Joy
Read: Galatians 5:22-23; Philippians 1:15-21 But the fruit of the Spirit is . . . joy. (v. 22) What comes to mind when you think of joy? What was the last experience you had that you would describe as “sheer joy”? Joy is different from happiness. “The pursuit of happiness” is prized in the American Declaration of Independence as […]
Love
Read: Galatians 5:22-23; John 13:31-35 But the fruit of the Spirit is love. (v. 22) The first fruit of the Spirit is love, which echoes other scriptural references to the primacy of love—for instance, “faith, hope, and love abide . . . but the greatest of these is love” (1 Cor. 13:13) and “we love because he first loved […]
Fruit in Bunches
Read: Galatians 5:24; John 15:12-17 Those who belong to Christ . . . (v. 24) The fruit of the Spirit is different from the fruit of the self-help movement, and it’s also different from those qualities we call virtues. Virtues typically refer to the way a person’s character has been formed. Is she courageous? Is he truthful? Virtues are […]
Fruit vs. Self-Help
Read: John 15:1-8 But the fruit of the Spirit . . . (Gal. 5:22) Most bookstores that are divided into subject areas will have a decent amount of shelf space devoted to the section called “Self-Help.” Designed to help us tackle our bad habits or dysfunctional relationships, these books appeal to our desire for self-improvement. Such desires aren’t […]
A Follow-Up Letter
Read: Galatians 1:1-9 To the churches of Galatia . . . (v. 2) Paul’s relatively short letter to the Galatians was not simply meant to inform or encourage the new Christians in Galatia. Instead, with strong language, he makes it clear that they have been deceived by the teachers who came there after Paul had left. Paul is gravely […]
Live by the Spirit
Read: Galatians 5:16-17 But I say, walk by the Spirit. (v. 16) For the next two weeks we’ll consider Paul’s letter to the Galatians, which includes the listing of the “fruit of the Spirit” that is probably familiar to many of us. In today’s verses, Paul refers to the way of the Spirit and the way […]
Walk by the Spirit
Read: Galatians 5:16-26 The LORD is my shepherd. (Ps. 23:1a) Sheep need their shepherd. They need him for their total care. We also need our Shepherd. In John 15:5, Jesus says to his disciples, “Apart from me you can do nothing.” If we are going to commit to walking differently this new year, as illustrated […]
Walk Assured
Read: Psalm 27 I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever. (Psalm 23:6b) What do we know for certain? We know that the sun will rise, and the sun will set each day. We experience gravity that keeps us on earth. We also know for certain that we have the gift of today. […]
Walk with Goodness and Mercy
Read: Exodus 34:1-10 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me. (Psalm 23:6a) When I was a child, I observed my shadow closely. It changed depending on the position of the sun. It was always fun to see how my shadow made me look tall and disproportionate when the sun was lower in the sky. Whenever […]