen, overlooked, or discouraged, and invite them to see God’s promise of transformation.3. Recognizing Niceness vs. Kindness (Awareness)
Question:
Looking back at the sermon, which of these nice vs. kind contrasts felt most revealing—or most uncomfortable for you?Nice is surface-level. Kindness costs something (sacrifice).
Nice acknowledges. Kindness acts.
Nice is considerate. Kindness is compassionate.
Nice is selective. Kindness is selfless.
Nice is passively agreeable. Kindness is powerfully anchored.
Nice is self-improvement. Kindness is Spirit-empowered.
Leader Note:
This isn’t about “fixing” yourself—just noticing. Where do you see yourself leaning toward “nice” instead of “kind,” and why might that be? Encourage honesty and self-reflection.4. Application to Relationships
Question:
Where is God calling you to show Spirit-empowered kindness in your life—perhaps in your marriage, friendships, family, church, or workplace—even when it’s inconvenient or uncomfortable?Leader Note:
Invite concrete examples. Help the group think beyond polite gestures to sacrificial, active kindness. Encourage the Spirit to guide them in identifying specific steps.5. Prayer / Commitment
Question:
As you consider the difference between “nice” and “kind,” what is one attitude, relationship, or response you want to surrender to the Spirit this week to allow kindness to grow?Leader Note:
Close the discussion with a time of personal reflection and optional sharing. Encourage participants to write down a prayer or commitment. Remind the group that the goal is not performance but yielding to the Holy Spirit.
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Fruit of the Spirit: Patience
1. Opening the Conversation (Surface / Relational)
When you think about waiting, what’s one thing in your life right now that tests your patience the most—big or small?
This could be traffic, relationships, work, finances, unanswered prayers, or something else.
(Leader note: Keep this light at first—this helps everyone get in the room.)
2. Culture vs. Formation (Awareness)
The sermon talked a lot about how our culture trains us for speed, convenience, and instant results.
Where do you notice “convenience culture” shaping your expectations—especially in your faith or relationship with God?
Are there areas where you feel pressure to rush growth, clarity, or outcomes?
How does that tension show up emotionally (frustration, anxiety, control, disappointment)?
3. The Cost & Currency of Promise (Deeper Reflection)
We heard the phrase: “For some things, the only payment is patience.”
Is there a promise, hope, or desire in your life right now that feels delayed?
How have you been tempted to “take matters into your own hands” instead of waiting?
What do you think God might be forming in you through this waiting—not just after it?
(Optional Scripture tie-in: Hebrews 6:12 — faith, patience, promise)
4. How You Wait Matters (Heart-Level)
The sermon reminded us that waiting isn’t passive—it’s formative.
When you’re waiting on God, how do you usually wait?
With trust? Anxiety? Complaining? Control? Numbness?
What might it look like for waiting to become an active act of worship or obedience?
5. Invitation to Practice (Response / Application)
Patience is a fruit produced by the Spirit—but it grows in real-life situations.
What is one specific area this week where you sense the Holy Spirit inviting you to practice patience on purpose?
A relationship?
A decision?
A response you don’t need to rush?
A prayer you need to keep praying?
How can this group pray for you or support you as you wait well?
AN INVITATION:
Living Out Our 2026 Mission Objective
On Celebration Sunday we introduced our 2026 M.O.’s, and the Missions Department is especially encouraged by M.O. #4:
We will resolve to be people who use our gifts to serve in our church, in our neighborhoods, and in the nations.
As you gather with community groupswe encourage you to begin conversations—maybe even many conversations—about how your unique gifts might meet the needs around you. Where do the needs of the church, our neighbors, and the nations intersect with the passions and abilities God has placed in you as a Community Group? What might God be inviting you into, and what could it look like to say “yes” to that invitation together?
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Fruit of the Spirit: PEACE
Scripture: Galatians 5:22-23, John 16:33, John 14:27, Romans 12:18, Matthew 5:9
Opening Reflection:
Take a moment to reread the passages above. Think about what Jesus said: “In this world you will have trouble… but take heart, I have overcome the world.” Peace is not the absence of trouble—it is a presence that holds steady in the middle of it. As you reflect, invite the Holy Spirit to guide your thoughts and reveal where He is already at work.Discussion & Reflection Questions
1. Peace with God – Receiving what’s already given
Reflect on your relationship with God. Is there any guilt, shame, or distance you’ve been carrying that keeps you from fully trusting His love?
How can you personally respond to Jesus’ invitation to peace with God this week? What might it look like to simply say, “God, I want a relationship with You” and rest in that reality?
2. Peace of God – Experiencing His presence in your life
Consider the pressures, anxieties, or uncertainties you are currently lifting on your own. Where do you need to invite the Holy Spirit to help carry the weight?
How does the idea of abiding in Jesus and leaning into His Spirit change the way you might face these pressures?
3. Peace like God – Extending His peace to others
Are there relationships, conflicts, or grudges where God is inviting you to reflect His peace into the world?
What is one step you could take this week to pursue peace like God, trusting the Spirit to work through you?
4. Practicing the Way – A rule of life
Thinking about your rhythms and habits, where could you intentionally practice abiding in Jesus, listening to the Spirit, or trusting Him in the small, daily pressures?
How might these practices cultivate a life of love, joy, and peace over time, rather than seeking temporary escapes?
5. Prayer Together (Optional Group Exercise)
Invite the group to pair up or share in small triads. Pray with, for, and over each other:
For those needing peace with God, pray for courage to receive His forgiveness and trust.
For those needing peace of God, pray for the Spirit to guard hearts and minds under pressure.
For those needing peace like God, pray for wisdom, grace, and strength to extend His peace in relationships and conflicts.
Closing Reflection:
Take a moment to sit in silence and invite the Holy Spirit to speak to you personally. Ask Him to reveal where He is at work, where He wants to carry your weight, and how He wants to grow His fruit of peace in you.
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Fruit of the Spirit: Love
How do I want to Cultivate my heart as a place for the Holy Spirit to take root?
In what ways do I no longer want to let the culture of the world tend my spirit?
In 2026, where is God inviting me into a new space of spiritual formation?
Do I believe that God can meet me in this change?
