Discover how kindness is actually a substantial quality we can really sink our teeth into!
“The fruit of kindness” sounds a bit mushy, doesn’t it? Of all the godly fruit to cultivate, kindness seems to be the weakest of the bunch. More from our study on the fruit of the Spirit.
It’s Worth It
I can’t do it,” Robert said, throwing his pencil down in despair. “It’s just too hard!” Reading, writing, and spelling seemed impossible to our dyslexic 9-year-old. At last, a solution was offered. But it was tough. We had to do reading and spelling practice with him for 20 minutes every evening—without exception. Sometimes we just didn’t feel like doing it, and at times we despaired of seeing progress. But we were committed to getting Robert’s reading age and his chronological age to match, so we battled on.
Discover biblical ways to cultivate patience
Whether it’s standing in line, waiting in the doctor’s office, or putting up with people who push our buttons, we have plenty of opportunities to develop patience. But it still seems to be the hardest fruit of the Spirit to grow! It’s an important fruit for spiritual health!
Out Of The Darkness
I don’t know what desperate situation gripped Asaph, the writer of Psalm 77, but I’ve heard, and made, similar laments. Over the past dozen years since I lost my daughter, many others who have experienced the loss of a loved one have shared with me heartbreaking sentiments like these:
Gain an appreciation for the biblical characteristic of peace
We tend to think peace is the absence of conflict. But what if peace is quiet confidence in the midst of daily struggles? Let’s explore another fruit of the Spirit found in Galatians 5.
A Storyteller
In the years following the American Civil War (1861–1865), Union Major General Lew Wallace served as a governor of the New Mexico territories; New Mexico not yet having been admitted as a state. His work there put him in contact with many of the characters that make up the Wild West’s near-mythic history, including Billy the Kid and Sheriff Pat Garrett. It was here that Wallace wrote what has been called by some “the most influential Christian book” of the 19th century, Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ.
What’s Your Motto?
Grug Crood, the dad of a caveman family in an animated movie, believes that there’s no safe place beyond their cave. They huddle together at night so he can protect them. He thinks his teenage daughter should give up her adventurous side because it can only lead to danger. His motto for his family is “Never not be afraid.” In other words, “Always be afraid.”
Too Late To Change?
There are sayings in many languages about the difficulty of changing long-established habits. In English, “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.” In French, “Ce n’est pas à un vieux singe qu’on apprend à faire la grimace” (You can’t teach an old monkey how to pull a funny face). In Spanish, “El loro viejo no aprende a hablar” (An old parrot can’t learn to speak).
Tiago – Judas: Cartas para todos – Epístolas gerais e joaninas
Ao contrário das epístolas paulinas, as epístolas gerais não foram endereçadas a uma cidade ou pessoa particulares. Essas cartas lidam mais com assuntos genéricos do sofrimento e perigos de falsos ensinamentos e falta de fé entre os cristãos.
1 Timóteo – Hebreus: Cartas para pastores e para uma igreja que lutava pela fé
Combina três cartas de instruções para pastores jovens e uma carta a uma igreja que estava lutando com as bases da fé. As epístolas pastorais fornecem uma ajuda doutrinal e estratégica para aqueles que lideram o povo de Deus; e Hebreus apresenta Jesus Cristo como o Salvador soberano e Senhor de sua igreja e encoraja os seus leitores a persistir na busca ilimitada de seu relacionamento com Ele.
Apocalipse: O livro do Apocalipse – O fim e o recomeço
O Novo Testamento e a Bíblia culminam com essa descrição gloriosa do Apocalipse de Jesus Cristo. Todos os eventos da história culminam nessa história fantástica do triunfo último sobre o mal e a restauração de todas as coisas de volta para o projeto original segundo o qual foram criadas.
Romanos – Efésios: A carta a uma igreja romana e cartas de uma prisão romana
Roma era a capital do mundo. Embora Paulo não a tenha visitado quando ele escreveu essa epístola aos cristãos em Roma, ele queria ter certeza de que eles teriam clareza sobre o que o evangelho realmente é. Na epístola aos romanos temos a grande declaração teológica paulina da salvação de Deus. Mais tarde, Paulo foi aprisionado em Roma, enquanto aguardava seu julgamento diante de César. Enquanto esteve lá, ele escreveu quatro cartas.
Básico em Novo Testamento: Coisas que pensávamos saber
Introduz os alunos ao Novo Testamento já que traz um levantamento de informações vitais que guiam o pensamento dos alunos no estudo dos livros do Novo Testamento. Tal informação é básica e essencial para uma compreensão precisa das Escrituras do Novo Testamento.
