Cultivate: How God Grows the Fruit of the Spirit Within Us

Discover how real spiritual transformation takes root--not through striving, but by letting the Spirit cultivate lasting change in the soil of your everyday life. Use this interactive guide to exploring the fruit of the Spirit as a group or for individual devotions.

Cultivate invites you to experience real spiritual transformation--not by trying harder, but by allowing God, the Master Gardener, to do his renewing work in you.

When God planted the garden of Eden, his cultivating work had only just begun. That same work continues today as he grows the fruit of his Spirit--love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control--in the soil of our lives. God’s purpose is not just right beliefs or good deeds, but a whole-life restoration into who we were created to be.

Out of his own experience with challenge and renewal, Dr. Richard Kannwischer, pastor of Peachtree Church in Atlanta, discovered a hopeful truth: real change is possible, even in the hardest seasons. With vivid biblical imagery and practical wisdom, he guides readers into the slow, steady, life-giving process of cultivation.

Each chapter explores one aspect of the Spirit’s fruit, not as a checklist to achieve, but as the natural outgrowth of a life rooted in God’s love. Along the way, you’ll find prayers, journaling prompts, and simple spiritual practices to help clear away distractions and create space for God’s renewing work.

Whether read alone or with a group, Cultivate offers encouragement, clarity, and a clear path forward--toward deeper faith, lasting change, and a flourishing life even in difficult seasons.

Dr. Richard Kannwischer is the pastor of Peachtree Church in Atlanta, Georgia, and holds a Master of Divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary and a Doctor of Ministry from Fuller Theological Seminary. For more than twenty-five years, he has been recognized as a gifted communicator whose greatest passion is helping people understand how the story of God speaks with clarity, depth, and relevance to their everyday lives. Known for making complex theological truths both accessible and engaging, he brings insight and warmth to the pulpit, the page, and every conversation.

His writing and preaching combine theological depth with the art of storytelling, drawing people into a faith that is multifaceted, practical, and life-giving. With creativity and insight, he reveals the treasures of Christian faith that lie just below the surface. The result is an invitation to experience faith not as a distant idea, but as a living, breathing reality--one that reshapes the heart, renews the mind, and awakens delight in God’s presence.

Richard is married to Kelly, an executive coach whose work equips leaders and organizations to grow into their calling. Together they are the proud parents of two adult children. When he’s not preaching or writing, he enjoys reading, playing golf, and spending time outdoors.