The Fruit of the Spirit

…the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.   (Galatians 5:22) When I moved into town as a new pastor, I heard terrible stories about George. He had chased the ladies, been too fond of liquor, and been a shady businessman. Every time I heard one of these …

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Companions of Jesus

Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John and realized that they were uneducated and ordinary men, they were amazed and recognized them as companions of Jesus.   (Acts 4:13) On the Day of Pentecost 3,000 people were baptized.  The crowds became very curious about the disciples speaking in their own languages. They …

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Trusting in God’s Grace

Therefore, confess your sins to one another…  (Jas. 5:16) I was in my twenties, on my knees, confessing my sins to a monk, and I heard him snoring. When I loudly coughed he woke up for a few moments, but then he fell asleep again. I was miffed he was so inattentive.  I thought my …

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