Rise Up Fresh Free Fruity: Love and Joy

Last week, Jordan kicked off our new series, Rise Up: Fresh, Free and Fruity! For the next few weeks, we’re diving into the Fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5. But here’s the thing — we don’t just want to describe the fruit of the Spirit, we want to live it. The question is:

Am I demonstrating, am I modelling what it looks like to be a person full of the fruit of the Spirit to a watching, hurting, broken world?

Do my words, actions, and attitudes reflect Christ in a way that inspires others to taste and see His goodness?

Before we unpack this, let’s read 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!”

Paul was writing to a church in Galatia that had lost its way. Confusion, bad teaching, and division had crept in. His reminder was simple but powerful: You are no longer slaves — you are children of God! Christ has set you free! Live by the Spirit, and let your life overflow with His fruit.

That’s what this series is all about. Fresh, because the Christian life isn’t stale religion, but daily renewal by the Spirit. Free, because we’re not chained to sin or striving under the law. Fruity, because when the Spirit fills us, He produces something sweet, nourishing, and attractive in us.

This world doesn’t need plastic Christianity. It needs authentic fruit.

And at the core of that fruit? Love and joy.

Love: The Root of It All

In today’s culture, “love” is often cheapened — reduced to fleeting emotions, attraction, or even hashtags. But the love Paul speaks of in Galatians 5 is agape — God’s unconditional, sacrificial, transforming love.

John 3:16 sums it up: “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son…” That’s not shallow sentiment. That’s love with skin on, love that bleeds, love that lays down its life.

God’s love is:

• Unconditional. It doesn’t depend on your performance, your past, or your position. Nothing you do can make Him love you less, and nothing can make Him love you more.
• Intimate. It’s not distant or abstract. God’s love is deeply personal. He knows you completely and longs to be with you daily.
• Enduring. Romans 8:38–39 reminds us that nothing — not death, demons, or disasters — can separate us from His love.
• Transformative. God’s love doesn’t leave us as we are. It changes us from the inside out, turning fear into courage, despair into hope, selfishness into selflessness.

The world is desperate for this kind of love. As anger, division, and hatred rise, people are crying out: Where is the love?

Jesus answered that question in John 13:34–35: “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

It’s not optional. It’s a command. Love is to be the defining mark of the follower of Jesus.

When we are fruitful in love, we forgive freely, serve humbly, show kindness patiently, and even love our enemies. True love is magnetic — it draws people to Christ.

Joy: Love Overflowing

When love takes root, it doesn’t sit still. It overflows. And what does it overflow into? Joy.

Joy isn’t the same as happiness. Happiness depends on what happens — it’s like a thermometer that rises and falls with circumstances. Joy, on the other hand, is a thermostat. It sets the climate of your heart regardless of what’s going on around you.

The Greek word for joy in Galatians 5 is chara — a deep gladness rooted in God’s grace. It’s the settled confidence that God is with us, for us, and working through us, even in the hardest times.

Here’s what happens when we are fruitful in joy:

1. Joy gives us strength. Nehemiah 8:10 says, “The joy of the Lord is your strength.” It sustains us in trials.
2. Joy fuels our worship. Psalm 100:2 calls us to “worship the Lord with gladness.” Joy makes our worship heartfelt, not dutiful.
3. Joy transforms our service. Instead of obligation, service becomes a delight and a testimony of God’s goodness.
4. Joy encourages others. Proverbs 15:30 says, “A cheerful look brings joy to the heart.” Joy is contagious.
5. Joy anchors us in all circumstances. Philippians 4:4 says, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!”

Even in persecution, the early disciples were described as being “filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 13:52). Joy made them resilient, courageous, and generous.

And we see the ultimate example in Jesus Himself. Hebrews 12:2 tells us that, “for the joy set before Him, He endured the cross.” Joy doesn’t deny pain, but it sees beyond it to God’s purposes.

Real Fruit vs. Artificial Fruit

Here’s the danger: we can fake fruit. We can project niceness, forced smiles, or legalistic “kindness.” But artificial fruit doesn’t nourish anyone. People can tell when it’s plastic.

Real fruit, grown by the Spirit, is different. It’s authentic. It’s life-giving. It draws people to Jesus, not to us.

So here’s the prayer: God, would You help us to be people of love and joy? Would You make us fresh, free, and fruity — not for our glory, but for Yours?

Living It Out

The fruit of the Spirit is not a personality type or a checklist. It’s the supernatural life of Jesus flowing through ordinary people by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Without love and joy, the rest of the fruit won’t grow authentically. But when love takes root and joy overflows, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control naturally follow.

In a world that is weary, divided, and searching for meaning, what could be more compelling than Spirit-filled people radiating love and joy?

It’s time to rise up — fresh, free, and fruity.

Reflection Questions

1. How can I show God’s agape love more intentionally in my daily life this week?
2. Am I relying on circumstances for happiness, or on God’s presence for joy?
3. Who in my life needs to see and feel God’s love through my actions right now?
4. What practices (prayer, worship, gratitude) help me stay rooted in joy even when life is hard?
5. Where do I see “artificial fruit” in my life, and how can I invite the Spirit to produce the real thing?