As we finish looking at fruitful living with peace and patience, let me give you an illustration about patience that Max Lucado shared in his book, A Love worthy Giving. He uses the definition of patience as taking a long time to boil. When it comes to a boiling pot of water, oatmeal or whatever, what factor determines the speed at which it boils? It is not the stove, and not the pot, or even the ingredients in the pot, but it is the intensity of the flame. The pot boils over when the flame is high, and it doesn’t boil over when the flame is low. That’s not a heavy revelations, but it does get a point across! He brings out the point that a patient person keeps the burner down, they keeps the flame low. They wait. They listen. God treats us with patience, and that is how we should treat others. If we really want to be fruitful in live and learn to operate in peace and patience, we need to keep the flame low. We must learn to respond patiently. Hebrews 10:36 reminds us that if we want to receive the promise, we must live patiently. We can run this race with patience, just like Jesus did. We can lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily throws us off course, and run with patience, as we look unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. Now that’s fruitful living!
Author: kelley
Eword for KIDz
Eword for KIDz
Heavenly Peace
What is it about kidz that they just love to stay up all night? My girls come home from an over-nighter with friends and they are so proud of the fact that they stayed up until 3:30 AM. I think young kids (preschool and younger) think that as soon as they go to bed the party begins. For most of us, we have to get some great rest, because we are up early to get kidz off to school, or to teach an early morning Bible Study (why do I do that?) or to go work out before the day begins. Maybe you have animals to feed, or other chores to do before you head off for school. Life requires sleep to be able to function at our best the next day. Sleepy people do crazy things. They drive off the road, or they forget important things. So while you’re young – take advantage of all the sleep you can get! When you get older you’ll have lots of reasons to stay up later, and most of them are doing stuff that isn’t all fun, like catching up on laundry, doing dishes, or paying bills. Peaceful sleep is really hard for some people. They can’t shut their minds off, or their body clock is messed up and they will just lie in bed for hours, looking at the ceiling. Sometimes it is because they are worried or anxious about something. Sometimes there is no explanation. My prayer is that you get in the habit of making restful sleep an important part of your life. Make your bedroom a peaceful organized place to be. Make it a habit to read your Bible and pray before you snuggle down underneath the covers. Talk to God, cast your cares on Him (I Peter 5:7), let peace rule in your heart (Col3:15) and learn to sleep in heavenly peace.
Busy, busy, busy…
Busy, busy, busy, working everyday, take a moment now and then to simply rest or play
The world will keep on spinning, it’s time you start beginning
To quiet down and still your hands, a restful life is God’s best plan
So take a breath, and breathe in deep, have peaceful days, and restful sleep
With peace that passes all we know, God’s rest is yours – just let stress go.
Are you facing huge stress or conflict? My prayer is that you will know God’s peace. The word peace comes from the Greek work “eirene”, which is the Hebrew equivalent for shalom, which expresses the idea of wholeness, completeness, tranquility in the soul, that is unaffected by outward circumstances or pressures. My favorite definition of shalom is nothing missing, and nothing broken. What is very true of a shalom filled, peaceful person is that even through difficulties and pressure of life try to break them, they are possessed “with peace that makes them whole, complete, orderly, stable and poised for blessing.” (from Sparkling Gems from the Greek, by Rick Renner) Is that who you are? Let God’s peace rule in your heart, and live at peace even in the midst of a world filled with pressures. That’s living fruitfully!
Peace is the result of resting in God
Peace is the result of resting in God. Rest is what restores our physical bodies, and peace is what restores our spirits. Rest and peace are often foreign to us in our busy lives. Busy is what we’re all too good at. Rest is what we need to be good at! My good friend once said, Busy isn’t of the devil, it is the devil! Often when I ask someone how they are, their answer is “busy”. Wouldn’t it be great to answer that question with – peaceful, tranquil, and totally rested. For believers, we should live there! Life shouldn’t be a busy irritation, it should be peaceful, rest-filled, and restoring to our souls. How do we get there in the midst of the daily hassles we must deal with? Peace comes when we choose love over hate, joy over frustration, patience over irritability, kindness over meanness, goodness over revenge, faithfulness over manipulation, gentleness over harshness, and self-control over indulgence. Peace is the result! The other fruit surround the fruit of peace so perfectly. Peace is what we want in our homes, for our communities, for our nation and for the world. It can start with your response the next time you have the opportunity to operate in the fruit or in the flesh! Choose fruit over flesh!
Wonderful Peace
Wonderful Peace. Is there anything more wonderful than a peaceful environment, completely void of irritation and stress? For me that could be a beautiful sunset on a beach, or a lovely hike (or horse ride) in the mountains next to a gurgling brook surrounded by flower covered valleys. That seems like tranquility, peace and rest at its best. It could also mean just a restful afternoon at my own house, some classical or worship music on the stereo, a great book, a warm fire, and a tasty cup of peppermint tea lightly sweetened with honey in total tranquility. In John 14:27, Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you, not as the world gives, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” He was speaking of the Holy Spirit who was soon to come. He sent the Holy Spirit as the comforter so we could have peace even in the midst of stress, strain, irritation or uncertainty. In the world you shall have tribulation (we live in a fallen world where there will be persecution), but be of Good Cheer, I have overcome the world. (John 16:33) Can you be fruitful even in with uncertainty in your future? We must let the peace of God reign in us. We can allow the peace of God to live in our hearts. Remember this that peace is not the absence of conflict, but the presence of God, no matter what the conflict.
The fruit of peace and patience
This week we are talking about the fruit of peace and patience as we are living fruitfully. Have you ever heard the phrase Random Acts of Kindness? I haven’t heard anybody say it for a few years, but a short while back,it was a common phrase for a while. Somehow, somewhere, someone suggested that people do nice things for others, just out of the blue. Well, this week I’m going to give you a challenge. Is there anybody in your life that you are running out of patience with? Is there someone in your life, who it is hard to live at peace with? Your assignment this week is to do something nice for them, out of the blue. Your opportunity to do a random act of kindness will not only bless you, it might surprise them, but it will demonstrate the fruit of the spirit that we as Christians should be cultivating.
It’s hard to always react in the right way, (I’ve done it wrong—lots), but we do have a power on the inside of us that can give us control when we get impatient. That same power will help us be fruitful on every level of our life. We can progress, and get better because God’s seed of fruitfulness is on the inside of us, and His seed produces good fruit! So find someone to be kind to, we can be patient, and we can live in peace. Do something unexpected. Then know that God is smiling, because He’s seeing Himself in you!
Love is Patient and Kind
Love is Patient and Kind Ok, I didn’t pass the patience test I was in today. I flunked miserably, in fact, I wasn’t even kind and I had to apologize for my behavior and ask for forgiveness. My humanity showed through in the flesh. I forgot to do what I’ve been telling my Bible Study gals to do – that we have to choose fruit over flesh. Fruit is much sweeter and leaves no bad after taste. In fact, it makes life so much better on every level. Well, the teacher is learning, just rather slowly!
Our goal in life, isn’t to flunk, but to pass! We don’t just want to barely make the grade, we want flying colors. The same test will keep coming until we pass – HELLO! What we all could use is a little “Miracle- Grow” on the fruit of our life. I really do believe that’s what the Spirit of God does for us. We have the power to witness and to “live out” our Christian life, but we have to activate it by our actions. We have to remember to depend on the power within to have control when we need it, to have patience when we’d rather pass judgment, and to respond in kindness in all situations.
God is being patient with you. He certainly has been patient with me! Thank God for His patience! Shouldn’t we be able to pass along some of that same patience to others? Of course we can! And we should! Not only is God patient and kind, Jesus exemplified both of these fruit of the Spirit when he walked the earth. We obtained mercy because of the patience Jesus showed to us before salvation. (I Tim 1:15-17) Jesus demonstrated kindness when He caught a woman in adultery (John 8:1-11) and when He blessed the children (Matt 19:13-15. We can act like our Lord and Savior, because…..the seed is within…that incorruptible seed that will produce good fruit in our life (I Peter 1:23). The poem for today is:
Fruit Like You
Forgive us Lord, when we fall short, of all you have for us
We give in quickly to the flesh, instead of simply trust
Your will and Word they are one, our words and will can become
Fruitful evidence in our life, that’s void of sorrow, and void of strife
It’s fruit that looks just like You, through what we say and what we do.
Intro for week of March 19th
Hi, this is Dorette Schaal with an encouraging word for your day. All through this season of lent, we are talking about living fruitfully. Fruitful living happens as we let the fruit of the Spirit operate in our life. Since we are part of The Vine, we should be fruitful! Throughout the Bible you may have noticed that God is serious about fruit. He started earth’s productivity by telling Adam and Eve to be fruitful and multiply. In Psalms 92, we are told how to flourish, and that is to be planted in the house of the Lord, which is a local, Christian, Bible believing Church. I want to be more fruitful in every area of my life, and I want to encourage you to be more fruitful in your life too. Here is your encouragement for today
How about putting some action to our words
How about putting some action to our words as we finish talking about gentleness and goodness? If we really want to live fruitfully, actions and words are connected. What we say and what we do, is evidence of our faith in action. James 1:22 tells us to be doers of the word and not hearers only. Another way to say that is to be people of action, not just of intention! So how can you put action to the fruit of goodness and gentleness? How about asking God to lead you to someone this week who needs to be loved in a real practical way? Then ask God to show you a way to demonstrate His goodness and gentleness to this person. Maybe a good place to start is in your own home. Can you show gentleness and goodness to your spouse if you are married? To your kids? To your pet? Let’s live goodness and gentleness 24/7. Let’s not act this way to receive anything….let’s just make it a part of who we are. If none of your kindness and goodness is reciprocated, continue anyway. We don’t act “like God” to get something in return, we act “like God” because we are called to imitate Him as it says in Eph 5:1, We are called to be His hands and feet in this world. So speak a kind word. Act gently in situations. Practice goodness. Make everything move you make, every word you say, fruitful for thekingdomofGod. Every day is filled with moments that have the power to influence others. Embrace the opportunities you are given to be gentle and good to others. That’s living fruitfully.
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Eword for KIDz
Eword for KIDz
Intro:
Hi This is Dorette Schaal with an encouraging word for kids today! I hope you are learning that the fruit of the spirit can operate in you. Because the Spirit of God lives inside of us once we accept Jesus into our heart, you can demonstrate the fruit of the Spirit. I hope you are encouraged today.
I love the scriptures that talk about Jesus loving children, and calling them to His side. He says that everyone should come to Him in childlike faith. There is a big difference between being childish and child like. You’ve probably been both! There are times when you acted “childishly” when you didn’t get what you wanted and you pouted or threw a fit (adults sometimes do that too!) You’ve probably been “child like” too, when you look at the world and see wonder and excitement, and catch the important details that adults often miss. I have known people who get irritated when kids are around. Aren’t you glad God is not that way? He is fully good and a gentleman to the MAX. He doesn’t have to try to be good, it is just who He is. He doesn’t have to try to be gentle, gentleness is at the core of His being. Don’t you just love being around someone like that? Well, guess what? God loves hanging out with you too. He doesn’t get embarrassed when you get excited about little things. He wishes we adults would live with the same joy for life that you have. Since we know God loves hanging out with you, why not do it more often. Find a way to have that goodness and gentleness rub off on you. You’ve heard your parents say that who you hang around with is who you become. I can tell you’re looking more like Jesus everyday!
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