Discuss

            Say: We’re spending several weeks learning about the fruit of the Spirit. You know how the branch of an apple tree will grow an apple because it’s connected to the tree? That’s kind of like what happens when we follow Jesus. Because we’re connected to Jesus, we grow fruit.

            Only we don’t grow apples. The Holy Spirit grows good things in our hearts, helping us live and love like Jesus. Let me read to you what the Bible says about the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23: “But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!”

            Today we’ll explore how joy is fruit of the Spirit.

            Ask: • What’s one thing that brought you joy this week? Have kids turn to a partner to share. Then ask a few kids to share with everyone.

            Say: Sometimes we think of joy as being happy. Joy and happiness are definitely related! But joy goes deeper than happiness. When things are sad or scary, we might not feel happy. But we can still find joy because it’s deep down inside our hearts. Our joy comes from knowing God loves us—and that doesn’t change even when our situations do.

Rejoice

            Open your Bible to Nehemiah 8, and show kids the words.

            Say: In the Bible, a hard thing happened to God’s people. Enemies took over their country. Some of the people were taken to other countries. Eventually, some people got to move back home, but a lot of their city had been destroyed.

            So they worked together to rebuild the city walls. And when that was done, a guy named Ezra read God’s Word to people. Here’s what he did.

            Read Nehemiah 8:3.

            Say: When they heard God’s Word, everyone praised and worshipped God. But then they got sad because they realized they’d disobeyed. So a guy named Nehemiah, who had led the wall building, spoke up.

            Read Nehemiah 8:10-12.

            Say: Let’s celebrate with great joy, too!

            Lead kids in jumping and cheering.

            Say: Joy is deeper than happiness! Things like candy or new toys might make us happy. But that fades away because those things don’t last.

            Nehemiah said to find strength in the joy of the Lord! Joy is a fruit of the Spirit. And they could find joy in God’s Word because it’s full of truths that won’t change.

            Let’s celebrate as we hear God’s Word! I’ll read a bunch of verses. After each one, jump and cheer with me!

            Read the following verses, leading kids in a celebration after each one. Try to vary how you celebrate, such as clapping, jumping up and down, waving arms, doing the wave, trying to whistle, or jumping in a circle.

• “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).
• “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8).
• “This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” (2 Corinthians 5:17).
• “But when I am afraid, I will put my trust in you” (Psalm 56:3).
• “For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline” (2 Timothy 1:7).
• “But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint” (Isaiah 40:31).
• “The Lord says, ‘I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you’ ” (Psalm 32:8).
• “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).
• “So be strong and courageous, all you who put your hope in the Lord!” (Psalm 31:24).
• “I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it?” (Isaiah 43:19).

            Say: Joy is a fruit of the Spirit. Even when situations make us upset, the Holy Spirit can remind us of the joyful truths in God’s Word! Those truths won’t change like the situations in our lives that make us happy or sad.

            If you have snacks, say: God’s people also celebrated their joy in God by enjoying food together! Let’s celebrate that joy is a fruit of the Spirit with a snack. Enjoy your snacks together.

Tip

• Don’t have internet in your classroom? That’s okay! You can choose your own worship songs from our Best Of Dig In Music DVD here.

Sing Songs to God

          Sing the three songs in any order.

Rate Good News

            Say: Ezra shared good news—God’s words! Nehemiah said news like that was reason for joy and celebration. I wonder how much joy you feel when you hear some good news. Let’s find out!

            Gather kids in the middle of the room, standing up.

            Say: Sometimes we rate things on a scale. We’ll say, “If I give something a 1 it’s not very good, but a 5 means it’s great!” Let’s imagine our room is like a scale. Point to one side of the room. I’ll say some news. If you think the news wouldn’t make you very joyful, you’ll stand closer to that side of the room.

            Point to the other side of the room. If you think that news would make you super joyful, move closer to that side of the room. You can stand closer or farther from either side to show how joyful you’d feel.

            If you have a lot of younger kids, you may want to give a few examples, so kids understand they can stand anywhere along the scale—not just at one side of the room or another.

            Call out the following news. Allow time for kids to move each time.

• We’re going to Disney World!
• Here’s a new puppy!
• I got a flat tire!
• Your birthday party got canceled!
• School is canceled today!
• You can have extra dessert tonight!
• No screen time tonight!
• I have tickets for you to see the [name of popular sports team in your area]!

Talk About Jesus

            Gather kids in the middle of the room and have them sit down.

            Ask: • Which one of these brought you the most joy? Why? Have kids share with a partner. Then take a few responses from the group.

            • Which one made you the least joyful? Why? Have kids share with a partner. Then take a few responses from the group.

            Say: Life is full of ups and downs—good things happen, and not-so-good things happen. We may not be happy about what’s going on, but we can always find some joy, even through hard times. Let me share some more news with you. This news comes from the Bible—so you know it’s true!

• God loves and values you. (Matthew 6:31-34)
• Jesus gives us the strength we need. (Philippians 4:13)
• Jesus gives us rest when we’re tired. (Matthew 11:28)
• Jesus is always with you. (Matthew 28:20)
• Because of Jesus, nothing can separate you from God’s love! (Romans 8:38-39)

            Ask: • How does this news make you feel? Why?

            • Think about the news I shared before, about exciting or not-so-great things. How is that kind of news different from the things I shared about Jesus? This is a deeper, thinking question. Kids may need time to process and make connections.

            Say: Situations in life can bring us joy—or not! But those things keep changing. What never changes is the truth about who God is and what the Bible says! So we can always have joy in the truth that God loves us enough to give us his Son, Jesus. That never changes! Joy is a fruit of the Spirit. When we remember Jesus’ love, our hearts can joyfully stand firm!

Tip

• With attention spans in mind, try to keep these prayers of thanksgiving moving as quickly as possible.

Think of Things to Thank God For

            Say: I’m so glad joy is a fruit of the Spirit. Joy is different from happiness. It’s a gift that comes along with trust in God and our friendship with Jesus.  

            When a friend gives us a gift, it’s good to say, “Thank you!” Well, God is a friend who gives us so much. So let’s respond to God with a prayer of thanks!

            Have kids form one big circle so they can see and hear each other well. If you have a large group, create one circle for every adult or teen helper.

            Say: Sometimes we close our eyes when we pray. Today we’ll pray all together and with our eyes open so we can see God’s blessings all around us.

            I’ll call out a category, like animals, people, or food! Then we’ll go around the circle and each person will shout out something in that category that brings you joy. So if the category is “animals,” you might shout, “Zebras!” After each person shouts something, we’ll all respond with “Thank you, God!”

            Call out a few categories. Ideas include things in the room, animals, people, food, sports, musical instruments, plants, and movies or shows kids like.

            Pray: We thank you, God, for all these joyful things and more! Most of all, we thank you that joy is a fruit of the Spirit. Thank you. Amen.

Tips

• It may take a while for kids to find the Bible verse. That’s okay! This activity is primarily about building Bible navigation skills.
• If you have a lot of non-readers, have some picture Bibles on hand for them to flip through as older kids look up verses. They won’t look for anything specific, but they can look at the pictures to practice paging through Bibles.
• Find upbeat worship music and other great DIG IN resources here.

Explore Philippians 4:4

            Say: Joy is a fruit of the Spirit. God’s people felt joy because they got to hear God’s Word. And we have Bibles all around us—even on our phones and computers! We can find joy in God’s Word anytime! Let’s find joy now as we read a verse from the Bible.

            Make sure kids all have Bibles. Younger kids can sit with older kids so they can observe the skills of using their Bibles even before being able to read.

            Say: Our Bible verse is in the book of Philippians, chapter 4, verse 4. Let’s find the book of Philippians. That’s in the New Testament—which is the later part of the Bible. Open your Bible kind of near the back. Allow time.

• Point to the book of Philippians on the poster so kids can see the name and what books come before and after it.
• Mention that the chapter numbers are the big numbers, and help kids find the big 4 in Philippians.
• Mention that the verse numbers are the small numbers, and help kids find the small 4 in Philippians 4.
• When everyone has found the verse, ask someone to read Philippians 4:4 aloud.

Move Around

            Say: This verse says to always be full of joy. Hmm…I don’t always feel happy…do you? Let’s see how we can be joyful no matter what.

• Have kids move slowly around the room as if they’re sad.
• Have kids stomp angrily around the room.
• Have kids walk nervously around the room as if they’re scared.
• Have kids dance happily around the room.
• Turn on upbeat worship music, and repeat the four different walks.

            Ask: • How did the music change how you felt as you moved?

            • We’re not always happy, but joy means we hold on to the things we know are true about God even when things are hard in life. What can bring you joy even when you’re sad, mad, or scared?

            Say: It’s okay that we’re not always happy. God gave us our emotions! But even when we’re sad, mad, or scared, we can be joyful. Joy is something deeper than the way we feel. It’s the confidence we get knowing that God’s love will always be there for us! Joy is a fruit of the Spirit. The Spirit can bring us joy…always!

Tip

• WARNING! Don’t just print and distribute! Here’s why.

Older Kids: Do an Activity Page

            Say: Today we’re learning about the fruit of joy. When Ezra read God’s Word, the people were filled with joy. Let’s fill our room with joy as we do a puzzle.

            Distribute the activity pages and pencils. Kids will look for words in the word search. When they find one, they’ll announce it by saying something like “I just found happy!” Then everyone will cheer.

            Ask: • Describe how our room felt as we did this puzzle.

            • What else makes you feel that way?

            Say: Joy is a fruit of the Spirit. We can rejoice when God brings us good things and when God brings good things to others. And we can rejoice when we read the Bible! It’s full of God’s truths that won’t ever change.

            ANSWER KEY:

Younger Kids: Color a Coloring Page

            Distribute the coloring pages and crayons. Say: Today we learned that joy is a fruit of the Spirit. One thing that can bring us joy is the Bible! When the people in our Bible story read God’s Word, they were full of joy! Let’s color that.

            Allow time for kids to color.

            When kids finish coloring, three-hole-punch their pages and put them into binders, if desired.

Talk About a Verse

            Say: Ezra shared good news that gave God’s people reason for joyful celebration! Joy is a fruit of the Spirit! There’s a verse in the Bible that tells us more about the fruit of the Spirit. Let’s look at that.

            The Bible has two main sections: the Old Testament, which tells about before Jesus was born, and the New Testament, which tells about after Jesus came. Our verse comes from a book in the New Testament, in the book of Galatians.

            Galatians chapter 5, verses 22-23 tell us, “But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!”

            Lead kids in saying the verse with you, phrase by phrase, a few times.

            Ask: • What things do you know—or what questions do you have—about the Holy Spirit? Welcome kids’ thoughts and questions. It’s okay to simply repeat kids’ questions rather than try to answer them. If kids share inaccurate information about the Holy Spirit, gently guide them toward truth. For example, if kids say that the Holy Spirit is a ghost, you might respond with “The Holy Spirit isn’t someone we can see, so it may seem like a ghost when we imagine or think about it.”

            Say: God gave us a special helper—the Holy Spirit. As we become better friends with God, the Holy Spirit grows good things like love, joy, peace, and kindness in our hearts. And today we’re exploring how joy is a fruit of the Spirit. That makes me wonder something.

            Ask: • How can you tell if someone is joyful?

Play a Game

            Say: A tree doesn’t hide its fruit—it’s on display for everyone to see! That’s a little like the way we show the things the Holy Spirit grows in us. We show our joy! Let’s play a game to learn our verse and see what that means.

• Hold up a jack from a deck of cards. Point to the J in the corner and explain (to younger kids) that J is the letter that the word joy starts with! So any card with a J on it will be a joy card!
• Form a circle and have kids sit down.
• Hand each person a card, face up. Kids will set the card in front of them for everyone to see. Make sure at least one person has a jack.
• Turn the cards facedown, then lead kids in saying the verse, sliding their cards to the left each time they name one fruit of the Spirit.
• When the verse ends, kids will guess who has the jack—or joy card. If someone thinks they have the joy card, they’ll jump up—for joy!
• Then have kids turn over their cards to see who has the card.
• Play this way two times.
• Then have everyone turn their cards over and play two more times with the cards facing up.
• Gather the cards.

            Ask: • Why was it so much easier to know who had joy in the last two rounds?

            • What can that show us about showing the fruit of the Spirit—like joy—in our lives?

            Say: We don’t hide the joy and love and kindness the Holy Spirit grows in us. We act in a way that the whole world can see what God is doing in our lives! Joy is a fruit of the Spirit, and we can show everyone we have joy!

Play Charades

            Say: Today we explored how joy is a fruit of the Spirit. God’s people had so much joy when they read the Bible. They celebrated like it was a holiday!

            Ask: • What’s your favorite holiday? Share your own example first.

            Say: Holidays are often times we celebrate and feel joy. Let’s see if you can figure out what holidays people are acting out. Beware—some of these might not be holidays you know about!

• Choose a willing child to be the first Actor.
• Whisper one of the holidays on the list below, and have the Actor silently act it out.
• Other kids can guess what holiday is being shown. If needed, they can ask yes-or-no questions and the Actor can respond with a thumbs-up or thumbs-down.
• Use these holidays in order, so that you go from easy to difficult.
  • Christmas Eve
  • Halloween
  • Thanksgiving
  • Christmas Day
  • Your birthday
  • Easter
  • Fourth of July
  • New Year’s Day
  • St. Patrick’s Day
  • Flag Day
  • Earth Day
  • Star Wars Day
  • National Donut Day
  • International Dog Day
  • Talk Like a Pirate Day
  • Earth’s Rotation Day
  • National Whiner’s Day
  • Eat Ice Cream for Breakfast Day
  • Grilled Cheese Day
  • Dance Like a Chicken Day
  • Popcorn Day
  • Take Your Dog to Work Day
• Let the game keep going as long as needed to fill time until parents begin to arrive. If you run out of holidays on the list, make up your own! They don’t even have to be real!

    Distribute a copy of the “Dig In @ Home” handout to kids as they leave, or email it to parents during the week.