Strange Fruit: Charity | John F. Hannah | Sermon Notes — Hello Pastor

Sermon Notes

Strange Fruit: Charity

New Life Covenant Church Southeast • Oct 13, 2024 • 84 min

Start a Devotional

Take this message with you through a journey of Scripture, reflection, and prayer.

Summary

In this powerful sermon, Pastor John F. Hannah examines what it means to bear genuine spiritual fruit—specifically charity, the highest biblical form of love. Drawing from 1 John 4, 1 Corinthians 13, and the life of Abraham, he teaches that believers must allow God's love to override anger, envy, and offense in order to love others deeply. Through Abraham's choice to let Lot select his land first and his later effort to rescue Lot from captivity, Pastor Hannah challenges believers to pursue peace, forgive past wrongs, and actively restore those caught in bondage.

Themes

The Fruit of the SpiritBiblical Charity and LoveChoosing Peace over ConflictRestoration and RescueTransformation in Christ

Pastor's Points

1.

Get Help (Mobilize 318 trained men)

2.

Pursue Personally (Extend yourself directly to restore them)

3.

Pursue Until Completion (Recover all that was lost)

Key Points

1.
A tree is recognized by its fruit, and believers in Christ are called to manifest spiritual fruit like love, patience, and kindness rather than bitter or "strange" fruit.
2.
True believers are commanded to love one another because love originates from God, and refusing to love demonstrates a lack of relationship with Him (1 John 4:7–8).
3.
Biblical charity is patient, selfless, does not envy or boast, and keeps no record of wrongs (1 Corinthians 13:4–8).
4.
Abraham demonstrated selfless love by letting Lot choose his land first, trusting that God's promise for his future did not depend on self-seeking fear or jealousy (Genesis 13:8–9).
5.
When Lot was captured in Sodom, Abraham chose not to leave him in bondage or make Lot's failure about himself, but moved in love to rescue him (Genesis 14:14–16).
6.

Sermon Moments

“You will know the tree by the fruit that it bears; if the Spirit of God lives inside you, His love must come out of you.”

“You cannot claim to love a God you have never seen if you cannot love the people standing right in front of you.”

“Love gives people time to grow up; it is patient, kind, and refuses to keep a record of past wrongs.”

“Abraham let Lot choose his portion of land first because when you know God holds your future, you do not have to fight in jealousy or fear.”

“When the enemy attacks someone or something you care about, God is testing whether your love is genuine enough to go after them.”

“You did not birth your family, your ministry, or your dreams for the devil to keep them locked up in a cage.”

“Real love does not decorate someone's cage with a list of their past faults—it mobilizes to bring full deliverance and recovery.”

“God can take a life burdened with trauma, conflict, and regret and grant a clean slate through the transforming power of Jesus Christ.”

This Week

Examine your heart against the 16 characteristics of biblical love in 1 Corinthians 13 and identify where you need God to grow your tolerance, patience, or kindness.

Choose peace over conflict in a tense relationship by stepping back and allowing the other person to go first, trusting God with your outcome.

Identify someone in your life who has fallen into bondage or spiritual failure, and commit to praying specifically for their restoration rather than judging them.

Reach out personally to a family member or friend from whom you have been disconnected, extending an olive branch of love and reconciliation.

Surrender past offenses by destroying the mentally held record of wrongs you keep against those who have hurt or disappointed you.

Seek godly community and spiritual support (your "318 trained men") when facing complex personal or family battles rather than fighting alone.

Refuse to keep children or loved ones in the middle of adult conflicts, releasing bitterness and praying blessing over them instead.

Remember This

True godly love is the foundation of the Christian faith that chooses peace over conflict, refuses to abandon people in crisis, and actively pursues total restoration.

A Challenge for You

As long as you can go to your grave saying you did your best, that is all that matters—that God was glorified in your situation and you offered Him good fruit.

These are personal sermon notes shared to help you remember the message — not a replacement for Scripture, your church, or your pastors.