February 2023 – Welcome

Fruit of the Spirit – Week 4: PEACE

Philippians 4:6-7
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

A couple of months ago I quit my job. Wait, let me rephrase, I quit my career. It was the most reckless thing I have ever done. The timing was terrible. I had no idea what job or career was next, no prospects for income, and our marriage was hanging on by a mere thread. After God asked me for a blank canvas eighteen months earlier, this was the final step in full surrender; giving up my fifteen year career in banking.

Fruit of the Spirit – Week 3: JOY

James 1:2-3
Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.

This introduction to the book of James is a tough one to swallow. Joy in trials? No, thank you. I decided to research the original word “joy” in Greek. Joy in this verse is translated from the Greek word chara which means joy, rejoicing, happiness, gladness. So, it means joy as we know it. Glad we cleared that up.

How do we do this? What does it mean to have joy in trails and continue rejoicing regardless of our circumstances?

Fruit of the Spirit – Week 2: LOVE

Colossians 3:14
And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

1 Corinthians 13:13
And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

Confession: I hate Valentine’s Day. Truly hate it. In the dating years it was a day reminding me of the boyfriend I didn’t have. Then when the boyfriends came along, they never celebrated the day as this young, hopeless romantic expected. And now that I’m married with children, it is a day when all the Pinterest moms show off their crafty skills while I grab the $1.99 batman cards from Dollar General.

Human love can be so tricky. It can be beautiful and hurtful; it can brighten our day and bring us to our knees in grief. In 1 Corinthians, love is given all of these pure attributes like patience, kindness, and protection; all attributes I do not have in my own strength. Also, I have not always felt these attributes in my personal human relationships.

Fruit of the Spirit – Week 1: Fruit vs Gifts

Galatians 5:22-23
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

All through the Bible, you read about ordinary, sinful people doing extraordinary things. Many of these people are given special gifts to carry out a specific purpose God has called them to do. For many of the characters, we get a mere snapshot of their lives here on earth. We are invited to witness the highlight reel of their moment in history for the grander story. For the select few that are followed for a longer portion of their lives, we get a real sense of their humanness.

Here is what is so important to remember; these gifts are given to them by God, but they themselves are incapable of maintaining a perfect, sinless life. Abraham lied more than once to benefit himself among others, Moses murdered a man, Samson had no self-control around the ladies, and David was guilty of all the above.

New Series Starts 2.6.23!

Have you ever set a goal to be more patient with your kids? Or kind to the office grouch? And by lunchtime you have failed miserably? Why can’t I be a nicer person?! The truth is, it’s not in us naturally. This can be both a relief and a frustration. The Fruit of the Spirit is not something we are capable of in our own human ability. Fruit is a product of abiding in the one True Vine, Jesus.