Bear the Fruit of the Spirit, part 1 (Gal 5.16-26) - 8-22-21

Scripture texts are Leviticus 19.9-18 and Galatians 5.16-26 from the thought "Bear the Fruit of the Spirit, part 1". Blessings!!!The fruit operating in our lives should be visible, recognizable, and blesses others. Can others see the life of Jesus operating within us? Can they taste and see that the LORD is good by their association with us? Are you and I bearing the fruit of the Spirit that is visible, recognizable, and blesses others? 1.Love. Love is first for a reason. It is the foundation. Agape love leads us to seek the highest good for another, regardless of that person’s response.2.Joy. Dr. Tony Evans said, “The joy of the Spirit has nothing to do with happiness. It has to do with a well of living water on the inside, not the circumstances on the outside. Joy is the overflow of the life of God within you.”3.Peace. Peace is not the absence of conflict; it is the resolution of conflict. And for major conflicts, and sometimes minor conflicts, it takes the power of the Holy Spirit to bring harmony.4.Longsuffering. We had to trust God’s timing. Do you trust His timing? He may not come when you want Him to, but He’s always right on time!Notice, the text says the fruit, which is singular. Then it outlines several components which are plural. This means we do not get to pick and choose which fruit we want to bear. We bear the FRUIT that includes all nine components – love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Join us for part 2 next week. Amen!