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The Fruit Of The Spirit
Contributed by Glenn Pease on Mar 8, 2021 (message contributor)
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1. Introduction To The Fruit Of The Spirit
Contributed on Mar 8, 2021
People who eat only fruit are called fruitarians. In this series on the Fruits of the Spirit we are going to be Biblical fruitarians, and strive to consume all God has revealed about spiritual fruit.
A doctor, an engineer, and an attorney were debating whose profession was the oldest. The doctor said, " it's obvious the medical profession was the first. The Bible refers to God creating Eve from Adam's rib, and that is surgical procedure." But the engineer said, "No! ...read more
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2. The Fruit Of Joy
Contributed on Mar 8, 2021
Joy is a feeling that no matter how hard life is, I have the best that life can offer in Christ. Anyone can feel good and be happy when all is going well and life is free of negatives. But with the fruit of joy you can rejoice in the Lord always, even when life is full of negatives
Martin Clark said every church should have a humor committee because there are more funny things that happen in church than in a zoo, for people are funnier than the animals. God made man to be the only creature on earth who can laugh because of his sense of humor. Christians need a sense of ...read more
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3. The Fruit Of Peace
Contributed on Mar 8, 2021
The goal of God is peace. He is the God of peace, and He sent the Prince of Peace to achieve that goal on the cross. Jesus did achieve it, and now in Him we are to be a people of peace.
I have a good number of books by Norman Vincent Peale, and almost every one of them has a chapter on peace. The reason is, Peale appeals to the masses and peace is a topic that has universal interest. Dante, centuries ago said, "I am seeking for that which every man seeks-Peace." Peace ...read more
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4. The Fruit Of Patience
Contributed on Mar 8, 2021
George Horne says, "Patience strengthens the spirit, sweetens the temper, stifles anger, extinguishes envy, subdues pride, bridles the tongue, restrains the hand, and tramples on temptation." In other words, it is the key to being like Jesus.
A young boy, who had reached the age where having a watch made life worth living, was bugging his parents to get him one. He was told he would have to wait until he was older. But he continued to beg for one until his whole family was sick of it. His father finally laid down the law and told him ...read more
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5. The Fruit Of Kindness
Contributed on Mar 8, 2021
People who do not grasp the theology of Christianity can easily grasp its love when they see it displayed in acts of kindness. Instead of thinking of kindness as a minor virtue, we need to exalt it to the level where the Bible puts it-a vital ingredient to being Christ like.
Allen Emery, one of Billy Graham's associates tells of his experience as a boy back in 1937. He was travelling on a train with his father. One of the porters had a limp and was obviously in pain. When they inquired about it, they learned he had an infected ingrown toenail. After breakfast ...read more
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6. The Fruit Of Goodness
Contributed on Mar 9, 2021
Jesus blasted all religion that failed the test of goodness. If people are not made good by their faith, their faith is no good. God is good, and what is not good is not of God. That is Biblical theology in a nutshell.
A young boy had been sent to his room for bad behavior. After awhile he emerged and told his mother he had thought it over and prayed about it. "That's wonderful", said the mother. "If you ask God He will help you be good." The boy responded, "But I didn't ask God ...read more
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7. The Fruit Of Faithfulness
Contributed on Mar 9, 2021
The highest compliment the New Testament can give to a Christian is that they are faithful. It will be the greatest reward to hear Jesus say in the day of judgement, "well done thou good and faithful servant."
Andrew Carnegie was the richest man in the world at the beginning of the 20th century. His life illustrated both the positive and negative sides of the fruit of faithfulness. You would think that faithfulness would always be positive, but the fact is, every virtue can be a vice if it is linked to ...read more
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8. The Fruit Of Gentleness
Contributed on Mar 9, 2021
The Holy Spirit came upon Jesus, you recall, not as a vulture or a screeching hawk, but in the form of a dove, the symbol of gentleness. Jesus will be forever praised in heaven as the Lamb of God, the creature of gentleness.
Bill Hybels, the popular pastor of the Willow Creek Community Church, one of the fastest growing churches in America, admits that he is not a tender hearted person. By nature he is often cold, hardhearted, and indifferent to the hurting world around him. In his book Who Are You When No One's ...read more
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9. The Fruit Of Self-Control
Contributed on Mar 9, 2021
Self-control is the inner strength that determines what external stimuli will be allowed to move you to action. The reason Christians are motivated by external stimuli to do things out of God's will is because they lack this fruit of the Spirit
One of the things that made Lincoln so great was his marvelous self-control. The nation was coming apart at the seams with a civil war that had everybody's emotions operating at extremes. To add to the tension, some army contractors were ripping off the government. This made Lincoln ...read more