Yesterday, I read things that Church leaders had said or done that made me cringe. I found myself thinking, “I don’t want to be associated with Christians. I don’t want to be grouped in the same category.” Now, before you start praying for my soul, let me say this. I love Jesus Christ. I think the Bible is true yet complicated. There are certain passages I don’t understand but I...
Love Well
Yesterday at church we had a guest speaker, Nick Gough. He was very prophetic but had a pastor’s heart. One of the things I discerned about him was that he loved people well. And while I was in awe of his prophetic gift, what I really craved was his unconditional love for people. My heart yearns to love people well. I want to love without judging. I want to love...
“Holy Spirit” Control
Confession Time: I have struggled with the word, “self-control” listed as a fruit of the Spirit. I guess it comes from Christians looking at people who were struggling and saying, “they just need self-control.” But I always thought, “If I could control myself, I wouldn’t need the Holy Spirit.” Self-control to me just sounds like I’m relying on my own strength. (By the way, KJV translates the word as temperance.)...
Fruit – Nature’s Candy
My favorite food group, hands down is fruit. (Bread and butter are second, and yes butter is one of my food groups.) Fruit is nature’s candy – sweet with plenty of vitamins. Perhaps that is why Paul categorized certain gifts from the Holy Spirit as fruit – they are sweet and good for you and those around you. Now I am a concrete kid and I know nothing of growing...