Fruit

June 1st – Galatians 5:22-23

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Galatians 5:22-23

In Galatians 5:22-23, the Apostle Paul outlines the Fruit of the Spirit. A collection of nine virtues that together make up a Christ-like character. These virtues, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, are the hallmarks of a life transformed by the Holy Spirit. Each attribute reflects part of Jesus’ own nature and offers a blueprint for how we are to live as His followers. Love leads us to selflessly care for others. Joy uplifts us and those around us, and peace brings harmony in our relationships. Patience helps us endure trials with grace, while kindness and goodness spur us to acts of compassion and integrity. Faithfulness keeps us steadfast in our commitments. Gentleness tempers our actions with humility, and self-control enables us to resist temptation. By cultivating these virtues, we not only grow closer to Christ but also become living testimonies of His love and power. Allowing us to become effective witnesses of the gospel in a world that desperately needs saving.

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April 26th – Psalm 1:3

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Psalm 1:3

As we behold the beauty of spring in all its splendor, let us also reflect on the beauty and splendor of rooting ourselves in God’s Word. For like the trees which draw nourishment from the flowing streams, so too are our souls nourished by the living water of scripture. We all want to be blessed by God. God wants that too. But that won’t happen if we’re rooted in the wickedness of the world, being fed by the sins of the flesh, and producing worthless, worldly, fruit. The way we live our lives, not the words we speak, are the true testimonies of our hearts. And every eye is watching; especially God’s. So to receive His very best, we need to be people after God’s own heart. This means uprooting ourselves from the sinful soil of this earth, being replanted on the riverbank of God’s living water. There we can be nourished day and night with His goodness and love. Our leaves will forever be lush and beautiful. And never will our tree be barren, but always produce sweet, bountiful fruit pleasing to the Lord.

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April 19th – 2 Timothy 2:21

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2 Timothy 2:21

Spring’s arrival brings with it a season of preparation. A time when gardeners diligently till the soil and sow seeds in hopeful anticipation of the abundant harvest to come. In much the same way, our spiritual journey requires intentional preparation and cultivation. The soil of our hearts needs tilling, to remove any obstacles that hinder the harvest in our own lives. Intentional seeds of love, grace, and obedience need to be sown with care in the hopes of producing a garden of fruits for the Lord. Today, let us pause and seek God’s guidance in preparing our hearts to be vessels of His love and grace. May we surrender any impurities or distractions that hinder our effectiveness in His service, allowing Him to mold us into instruments for His divine purposes. With hearts purified and minds focused, let us step forward with confidence, ready to do the good works that God has prepared in advance for us to do. All with the goal of yielding an abundant harvest for God, and bringing glory to His name.

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March 25th – Mark 11:12-14

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Mark 11:12-14

As we approach the celebration of Resurrection Day, many are the lessons we can learn from Jesus during this most Holy Week. The accounts of Jesus cursing the fig tree and overturning the money-changing tables at the temple, both share a common theme of confronting hypocrisy and spiritual emptiness. In both instances, Jesus reacts strongly against outward displays of religiosity that lack genuine substance. The fig tree, though appearing healthy from afar, bore no fruit, symbolizing the barrenness of a faith lacking true righteousness. Similarly, the money-changing tables in the temple represented a corruption of worship, where greed and deception took precedence over genuine reverence for God. Jesus’ actions in both cases serve as a powerful rebuke against a superficial faith, and a call to authentic devotion and spiritual integrity. They remind us that God what values most of all, is a sincere heart and genuine worship above mere outward appearances.

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September 27th – Luke 6:44

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Luke 6:44

My childhood home had a small crab apple tree that grew in the backyard. It had thick, bushy leaves which provided perfect shade from the summer heat. And at the end of each branch dangled the most inviting apples. I’ll never forget the first time I twisted one of those apples from its stem and took a bite. Far from sweet juiciness, the taste was so sour and bitter, I spit the apple out and threw the remainder on the ground to rot. That day I learned not all trees bear good fruit. Jesus says that each of us is a fruit bearing tree. And the way in which we live our lives, meaning the decisions we make, the words we speak, and our actions towards others, determine the goodness of our fruit. A tree that produces the sweetest and most choicest of fruit, is the one whose roots run deep in God’s Word. And whose branches bravely follow the example of Jesus, reaching out in love to a starving world.

September 27th – Luke 6:44 Read More »