AUGUST 24, 2023
LAKESHORE FRIENDS—
Love. Joy. Peace. Patience. Kindness. Goodness. Faithfulness. Gentleness. Self-control.
Those 9 fruit of the Spirit are indicators of how much God is at work in our lives. That’s been the consistent message throughout this series because they are the fruit (i.e. the product) of the Holy Spirit working in our lives, and not the fruit of our human efforts. We really cannot produce these fruit without the Holy Spirit at work in us.
One person asked one of our pastors if a person can produce these 9 fruit on their own without the Holy Spirit. The answer is that, while people who have not placed their faith in Jesus (and hence do not have the Holy Spirit in their lives) can be somewhat loving, can be somewhat joyful etc., they cannot completely love with a motive that glorifies God, they cannot be fully joyful without the ultimate source of all joy, Jesus, etc. Instead, they will do so with mixed motives that are focused on how it helps them or makes them feel. Afterall, they are the fruit of (or, from) the Holy Spirit, not the human spirit.
So how do we apply this series once it concludes this Sunday? Here are three tips:
1. The principle of totality
The more we see of each of them in our lives, the more God is at work in us. Try to live out all 9, and let the ones that come easier help motivate you to work on the ones that are the hardest for you. Don’t just settle for being good at 3 or 4 of these fruit.
2. The principle of potency
The stronger the expression of each of them we see in our lives, the more God is at work in us. Keep working to get better and better at allowing God to let them flow out of your life with stronger and stronger expression.
3. The principle of frequency
The more consistently we see each of them in our lives, the more God is at work in us. Never give up on showing these fruit in as many situations of life as possible.
I’m excited to see how God works in our lives to be even more fruitful in the days ahead.
Warmly,
Vince
Weekly notes from OUR Pastors, Staff, & Leaders
The Thursday Update is meant to bring you encouragement and thoughts to ponder as you go through your week. It's sent out each week in our email newsletter, which also includes a list of featured events, opportunities, and more.