Called to work and rest
I grew up in an environment where work was highly valued. Some of my earliest memories are toiling in dust and sweat amidst vibrant...
Bearing fruit
On the eve of his execution, Jesus sat his closest friends down for a long talk. He had much to say but not much...
Joy: Improve your eyesight
What child has not been coaxed to eat their carrots with, “They will give you good eyesight!”
Have you considered that the fruit of the...
Patience: Giving people an opportunity to change
Patience is the fruit nobody seems to want, the kale of the Spirit’s produce aisle. It’s supposed to be good for you, but you...
Faithfulness: Doing what you say you’ll do
I can be a pretty flaky guy. I say I’ll do something, and I have the best of intentions to do it, but then...
Gentleness: Grabbing power or growing gentleness
"Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth" (Matthew 5:5).
I am convinced that we Christians have a gentleness problem.
Let me start with...
Self control: Can we master ourselves?
“Put on your brakes!” I remember saying those words to my young son years ago. A lot. He needed no encouragement to take risks,...
Promises, puzzles and Pentecost
Pentecost, a 50-day time span beginning Easter Sunday, celebrates culminated promises and a new beginning. The story of Pentecost in Acts 2 contains some...