I’m always on the lookout for new, family, discipleship resources. So, I was excited to check out Fruit Full: 100 Family Experiences for Growing in the Fruit of the Spirit.
Fruit Full is the latest book by Candian homeschooling mom of three, experienced children’s ministry leader, and author of several family faith-building books.
About the Book
- It is 256 pages, with 100 devotions broken into 10 sections with occasional black and white illustrations.
- Every devotion includes a scripture verse, family devotion, discussion starter, and quick prayer.
- Each section has a Hands-On Growth Activity, which encourages you to memorize, write, draw, pray, research, imagine, play, sing, ask, and speak the verse.
What I Loved
I was thrilled about several elements in the book!
First, I love having a resource to dive deeper into the fruits of the spirit with my kids. I appreciate how Thomas frames the purpose of the fruits: They’re not just good behaviors to practice.
Instead, she encourages kids to cultivate a deep relationship with Jesus, which will naturally produce the fruits in our lives.
I also loved the length. Each devotion is brief and engaging. My kids are 9 & 6. They enjoyed the author’s conversational approach. There were some concepts that were harder for them to grasp, but for the most part, the ideas and wording are age appropriate.
Other Thoughts
We do think the book cover is prettier than the book interior. I don’t think younger kids will enjoy looking at the book just for the sake of it. There is no color on the inside, though there are occasional, small, grayscale illustrations.
Overall, this is a wonderful family devotional. It will help draw your kids into a deeper relationship with Jesus and change the way they look at the fruit of the spirit.
Definitely worth adding to your home library! Grab a copy here (affiliate).
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in order to write this review. All opinions are my own.
About the Author
Christie Thomas is a homeschooling mom and author in Alberta, Canada. She has been the director of children’s ministries at her church. She’s the author of picture book Quinn’s Promise Rock and The Mother and Son Prayer Journal.
Find Christie on the web at littleshootsdeeproots.com.
Enter to Win!
The publisher has graciously provided a copy for me to give away to one of my readers. I’ll send the winner’s contact information to the publisher and they will ship the book out directly.
More Resources for Your Family
Dishing up Devotions: 36 Faith-Building Activities for Homeschooling Families
Homeschooling just got easier, and deliciously fun!
Nourish your soul and grow your family's faith with this fun, interactive devotional!
- Encouragement for homeschool moms
- Biblical family activities even preschoolers can understand
- Delicious baking recipes & conversation-starters related to the weekly theme
- Devotions and prayers to encourage mom
- Family activities with biblical lessons even toddlers can understand
- Conversation starters
- Delicious baking recipes to reinforce the weekly theme
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I have a hard time coming up with a good way to teach the fruits of the spirit beyond just listing them.
I understand the struggle! You’ll definitely appreciate the ideas Christie provides in Fruit Full!
How we approach “fruit of the spirit” currently is in the moment. When someone is showing the opposite of the fruit, we mention some verses and repeat them and pray for God to help us grow and show that fruit.
We also find it helpful to highlight when someone demonstrates the fruit of the spirit or the opposite of it! It really helps the kids grasp the abstract concepts more concretely.
I try to redirect anything that isn’t the fruit of the spirit with scripture and anything that is the fruit of the spirit with praise
We’re just beginning our homeschooling journey and are looking for ways to learn and deepen our faith as a family- thank you for the book review/recommendation.
We have devotions each evening, using various sources. Sone of these focus on the fruits of the spirit. This would be a nice addition. Thanks for the chance!
I try to live by the fruits but i do try to instill them in by everyday actions.
We haven’t ever really ever taught the fruits of the spirit, and our oldest is 10. (I know, I’ve dropped the ball!) This book looks great and perfect for our family. We could incorporate it into our homeschool. I like that there are activities to go with it as my children respond really well to that.
You haven’t dropped the ball! Ten is a great time to dive into spiritual concepts…
I’m so proud of you! This is truly incredible how you are using your gifts to help families
I am homeschooling a five-year-old great grandson and I believe “Fruit Full” will be an amazing addition to our days. Thank you for the opportunity to win a copy.
We haven’t really covered the fruits of the spirit as a family, I love this idea.
We tend to focus in on one at a time as they become a natural part conversation.
I have practiced teaching my kids (7 and 2) the Fruits of the Spirit by doing scripture memorization and little crafts, but haven’t done a devotional on it. Since I could stand to see more fruit in my own life, this study would be good for our family.
We have a song we sing with the children about the fruit of the Spirit and and we discuss the virtues and character traits in our morning basket time.
This looks beautiful and a wonderful addition to any home library.
Looks like an exciting read!
My kids are still pretty young so we are teaching them to identify the Spirit and then the blessings that come from listening to and following the Spirit.
I try to teach fruit of the spirit with my daughter/grandkids by doing for others. We love making things or just lending a helping hand for family and friends.
We are doing a printout from online for a kids bible study on the fruit of the spririt right now
I love seeing an increase in books that have a focus on hands on ways to share the Word with our children!
I just teach them what I know.