In the previous post we learned that for faith to be true faith, it must lead to a life that is faithful. And that brings us to the surprising definition of the word Paul used in the Fruit of the Spirit passage. The word Paul used in Galatians 5:22, “faithfulness,” is defined as “the stateContinue reading “The surprising definition of faithfulness – Fruit of the Spirit: Faithfulness, Part 3”
Tag Archives: Apostle Paul
The important difference between faith and faithfulness – Fruit of the Spirit: Faithfulness, Part 2
In the previous post we studied a couple passages of Scripture that declare God’s faithfulness. You might read those verses and think, “Okay, I see the words of Scripture, but based on what is happening in my life, it doesn’t always seem that God is faithful.” If we’re honest, we can feel like lamenters inContinue reading “The important difference between faith and faithfulness – Fruit of the Spirit: Faithfulness, Part 2”
We need faith that is more than faith – Fruit of the Spirit: Faithfulness, Preview
What do you think of the name of my church: “Faith Church”? I checked the historical records we have on file, and they begin in 1968 after the name of the church was already decided. Wouldn’t it be cool to have a transcript of the discussion that led to our name “Faith”? Why did whoever pickedContinue reading “We need faith that is more than faith – Fruit of the Spirit: Faithfulness, Preview”
Some practical steps to increase your goodness – Fruit of the Spirit: Goodness, Part 5
As we have learned with the other qualities in the Fruit of the Spirit, we can grow goodness by walking in step with the Spirit, by spending time with him, by asking him repeatedly, “Spirit, infuse me with your goodness.” This is what Jesus was teaching when he talked about abiding in him, remaining inContinue reading “Some practical steps to increase your goodness – Fruit of the Spirit: Goodness, Part 5”
The complexity of defining goodness – Fruit of the Spirit: Goodness, Part 4
This week we are studying the quality of goodness, which is listed in the Fruit of the Spirit. What we’re going to find is that defining goodness is not as simple as it might seem. We learned in the previous post that numerous Psalms declare that God is good. In today’s post we jump overContinue reading “The complexity of defining goodness – Fruit of the Spirit: Goodness, Part 4”
You good? – Fruit of the Spirit: Goodness, Part 1
“You good?” Have you ever said that to someone? Maybe a person appears to be coughing or choking, and as they struggle to maintain composure, we say, “You good?” After they regain composure, they respond, “It’s all good.” Or maybe a person has a particularly emotional reaction to a situation, a reaction that we thinkContinue reading “You good? – Fruit of the Spirit: Goodness, Part 1”
Oh my goodness! – Fruit of the Spirit: Goodness, Preview
“Oh my goodness!!!” How many of you say that phrase? Usually we say “oh my goodness” when we feel surprised, disappointed or disgusted. Why, then, do we not just say “I am surprised,” or “I am disgusted”? Certainly there are times when we do say, “I am surprise” or “I am disgusted,” but my guessContinue reading “Oh my goodness! – Fruit of the Spirit: Goodness, Preview”
What to do when kindness doesn’t work – Fruit of the Spirit: Kindness, Part 4
This week we are studying kindness, so let’s go back to our definition of kindness. Kindness is “to provide something beneficial for someone as an act of kindness.”[1] My college, Lancaster Bible College, has an annual mission conference. During the years Michelle and I were students, the mid 1990s, one feature of the mission conferenceContinue reading “What to do when kindness doesn’t work – Fruit of the Spirit: Kindness, Part 4”
The antidote to unkindness – Fruit of the Spirit: Kindness, Part 2
In the previous post, I mentioned that unkindness has power. We humans can wield unkindness as a weapon to benefit us. And we often do. Yet, in the process of being unkind, we leave a trail a bodies. What is the antidote to unkindness? As we continue our study through the Fruit of the Spirit,Continue reading “The antidote to unkindness – Fruit of the Spirit: Kindness, Part 2”
The frustrating difficulty of kindness – Fruit of the Spirit: Kindness, Preview
“Just be kind!” I can’t tell you how many times those three words have been uttered inside my house. The reason why we have said those words so often over the years is because people in my house are not treating each other with kindness. Usually this bad behavior is the outflow of sibling rivalryContinue reading “The frustrating difficulty of kindness – Fruit of the Spirit: Kindness, Preview”
Engaging Scripture 