God has given us kindness freely because He loves us so much.  Stop thinking that you have to earn His love, that you have to earn His goodness, that you have to achieve a certain amount of good works before He will show you kindness.  You are His child.  He delights in showing you kindness.

In this final sermon about the fruit of the spirit, we are talking about self-control, or temperance.  How many times have you lost your temper wishing that you had not?  How many times have you cried in frustration over the look your children gave you when you became to brash?  How many times did you get swallowed up in condemnation when you kept giving into the same temptation?

Stop going through the same cycle of regret, thinking that you can never change, that it is impossible to please the Lord.  God sent His Son to save you because He knew that you would go through sin.  He knew you needed Him.

Your spirit will produce fruit naturally when it is given the proper nutrients.  Spend time with the Father-He created each fruit of the spirit and knows what you are lacking in.  A tree doesn’t labor heavily to produce fruit.  It receives the sun and the rain and the nutrients from the soil first, then the fruit comes naturally.  Do the same for your life.  Give your spirit the Word of God, give it time with God’s presence, give it time in worship; watch what God will bring forth from your spirit when you do those things.