I will share about Christian books I have read or listened to.
I will be sharing about my life before and after Christ. I will include stories about my pet and other pets I have encountered.
The Fruit the Spirit Produces
Paul, the author of the letter of Galatians, spends a large part of his letter explaining what it means to live by the Spirit of God. He describes what it looks like for Christians to live according to the Spirit, and also what it looks like to live apart from the Spirit.
One of the key distinctions for those who live according to the Spirit of God is that they produce certain external qualities. Paul calls these the fruit of the Spirit.
Just like an apple tree produces apples and a vineyard produces grapes, so we as Christians are also meant to produce certain things in our life.
Paul lists nine character qualities that should be evident in someone’s life if they’re walking according to God’s ways. They are:
Love
Joy
Peace
Patience
Kindness
Goodness
Faithfulness
Gentleness
Self-Control
Just like the fruit of a tree isn’t meant for the tree itself, but for others, so also the fruit of the Spirit in a Christian’s life is not meant for themselves, but for others. We are to love one another, take joy in one another, have peace with one another, and be kind to one another.
The fruit of the Spirit is meant to be grown and harvested within Christian community rather than in isolation. We were created for a relationship with God and others.
Take a look at the list of fruit the Spirit produces in a Christian’s life. Be honest and ask yourself: Which fruit am I producing? Which fruit am I not producing, and why am I not producing it? Take note of a few small steps you can take to grow closer to God in those areas of your life and produce more fruit.
Fully Committed
“And may your hearts be fully committed to the Lord our God, to live by His decrees and obey His commands, as at this time.”
1 Kings 8:61
These words are part of King Solomon’s prayer of dedication at the completion of the temple in Jerusalem. It was a moment of celebration and fulfillment, a physical reminder that God was dwelling among His people. But Solomon didn’t want a beautiful building. He wanted a faithful people.
Not halfway committed. Not when commitment is convenient. Not when you feel like committing.
Fully committed.
It’s easy to drift into partial commitment: reading your Bible when life slows down and you can find the time, praying only when things go wrong, showing up to church when your family has a free weekend. But Solomon’s prayer still calls to us today, and it's clear: be all-in with your faith.
So what could full commitment look like in your everyday life? Here are four things you and your family can do to build a life that's fully committed to ...
