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THE WORD: Goodness in action
The fifth element of the Fruit of the Spirit is gentleness, which is often translated as kindness. One of the enduring images in the Bible of kindness is Ruth, great grandmother of King David. Ruth […]
The Word
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THE WORD: Patience in all things
Patience, the fourth Fruit of the Spirit, is often translated as “longsuffering” — as it is in the King James version. Patience, in the context of Galatians, means more than waiting. Longsuffering, as used in […]
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THE WORD: Peace enables other virtues
Peace, the third Fruit of the Spirit, can have many meanings. For some, peace means the absence of quarrels, wars or commotion. Peace can also exist in times of unrest — an inward peace that […]
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THE WORD: Joy is deeper than happiness
Following love, the second Fruit of the Spirit is joy — chara in Greek. The King James version translates chara differently throughout the New Testament. The overarching term, expressed also as gladness or joyfulness, speaks […]
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THE WORD: The first is love
Following the eight-week series on the parables of Matthew 13, we begin a nine-week series on the Fruit of the Spirit — ending the week prior to election day. As our world seems to be […]
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THE WORD: The parable of the scribe
The final parable in Matthew 13 is the Parable of the scribe. Some scholars don’t consider these final verses to be a separate parable. When read as a whole, the words serve as their own […]
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THE WORD: Drawing the net
The seventh parable in Matthew 13 is the Parable of Drawing the Net. Like the Parable of the Tares, the parable refers to the final judgment. The net described in the parable is likely a […]
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THE WORD: A reward for those who seek it
The sixth parable in Matthew 13 is the Parable of the Pearl. Like the Parable of the Hidden Treasure, it was spoken only to the disciples by Christ. This short, one-verse parable has several nuanced […]
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THE WORD: A hidden treasure for all
The fifth parable in Matthew 13 is the Parable of the Hidden Treasure, which was spoken only to the disciples by Christ. This short, one-verse parable has several nuanced interpretations. There is little disagreement that […]
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THE WORD: A little goes a long way
The fourth parable taught by Jesus in Matthew 13 is the Parable of the Leaven. Like the old Brylcreem jingle, “a little dab’ll do ya,” Jesus tells his followers the kingdom of heaven is like […]