365 Days of Spirit-Filled Fruits Challenge-Day 305

I started reading some sermons regarding the fruit of the spirit and came upon this one that explained what fruit is. The link to the full sermon is below:

Because, you see, these qualities are fruit. And you can’t make fruit, can you – well, there is doubtless an Apple factory somewhere, but that’s something different. You can’t go and watch a banana being made, or the peel being put on an orange. Fruit grows. It’s the farmers and the growers who produce fruit, not factories or mills. The farmer, or the market gardener, does a great deal to protect the fruit trees, and see that they aren’t eaten by pests, or get too dry, and that the trees have been pollinated so that the fruit can grow, but basically they have to be patient, and wait for the fruit to grow and ripen.

And so do we. We can’t manufacture love, or joy, or gentleness, or the other qualities Paul mentions. But we can help them grow.

How? Well, obviously first of all by really being God’s person, not just in Church on Sundays, but allowing what we do on Sundays to affect the rest of our week. Ideally we should try to take time to be with God, even if only for a few minutes, every day. John Wesley reminds us of the “means of grace” of prayer, both private and corporate, the Holy Scriptures and Holy Communion. He points out, in his famous sermon on “The means of grace” that these things aren’t powerful in and of themselves, but only insofar as they bring us towards God. We can pray until we’re blue in the face, Wesley says – well, words to that effect, anyway – but it’s not our prayer that changes things, it’s God working in and through our prayers. And, of course, Wesley reminds us, it’s not praying or whatever that makes us a Christian – it is God’s grace alone that can do that.

http://mrsredboots.blogspot.com/2010/06/fruit-of-spirit.html

Psalm 1: 1-3  Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose lead does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.

365 Days of Spirit-Filled Fruits Challenge-Day 236

God has always given us the choice and yet He always shows that He is always with us, always loving and caring for us. We can always look back and see the plans of God unfolding in our lives. We can always in hindsight realize he was right there with us. What about seeing Him right here, right now? I have always found that my times when I am focused and in His Word everyday that I am much more aware of His presence and see His works in every little thing. Our busy lives, our problems, the difficult circumstances that life throws at us will weed away our focus and take us away from our time with God. He created us to be in fellowship with Him. He is the father, mentor, best friend, confidant, counselor that all of us need. Time with Him is like a plant being watered by the gardener. How good it feels…If you aren’t carving some time in your day for Him, stop and pray right here, right now for Him to guide you in helping you have a committed heart. With His guidance you can find the best time and way for you to really focus just on Him.

Acts 14:16-17 In the past, he let all nations go their own way. Yet he has not left himself without testimony.

365 Days of Spirit-Filled Fruits Challenge-Day 44

The news has been depressing with all the talk about the government and budget crisis. I have often heard a politician say we have to be thinking about our children because what we do today will affect their lives. This made me think about what am I teaching my children, how well am I preparing them for their lives, are we laying a good foundation in faith so they will stay the course with the Lord as they grow up and become adults? By far the greatest blessing you can give to your children is a solid foundation for their faith. My foundation ended up cluttered with weeds that tangled with any real growth and overcame it. It wasn’t until my mid thirties when I went through the clash of my past sins with my current desire for a second child. This challenge led me to weeding the personal garden of my soul. I had to clear out all the weeds of sin and have since continued to go back in and pull those weeds that pop up so that my growth in faith continues. The Lord says we are to be talking the talk, walking the walk and communicating all that we know of Him to our children. These years when they are young are the times we as parents can prepare the soil and plant the seeds. A good garden will always do better when the soil has been prepared well. So no matter what may happen with our country or our physical life here on Earth, my children will hopefully have good soil and those seeds will blossom and I will teach them how to go to God for forgiveness and keep the weeds in the garden out. My children are such a blessing and have given me such joy and it is my hope and prayer that God will equip me to be a good gardener and keep preparing and richening their soil so the seeds being planted will blossom. Lord, help me to show them that you are the Way, the Truth and the Light. For their joy in you will be my joy too.

Proverbs 10:28 The prospect of the righteous is joy, but the hopes of the wicked come to nothing.