Fruitful: Cultivating a Spiritual Harvest That Won't Leave You Empty (The Gospel Coalition)

So well written with fun recipes scattered throughout. The devotionals are sound and convicting. Definitely one that I will re-read in the years to come. Would make an excellent gift too!!

My heart was stirred by the Lord a month ago to really begin studying and living out the fruits of the Spirit. When this book was shared, the timing was perfect and I knew it was exactly the read I needed. And wow. It has been.God has used this devotional to stir me and still me. I highly recommend and recommend having a journal with you as you go through!

I have been very impressed with this devotional. It is meant for women but I found myself enjoying these short devotionals. It was actually only occasionally that I would notice the direct addresses to women. Most of the devotionals can apply to most.This devotional is about the fruit of the spirit. There are basically 9 sections, one for each quality mentioned in Galatians. I like that even if there are different contributors for the book, each section has the same author. This is great for having consistent messaging. Each devotional is about 4 pages so easy to digest. There is also a recipe (presumably from the section author) to a suggested desert. That's a nice touch.While it is all based from the Galatians passage, the 9 qualities are spoken of comprehensively using scripture, Christian teachers throughout history, and the author's own thoughts. There are good thoughts and reflections in each devotional but it never seemed like it would go over the average person's head. That's a great sign of a good teacher. Finally, each devotional ends with a reflection and prayer.This is very well done. It's not total fluff but it is also personable. I'd gladly recommend it.

This book offers a lovely compilation of devotionals from several different female authors. The only one I was previously familiar with is Lydia Brownback, but it is highly likely that I live under a rock and you may very well know and love the writings of Melissa Kruger, Abbey Wedgeworth, Courtney Doctor, Megan Hill, Winfree Brisley, Lindsey Carlson, Blair Linne, Trillia Newbell, and Sharonda Cooper.Though I haven't read the entire book just yet, I have skipped around and read a large portion of it. Each of the 40 devotionals are centered around one of the fruits of the Spirit -- love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. That means the writings aren't necessarily sequential so you can feel free to skip around to whichever of those fruits you would like encouragement in working on for that day. Though the references to social media in the beginning of the book had me (a 27-year-old woman) feeling a little too old to be reading this, the tone of the rest of the book is more accessible to a wider audience and age range. There are a few (obviously tasteful) references to sex and drinking so I would recommend reading through this first before reading aloud any of these with your children, should you choose to enjoy this book as a family devotional.Each devotion takes 5-10 minutes to read through. They begin with a paragraph of scripture, then a couple pages of the author's thoughts, followed by a few questions to ponder. The devotion concludes with a scripted prayer. Fruit-themed recipes appear between sections, often followed by an inspirational or thought-provoking quote from a theologian. This would make a lovely gift for yourself or a woman in your life who needs Christian encouragement.

These daily devotions are organized by each fruit of the Spirit (from Galatians 5:22-23), written from several different female authors. Each of them is lighthearted, encouraging, and uses engaging real life or cultural examples in connection to Scripture to relay a spiritual nugget of wisdom. I especially like the “Respond” section of each one, which often brings in additional Bible passages and reflective questions to dig a little deeper. I connected to some of the devotions more than others, but overall felt like I got something out of this without it feeling like too much to do in a day. There are also fruit-based recipes throughout the book, which I haven’t tried, but thought was a creative addition.

The Megan Hill's Fruitful: Cultivating a Spiritual Harvest That Won't Leave You Empty (The Gospel Coalition) is a 40 day devotional about each of the fruits of the Spirit. There are four days dedicated to each fruit. Each day is discussed in 2-3 pages. This devotional is overall very easy to read and dedicate a few minutes of your day improving your walk with Jesus. Actually, for me, I found the daily devotional too short and tended to read ahead. I would recommend the Fruitful: Cultivating a Spiritual Harvest That Won't Leave You Empty if you are looking for an easy devotional that will help you grow in the spirit.

Fruitful is a collection of forty short devotional thoughts centered around the fruits of the Spirit. The book has nine sections (one for each fruit), and each section concludes with a fruit-based recipe.Each devotional is three pages long, so it is very quick and easy to read. It contains a short Bible reading (one or two verses) and a reflection from one of the authors (all notable female authors, editors, and/or Bible teachers). Then, each day’s reading wraps up with a directed response, typically a second Scripture reading and reflective question about application, and ends with a prayer.Easily, one of the best aspects of this book is that, while it follows a devotional format, it consistently remains grounded in scripture. Each reflection contains multiple, clear connections to where the author draws ideas from and provides references to each. Many devotional books offer scant Bible reading or connection to the biblical text beyond a vaguely connected passage, which was refreshing to see.Overall, this is a series of short, thoughtful devotionals that thankfully encourage more exploration of the themes and introspective reflection on the biblical text.

Really good quality book and with a lot of knowledge