Monday, May 4, 2026
The Fruit of the Spirit Should be Evident in Our Lives
The fruit of the Spirit is not works, although works flow from them. These are the fruit of the Spirit.
Galatians 5:22-23
"22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law."
When someone has the fruit of the Spirit of Christ, they don't need rules and laws; their inner being wants to do what is right in God's eyes. Our hearts have been transformed into the mind of Christ.
John 15:4-5 "Remain in Me, and I will remain in you. Just as no branch can bear fruit by itself unless it remains in the vine, neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in Me. I am the vine and you are the branches. The one who remains in Me, and I in him, will bear much fruit. For apart from Me you can do nothing."
Romans 8:13-14 "For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God."
Ephesians 5:9 "for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness, and truth."
John 13:34-35 "A new commandment I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you also must love one another. / By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another.”
Those who belong to Christ have an authentic love based on obedience to Christ not an emotional love based on personal desire to be loved by others.
John 14:27 "Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled; do not be afraid."
Our love is greater than the love of the world, it cares about what is best for people not what pleases them in the flesh.
Forgiveness is a big part of the love of Christ.
Ephesians 4:32 "Be kind and tenderhearted to one another, forgiving each other just as in Christ God forgave you."
How God forgives: Luke 17:2-4 "…2 It would be better for him to have a millstone hung around his neck and to be thrown into the sea than to cause one of these little ones to stumble. 3 Watch yourselves. If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. 4 Even if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times returns to say, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.”
God is all about reconciliation and reconciliation does not occur without confession of offenses and forgiveness, two sides of the same coin.
2 Corinthians 5:20-21 "20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 He made Him who knew no sin to be [e]sin in our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him."
No one is reconciled to God by ignoring sin. No on is reconciled to God by ignoring offenses. Offenses must be addressed and worked out to be resolved.
Ignoring sin and just pretending to be friendly never helps anyone; it only causes sin to grow and people to be destroyed.
Romans 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Psalm 145:20 "The Lord preserves all who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy."
If we love people, we care about their spiritual well-being far more than their personal happiness.
Galatians 5:22-23
"22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law."
When someone has the fruit of the Spirit of Christ, they don't need rules and laws; their inner being wants to do what is right in God's eyes. Our hearts have been transformed into the mind of Christ.
John 15:4-5 "Remain in Me, and I will remain in you. Just as no branch can bear fruit by itself unless it remains in the vine, neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in Me. I am the vine and you are the branches. The one who remains in Me, and I in him, will bear much fruit. For apart from Me you can do nothing."
Romans 8:13-14 "For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God."
Ephesians 5:9 "for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness, and truth."
John 13:34-35 "A new commandment I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you also must love one another. / By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another.”
Those who belong to Christ have an authentic love based on obedience to Christ not an emotional love based on personal desire to be loved by others.
John 14:27 "Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled; do not be afraid."
Our love is greater than the love of the world, it cares about what is best for people not what pleases them in the flesh.
Forgiveness is a big part of the love of Christ.
Ephesians 4:32 "Be kind and tenderhearted to one another, forgiving each other just as in Christ God forgave you."
How God forgives: Luke 17:2-4 "…2 It would be better for him to have a millstone hung around his neck and to be thrown into the sea than to cause one of these little ones to stumble. 3 Watch yourselves. If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. 4 Even if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times returns to say, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.”
God is all about reconciliation and reconciliation does not occur without confession of offenses and forgiveness, two sides of the same coin.
2 Corinthians 5:20-21 "20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 He made Him who knew no sin to be [e]sin in our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him."
No one is reconciled to God by ignoring sin. No on is reconciled to God by ignoring offenses. Offenses must be addressed and worked out to be resolved.
Ignoring sin and just pretending to be friendly never helps anyone; it only causes sin to grow and people to be destroyed.
Romans 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Psalm 145:20 "The Lord preserves all who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy."
If we love people, we care about their spiritual well-being far more than their personal happiness.
Sunday, May 3, 2026
Friday, May 1, 2026
Surrounded by the Wrong People Video
2 Corinthians 6:16-18 …16What agreement can exist between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will dwell with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be My people.” 17“Therefore come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.” 18And: “I will be a Father to you, and you will be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.”
Revelation 18:4 "Then I heard another voice from heaven say: “Come out of her, My people, so that you will not share in her sins or contract any of her plagues."
Thursday, April 30, 2026
Finding Christ and Losing People
When we believe God and His Word it will result in obedience to Him and rejection by most people. Often we find ourselves with very few friends even within the Christian community. Most people are deeply invested in fitting into the culture. They think, "if everyone else thinks this way it must be right."
Matthew 7:13-14 "The Narrow and Wide Gates
13 “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. 14 For the gate is narrow and the way is constricted that leads to life, and there are few who find it."
John 10:9 "I am the gate. If anyone enters through Me, he will be saved. He will come in and go out and find pasture."
Isaiah 35:8 "And there will be a highway called the Way of Holiness. The unclean will not travel it—only those who walk in the Way—and fools will not stray onto it."
Matthew 7:13-14 "The Narrow and Wide Gates
13 “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. 14 For the gate is narrow and the way is constricted that leads to life, and there are few who find it."
John 10:9 "I am the gate. If anyone enters through Me, he will be saved. He will come in and go out and find pasture."
Isaiah 35:8 "And there will be a highway called the Way of Holiness. The unclean will not travel it—only those who walk in the Way—and fools will not stray onto it."
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