Topic > Spiritual Growth
Chinese Proverbs
Chinese proverbs are common and often have stories behind them. The proverb “pulling up a crop to help it grow” is about an impatient man in the Song Dynasty. He was eager to see his rice seedlings grow quickly. So he thought of a solution. He would pull up each plant a few inches. After a day of tedious work, the man surveyed his paddy field. He was happy that his crop seemed to have “grown” taller. But his joy was short-lived. The next day, the plants had begun to wither because their roots were no longer deep.
Sledding And Praying
When the snow flies in Michigan, I like to get my grandkids, grab our plastic sleds, and go slipping and sliding down our backyard. We zoom down the hill for about 10 seconds, and then climb back up for more.
Strengthen My Hands
Singapore’s first Prime Minister, Lee Kuan Yew, is the man credited with making Singapore what it is today. During his leadership, Singapore grew to be rich and prosperous and one of the most developed nations in Asia. Asked if he ever felt like giving up when he faced criticism and challenges during his many years of public service, he replied, “This is a life-long commitment.”
What characteristics make us more like Christ?
If you want to think, speak, and act more like Jesus, what qualities do you need to have? Galatians chapter 5 gives us the answer! Make it a point to listen to the conclusion of the fruit of the Spirit series.
Encouragement for when our hearts feel dormant
An experienced farmer knows there are seasons when crops flourish in the open air, and seasons when all growth happens underground. Even in our cold seasons, God is still at work, cultivating the fruits of Spirit.
How what is happening in our lives is evidence of the fruit of the Spirit!
Even a bottle labeled “fruit juice” can contain a large amount of artificial fruit flavors. It proves we can be easily fooled by inferior imitations. Let’s play the part of produce inspectors and look for evidence that what is happening in our lives is 100 percent fruit of the Spirit!
Pointing To God
God bless our homeland, Ghana” is the first line of Ghana’s national anthem. Other African anthems include: “O Uganda, may God uphold thee,” “Lord, bless our nation” (South Africa), and “O God of creation, direct our noble cause” (Nigeria). Using the anthems as prayers, founding fathers called on God to bless their land and its people. Many national anthems in Africa and others from around the world point to God as Creator and Provider. Other lines of anthems call for reconciliation, transformation, and hope for a people often divided along ethnic, political, and social lines.
Let’s allow God to cultivate godly restraint in our lives
Whether it’s taking another slice of chocolate cake, or losing our temper when frustrated, self-control can be difficult to maintain. But it’s a virtue we all need! Our study of the fruit of the Spirit continues.
When God Is Quiet
I love to take pictures of sunsets at Lake Michigan. Some are subtle shades of pastel. Others are bold strokes of bright color. Sometimes the sun sinks quietly behind the lake. Other times it goes down in what looks like a fiery explosion.
How biblical gentleness is the foundation of true strength
By the world’s standards, gentleness is a weakness, not a virtue! We’ve been taught it’s imperative we stand up for ourselves. Discover that biblical gentleness is not a sign of being feeble—it’s the foundation of true strength! We’re talking about one of the fruits of the Spirit.
You Had To Act
A US congressman, John Lewis, was 23 years old when he participated in the historic 1963 civil rights “March on Washington” led by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Half a century later, journalist Bill Moyers asked Lewis how he was affected by Dr. King’s I Have A Dream speech that day. Mr. Lewis replied, “You couldn’t leave after hearing him speak and go back to business as usual. You had to do something, you had to act. You had to move. You had to go out and spread the good news.”
Leaving It Behind
In the year or so after our teenage son got his driver’s license and started carrying a wallet, we got several calls from people who had found it somewhere. We cautioned him to be more careful and not leave it behind.
How can we mirror the faithfulness of God?
The goal of a Christian is to act more like Jesus with every passing day. The qualities Christ exhibited, we want to exhibit as well! It’s another discussion about the fruits of the Spirit.
How understanding God’s goodness reveals what it means for us to be good
We use the word “good” to describe everything from favorite sneakers, to well-behaving pets. So what does it really mean to be “good”? Let’s discuss how understanding God’s own goodness shows us exactly what it means to be good ourselves!
