When we live God’s way, we experience the Fruit of the Spirit in good times and bad. Because it’s a supernatural gift of the Holy Spirit, this fruit is not tied to things of the world, emotions, health, or anything else.
Joy—it makes people wonder at your secret. Yet joy is no secret to the trusting Christian. When we choose to grow closer to God, resting in His character and provision, joy spills over into our lives so that others can’t help but notice.
Have you ever been given a gift you needed but didn’t want? We’ve all received disappointing gifts. But there are gifts, which never disappoint. They’re often unseen gifts like forgiveness, compassion, grace, understanding, and kindness. And they’re priceless.
The world is full of bad news because we’re full of sin and depravity. But here’s the Good News—God bought you a way out, a way back to Him.
In Ephesians 5:18 the contrast and comparison to being drunk illustrates the idea that we are to be influenced by the Holy Spirit. When we are under the influence of something, we will say and do things we normally wouldn’t.
Unless we view Bethlehem from the perspective of the cross, most of what we sing and celebrate at Christmas amounts to glorying in the cradle, not the cross.
Here is the principle: We reap what we sow, forgiveness notwithstanding. Confessing our sin does not take away the consequences. However, God’s grace means God, in forgiving us, gives us the strength to endure the consequences.
We were created for God and just as fish are in despair out of water so the human soul is in despair when it is outside of fellowship with God. He is the source of true fulfilment and our greatest pleasure in life is to glorify and enjoy Him forever.
Think for a moment about the people you’ve known that have made a positive difference in your life. Leaving a legacy of helping others and making a difference is something we can all do.
There are Christians who pour themselves out to serve others to the point of burnout or breakdown. They believe that when it comes to their Christian service “It is better to burn out than rust out!” But they’re so burnt out you can smell the smoke!
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