Galatians 5:22-23 gives us a glimpse of the Spiritual Fruit God wants to grow in and through us. This list isn’t exhaustive, but it’s a good summary of the Fruit that will grow in the life of a Christian – a Godly Character. Some of these characteristics, or “Fruits,” are Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self-Control.

As we deepen our relationship with Jesus and allow His Spirit to nourish us, we will naturally start becoming more and more like Him. But just like it takes time for some fruit to grow, the same is true with Spiritual Fruit in our lives. So be patient with yourself. Spiritual Fruit will begin to show up in the way we love others, extend kindness, remain patient, and seek peace. Over time, we should notice our lives taking on the beautiful character of Jesus more and more, and give us just the encouragement we need to show that we truly belong to Christ.

The growth of all these Fruits of the Spirit leads to our growth in Holiness. Having these Fruits in our lives will make the Beauty of God’s Holy Character shine through our everyday lives.

One way to check in on our Spiritual Growth is to look at the Fruit we are producing. Are we becoming more loving, patient, and joyful? Do we find ourselves desiring to be kind, gentle, and faithful? If so, we’re on the right path, making steady (even if slow) progress in becoming more like Jesus.

“If anyone does not remain in me, he is thrown out like a branch, and dries up; and such branches are gathered up and thrown into the fire, and are burned.” (NET)

Into the Text

A simple fact: a branch that is not connected to the vine has no life flowing through it, so it withers and dies. Without a true connection to Jesus, a person is like that branch, dead and unable to bear any Lasting Fruit.

Jesus has already said in verse 2 that His Father, the Vinedresser, “takes away every branch that does not bear fruit in me.” And in verse 8, He says that the proof of a person being a true disciple is that he or she will bear much Fruit.

While there are many in the church today who claim to be Christians, if all they produce is bad, rotten Fruit, they are not true disciples of Jesus and have never been attached to the Vine. While such people may fool others for a while, their Fruitless life will ultimately make it clear that they did not belong to Jesus. The Father will judge and destroy such branches in the end. The Vinedresser is not surprised by this, and He is still in control.

At the same time, we may be confident that if we have truly surrendered ourselves to Jesus, the Father will make sure that we bear Fruit. He has promised it. He will judge those who don’t belong, but He prunes and disciplines those who do. He will cut away the dead branches but cultivate the living ones.

“I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me—and I in him—bears much fruit, because apart from me you can accomplish nothing.” (NET)

Into the Text

I love how Jesus says, “bears much fruit…” It’s as if He’s gently reminding us that our lives are meant to overflow with Spiritual Fruit. But here’s the best part. We aren’t expected to produce it in our own strength. You, my sweet friend, are utterly unable to make this Fruit grow. It’s a task that we do together with Jesus.

Our part is to stay connected and rooted in Him. It’s not a passive wanting to remain connected to Christ, but a daily coming to Him in faith and prayer for help. In these actions, He’s the One who supplies everything we need—our Strength, Wisdom, and Nourishment. As we draw from His Life, He produces Amazing Fruit through us.

Too often, we think we have to strive, push, or muster up the strength to produce Fruit. But the truth is, we don’t bear Fruit by struggling. We bear Fruit by abiding. Through Jesus, we already have everything we need to grow and bear Good Fruit. Abiding in Jesus means realizing and believing that we have been united to Him. Everything He has, He wants to give to us: His Joy, His Love, His Purity, His Life, His All.

So, if you’re feeling weak or overwhelmed by life’s demands, remember your role. You are the branch—not the Vine. When we’re weak, He is Strong, and it’s perfectly okay to lean into that Truth. Apart from Him, we can do nothing. When we abide in Him, He does the heavy lifting.

“You are clean already because of the word that I have spoken to you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it remains in the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me.” (NET)

When I read John 15:3-4, I imagine Jesus leaning in and looking each of the disciples in the eyes. “Remain in me, and I will remain in you….” (NET) It is a promise. Jesus knew that for each of the disciples to become useful in their life and ministry, they would need to abide in Him.

The same Truth applies to us today. We can do nothing of lasting value apart from Jesus. Just as branches must remain connected to the vine for nourishment and growth, we, too, must remain rooted in Jesus for the Spiritual Strength we need to flourish.

When new branches start to grow, they often droop low to the ground. As they touch the soil, dirt and mud begin to cling to them, which can stop them from growing strong and bearing good fruit. To help them thrive, a gardener has to gently lift the branches, carefully washing away the dirt, so they can reach their full potential and produce good fruit.

For us, we experience a similar “cleaning” through God’s Word. As we read and renew our minds with Scripture, God shows us areas in our lives where things need to change. It may be areas where sin has muddied our lives and hindered us from receiving the nourishment we need to grow. But hope is not lost. Through God’s Word, it’s as if He lovingly lifts, cleanses, and restores us, allowing us to grow and bear the Good Fruit we were created to produce.

Elevate your day is a short daily devotional from Brian and Andi Hale, and can be found at elevateyourday.podbean.com

“If we say we have fellowship with Him and yet keep on walking in the darkness, we are lying and not practicing the truth.”

Abiding in Christ means choosing to walk in His Light, live transparently before Him, and allow His Truth to shape every part of our lives. But sin disrupts this fellowship and creates a distance between us and God.

That is why we need to make confessing our sins to God a regular habit in our lives. Confession is a powerful, freeing practice that keeps our hearts free and aligned with God. It isn’t simply about listing our wrongs and moving forward without any change. It’s about bringing all our sins before Him because we are truly sorry, surrendering fully to His Grace, and walking in humility and obedience.

As we confess, Jesus steps into our brokenness and heals us. He reminds us that His Love and Grace are greater than our failures.

This ongoing process of confession and cleansing is essential to bearing Fruit. Just as a vine requires clean, unhindered pathways to deliver nutrients to its branches, we need to keep the pathway to Christ open. When we confess, we allow the Holy Spirit to flush out all the accumulated dirt. This is where True Fruit is born, not from our own efforts but from a heart fully surrendered to Him.

Abiding in Christ is an act of trust. Even when we fall short, He is Faithful to restore us. Confession isn’t a burden but an invitation to have our guilt removed, to walk more intimately with Jesus, and let His Love work deeply in our hearts.

Elevate Your Day is a short daily devotional produced by Andi and Brian Hale, M-F and can be found at elevateyourday.podbean.com

"In the same way, let your light shine before people, so that they can see your good deeds and give honor to your Father in heaven.” - Matthew 5:16

The Light that we are called to shine through our lives is not for others to better see us, but to better see Christ. When we abide in Jesus, our lives begin to reflect His Light, shining in a world that desperately needs to see Him. This Light is the evidence of God’s Love within us, transforming our lives and radiating out to bless those around us.

As we learn to abide in Jesus, something beautiful happens: gratitude begins to overflow in our hearts. We start to see God’s Goodness in every moment. Praise becomes part of our daily rhythm. It’s not just a quick “thank you” here and there but a deep and constant awareness of and gratitude for His Presence.

Our lives become a testimony of God’s Faithfulness, a Light that points others to His Love. It’s shown in acts of kindness, forgiving those who’ve wronged us, speaking comfort into someone’s pain, and choosing humility over pride. When we abide in Christ, we find that our good deeds are simply the natural overflow of His Love in us.

Sweet friend, your Light may seem small at times, but Jesus assures us that God uses every act of faithfulness and obedience to bring Him Glory. The impact of your abiding life goes far beyond what you can see or even imagine. When we choose to live as a Light for Him, we’re part of something Eternal, pointing others to the source of all Light—Jesus Himself, the Light of the World.

Friend, God is always at work in your life, even when you don’t realize it. While we’re called to intentionally pursue our faith, it’s God Himself who works within us. He is the One giving us both the desire and the strength to live according to His Will.

Staying connected to Jesus, the Vine, and allowing God to transform you is what it means to abide. Abiding isn’t about perfection or instant change. It’s about daily surrendering to God’s Work within, trusting that He is Faithful to complete what He started. As we stay close to Jesus, we start to see our desires shift, our hearts soften, and our lives begin to bear the Fruit of His Spirit. Every moment spent in His Word, every prayer whispered, and every act of surrender are part of that incredible process.

While the Bible calls us to “continue working out your salvation,” it also makes it clear that the only reason we are able to do so is because God makes it possible. He knows that we are utterly helpless without Him, unable to produce any Fruit at all. What He asks of us is to admit our own weakness, then, in faith, ask Him to provide everything we need in order to fight sin and live a victorious Christian life.

God is both the Source and Sustainer of our faith. As we remain in Him, He works through us, producing Fruit that will last, bringing Glory to Him and blessings to others.