Ah, control. We all like being in control, but so often we lose it. It could be your mouth with the words that spill out of it, your appetite with how much you keep eating, your thoughts such as giving in to worry, or your time management with how much you spend on your phone, watching TV, etc instead of other needed things. Sometimes we seem to be in control of ourselves while other times we might look like an erupting volcano. Lack of control is sin. Very often people want to blame the devil for their sin problems. While he certainly knows our weaknesses and how to tempt us…

Meekness seems like weakness to most, because it goes against everything in our human nature. It is nearly a lost attribute in the world today. In our human nature, we are prideful people, full of ourselves – our self-worth, our abilities, and our potential. Today’s culture teaches it loud and clear with “believe in yourself” and “you can do anything.” It’s all about your own inner strength and power. Meekness is NOT seen as a virtue. As believers in Jesus Christ, is this a wrong way to think? Let’s see what the Bible teaches about meekness which is a fruit of the Spirit (and the eighth in our series from…

“God makes a promise.Faith believes it.Hope anticipates it.Patience quietly awaits it.” D. L. Moody What is faith? It is the seventh fruit of the Spirit in our series. Hebrews chapter 11 known as the “Hall of Faith” gives a list of men and women from the Old Testament who lived by faith despite obstacles or the unknown or other things that would normally make a person doubt. The chapter opens in verse one with a definition or description of faith. “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). Faith and hope go together; when we have faith in God, we have…

You may have heard the phrase “a good man” or “a good woman” as I have. When you think of a good person, what qualities do you think of? As a believer of Jesus Christ, we are to have the quality of “goodness” which is the sixth fruit of the Spirit in our series (Galatians 5:22-23). As I mentioned before, I think the order of the characteristics in this list are important. The characteristics listed in the fruit of the Spirit cannot be achieved until we are growing the first in the list – love. We can do good works such as serve at church or a local charity, but…

When I gave birth to my son, Andrew, Elizabeth was only 18 months old so when my parents brought her to the hospital to meet her new brother, she thought he was a baby doll. She sat on the hospital bed beside me while I held my sleeping newborn. We told her to “Be gentle!” as she carefully patted his head. Her idea that he was a baby doll was soon to change. 😉 “Be gentle!” is a phrase you often hear around young children when they are “petting” a dog or “loving” on a new baby. We want them to contain their uninhibited energy. While growing up, our neighbor…

Ah, longsuffering. I might describe it as patience on steroids. Crummy steroids. However, it is a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23), and unfortunately, one which grows only under trial. Let me remind us all that because it is a fruit of the Spirit, it is not a suggestion but a command and something we are to strive to achieve. Longsuffering is when whatever trial we are going through we have faith that the Lord is going to keep His promises and see us through it. We have a holy confidence, fully trusting His sovereignty. We are patiently enduring with great faith. Has there ever come a time when you…

In ourselves there’s no way we can naturally live in peace each and every day. Yet it is a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) and something as believers we are to strive to obtain. The Apostle Paul locked in a horrific prison in Rome wrote in Philippians 4:11, “I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.” Can we say the same about our lives? Let us look at the different kinds of peace we can have when we are filled with the Holy Spirit. Peace with God First, to even attain peace, we must accept Jesus Christ’s free gift. Once we put our faith in…

Life is a crazy up and down ride, and the joy we are supposed to exhibit as a fruit of the Spirit may seem impossible. In fact, when I wrote about love – the first fruit of the Spirit – it seemed pretty impossible too. It is impossible to do on our own, and that is why it is a fruit OF THE SPIRIT. We need the help of the Holy Spirit who indwells us as believers to follow this command. However, I believe when we love others as Jesus Christ commands, then joy promptly and easily follows. Sometimes people get confused about the difference between joy and happiness. Happiness…

Loving Like Jesus Recently, I began a series on the fruit of the Spirit entitled “Cultivating Fruit” and am continuing the series with the first fruit in the list, love. I have been taught and strongly believe every word in Scripture is there in its place for a specific reason. Therefore, when Paul listed “love” as the first fruit, he meant it needed to be first place. Showing our love to others is an undeniable fundamental in the Christian faith. Jesus was adamant His disciples were to show love to others. He taught unbelievers would know the disciples were His followers by the love they showed (John 13:35). In fact…