Fruit of the Spirit: Joy

Memory Verse: John 15:11
These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.

Bible Lesson:
Fruit of Joy - Cherry

What does it mean?
To be bright and cheerful, exceedingly glad. True joy only comes from the Lord. joy is not based on our circumstances, but in our security and salvation in Jesus Christ. If we are joyful on the inside, it will show in our attitudes and actions. Philippians 4:4, "Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice."
J - Jesus first
O - others second
Y - you last
If we put Jesus and others above ourselves and our desires, we will be joyful!

I asked for two volunteers and gave each one a beautifully wrapped gift. (Getting someone to volunteer is NOT hard to do; usually the whole group has their hands up!) I gave each one a gift and told them to open it. Unknown to them one had a $100 bill in it and the other had nothing but rocks in it.

I told the rest of the group to watch their faces as the two boys opened the gifts. We talked about how you could see the joy on Clayton's face as he saw $100 and the disappointment on Zach's face as he discovered only rocks inside his package. True joy is not controlled by circumstances.

Who is our example?
Paul is a man in the New Testament who suffered many trials and sufferings. he was beaten, put in jail, shipwrecked, put on trial and left for dead. But he didn't stop. He continued on knowing his joy was in the Lord and his salvation. Paul learned to be content in all circumstances. Philippians 4:11, "...for I have learned, in whatever state I am, to be content."

How can we show love to others?
What are some ways you can show joy this week? What about when Mom asks you to clean your room or make your bed? Do you complain or argue about doing it or do you do it the first time she tells you? Or do you do it without Mom even having to ask you?

When your teacher gives you a ton of homework, do you complain or rejoice for all the information you are learning? Do you complain about a really hard subject in school or a test you are to take tomorrow? Can you be joyful in the things you have?

I had each of the kids write down one thing they could do this week to show joy on two dye cut cherries. Then they hung them one up in the tree on my sketch pad and the other one they took home to remind them to do it. Next week we will pick the cherries from the tree and see if they produced the fruit of joy the previous week. (see first photo for cherry tree)

Here's a few pics from our night on joy:

Jena reviewing the memory verse.
She wrote the words for the verse on balloons
and taped them to the bulletin board.

The kids would try throwing darts to pop the
balloons in between saying the verse.

Writing down joyful things to do this week on our cherries!