LOVE

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.

Resources to cultivate love:

Study Guides:
Five Love Languages, Small Group Study

Books:
What Love Is - Bible Study Book: The Letters of 1, 2, 3 John 
Love Does by Bob Goff
One Way Love by Tullian Tchuvidian
Crazy Love by Francis Chan

JOY

The sense or state of gladness or elation that people experience through their relationship with God and through good things in their lives.

Resources to cultivate joy:

Books:
Undistracted by Bob Goff
The Freedom of Self-Forgetfulness: the Path to True Christian Joy by Tim Keller
Choosing Joy by Dan Lord
Ten Words to Live By: Delighting In And Doing What God Commands by Jen Wilkin

Meditation:
Finding Joy + Peace When You Feel Stuck in Life

 
 

GOODNESS

Moral excellence, virtue, generosity, excellence of quality. Goodness is the learned ability to do the right thing, even when it’s difficult, and proactively avoid the temptation of evil.

Resources to cultivate goodness:

Books:
Renovation of the Heart by Dallas Willard
Good and Beautiful and Kind by Rich Villodas
The Deeply Formed Life by Rich Villodas

Study Guides:
Goodness (Nine Fruits of the Spirit)

 

GENTLENESS

Gentleness is power over one’s Spirit that exudes meekness and humility, especially around those who are hurting or need grace.

Resources to cultivate gentleness:

Study Guides:
Gentleness (Nine Fruits of the Spirit)

Books:
The Quest for Meekness and Quietness of Spirit by Matthew Henry

 

SELF-CONTROL

Self-control helps us to resist temptation and avoid conforming to the things of this world. It guides our decisions, and it correlates with how we show the other fruits in our lives.

Resources to cultivate self-control:

Books:
The Deeply Formed Life by Rich Villodas
Renovation of the Heart by Dallas Willard
The Life You’ve Always Wanted: Spiritual Disciplines for Ordinary People by John Ortburg