“Be on your guard against false prophets who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravaging wolves. You’ll recognize them by their fruit. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes or figs from thistles? In the same way, every good tree produces good fruit, but a bad tree produces bad fruit. A good tree can’t…
Many of us who grew up in faith-based settings can recite the nine fruits of the spirit. We have heard many sermons on them, in sum and individually. For those of you who are newer to the faith or still exploring, here’s the direct quote from Galatians: “But the fruit of the spirit is love,…
“You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.” (Matt. 5:13 ESV) I grew up in the south. The southern part of New Jersey, that is. Many…
“Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.” (Col. 3:1-2 NIV) My husband and I recently bought a new-to-us home! We hadn’t been looking long, and it was the…
I’ve heard people talk about “getting back to normal” so many times in the past few months. It’s what we’re supposed to do after something difficult or tragic or out of the ordinary. We’re supposed to move on from the challenging time and live like it never happened. But I’m not sure what “normal” even…
“If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” (Rom 12:18 NIV) Recently, I posted a tongue-in-cheek statement on Twitter. My satire landed well with those who got the reference. Those who didn’t, however, were another story. I expected some on the other side of the debate to…