Joy and Human Flourishing: Essays on Theology, Culture, and the Good Life contains essays by Jürgen Moltmann, N. T. Wright, Marianne Meye Thompson, Mary Clark Moschella, Charles Mathewes, and Miroslav Volf. It ties joy with other biblical themes such as ecclesiology, happiness, pastoral counseling, creation, and, of course, suffering. The followingRead More
The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. (Gal 5:22–23) We all know this. We’ve all read this. We’ve all heard this from the pulpit, in small groups, and in Sunday School classes most of our Christian lives. Now…what does it mean?Read More
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Galatians 5:22-23. “The fruit of the Spirit is love.” The Spirit’s love actively places supreme value on the loved. The Spirit’s love is sacrificial. “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the churchRead More
Nearing the end of this series we come to a manifestation of God’s Spirit that is vitally important. So often I encounter people who are not merely assertive but aggressive, predominantly coarse rather than tender, eager to expound their opinions and knowledge rather than reserved and reflective. In fact, theRead More
“The fruit of the Spirit is faithfulness.” Resolute commitment, complete confidence, firm allegiance all sum up the notion of faithfulness. One who is faithful is one who is dependable and trustworthy. Those in whom God’s Spirited faithfulness lives are those who are loyal and can be counted on. Both theRead More
Being born again is evident by the presence of God’s Spirit in us (Rom. 8:9). This series continues with that evidence as defined in Galatians 5:22-23. “The fruit of the Spirit is goodness.” A deliberate and persistent preference for right over wrong, moral beauty over indecency, generosity over greed, theRead More
Following on the heels of patience (or forbearance) in this series, is the Spirit’s fruit of kindness. “The fruit of the Spirit is kindness.” Kindness manifests in acts of benevolence toward others. Kind behavior wrought by the Spirit tangibly and noticeably extends favor to those in need with a gladRead More
Having addressed love, joy, and peace in this series, we come to patience or “forbearance.” “The fruit of the Spirit is forbearance.” The Spirit’s fruit of forbearance or patience given to believers is a “state of emotional calm in the face of provocation or misfortune and without complaint or irritation”Read More
This is the second in a series on the fruit of the Spirit. “The fruit of the Spirit is joy.” The Spirit’s joy not only results from our circumstances turning favorably, but is an attitude going into them. Joy is often a quiet, inner confidence in God’s sovereign control overRead More
This is the first post in a series on my musings over the fruit of God’s Spirit as found in Galatians 5:22-23. “The fruit of the Spirit is love.” The Spirit’s love actively places supreme value on the loved. (Incidentally, it’s only fitting that love kicks off this series sinceRead More
Be filled with the Spirit. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. (Eph 5:18; Gal 5:22–23) This begins a new series on the fruit of God’s Spirit. Entries will not be technical nor exhaustive studies of each item listed in Gal.Read More
