Fruit of the Spirit

Survey Reveals American’s View of God

The ancient Greek’s viewed god as judgmental, angry, and elderly–detached from the world waiting just for someone to do something wrong. Sadly, this Greek view has permeated Western society.
According to USA Today Religion survey: Out of the 91.8% say they believe in God, a higher power or a cosmic force, they had four distinct views [...]

14 comments | Continued

Love One Another as I Have Loved You

Loving one another is the core of our Christian walk. The phrase “love one another” is repeated at least a dozen times in the NT. We are also commanded to submit to one another, encourage one another, care for one another, forgive one another, and edify one another.
Jesus taught “to love one another as I [...]

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Religion or Relationship?

What are We Seeking? Religion or Relationship?
God does not want a people who simply adhere to a set of rules no matter how well intended. God said in the book of Hosea, “For I delight in loyalty rather than sacrifice, and in the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings” (Hosea 6:6 ).
Sacrifices meant nothing [...]

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Spiritual Fruit Begins with Spiritual Rest

Fruit of the Spirit Friday – Spiritual Rest

Jesus said He would give rest to those who were weary and heavy laden. Spiritual rest is not lying down to take a nap. God didn’t rest on the seventh day because He was tired. His rest was a cessation of labor.
Rest is the opposite of work or [...]

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Diligently Teach Them to Your Children

The diligence commanded in Deuteronomy 6 involves a special marriage of the fruits of faithfulness and self-control. We need the self-control to be faithful to diligently teach our children God’s ways.

And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children. (Deuteronomy 6:6-7).

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Sweet Fruit of Intimacy with God

Fruit of the Spirit Friday

Like an apple tree among the trees of the forest…
I delight to sit in his shade,
and his fruit is sweet to my taste. (So 2:3).
Solomon compares love to a surprise apple tree in the forest being a delightful sweet treat. He speaks of sitting in the shade as a metaphor for [...]

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My Mouth Needs a Backspace

Fruit of the Spirit Friday

My Mouth Needs a Backspace
We can measure the fruit of the spirit by what comes out of our mouths. Scary, huh?
I know you imagine only kind and loving, caring, words and praise come out of my mouth but sometimes complaints come out, sometimes anger and bitterness fly out.
It’s like Paul describes [...]

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Long Suffering – The 4th Fruit of the Holy Spirit

Fruit of the Spirit Friday – Long Suffering

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.” (Galatians 5:22)
One of the main definitions of the word long suffering is that it is referring to patience. And patience is another sorely needed quality in the fast paced world in [...]

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Is God is a Genie in a Bottle Ready to Fulfill Wishes?

How do we define a loving relationship? Some believe God is a Genie in a bottle ready to fulfill our wishes. But health and wealth are not available on demand. The Christian walk is not a formula of saying the right things; rubbing the magic lamp in the right way to order a perfect life

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No Branch Can Bear Fruit By Itself: Remain in Him

Fruit of the Spirit Friday
I’ve been pruning hickory trees in our yard–cutting and cleansing for better growth and health. It reminded me of the uncomfortable and sometimes painful pruning we go through during sanctification.
I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, [...]

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Condemnation or Conviction?

I vividly remember the first time I read Paul’s passage in Romans 7:15-17. I was breathless. I was a baby Christian in my 20s. “That’s me!” I cried.
I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.Now if I do what I [...]

5 comments | Continued

The 8 Rs to Freedom

Fruit of the Spirit Friday: Joy and Peace

Do you ever have thoughts that take you into a downward spiral? I used to go into a downward spiral in my thoughts once a month around “that time.” I would throw a pity party complete with tissues, comfort food (usually chocolate), singing the blues music, and dark [...]

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Rooted and Grounded in Love

He loves me. He loves me. He loves me. Understanding His love is will produce fruit of God’s Spirit in our life. We can be rooted in the love of Christ, anchored in Him, supported by Him. Deep roots = firm foundations.

…that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and [...]

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Spiritual Roots of Diseases (Fear)

Last week I went to a conference on the spiritual roots of diseases. It should be no surprise that there are spiritual roots to many diseases. Christians have same statistics in the areas of cancer, heart disease, depression, divorce, diabetes, etc. as unbelievers. Diseases are choking the church!
I mentioned I would write about the theories [...]

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Being Understood is a Luxury

Christians who are passionate for God can be unaware of the critical need for people to be understood. Many of our brothers and sisters in Christ have deep emotional roots that go ignored. We all have a need to come to grips with the scars from our past, to be honest about our brokenness and become vulnerable and learn to grow through pain. We do this by being heard and being understood.

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Do You Harbor Anger, Resentment, Bitterness, Hurt Feelings?

A few days ago I wrote about Brick Walls and how suffering can make us either bitter or better. Bitterness is a poison of emotional venom resulting in critical and judgmental spirits.
Bitterness is a root sin linked with rage, with anger, and with malice (Eph 4:31) that produces fruit of broken relationships in families and [...]

8 comments | Continued

Being Understood is a Luxury

Christians who are passionate for God can be unaware of the critical need for people to be understood. Many of our brothers and sisters in Christ have deep emotional roots that go ignored.
Jesus took the time to listen and understand. He looked below the surface to the heart.
People pay counselors thousands of dollars just [...]

0 comments | Continued

Being Understood is a Luxury

Christians who are passionate for God can be unaware of the critical need for people to be understood. Many of our brothers and sisters in Christ have deep emotional roots that go ignored.
Jesus took the time to listen and understand. He looked below the surface to the heart.
People pay counselors thousands of dollars just [...]

23 comments | Continued

Not My Will, But Yours Be Done

Faith is exhibited by submitting to the will of God. The greatest illustration of this submission is Jesus’ prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane. Remember Jesus wasn’t all-knowing while He was on earth. His omniscience was voluntary and temporarily put aside.
Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to [...]

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How Do You Do It All?

Homeschool moms juggle so many tasks and responsibilities every day, effective time management is absolutely critical. Below I give you what works for me. Warning: I had to have open heart surgery at age 51, so think twice before taking any of my advice.

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Are You Seeking Religion or Relationship?

Fruit of the Spirit Friday
The Hebrew word for faith is אמונה (emunah – Strong’s #530) and is an action-oriented word meaning “support”. Our Western concept of faith places the action on the one you have faith in, such as “faith in God.” But the Hebrew word places the action on the one who “supports God.”

Emunah [...]

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Want More Fruit? Plant More Seed!

Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. (Gal 6:7)
Henry Wingblade said that Christian personality is hidden deep inside us. It is unseen, like the soup carried in a tureen high over a waiter’s head. No one knows what’s inside,unless the waiter is bumped and he trips! Just so, people don’t know what’s [...]

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Patiently Waiting for Patience

“If the person you are talking to doesn’t appear to be listening, be patient. It may simply be that he has a small piece of fluff in his ear.”–Winnie the Pooh

What first comes to mind when you think of patience? As a mother, my first thought is having patience with my children. Then I think [...]

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Producing Fruit of the Spirit

We all want to produce abundant spiritual fruit. I want to see fruits of the Spirit in my life as abundant as the produce section of the grocery store. But there are moments in my daily walk that look more like the candy aisle (completely void of any real fruit). This is why [...]

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Fruit of the Spirit: Patience

The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
Fruit of the Spirit Coloring Chart for Children
1. What fruit are you focusing on this week?
I want to be more patient with my children. You would think after a house full of children for 30 years I would have [...]

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Fruit of the Spirit: Faithfulness

Friday Fruit of the Spirit Friday is back. Bloggers join in this Friday Meme.

The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
How does the Bible define this fruit?
Faith’s primary meaning is “firm persuasion.” The Greek word for faithfulness is pistis. William Barclay explains:
This word (pistis) is common in [...]

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Fruit of the Spirit Friday: Love

The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
Two weeks ago today, I had open-heart bypass surgery. When my doctor explained the medical situation, my priorities immediately came into focus. I became conscious of what is truly important in life and what is merely trivial.
We only have so [...]

3 comments | Continued

Fruit of the Spirit: Gentleness

The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
What fruit are you focusing on this fruit this week?
Gentleness. Let your gentleness be known to all men. Phil 4:5
How does the Bible define this fruit?
Gentleness or meekness is the disposition to be gentle, kind, indulgent, even-balanced in tempers and [...]

11 comments | Continued

Fruit of the Spirit: Let’s Examine Fruit

The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
1. What fruit are you focusing on this fruit this week?
Instead of focusing on one of the fruits today I’m studying the word “fruit.” (it’s in keeping with our homeschool study this morning–I will share our homeschool study later today).
2. [...]

1 comment | Continued

Fruit of the Spirit: Love

The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
1. What fruit are you focusing on this fruit this week?
The greatest fruit of God’s Spirit in our life is love. I want to be rooted in the love of Christ, anchored in Him, supported by Him. Deep roots [...]

6 comments | Continued

Fruit of the Spirit: Peace

I have to write about peace for this Friday’s fruit because that’s what I am feeling now. Beautiful peace. Shalom, shalom. I had two huge things going on–one with my health and another with business–things that would normally make me fret. But I have been praying and asked others to pray for me and I [...]

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Creating Reminders for Our Children

In Joshua 4, God commanded His children to put up a pile of twelve stones as a reminder. The stones were specifically piled up in order to prompt their children’s questions! When your children shall ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean these stones? (Josh.4:6, 4:21). The parents’ response is to explain [...]