Back To Basics – Part 6

(This week we continue our series on “The Fruit of the Spirit” with a discussion on the word “faithfulness.”)

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

gentleness and self-control.” (Galatians 5:22-23)

Mark Hatfield tells of touring Calcutta with Mother Teresa and visiting the so-called "House of Dying," where sick children are cared for in their last days, and the dispensary, where the poor line up by the hundreds to receive medical attention. Watching Mother Teresa minister to these people, feeding and nursing those left by others to die, Hatfield was overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of the suffering she and her co-workers face daily. "How can you bear the load without being crushed by it?" he asked. Mother Teresa replied, "My dear Senator, I am not called to be successful, I am called to be faithful." (Beyond Hunger, Beals)

What a powerful example of someone who measured her life not by how many awards she received, money she earned, or material wealth she accumulated. Rather than care about earthly things, like success, Mother Teresa measured her life by her faithful walk with the Lord. Her faithfulness can teach us much.

It is important to know that it is through the power of the Holy Spirit that we are able to produce the fruit of faithfulness. The Holy Spirit is an ever present help as we try to stay on the narrow path on our daily walk with Christ.

When we are lost, the Holy Spirit works to bring us to Christ. As believers, the Holy Spirit brought about our new birth in Christ. When we backslide, the Holy Spirit restores us to Christ. The Holy Spirit’s presence within us is revealed by the fruit He produces.

Today we will discuss the fruit of the Spirit called faithfulness. We will learn about faith that is childlike; faith that rises to all the challenges of life; and faith that proves the believer’s life is different.

Back To Basics – Part 5

(This week we continue our series on “The Fruit of the Spirit” with a discussion on the word “goodness.”)

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

gentleness and self-control.” (Galatians 5:22-23)

The past several weeks we have been studying the Fruit of the Spirit. We have seen how love, joy, peace, patience and kindness play an important role in our Christian walk. They each call for a higher standard than we could ever achieve on our own. It is the power of the Holy Spirit that produces this fruit in us.

Some call this fruit “the nine graces” and they divide them into three distinct groups. Love, joy and peace are considered graces which turn one’s thoughts toward God. Patience (or longsuffering), kindness and goodness are graces that direct our attention toward our fellowman. Faithfulness, gentleness (or meekness) and self-control are considered graces which refer more directly to oneself.

Today we turn our attention to the fruit called goodness. We will learn how having a good disposition and a good attitude are an important part of goodness, and how goodness creates a desire in us to do good for others.

Back To Basics – Part 4

(This week we continue our series on “The Fruit of the Spirit” with a discussion on the word “kindness.”)

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

gentleness and self-control.” (Galatians 5:22-23)

The other day I went out to lunch with a close friend who I have not spent much time with lately. I was eager to sit down with her and catch up with the events of her life, and share with her my latest happenings.

As we entered the restaurant, and walked up to the greeting area to get a seat, we both looked at the woman who stood in line directly in front of us. It was obvious that she was homeless, and she was trying desperately to talk to the hostess who was paying her little attention. I believe the woman may have had a stroke at one time or another because she spoke with a slurred kind of speech usually seen in such patients. The hostess started to help us, and I thought for a moment that she was being rude in ignoring this poor woman, but only a moment passed before another hostess came and led me and my friend to a table.

I immediately forgot the incident, but my friend didn’t. She indicated her displeasure about the woman being disregarded. That is when I thoughtlessly said something about us not knowing the whole situation.

My friend and I had a wonderful lunch and we both promised each other that we would not let so much time pass before we had lunch again. As we prepared to leave, my friend spotted the little lady who had previously been ignored, sitting at a booth and sipping a cup of coffee.

My friend excused herself, and with a look of displeasure clearly written on her face, she walked up to the hostess who had previously disregarded the woman and whispered something to her. Then my friend pulled out her wallet and paid to have lunch brought to the woman.

Of course I immediately felt about one inch tall. I’m a minister and I cast a blind eye to the woman’s plight. In hind sight I know that I should have been the one to offer to do something, but I didn’t. It was a wakeup call for me. I now know that I need to start paying more attention to the people around me. Especially my dear friend who has a compassionate heart that reaches out to anyone in need.

How wonderfully ironic that I am writing about “kindness” this week? I suppose God felt He needed to humble me a bit before I wrote this post. Thank you, Lord!

The Bible is full of passages that tell us about the word kindness. These passages describe God’s kindness to us and how we are to be kind to others. They teach us that we are to be especially kind in our speech and with our substance. They also provide us with examples of people who have been kind to others, or who have been blessed by the kindness of others. We can all learn from their wisdom.

Back To Basics – Part 3

(This week we continue our series on “The Fruit of the Spirit” with a discussion on the word “patience.”)

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

gentleness and self-control.” (Galatians 5:22-23)

Those of us who have children may have experienced the joy of the family road trip. You know the one that I am talking about. The family piles into the car headed to the beach, grandma’s house, or one of the many mega-theme parks located around the country. If so, then you probably have had to endure the constant questioning from at least one of your children -- “Are we there yet? Are we there yet? “Are we there yet?” Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we were all born with the instant ability to “be patient?”

Patience is one of the most needed of the Fruit of the Spirit. Unfortunately it doesn’t come easy for most people. While love, joy and peace are all important Fruit of the Spirit, patience is essential to living a successful Christian life.

Today we will learn how God calls on us to be patient. We will examine scriptural examples of people who had the capacity to be patient. And, we will discover how we can witness through patience.

Getting Back To Basics -- Part 2

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

gentleness and self-control.” (Galatians 5:22-23)

(This week we continue our series on “The Fruit of the Spirit” with a discussion on “peace.”)

The late John Lennon is known for his song entitled “Imagine,” which urges us to visualize a world where peace is the norm. Let me share a few words with you: “Imagine all the people living life in peace. You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one. I hope someday you'll join us, and the world will live as one.”

Peace … the Webster dictionary defines the word peace as, “calm; quiet; tranquility,” while Holman’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary defines the word as, “A condition or sense of harmony, well-being, and prosperity.”

Just as love and joy are fruit that enrich our lives, peace is a commodity that most people yearn for, but many never find.

Aren’t we all just looking for a little peace? We look for peace …

• In our relationships

• In our finances

• From our aches and pains

• From violence and war

• From injustice and hate

Most of all, don’t we just want a little peace of mind?

Know that it is possible to find peace, but first we need to understand the three keys to obtaining that peace. They are:

• Having peace with God

• Having peace of God

• And, having peace with others

Getting Back To Basics

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” (Galatians 5:22-23)

There is a disturbing trend seen in many churches today. It is the obvious apathy, or indifference, of many Christians.

They may attend services, but it appears that they are only "going through the motions." Their singing …their praying … their Bible study … even their zeal, seems listless or spiritless. To rephrase the words of Henry David Thoreau: "The mass of [Christians] lead lives of quiet desperation."

I believe the problem is one similar to an athlete or a sports team that is going through "a slump." Such a person or team "goes through the motions," but they are not performing up to their true potential.

The usual solution in sports is to return to working on "the fundamentals." The same is true with Christians. When we find ourselves "in a slump" we too need to stress the fundamentals and get "Back to Basics!"

Today I would like to stress some of the fundamentals or basics that we need to get back to whenever our lives are in a spiritual slump. You may have heard these basics called by another name … “The Fruit of the Spirit.” There are a total of nine fruit. They are: love … joy … peace … patience … kindness … goodness … faithfulness … gentleness … and self-control.