Category Archives: Sunday Soaking

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness andself-control…Galatians 5:22-23a Oh, the irony. We come to our last week of writing the Word—for two months we have worked our way through verses on the … Continue reading →

Who comes to mind when you think of a gentle person? Your grandma? Your third grade Sunday School teacher? Your local librarian? Gentleness is not just a natural result of a phlegmatic personality or meek temperament. It is a Fruit … Continue reading →

Paul used the Greek word pistis to describe the seventh trait of the fruit produced by the Spirit working through a believer.  This Greek word is translated faithfulness in Galatians 5:  But the fruit of the Spirit is … faithfulness … Continue reading →

“I’m good.” This common, two-word phrase might be our response when offered a second helping at dinner, a cup of hot chocolate by the campfire, or a section of the Sunday paper by our spouse. It conveys an attitude of … Continue reading →

Kindness falls right in the middle of the list of the nine traits of the Spirit. As I write out and read over verses that have the word kindness (or in some cases, lovingkindess), it seems there is almost always … Continue reading →

Paul’s letter to the Colossians included reassurance that he was praying for them:  …we have not stopped praying for youand asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his willthrough all spiritual wisdom and understanding.Colossians 1:9 The ensuing verses … Continue reading →

Peace is the third of the nine traits describing the fruit of the Spirit. The Apostle Paul invoked two qualities that appealed to Gentile and Jewish readers (respectively) when he opened each of his letters with some variation of the … Continue reading →

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy…Galatians 5:22 Joy is number two on the Holy Spirit’s top nine list.  We often use “joy” and “happy” interchangeably, but they are vastly different: Happy is temporary; joy is eternal. Happy … Continue reading →

And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.God is love.Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.I John 4:16 What does it look like to “live in love” … and how does … Continue reading →

As iron sharpens iron,so one person sharpens another.Proverbs 27:17 The expression “peer pressure” certainly carries a negative connotation. Secular and non-secular studies alike have confirmed the impact (particularly during adolescence) of peers. Teenagers, when influenced by their friends, are far … Continue reading →