📊 2 Peter 1:5–7 | Greek & Follow the Fruit

📧 In today’s email…

• 🍇 Fruit is the byproduct

• 🧠 Memorization techniques

• 📊 Tuesday Trivia about Peter’s travels..

 🧠 Memorize

_{see if you know what words go in the blanks}

For this _____, make every effort to supplement your ___ with ___, and ____ with _______,

and ______ with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness,

and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with ____.

2 Peter 1:5–7

Fruit Indicates Connectedness 🍇 

When we spent time in John 15 last year, we learned that the rhythm of the gospel is:

• First, he declares we are clean and we’re invited to abide.

• Second, He abides in us and as a result, we bear fruit.

2 Peter 1:5-7 and the surrounding passage touches on a similar idea.

• First, we are called, elected (eklogē or chosen) and saved.

• As a result, we display “these qualities” (faith, virtue, knowledge, self-control, steadfastness, godliness, brotherly affection, love).

The fruit (the qualities listed in our memory verse) is the evidence and confirmation that God’s Spirit does in fact dwell in us.

I love this quote from David Guzik:

It is possible for an unsaved person to do many moral and religious duties. But the “these things” Peter wrote of are matters of the heart, and should be evident in anyone born again. Simply said, if we are called, if we are elect, then we are born again – and if we are born again, it shows in the way that we live.

And we even see this idea reflected in Jesus’ words to his disciples:

Jesus command us to love one another.

If you love Jesus, the evidence (and the byproduct) will be that you display the characteristics Peter lists in verses 5-7.

Learn More Strategies for Memorization 📘 

Kieran sat down with Josh Summers at Bible Memory Goal to talk about our stories and what led us to focusing our efforts on Scripture memorization.

You can watch our conversation here.

We love the work Josh is doing and can’t recommend his book enough.

Check out Josh’s book here to help you learn more techniques to help you memorize Scripture!

Apply & Respond: Where Is There Fruit? 🤔 

Reflect 🤔 

Remember: You were chosen before you ever bore fruit, but that fruit is evidence of the Spirit’s work in your life.

What is one area of your life where you can point to the fruit of the Holy Spirit’s work? (some examples below)

• Growth in patience: "I used to snap at my teenager, but now I find myself responding with more grace"

• Increased generosity: "I've seen God change my heart from holding tightly to money to joyfully giving to others in need"

• Victory over habitual sin: "After struggling with addiction for years, I've experienced freedom and growing self-control"

• New love for God's Word: "I went from reading the Bible out of duty to genuinely desiring time in Scripture"

• Peace amid hardship: "Despite losing my job, I've experienced supernatural calm and trust in God's provision"

Pray🙏

Lord, even when I don’t see it or feel it, you’re working on me at a heart level.

Thank you that I am not who I once was. I surrender to the work you want to keep doing in me to make me more like Christ so I can be a light to those around me.

Amen.

Trivia 📊 

Answer key ✅ 

For this reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge,

and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness,

and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love.

2 Peter 1:5–7