The Fruit Of The Spirit

Week of November 18, 2022

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.” (Galatians 5:22-23,N KJV)

Most likely, you will be meeting with family over the Thanksgiving holidays.  It may be that not all your family are believers, or maybe they are not too deeply committed to following their faith.  If there is ever an excellent time to demonstrate the character of Christ, it is when we are with those family members.

The fruit of the Spirit gives evidence of the character of Christ in a person. They are signs of God’s presence in your life and should be a part of every follower who has committed themselves to becoming like Christ. The Holy Spirit is the Helper that allows us to embrace these Christ-like characteristics.  He makes the impossible, possible through Him.  

Take one aspect of the Fruit of the Spirit and during a quiet time think on ways it can become a part of your life.  Yes, with some of the elements of the Fruit of the Spirit it is going to be more time consuming to grow than it will be for others.  Just remember, you cannot rush spiritual growth.  When the nine parts of the Fruit of the Spirit becomes part of your life, you will have a balanced life.  You will be honoring Christ with your life, and your family will know even if not communicated to you, that indeed Christ has made a difference in your life.

God Bless, Pastor Rick

His Holy Name

Week of November 11, 2022

“My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord, And all flesh shall bless His holy name Forever and ever.” (Psalm 145:21, NKJV)

The 145th Psalm ends in the same manner that it began, with a call to bless the holy name of the Lord forever. It is a shame to hear so many people use the name of Jesus Christ in a thoughtless manner that is not holy or a blessing to anyone. I am sure you have overheard someone carelessly using the name of Jesus as if it was nothing different than saying, Santa Claus. I have often wondered why people, especially those who have not ever placed their belief in Jesus, would choose to speak this particular name over any other figure that represents a religious belief system. The answer is simple though; there is power only in the name of Jesus. The atheists, agnostics, and anti-Christian groups can try all they might, but the name of Jesus is not going anywhere. Even the non-believer has His holy name on his lips and equally will have no excuse on the day of judgment if they have rejected him. While it is sad that so many use the name of the Lord in vain, it is also a testimony of how His name continues to live on and spread around the world 2,000 years later. With the popularity of the name comes the opportunity for the individual to explore who Jesus was and is today and ultimately what He has planned for the future. When we hear someone carelessly use the name of Jesus, it gives us an opportunity to witness to that person and share with them the real power that is in the name of Jesus. So let us all keep our ears open and be ready to have a personal gospel conversation with someone that needs to know the real Jesus.

God Bless, Pastor Rick

Something Bigger Than Ourselves

Week of November 4, 2022

Moreover He said “I am the God of your father – the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.  And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look upon God” (Exodus 3:6 NKJV)

God speaks to us often in the context of what He has done in the lives of those who have gone before us.  God did not give Moses an assignment independent of what He has done through those who had preceded Him.  God made promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob hundreds of years earlier, and He was going to involve Moses in His ongoing activity.

The God who led Moses worked through prophets and directed the apostle Paul is the same God who approaches you today to become involved in His work.  Do you sense the significance of that?  You are a vital part of something much bigger than yourself.

We are guilty sometimes of only thinking in the present.  We expect that anything God does through us will be completed while we can see the results.  We become impatient if God intends to complete what He began in us through another person or even another time.

Moses came to understand that his involvement in God’s work was in the context of hundreds of years of divine activity.  You and I are pieces of something bigger than ourselves.  I hope you sense that your life is part of God’s eternal purposes.

God Bless, Pastor Rick