Podcasts about fruits

To get live links to the music we play and resources we offer, visit www.WOSPodcast.comThis show includes the following songs:Lucy Blu - Might As Well FOLLOW ON SPOTIFYQuin Shea - 120 Miles FOLLOW ON SPOTIFYMeghan Foley - Blue Eyes FOLLOW ON SPOTIFYAnjali Ray - Work of Art FOLLOW ON SPOTIFYSabina Beyli - Bones FOLLOW ON SPOTIFYJessa Hart - The New 2AM FOLLOW ON SPOTIFYGio Gomes - When The Movie Ends FOLLOW ON SPOTIFYSuzy Haworth - I Don't Need U FOLLOW ON DISCOKarly Kryski - Happy Hour After You FOLLOW ON SPOTIFYMaria West - walking red flag FOLLOW ON SPOTIFYKelsie Watts - Made for Your Love FOLLOW ON SPOTIFYRafaella - Prophecy FOLLOW ON SPOTIFYGoldtooth - Stumble FOLLOW ON SPOTIFYThe Summer Fruits - Permission FOLLOW ON SPOTIFYAdla - Catch Feelings FOLLOW ON SPOTIFYFor Music Biz Resources Visit www.FEMusician.com and www.ProfitableMusician.comVisit our Sponsor Haisley at haisleymusic.comVisit our Sponsor Two Toed Sloth at tentoedsloth.comVisit www.wosradio.com for more details and to submit music to our review board for consideration.Visit our resources for Indie Artists: https://www.wosradio.com/resourcesBecome more Profitable in just 3 minutes per day. http://profitablemusician.com/join

Aujourd'hui, Bruno Poncet, cheminot, Laura Warton Martinez, sophrologue, et Charles Consigny, avocat, débattent de l'actualité autour d'Olivier Truchot.

600 Garland Ave. Hot Springs, AR 71913 | gospellight.org

Weight loss drugs are the new meds taking the world by storm. But if you don't want to jump on the bandwagon, what are the bog-standard, tried and true dietary changes to help you lose weight? And we're in the thick of winter - which usually means hearty stews and fatty meats are on the menu - but is there something healthier we can turn to? Nutritionist Claire Turnbull joins Tim Beveridge on the Health Hub to discuss. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

O LoGGadoCast está no ar! E nesta edição, Edu Sacer, Mandy Aguiar, Márcio Zanon e Leo Oliveira comentam as últimas novidades da TV, cinema e streaming! Para ouvir, dê o play, aumente o volume e deixe seu feedback nos comentários!Comentado no Cast:03:30 - Notícias e Amenidades01:06:52 - Máximo Prazer Garantido01:16:25 - A Casa do Dragão01:31:52 - Two Years Later01:41:39 - Lucky01:47:43 - Uma Casa na Pradaria01:52:00 - The Five-Star Weekend02:02:12 - Boulevard02:16:05 - Forbbiden Fruits02:52:24 - Comentários03:11:00 - DespedidasLinks Relacionados:Apoie pelo Pix: contatologgado@gmail.comApoie no PatreonLoGGado no TelegramLoGGado no InstagramLoGGado no BlueskySeriadores AnônimosCompre AQUI os livros de Leozio!Arquivo de Episódios do LoGGadinLoGGadoCast 505 – Instinto Materno, Enola Holmes 3, Origem, A Bela e o Bilionário, House of the Dragon e muito maisMande sua barra para o S.A.D.Cinem(ação) #654 - O Emmy e as Séries de QualidadeOBS: trilha do episódio sem copyrights

Bilan personnalisé OFFERT : https://www.kinecoachsante.fr/bilan

We are setting the table with Recipes for Cobblers, Jam, and Pie made from fruits of the season. Guests include: Farmers Susan and John Keller have been farming in Blount County, TN, on their family farm in continuous operation since 1890. UT Extension awarded John Keller Tennessee Farmer of the Year in 2014. Susan Keller shares a recipe for Miss Lily's Blackberry Cobbler. This recipe comes from her Grandmother (Lilian Bays Hitch). Dee Dee Constantine (happily retired former food writer for the Knoxville News Sentinel) sets us straight on all of the terminology used in the arena of cobblers. She examines culinary terms such as brown Betty, cobblers, buckles, crisps, grunts, and slumps. I (Amy Campbell) share a recipe for Blackberry Jam from that classic “Minnie Pearl Cooks” cookbook. And an encore Farm and Fun-Time Heirloom Recipe segment recorded during the Farm and Fun Time Program at Radio Bristol - from storyteller Toni Doman sharing memories and her Grandmother's recipe for cherry pie.

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/NeonicVoidProductionsInquiries can be sent to hausofthevoid@gmail.comCheck out the NeonicVoid Productions network of podcasts! -https://linktr.ee/neonicvoidproductionsBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/spookocalypse--5342254/support.

120 million people are under air quality alerts, stretching from the upper Midwest to the Mid-Atlantic, due to smoke from Canadian wildfires. Also, President Trump is set to deliver a rare prime-time speech tonight and is expected to address 2020 election allegations and mixed messaging from the administration on ICE measures. Plus, a new A&E documentary out today on the infamous Scott Peterson case claims to have new evidence that proves the convicted killer is innocent. And, as cyclosporiasis reaches more then 16,000 confirmed cases, tips on how make sure your food is safe.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Fruits of the Spirit are NOT a to do list; they are instead a barometer of how well we are letting the Spirit direct our lives.

At a mall store, Apple leads a secret witch cult with coworkers Cherry and Fig. New hire Pumpkin questions their sisterhood, forcing them to confront inner darkness or meet violent ends.TIL a pumpkin is a fruit, and a fig is a flowercontent warning at 10:46spoilers begin at 13:08ghostbeast.comcheck our Youtube and TikTok for video contentmusic provided by The F-usesupport us at ghostbeast.bigcartel.com and merchyeah.com/ghostbeastcontact us at podcast@ghostbeast.com

Under the direction of the Spirit and his inner influence, you live DIFFERENT. Absolutely nothing changes a person like the Spirit of God. This is change from within, change at the very core of who you are. It is lasting change that makes you into a radically new person. The Holy Spirit leaves nothing untouched, nothing undone, nothing unchanged. Gradually and continually God’s presence within you reshapes your heart, renews your mind, and aligns your life with his purposes. As cliche as it may sound, it’s true – JESUS WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE! The old self is made new. You receive a new way of thinking, new desires, new priorities, and a new perspective on life. What once controlled you no longer defines you. 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!”” Yeah – that’s real!!!! As this transformation takes place, different fruit naturally begins to appear in your life. You are no longer producing the works of the flesh; instead, the life of Jesus is begins flowing through you. And that’s really what we’ve been studying – It’s less of you and more of Him. That’s what FRUIT is. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. And the beautiful thing, it all happens so naturally. This isn’t a matter of your extreme effort to try and be better – this is all because of the Holy Spirit at work within you. The fruit of the Spirit is the visible evidence of an invisible presence. It is proof that God is changing you from the inside out. You are simply not who you once were, and the fruit your life now produces shows it. Remember when we began this study all the way back in episode #2141? We created two columns. On the left was the column labeled “Without the Holy Spirit” from Galatians 5:19-21. On the right was the column labeled “With the Holy Spirit” from Galatians 5:22-23. That left column was the list of yuck. It’s what naturally grows in our lives when we’re left to ourselves. When we follow our own desires, allow the world to become our primary influence, and ignore the leading of God, we drift to the left. We don’t have to strive for it. We don’t have to work at it. The acts of the flesh come naturally because they flow from our fallen nature. The list was difficult to study because it’s painfully familiar. We’ve seen it in our own lives. We’ve watched it unfold in the lives of people we care about. We’ve witnessed the damage it causes. Deep down, we know Paul wasn’t describing “those people.” He was describing what happens to ALL people apart from the transforming work of the Holy Spirit. All people, including us. There’s an inward battle taking place, and eventually that inward reality produces outward evidence. That’s why Paul begins with sexual immorality, impurity, and lustful pleasures. How many homes have been broken, marriages destroyed, and lives derailed by those acts of the flesh? Good people become entangled in destructive choices. They didn’t wake up one morning intending to wreck everything. It happened gradually. The seeds were planted, watered, and allowed to grow because they followed the desires of the flesh instead of the direction of the Spirit. That’s life on the left side of the page—life without the Holy Spirit’s influence. Then Paul moves to idolatry and sorcery—our pursuit of meaning, security, answers, and power apart from God. We take the sacred place in our hearts that belongs to God alone and fill it with substitutes. We trust things more than God. We seek things before God. We look to people, possessions, experiences, success, or substances to satisfy needs only God can meet. No one has to teach us how to do that. Our flesh naturally gravitates in that direction. We self-medicate. We chase escapes. We look for shortcuts. And before long, what we thought we controlled begins to control us. We arouse the ugly demon of addiction and end up with a life that looks a whole lot like hell. My friends, that’s life without the Holy Spirit. That’s where the flesh leads. That’s life on the wrong side of the page. That’s life in the yuck. But Paul isn’t finished. The list continues with hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Notice how much of this list destroys relationships. The flesh doesn’t just corrupt us personally—it fractures families, divides churches, ruins friendships, and turns people against one another. Wherever the flesh is leading, unity suffers and people get hurt. And perhaps the most gut wrenching truth of all is this: None of these things require effort. Left to ourselves, this is the direction we naturally drift. The works of the flesh are not learned behaviors as much as they are revealed behaviors. They expose what happens when self sits on the throne and God is pushed aside. Hell’s marketing strategy is to make the left side of the page look more fun, more free, and more desirable. But the truth is, life without the direction of the Holy Spirit is hell on Earth. It’s not freedom, it’s bondage. All that looked desirable quickly turns to destruction. This proven reality we’ve seen play out in countless lives makes the right side of the page in contrast so beautiful. Life WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT. Life under the influence of God. Galatians 5:22-23 shows us what happens when the Holy Spirit takes His rightful place in our lives. Instead of the works of the flesh, there is the fruit of the Spirit. Instead of destruction, there is transformation. And it looks like this: Love Joy Peace Patience Kindness Goodness Faithfulness Gentleness Self-Control That’s MORE JESUS flowing through us. Less flesh. Less world. Less “left side” and more “right side.” The Holy Spirit is steadily, faithfully producing something new in us. These qualities begin to grow naturally as we walk with Him, changing not only what we do, but who we are becoming. The works of the flesh are things we do because of who we are apart from God. The fruit of the Spirit is what grows because of who God is within us. Fruit is evidence of life. An apple tree doesn’t strain to produce apples. It produces apples because that’s its nature. In the same way, when the Holy Spirit is alive and active in us, spiritual fruit begins to appear. Not perfectly. Not overnight. But steadily. Consistently. Supernaturally. Love starts replacing selfishness. Joy starts overcoming despair. Peace starts calming anxiety. Patience starts slowing anger. Kindness starts softening harshness. Goodness starts reshaping motives. Faithfulness starts creating consistency. Gentleness starts replacing forcefulness. Self-control starts winning battles that once seemed impossible. This is what the Spirit does. This is the miracle of transformation. He doesn’t just change our destination; He changes our character. He doesn’t simply forgive us and leave us as we are. He renews us from the inside out. Now let’s look at the final sentence in Paul’s teaching on the fruit of the Spirit. After listing all these qualities, he says: “There is no law against these things!” At first glance, that almost sounds unnecessary. Well, of course there isn’t a law against love. Of course there isn’t a law against kindness or goodness or self-control. Why would Paul even need to say that? Because throughout the book of Galatians, Paul has been addressing people who were obsessed with rules, regulations, and religious performance. They believed spiritual maturity came through keeping laws. They thought holiness could be achieved by trying harder, performing better, and following more rules. Paul is making a point. You will never legally work your way into the fruit of the Spirit. No law can make you loving. No rule can make you joyful. No regulation can produce peace. No amount of external pressure can create genuine patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, or self-control. Laws can restrain behavior, but only the Holy Spirit can transform the heart. The law can tell you what is right, but it cannot give you the power to live right. The law can expose sin, but it cannot produce fruit. Only the Spirit can do that. And when the Spirit produces these qualities in a person’s life, no law is needed because the very purpose of the law is already being fulfilled. A person walking in love doesn’t need a law telling them not to harm their neighbor. A person walking in self-control doesn’t need a law warning them against excess. A person walking in goodness, faithfulness, and gentleness is already living in a way that honors God and blesses others. Paul’s point is that the Spirit accomplishes what the law never could. This life of following Jesus is not primarily about trying harder to be better. It is about surrendering more deeply to the One who can actually change us. And that’s really the lesson of the fruit of the Spirit. The goal was never to memorize a list. The goal was never to grit our teeth and manufacture more patience or force ourselves to be more loving. The goal is to stay connected to Jesus, yield to the Holy Spirit, and allow Him to produce in us what we could never produce on our own. Because when the Spirit has His way, the flesh loses its grip. The old life begins to fade. And little by little, day by day, the life of Jesus becomes visible in us. Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com

Here it is—today we study the final fruit of the Spirit. And isn’t it just like God to save a grand lesson for last? The one fruit every one of us knows we desperately need: Self-control. In mentoring women to pursue their God-given goals and live the life they were created for, I hear this all the time: “Pamela, I just don’t have any willpower. I have no self-control.” Have you ever said that about yourself? But let’s stop and ask a deeper question. Is that really true? Can someone who has been filled with the Holy Spirit truly say they have no self-control? I believe that’s one of the enemy’s favorite lies. It’s a limiting belief designed to keep us striving in our own strength instead of living from the power already at work within us. It’s a lie that makes us buy our own excuses and settle for a little life, all while we were created for a BIG Life. The very presence of God living within you PRODUCES self-control. Let me show you how I know. Most of us refer to Galatians 5:22-23 as the “fruits” of the Spirit—as though Paul is giving us a basket filled with different kinds of fruit. Maybe you’re naturally patient but struggle with kindness. Maybe you have joy but not peace. Maybe you have love but not self-control. It’s like saying, “the basket I was given has grapes, but no strawberries. I just have to struggle through this life with never getting strawberries because I wasn’t given any.” But that’s not what Paul wrote. Look closely. He doesn’t say, “The Holy Spirit produces these fruits.” He says, “The fruit of the Spirit is…” Let’s read it for ourselves, Galatians 5: 22-23, “But the Holy Spirit produces THIS KIND OF FRUIT in our lives: Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” Fruit is singular. Paul isn’t describing 9 separate fruits we can pick and choose from. He is describing one Spirit-produced life that reveals itself in 9 beautiful expressions: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Think of it like sunlight passing through a prism. It’s one light, yet it displays many colors. If a prism has sunlight, then it has all the colors. There’s not one defective prism just lacking pink. There’s not another just lacking yellow. They’re all there if the prism has sunlight, just turn it to see. The fruit of the Spirit works much the same way. It is one supernatural life produced by the Holy Spirit, expressed in multiple ways. That changes everything. Self-control isn’t an isolated virtue reserved for naturally disciplined people. It isn’t a personality trait. It isn’t something God gives to a select few while withholding it from everyone else. Yet somehow we believe only the super fit get self-control. Only the ones losing weight, or saving money, or with a clean house have self-control. Only those who consistently meet their goals have self-control. Isn’t that what you’ve believed? And haven’t you dismissed yourself at some point because you just don’t have the same self-control they do? Girl, don’t let the enemy twist this. Don’t let him convince you that you’re lacking the fruit. Are you a believer and follower of Jesus? Have you placed your faith in him and surrendered your life to him? Yes? Then you have been given the gift of the Holy Spirit. God’s presence dwells within you. And just like when sunlight hits the prism, all the lights are present when you turn it – all 9 expressions of the Spirit are growing in you! You’re not missing one. You weren’t just left out. Self-control is part of the very character the Holy Spirit is growing in EVERY believer – and that means YOU. Self-control is growing in you right along side love and joy, and peace and patience, kindness, goodness and gentleness. Now, does that mean every Christian demonstrates perfect self-control? Of course not. Fruit grows. No one plants an apple tree on Monday and expects a harvest by Friday. Growth is gradual. It is cultivated. It is nourished. It matures over time. The question isn’t, “Do I already have perfect self-control?” The better question is, “Am I yielding to the Spirit who is producing it in me?” That’s an entirely different conversation. You may feel like someone who lacks self-control because you’ve looked at your failures more than God’s promises. But your failures don’t define what the Holy Spirit is capable of producing. If you belong to Christ, the Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you. That means the seed of self-control has already been planted. The issue isn’t whether God has given it. The issue is whether we’re allowing Him to cultivate it. This life isn’t about gritting our teeth and trying harder. It has always been about surrendering more deeply. Now, let’s study self-control and see what it really means. The Greek word translated as ‘self-control’ means power and strength within. What this means is the Holy Spirits gives every believer an internal ruler stronger than external temptation. No matter what temptation you’re facing, there’s an internal ruler stronger! There’s a power within you that can turn away, resist, and overcome. Y’all this past weekend I was at my Mama’s house and she made her award winning, best thing you’ve ever eaten in your whole life, blackberry cobbler. She had gone out and picked the fresh blackberries herself. She had made her secret pie crust that’s thick and perfectly flaky and buttery. Then, she made homemade icrecream to go with it. BUT I am committed with a healthy meal plan right now that does not include cobbler or ice cream, dad-gum-it! So, how do you think I did? Do you think I was able to withstand the temptation of this culinary perfection? You bet your butt I did, and here’s how – I HAVE THE HOLY SPIRIT WITHIN ME and I KNOW THERE’S AN INTERNAL RULER STRONGER THAN THAT TEMPTATION. (I just have to listen to the right voice.) Does God really care if I eat mama’s blackberry cobbler and homemade icecream? Nahhh, I don’t think so. But I do believe God cares about my health because this body is a vessel for his Holy Spirit. And I do believe he cares about the commitments I make and my willingness to tap into the power he has given me to follow through with those commitments. What the Holy Spirit is growing within us isn’t the absence of desire. (I still really wanted a very large bowl of that greatness.) What the Holy Spirit is growing within us is proper rule OVER DESIRE. It’s the internal governor that says, “You don’t have to do every little thing you feel like doing. You don’t have to get everything you think you want. You don’t have to have immediate gratification. You’re not a victim to your every desire. Yield to God’s power within you.” 2 Timothy 1:7, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love and self-discipline.” That’s what God has given you. Now it’s up to you to abide in him and surrender to the power he has put within you! Before Jesus saved us, our flesh ruled. We set on our throne, our desires issued commands and our minds justified them. Our bodies obeyed. But with Jesus we have the Holy Spirit, now we’re under a different command. There’s a different ruler on the throne. Jesus sits in authority. The Spirit empowers new desires. And yes, our flesh still speaks, but it is not longer the king. Self-control is evidence there’s a new king governing our heart and life. We become a new person with the fruit of the Holy Spirit growing in us! Now, understand this, the Holy Spirit does not merely hand us extra strength. He reshapes our loves. God’s commands come with God’s enabling grace. The Spirit writes God’s law on our hearts, creating new desires that increasingly align with His will. As we grow in Christ, we don’t just have stronger disciple, we actually grow to WANT WHAT GOD WANTS. The deepest direction of our heart is changing!!!!!! You can’t will yourself into that change – that’s a direct result of the Holy Spirit working within you. Now here’s what I hope you’ll never forget – Self-control is not about becoming a stronger version of you. It’s about becoming a more surrendered version of you. The world says, “Try harder.” Jesus says, “Abide in Me.” The world says, “Get more disciplined.” The Holy Spirit says, “Walk with Me.” Maybe you’ve spent years telling yourself, “I just don’t have any self-control.” Maybe you’ve believed that’s just the way you are. Maybe you’ve looked at other women and thought, “They’re disciplined. They’re organized. They’re healthy. They’re financially wise. They have self-control…I just don’t.” Sweet friend, that’s not your identity. If you belong to Christ, the Holy Spirit lives within you. And if the Holy Spirit lives within you, then He is producing His fruit within you—including self-control. The question isn’t whether God has given it. The question is whether you’ll believe it’s there…and begin partnering with Him instead of arguing with Him. Every time you’re tempted to quit… Every time you want to say something you’ll regret… Every time you want to give in to fear… Every time you want immediate gratification instead of God’s best… Pause. Remember who’s on the throne. Remember there is an internal Ruler who is stronger than every external temptation. Then choose to listen to His voice instead of the voice of your flesh. Will you still have moments where you fail? Absolutely. But failure is no longer your identity. It’s simply another opportunity to turn back to the One who is faithfully growing His fruit in you. Fruit doesn’t grow because we strain harder. Fruit grows because it stays connected to the vine. Jesus said in John 15, “Abide in Me.” He didn’t say, “Impress Me.” He didn’t say, “Perform for Me.” He said, “Remain in Me.” That’s the secret. As you remain with Him, the Holy Spirit keeps doing what only He can do. He changes your desires. He renews your mind. He strengthens your resolve. He reminds you of truth in the moment you need it. He gives you power to say “no” to what steals life so you can say “yes” to what leads to life. And one day you’ll look back and realize something remarkable. The things that once mastered you… don’t anymore. Not because you finally found enough willpower. But because the Spirit of God has been faithfully transforming you from the inside out. That’s the fruit of self-control. Not a life of white-knuckled striving. A life that is increasingly ruled by Jesus. And isn’t that what we’ve been studying all along? Self-control is simply Jesus ruling where our flesh used to. That’s the fruit the Holy Spirit is growing in you. So don’t leave here saying, “I need more willpower.” Leave here saying, “Holy Spirit, have more of me.” Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com

Have you ever cut a pear into fresh crisp slices to add to a salad or packed them as a snack to enjoy later…only to have them turn brown and look unappetizing to eat? You've noticed this happening with other fruit like apples too.   So how do you keep pear and apple slices looking fresh and edible?   Let's tackle this common issue in the plant-based kitchen today. In this 2nd episode of a Summer Series spotlighting specific Community questions, I'll share with you some easy kitchen hacks to help the fruit pieces you cut stay looking fresh and delicious. This will help you enjoy more of what you buy, cut food waste and help you save on grocery dollars. Tune in!     Join -> Plant-Powered Life Transformation Course: www.plantnourished.com/ppltcourse Contact -> healthnow@plantnourished.com Learn -> www.plantnourished.com Enjoy 1:1 Coaching Support -> https://www.plantnourished.com/coachingwaitlist Get Free 15-Minute Strategy Call -> www.plantnourished.com/strategycall Free Resource -> 7 Ways to Test-Drive a Plant-Based Diet: www.plantnourished.com/testdrive     Have a question about plant-based diets that you would like answered on the Plant Based Eating Made Easy Podcast? Send it by email (healthnow@plantnourished.com) or submit it by a voice message here: www.speakpipe.com/plantnourished     [Plant Based Eating, Kitchen Hacks, Fruits, Healthy Eating, Save Money, Plant-based Eating on a Budget, Produce Hacks]

Given on the Seventh Sunday after Pentecost, 2026.

Cours Halakha Time du Mercredi 15 Juillet 2026 (durée : 7 minutes) donné par Rav Ye'hiel CHARBIT.

Cours Halakha Time du Mercredi 15 Juillet 2026 (durée : 7 minutes) donné par Rav Ye'hiel CHARBIT.

As God’s presence takes up residence in you and becomes your guide, that harsh outer shell begins to break away. The walls you’ve built crumble. And what grows like fresh ivy taking over that old exterior is GENTLENESS. Gentleness is not weakness, nor is it passive. This word translated into ‘gentleness’ was used to describe a powerful horse that had been trained. The horse doesn’t lose it’s power when trained, it learns discipline. Gentleness is one of the most misunderstood Fruits of the Spirit because many people hear the word and think “weak,” “passive,” or “timid.” But in Scripture, gentleness is actually controlled strength under the direction of God. God never seeks to take away your strength, he works to direct your strength with discipline. When your strength is submitted to God, you receive gentleness. Then, just like a well trained horse, you are powerful with a purpose. Galatians 5: 22-23, “But the Holy spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, GENTLENESS. You don’t produce this kind of controlled strength and discipline on your own, it grows when you surrender your life to God and the work of the Holy Spirit. Remember, the horse doesn’t train itself – it submits itself to training. It doesn’t relinquish it’s strength, it surrenders its strength to direction. God isn’t asking you to be weak and incapable – he’s working in you to make you stronger than you ever imagined! He’s training you for great purposes. Jesus describes himself in Matthew 11: 29 as “humble and gentle at heart.” Humble and gentle – they go together. This is how God’s Spirit works within us. First, he humbles us to help us see who we are without him. From that inward humility grows gentleness, changing how we treat others. Humility is the root, gentleness is the fruit. The life surrendered to Jesus is humble like him, and grows in gentleness. Was Jesus ever without strength and power for a moment? Never! Yet, his gentleness was all his strength under control and all his power held in discipline, as he hung on the cross to die. Gentleness allowed him to fulfill his purpose. So, are you called by God to be harsh and rigid? Absolutely not. Are you designed to be the angry one – the destroyer – the one who tears things down? No, his spirit prodcues GENTLENESS in you. Your strength will never be stronger than it is when it is submitted to the training of the Holy Spirit. Gentleness doesn’t need to dominate or control. Gentleness doesn’t need to win every argument. Gentleness is strength restrained with discipline, under the direction of God. I love spending time in Bali. The Balinese people are truly some of the most humble and gentle people on earth. On my most recent trip, my drive Panji taught me that in their culture, the angry and demanding person is not the strongest person, in fact they are the weakest person. Anger is seen as weakness. Power trips are seen as failure. Humility and gentleness are true strength. Seeing this lived out by an entire culture is one of the most refreshing things I’ve ever seen. AND THEY ARE WITHOUT JESUS. They have to work to produce that on their own. We have the gift of the Holy Spirit living in us, naturally growing GENTLENESS, so why on earth do we fight it? Why are we trying to be the boss? Why are we trying to gain control? Why are we trying to force or manipulate? Why are we so angry and unbridled? Girl, LET THE HOLY SPIRIT DO HIS WORK IN YOU. LET HIM GROW GENTLENESS FROM WITHIN YOU. Here’s how God’s gentleness grows within you. First, the Holy Spirit begins to expose any harshness. You start noticing your impatience. You become aware of your tendency to get defensive. You see your controlling tendencies for yourself. You hear your own angry voice and you grow to dislike it. This is holy conviction, and it’s the work of the Holy Spirit in you. This is how change happens! As you lean into the work of the Holy Spirit, you begin to see how God changes people so much better than your force ever could have. You begin to see how your anger was never necessary. You understand how your ploy for control was always making things worse. Now, with this awareness, you grow in trust and dependence of God. The more you grow in trust, the more Christ’s character is formed in you. As you walk with Jesus, you begin naturally walking like him. The gentleness of Jesus begins to grow within you, reshaping you from the inside. Philippians 4:5, “Let your gentleness be evident to all.” Looking back, my best parenting was always gentleness. Every time I was harsh or angry, I generally made things worse. What my husband has needed was gentleness. The Holy Spirit is growing gentleness within you – yes, let it be evident to all. Gentleness is strength under control. Gentleness reflects the heart of Jesus. Gentleness makes restoration possible. Gentleness is evidence of the Holy Spirit growing in you. As God’s presence takes up residence in you and becomes your guide, that harsh outer shell begins to break away. The walls you’ve built crumble. And what grows like fresh ivy taking over that old exterior is GENTLENESS. Have you ever noticed an old wall covered in ivy? This is such a picture of the Holy Spirit transforming us. Imagine an old stone fortress. For years it has stood alone. Thick walls. Cold stones. Sharp edges. Built for defense. And maybe those walls were necessary at one time. They were built after betrayal, disappointment, criticism, fear, rejection, or loss. They kept enemies out—but they also kept love from freely flowing in and out. Many of us become emotional fortresses without realizing it. Then Christ comes to dwell within us. He doesn’t begin by demolishing the fortress with explosions. He begins by making it unnecessary. The walls just aren’t necessary any more. Then, like ivy taking root in the cracks, His Spirit quietly begins to spread. At first, the ivy seems insignificant. You still react sharply sometimes. You still become defensive. You still protect your pride. Yet something new is growing within. Something is changing. Season after season, the ivy grows. It softens every hard line. It reaches places no hammer could. It finds tiny cracks where grace can enter. Eventually people no longer notice the fortress first—they notice the living green that covers it. That is gentleness. Not the absence of strength. Strength clothed in life.The goal is not to become more gentle by sheer effort. The goal is to abide in Christ. As His presence fills every room of your heart, His gentleness quietly overtakes the old cold walls of self-protection. That is the quiet miracle of the Holy Spirit. Gentleness is one of the clearest signs that this transformation is taking root. Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com

In this episode, Tim Whitaker engages in an insightful interview with Rev. Rachel Kessler, aka the Nerdy Priest, shares her journey from evangelical roots to Anglican priesthood, her work advocating for Palestine, and insights into deconstruction, faith, and social justice. A compelling conversation for anyone exploring faith beyond traditional boundaries. Rachel's Book | Nerd Faith The Nerdy Priest Chapters 02:08 Rachel's Background and Deconstruction Journey 08:35 Why Stay in the House of Faith? 15:06 Memorization vs. Understanding the Fruits of the Spirit 28:11 Deconstructing End Times and Christian Nationalism 44:09 The 2016 Election and Faith Perspectives ____________________________________________________ TNE Podcast hosts thought-provoking conversations at the intersection of faith, politics, and justice. We're part of the New Evangelical's 501c3 nonprofit that rejects Christian Nationalism and builds a better path forward, rooted in Jesus and centered on justice.  If ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠you'd like to support our work or get involved, visit our website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.thenewevangelicals.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  Follow Us On Instagram @thenewevangelicals  Subscribe On YouTube @thenewevangelicals This show is produced by Josh Gilbert Media | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Joshgilbertmedia.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Gospel is replete with Our Lord's sayings and these sayings are drawn from the everyday experiences and lives of His listeners. These expressions, albeit simple on the surface, have now become integral to the manner in which we express ourselves even today. One of the most well known is Jesus's statement, "By their fruits you shall know them." It is very important that we deeply understand the wisdom of this and all of Our Lord's expressions lest we apply them superficially. "By their fruits..." reinforces a timeless truth that from the effects of certain persons or actions, we can come to know the nature of the source.

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We profit from the study of the meditation and colloquy for Divine Intimacy on the seventh Sunday after Pentecost.Please support the Our Lady of Fatima Podcast: http://buymeacoffee.com/TerenceMStantonLike and subscribe on YouTube:https://m.youtube.com/@OurLadyOfFatimaPodcastFollow us on X:@FatimaPodcastThank you!

Preached at the Watered Garden Church

Faithfulness isn’t something our culture celebrates very much. We celebrate talent, success, influence, and achievement. But heaven celebrates something different. Heaven celebrates faithfulness. In the life of someone not under the influence of the Holy Spirit, faithfulness is a constant struggle. But in the life of someone filled with the Spirit, faithfulness begins to grow naturally. It becomes part of who they are. Galatians 5:23, “The Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: Love, joy, peace patience, kindness, goodness, FAITHFULNESS …” Again, it’s a fruit. It’s not something we strain for, it’s something that grows within us and is naturally produced in our lives when we are abiding in Jesus. Faithfulness is a translation of the Greek word ‘pistis’ which means, reliability, trustworthiness, fidelity, loyalty and dependability. Yip, all the things you would look for in a partner – that’s what God naturally GROWS in US! But faithfulness is born out of trusting God. BECAUSE we trust God, we can be absolutely steadfast. We can stay the course and continue forward no matter what because of our unshakable faith in God. Without God, we waiver. With God, we are faithful. Faithfulness isn’t flashy. It rarely gets applause. It’s the behind-the-scenes commitment no one notices. Faithfulness quietly keeps promises. It shows up long after the excitement has faded. It finishes what it starts. It stays when circumstances become difficult. It keeps loving after feelings change. It keeps serving after recognition disappears. It keeps trusting when prayers seem unanswered. Lasting faithfulness is impossible without Jesus. We may keep a promise here and there through sheer determination, but only the Holy Spirit can produce a life marked by consistent faithfulness. When you have Jesus, an unfaithful life feels so incredibly wrong in every sense. The Holy Spirit lovingly refuses to leave us comfortable in unfaithfulness. He convicts us, stirs our hearts, and keeps drawing us back toward obedience. The gift of the Holy Spirit won’t let us sleep when we are being unfaithful. The Holy Spirit will stir us up, poke at us, and leave us in a state of complete unrest when we’re unfaithful. Thank you Lord, for not leaving me like I was! Once again, recognize this is a character of God, not of humans. Adam and Eve lived in paradise. There was no sin, no brokenness, no pain. God gave them one command—just one—and they couldn’t keep it. That’s the story of humanity. Left to ourselves, we aren’t naturally faithful. We wander. We quit. We compromise. We break promises. We fail. But God is different. Deuteronomy 7:9, “The LORD your God is indeed God. He is the FAITHFUL God who keeps his covenant for a thousand generations and lavishes his unfailing love on those who love him and obey his commands.” God has never broken a promise. He’s never abandoned a plan. He’s never walked away from His people. God is faithful. It’s who he is and what he does. **Now here’s the miracle… The faithful God now lives in you. Think about that. The God who has never broken a promise… The God who has never abandoned His children… The God who always finishes what He starts… lives inside you through His Holy Spirit. So it only makes sense that His faithfulness is beginning to grow in you too. So you know what you absolutely MUST do – Stop introducing yourself by your old nature. STOP excusing yourself as someone who simply can’t finish what you start. That may have been the old you, but remember the Spirit of God is now working in you to make you NEW. You’re not who you once were, you’re becoming more and more like Jesus with the character of God reshaping you. Without God, we waver. With God, we are faithful. Maybe you’ve never stuck with anything your entire life – okay – but it doesn’t have to continue that way. Something new is growing now. With the power of the Holy Spirit, let me tell you exactly who you are becoming: You’re becoming the girl who is obedient when no one is watching. Yes, you’re proving you can be trusted with little, so now God is going to trust you with much! You’re becoming the girl who is faithful in her relationships. You keep your commitments and you remain loyal – no matter what. You’re becoming a girl who gives her best even when no one is watching. You work with your whole heart in all you do, as if you’re doing it for God himself. You’re becoming that good and faithful servant. Maybe not always successful, but that’s never what Jesus asked for. He honors your faithfulness over your success. You’re becoming the girl who can wait. The girl who can trust even when the answers don’t come. You’re living out Hebrews 10:23, “Let us hold tightly to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise.” You trust God, so you faithfully wait for the fulfillment of his promises over your life. Without God, we waver. With God, we are faithful. And let me tell you something, your life now feels different with the fruit of faithfulness growing in you. You’re stable. People trust you. You live so much deeper now, stronger now, healthier now. And most importantly, your faithfulness reflects that genuine character of God and people are continually catching a glimpse of Jesus through you. Yip, every time you show up because you said you would – every time you keep going and don’t give up – every time you keep your promises – every time you give your best effort – every single time, you’re shining Jesus to this world. When people know they can count on you, when you are known to keep your word, when you are consistent and steady, when you are unwavering even under pressure, when you are still there even when life gets hard, when you finish the things God asked you to begin, when you stay instead of walking away …. THAT’S THE FRUIT OF FAITHFULNESS GROWING IN YOUR LIFE. That’s the power of God in you! Without God, we waver. With God, we are faithful. Faithfulness looks like Abraham and Sarah trusting God’s promise for a baby for decades. Faithfulness looks like Joseph as a slave, Joseph as a prisoner, and Joseph in power with the same unshakable character. Faithfulness looks like Ruth out gathering what little food there was, doing what she could do to survive and care for her mother-in-law, when she stumbled into the field of a rich man who would love her. Faithfulness is Mary, a teenage virgin willingly accepting a miraculous pregnancy that would turn her whole world upside down. Faithfulness is Jesus – walking out his calling and purpose all the way to the cross, eyes always on the Father. Faithfulness – you are being called to it. Faithfulness – it’s being produced in your life through a power so much greater than you. You’re growing in faithfulness and it’s changing you. Recognize this change. Without God, we waver. With God, we are faithful. Challenge for Today: “Be Faithful in the Small Things” Choose one area where you can intentionally practice Spirit-produced faithfulness today. Here are a few ideas: Keep every promise you make today—even the small ones. Arrive early for every commitment. Complete a task you’ve been postponing. Spend your planned time with God, even if you don’t “feel” like it. Encourage someone you’ve committed to pray for, and then actually pray for them. Follow through on something without seeking recognition. As you do, pray: “Holy Spirit, make me a faithful person. Form in me a character that reflects the unwavering faithfulness of Jesus. Help me to be trustworthy in the little things, steadfast in difficulty, loyal in relationships, and devoted to You. May my life proclaim Your faithfulness to everyone I meet.” The Holy Spirit delights to produce that kind of steady, enduring faithfulness— one faithful choice at a time. Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com

When we are under the influence of the Holy Spirit, our very character changes. From within, we become different. Girl, you’re simply not who you once were. Have you noticed as you change and grow it almost puts a spotlight on our loved ones who are NOT. Maybe someone you love is NOT under the influence of the Holy Spirit and they seem to be stuck in old way … well, they are. When you invite the presence of God into your life HE makes you new. 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” This means if someone DOESN’T belong to Christ, they’re still the same old person living the same life. Their answer is not to try harder – their answer is to surrender their life to Jesus and let the Holy Spirit change them from within! So, here we are as surrendered souls being made new. We’re being reworked from the inside so we’re becoming different, growing different fruit in our lives. Naturally, when the inside has changed, the outside begins to change as well. Today we study the next fruit produced in our life under the influence of the Holy Spirit – GOODNESS. The Greek word translated into goodness has a root word meaning good, upright and excellent. When the suffix is added, it turns into a character trait. The full meaning of this word “goodness” means to have moral excellence, an upright heart, integrity and goodness in action. And where does this goodness come from? Only ONE source – this is God’s goodness flowing through us. This is not self-produced goodness. This isn’t a 10 step program to change your heart and realign your morals. This isn’t being kind, doing nice things, changing your morals – this is God himself expressing HIS character through your surrendered life. This is simply the goodness of God himself dwelling within, transforming you, and then naturally flowing out from you. When you surrender your life to God, HE makes you good. If you’re struggling with a twisted heart or mind, there’s ONE who is in the business of untwisting – that’s the work of the Holy Spirit. And every single one of us have gotten a little twisted. Life in this world has a way of doing that. Human nature is a twisting. We simply can’t live well without God’s influence and direction. This is NEVER a matter of you being a better person than someone else – this is always a matter of God’s almighty work within you. Without God, you would be one twisted girl living in utter darkness – and that’s just the humbling truth. The Holy Spirit changes our character to GOODNESS. He aligns our morals with God’s. He teaches us to do what is right even when no one is watching. He grows our desires in the direction of integrity. We don’t do that ourselves. Girl, if there’s goodness in you, that’s a work of God, not of you! This fruit of goodness is a growing of WHO YOU ARE. It’s an external proof of the internal transformation happening. God is GOOD. His power is good. His ways are good. His plans are good. And when your soul is surrendered to Him as Lord and He is in control of your life, then He is living inside of you, making you good. It starts with Him and flows into you. This isn’t an act of willpower on your part; this is an act of surrender. This isn’t an achievement; this is a transformation. Goodness is the overflow of abiding in Christ. The fruit isn’t something you force—it is something God grows as you remain connected to Him. Goodness starts with God. Goodness flows into you. Goodness grows through you. Goodness blesses everyone around you. If you take GOD out of GOODNESS, you are left with o-ness. If you’re trying to make yourself be good without the power of the Holy Spirit working in you, you may achieve good behavior for a while, but you’ll never produce godly goodness. Only God can produce God’s character. GOODNESS IS GOD’S CHARACTER. We try to be good without God and we just end up exhausting ourselves trying to become by effort – but this goodness is only produced through surrender to God. Do you want to be better? SURRENDER! Then the fruit of goodness will naturally grow! Jesus shows us what the goodness of God within looks like in action. Acts 10:38 puts it simply, “Jesus went around doing good.” The character of goodness always produces goodness in action. The more the Holy Spirit works his goodness in you, the more your actions align to those of Jesus. Girl, you’re going to be going around DOING GOOD! What if your entire life became about going around just doing good! You want to represent Jesus to this world – go around doing good! Let God’s goodness flow through you onto everyone you encounter! Ephesians 2:10 says we’re created to do the good things God planned for us. Doing good things doesn’t save us – But the goodness of God growing in us naturally has us going around doing good things! Think about that – do you notice that in your own journey with God? The more you grow in Jesus – the more you learn and follow the promptings of the Holy Spirit – the more he has you going around doing good things! How radically cool is that? THAT’S THE FRUIT OF GOODNESS GROWING IN YOUR LIFE! So today, don’t leave our time together thinking, “I need to try harder to be good.” Leave thinking, “I need to stay closer to God.” Fruit never grows because the branch strains harder—it grows because it stays connected to the vine. The closer you live to Jesus, the more His goodness becomes your goodness. Before you know it, you’ll find yourself speaking with more integrity, loving more deeply, giving more generously, forgiving more freely, serving more joyfully, and doing good almost without thinking about it. That’s the Holy Spirit transforming your character. Girl, this world doesn’t just need more nice people. It needs more people so surrendered to Jesus that His goodness overflows into every conversation, every decision, every relationship, and every ordinary day. So stay surrendered. Stay connected. Stay under the influence of the Holy Spirit. Then go around doing good, because everywhere the goodness of God goes, darkness loses ground and people catch a glimpse of Jesus. And really that’s what it’s all about – show the world JESUS! Every act of goodness points beyond us. Every kind word, every generous act, every choice of integrity, every quiet sacrifice becomes another opportunity for someone to catch a glimpse of Jesus. So let His goodness grow in you, flow through you, and reveal Him to the world. Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com

In our study of the fruits of the Spirit, we’re understanding this isn’t a list of attributes to strive for, it’s not a checklist for being a follower of Jesus, it’s the tangible results that grow in our lives when we’re connected to God. FRUITS of the Spirit. Fruit grows. Fruit is the natural outcome of a healthy tree. The Holy Spirit is God’s presence living within us, and that Spirit changes our heart. And very naturally without force, when our heart changes, our behavior changes. We start seeing things and people differently. We start responding differently. Our priorities shift. And even our very character is changed. With the Holy Spirit, we naturally begin to grow in love, in joy, in peace and in patience. Now the next literal change we can see as the Holy Spirit works to change our hearts, we grow in KINDNESS. Galatians 5:23, “The Holy Spirit produce this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness …” The Greek word translated into kindness is chrēstotēs. This word means being a blessing wherever you go. It is more than just a smile, it is an intentional act that benefits others. This is a disposition, meaning WHO YOU ARE. Who you are is blessed and what you do is be a blessing – that is the true meaning of kindness as a fruit of the Spirit. Kindness is a focus on others that continually asks, “How can I help? How can I lift their burden? How can I bless?” Kindness takes the focus off self and sees the needs of others. When kindness sees a need, it springs into action – not for how it makes them look, but for how it makes others feel. Acts of kindness reveal the kindness of our God. Did you know scripture calls God KIND? Psalm 145: 13-20, listen to this description of our God – “The LORD always keeps his promises; he is gracious in all he does. The LORD helps the fallen and lifts those bent beneath their loads. The eyes of all look to you in hope; you give them their food as they need it. When you open your hand, you satisfy the hunger and thirst of every living thing. The LORD is righteous in everything he does; he is filled with KINDNESS. The LORD is close to all who call on him, yes, to all who call on him in truth. He grants the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cries for help and rescues them. The LORD protects all those who love him …” Y’all, that’s OUR GOD! He is so genuinely KIND. He blesses us beyond measure. As a recipient of his kindness in the Holy Spirit, we then begin to grow that same kindness from within. It becomes who we are. We are blessed to be a blessing. Everywhere Jesus went, kindness followed. Think about it. He touched lepers when no one was willing to even stand next to them. As a woman caught in adultery was about to be stoned to death, he drew a line in the sand and defended her. He stood in a hungry crowd of thousands and decided he would feed them their next meal. As he hung on the cross dying the most painful death imaginable, he forgave. Kindness wasn’t something Jesus occasionally did – it was who he was. And we’re called to be more and more like Jesus. We can’t be like Jesus without being KIND. Kindness moves. Kindness responds. Kindness steps right into the messy need and gets their hands dirty. As kindness grows within us through the work of the Holy Spirit, we will no longer be able to just walk by anymore because we’re too busy. THAT’S CHANGING. The fruit of kindness changes what we see. Instead of seeing interruptions, we see opportunities. Instead of seeing differences, we see hurting people who God loves. Instead of seeing ourselves as better, we see ourselves as a vessel that carries a blessing, and that blessing is to be poured out! Imagine three people walk into a room where someone is hurting. The first person says, “I’m praying for you.” That’s compassion. The second person says, “God is with you in this.” That may be goodness. The third person says, “I brought dinner. I’ll watch your kids. I’ll mow your yard. I’ll sit with you.” That’s chrēstotēs KINDNESS. Kindness doesn’t just merely notice pain. Kindness enters it. In this world, our hearts naturally become impatient and critical. Life can make us harsh and suspicious. We can begin building our walls and our judgments. But the Holy Spirit starts tearing down those walls. The work of God’s presence living within us softens our hearts again. Here’s the thing, when you know you have been overwhelmed by totally undeserved kindness from God himself, then you can’t help but turn around and show undeserved kindness to others. If you’re amazed by the sheer kindness of Jesus, then you can’t remain indifferent toward people. Kindness changes who you are! Kindness at work within you has no limits. The Holy Spirit wants to grow kindness is you that changes absolutely everything you do. Suddenly you’ll notice the way you talk is kind. The way you drive is kind. The way you parent is kind. The way you lead is kind. They way you follow is kind. Kindness will permeate everything about you and everything you do. God’s kindness toward us becomes God’s kindness through us. It’s one of the clearest proofs that Jesus is changing your heart! As you walk with Jesus and grow in his Spirit, have you noticed yourself changing? It hasn’t been an overnight change, but a gradual growth. You don’t see things the way you used to. You can’t just walk by what you used to walk by. You’re moved by the needs of people now. You hurt when they hurt. You’re no longer serving from a self-seeking position, but a heart that has been transformed by the love of Christ. His Spirit is teaching you to love what He loves, to value what He values, and guess what that is … PEOPLE. God loves his people. God values his people. Now his Spirit teaches us to do the same. What once seemed like an interruption now becomes an opportunity to show compassion. What once felt like a burden now becomes a privilege to carry. This is the evidence of spiritual maturity—not perfection, but transformation. As God continues His work in you, your life begins to reflect His kindness, His patience, His mercy, and His grace. The more you abide in Him, the more His character is formed in you. Others may not notice every small change, but over time they begin to see Jesus in the way you speak, the way you forgive, the way you serve, and the way you love. Keep walking with Him. He is faithfully shaping you into the person He created you to be. Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com

In this episode of the Plant Cunning Podcast, Isaac and AC interview Jorge Nájera in Guadalajara about Mexico's ceremonial magic scene and his role leading the Fraternidad del Círculo Dorado (Circulo Dorado Web) a mystical and magical school founded in 1986. Najera recounts how a small study group grew through work with BOTA, Golden Dawn-style ritual, Freemasonry, and later affiliation with the Servants of the Light (SOL) lineage of Dion Fortune and Dolores Ashcroft-Nowicki. He describes meeting Ashcroft-Nowicki, trips to Egypt, learning to build an “astral temple” and inner contacts, then adapting SOL material for Spanish-speaking students by creating their own structured curriculum centered on astrology, Hermetic and Sephardic Kabbalah, and coherent symbolism. He explains the school's three-degree model, its emphasis on lived experience and service, and how COVID shifted much of their work online, including new digital tools.01:04 Meet Jorge in Guadalajara01:55 Founding the School in 198603:08 Early Growth 05:02 Joining Servants of the Light08:11 Egypt Trip and London Temple11:06 Astral Temple Training13:11 Adapting SOL for Latin America14:56 Building the Curriculum16:07 Kabbalah as Foundation19:22 Courses and Temple System21:05 Jorge's Early Influences25:10 Astrology Awakening and Teaching29:58 Fruits and Mission of the School33:26 From Rituals to Creativity34:57 Information vs Wisdom37:34 Mystery Schools Go Digital42:14 How does a Mystery School work in the Age of Aquarius?46:10 The Importance of Coherent Symbolic Training50:52 The Degrees of Initiation56:24 The Ideal Student01:00:02 How to Connect and Closing

Patience is actually NOT something you lack when the Holy Spirit dwells within you. Patience is something that naturally grows within you and is produced in your life. It’s a byproduct of the presence of God. Just as an apple tree naturally grows apples, as God’s girl, you naturally grow patience. So why do you feel like you’re lacking it? Why do you still get frustrated in the waiting? Why do you still rush and push and force? Did you not get patience? The Spirit produces; but we still participate. Yes, the Holy Spirit changes our desires and empowers obedience, but God’s Word also repeatedly calls believers to “LET the Holy Spirit guide your lives” (Galatians 5:16) and to “FOLLOW the Spirit’s leading” (Galatians 5:25). If you’re not letting the Holy Spirit guide you and if you’re not actively following His leading, then you’re simply not experiencing everything He wants to grow in you. If an apple tree refused to drink the water provided through the rain, do you think it would produce the fruit it was created to grow? Of course not. So girl, you have a role in this. As you surrender to the Spirit, stay connected to God, and choose His way over your old patterns, you’ll find His fruit growing in your life. God’s job through the Holy Spirit is not to completely override your personality. His work is to transform you into the fullness of His image as you walk with Him in that transformation. You still have a choice. Sometimes, you may still choose your old impatience. Here’s the great news: Even when you’re impatient, God is not. He is patiently extending the next invitation for you to depend on Him rather than your own strength. Again and again, He offers you a better way and lovingly waits for you to choose it. God will out-wait your stubborn era. He’ll out-wait your striving. He’ll out-wait your need to control the outcome. He’ll out-wait your fear that if you don’t make something happen, nothing ever will. And really, when you boil it all down, isn’t that how you feel? You seriously think you have to make something happen or nothing will ever happen for you. You think you have to somehow get control. You think you’re going to force this. Oh sweet girl, you’re simply not that powerful. God is not anxious about your timeline because He’s not limited by time. Time is a human constraint, not a Godly constraint. When God says in Revelation 1:8, “I am the Alpha and the Omega – the beginning and the end. I am the one who is, who always was, and who is still to come.” – well, he actually means that. He has always been in every yesterday and he’s already in every tomorrow. Yes, he’s already there. He has always held the entire future in his hands. We’re stuck in today, but God is not. Peter probably explained it best when he said in 2 Peter 3:8, “But you must not forget this one thing: A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day.” My friend, TIME IS NOT A PROBLEM FOR GOD. Your timeline is self-imposed, God is above your timeline. Even in the moments when he saw the very beginning of this for you, he was already at the very end of it too. God can do in 1 day what you and I could not do in a thousand years. And in God’s time, a thousand years is like a single day. Is God in a rush? Not at all? Has he called you to be? Not in the slightest. He has allotted your time on this Earth in advance. he knows precisely the number of days you have in this life. He has held every one of those days since the beginning of time. And as you live, he’s been teaching you to trust his timing. Can you look back and see how his timing is always perfect? Can you see how he moved mountains, opened doors, changed hearts, opened eyes, and collided worlds precisely in the best timing? Yes? He’s proven you can trust him with the timing of what is next too! But if you’ve been waiting for a while, you’re likely feeling a little anxious questioning when it’s going to happen. Your mind has likely been running off into ways you can just make things happen on your own. Don’t miss this, Sis – every delay becomes another opportunity to trust him. Every moment of waiting becomes another chance to let the Holy Spirit produce what you could never manufacture on your own. So the next time you catch yourself rushing, forcing, or growing frustrated, recognize the invitation. Pause and ask, “Holy Spirit, what would it look like to follow Your pace right now?” Woah – that’s powerful. Would you try that? Today, when you realize you’re rushing – when you realize you’re frustrated waiting in line – today when you’re trying to force things to move faster ask the Holy Spirit what it would look like to follow his pace. I bet you will feel a sense of calm rush over you. I bet all that tension in your forehead will release and your eyebrows won’t look so angry. I bet you’ll suddenly feel fresh breath fill your lungs and remind you of God’s presence. That’s what patience feels like. Patience isn’t something you’re trying squeeze out of yourself. It’s not a posture you’re trying to contort yourself into. You don’t have to beat yourself into patience. Patience is someone you’re learning to surrender to. That’s right, patience is a surrender to God’s unique way of working in the details and timing of your life. And the more you walk with Him, the more you’ll discover that patience isn’t just what He asks of you—it’s what He faithfully grows within you. I’ve always heard you should never pray for patience. Why? Because you’ll be given a dumptruck load of crap that goes wrong and takes too long so that you’re forced to be patient. Show me where that is in your Bible – it’s not there. But also notice this – Scripture never tells us to pray, “God, give me patience.” Instead, it tells us to walk with the Holy Spirit, who produces patience in us. The goal isn’t to chase the fruit – it’s to stay connected to the One who grows it. The growth of fruit happens slowly, not overnight. Apple trees don’t suddenly wake up one morning and say, “Woah, look at that full grown apple that appeared on my branches while I slept.” No, the growth happens ever so gradually and continually. That’s the way fruit grows. Patience is a slow-growing fruit. Perhaps it’s been growing so slowly in you that you haven’t even noticed it’s development. But look back and see the evidence of the work of the Holy Spirit in your life. Do you recover more quickly than you used to? Wow – that’s the fruit of patience growing in your life. Do you now pray instead of exploding? Yip – that’s the fruit of patience growing in your life. Do you actually apologize now? Hey girl, that’s growth right there! Do you trust God more deeply that you once did? Oh yeah, there’s the fruit of patience growing! Scripture is filled with faithful people who had to wait. Waiting for freedom. Waiting for a baby. Waiting for change. Waiting for victory. Waiting for healing. Faith doesn’t erase the experience of waiting. It changes HOW we wait. May you wait more like a girl who trusts the God who is in complete control. May you wait more like a girl who trusts her good, good Father. May you wait more like a girl who knows that what God has promised, He will be faithful to fulfill. May you wait with peace instead of panic, with expectation instead of anxiety, and with open hands instead of clenched fists. Because waiting isn’t wasted when you’re waiting with God. He’s working in the waiting. He’s shaping your heart in the waiting. He’s growing something in you and preparing something for you in the waiting. So don’t rush what God is asking you to trust. Don’t force what God has asked you to surrender. His timing has never been late, and His plans have never needed your panic to come to pass. Wait well, sweet girl. The God who holds your future is holding you, too. Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com

Summer brings its own array and health and safety issues, but 2026 is bringing some new ones.

Summer brings its own array and health and safety issues, but 2026 is bringing some new ones.

Summer brings its own array and health and safety issues, but 2026 is bringing some new ones.

Summer brings its own array and health and safety issues, but 2026 is bringing some new ones.

Summer brings its own array and health and safety issues, but 2026 is bringing some new ones.

Summer brings its own array and health and safety issues, but 2026 is bringing some new ones.

Jase and Zach pipe in from the very first Walmart edition of ‘Unashamed,' complete with sardine breath, Nashville traffic, and a surprisingly full-circle flashback to the days when ‘Duck Dynasty' took over Walmart aisles. Al owns up to the embarrassing mistake he made about a roadside motel sign. Jase explains why he walked away from an event that wanted him to speak but leave Jesus out of the message. The guys continue their study of James with a deep dive into hearing versus obeying, the house built on the rock, the perfect law that gives freedom, and the love of God that restores our identity in Christ. In this episode: James 1:19-25; Matthew 7:24-29; Matthew 5-7; Genesis 1:26; Genesis 9; John 5; Proverbs 1; Isaiah 28; Matthew 24; 1 Corinthians 13; James 1:12; James 1:17; James 1:25; Luke 18:18-43; Psalm 51:11; 1 John 4:12-18 “Unashamed” Episode 1370 is sponsored by: https://ponchooutdoors.com/unashamed — Get $10 off your first order and free shipping when you enter your email! http://unashamedforhillsdale.com/ — Sign up now for free, and join the Unashamed hosts every Friday for Unashamed Academy Powered by Hillsdale College Special thanks to Create-It Studios in Franklin, Tennessee, for hosting this special edition of ‘Unashamed' Listen to Not Yet Now with Zach Dasher on Apple, Spotify, iHeart, or anywhere you get podcasts. Check out At Home with Phil Robertson, nearly 800 episodes of Phil's unfiltered wisdom, humor, and biblical truth, available for free for the first time! Get it on Apple, Spotify, Amazon, and anywhere you listen to podcasts! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/at-home-with-phil-robertson/id1835224621 Chapters 00:00 The Walmart Podcast Studio 07:08 Al's Car Miracle & Correction 12:48 Jase Drops Out of a “No Jesus” Event 19:01 Building Your House on the Rock 26:01 The Good Life vs. the Cheap Stuff 34:50 Look at the Fruits of Your Life 43:19 Perfect Love & Perfect Law — Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The fruits of the spirit are the direct results of God’s presence in our lives. It’s the natural byproduct produced from within us when God’s Holy Spirit lives in us. Today we study the 3rd evidence that grows like fruit on a tree. Galatians 5:23, “But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, PEACE …” Peace. In Greek, Jesus would have often used the word ‘shalom’. It means completeness, wholeness, everything being as God intended it to be – nothing missing and nothing broken. So when Paul says the Holy Spirit grows peace, he’s not talking about someone who simply doesn’t get upset. He’s talking about a soul that has been made WHOLE by God. This is not a guarantee of an easy life. This is not peace that comes through an absence of trouble. Oh no, Sis. This is a peace that remains regardless of the trouble. This is a divine calm in the storm and a guard for our heart in the heat of the battle. The world says, “I’ll have peace when…” When the bills are paid. When the diagnosis changes. When my kids finally straighten up. When the relationship gets better. When life slows down. But the Holy Spirit says, “You can have peace now.” Not because everything around you is settled, but because the One within you is settled. Before facing the cross, Jesus tells his disciples that he is about to die and would no longer walk with them, but God would give them another Advocate who would never leave them. He is the Holy Spirit. God’s presence to live within them, teach them and guide them. Further describing this divine internal presence that’s so hard to understand, Jesus says in John 14:27, “I’m leaving you with a gift – peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid. There’s absolutely nothing you can do to produce this peace for yourself. There’s no meditation or deep breathing that brings this peace. There’s no soundtrack for this, no magical place on a mountaintop or hidden away in the woods. No, this peace isn’t found in the world or in yourself. It is ONLY through the presence of the Holy Spirit. You don’t have to work for it, you simply have to abide in Christ and this unspeakable peace grows. Peace isn’t pretending everything is okay. It’s knowing that even when everything isn’t okay, God still is. As I mentioned last week, while at our Lake Retreat, one of our really special BIG Life girls received the phone call that her husband had died. While her whole world is absolutely shattered and she has walked through this unimaginable and unexpected loss for the past week, something remarkable has happened. She has literally felt God strengthening her. When she can’t catch her breath, she says she can feel God breathing into her. In this time where nothing makes sense, not even the time of day, there is a settled peace living inside of her. My friends, that is the Holy Spirit. Have you ever experienced that level of peace? Peace that Philippians 4:7 says, “exceeds anything we can understand. Peace that will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” It’s a settled knowing from within when everything else is spinning out of control. It’s an anchor for your soul that holds you steady when the waves come crashing against you. But this peace isn’t reserved for times of trouble. This peace can be your constant. On the bad days and the good days. In the highs just as much as in the lows. You know when you need the peace of the Holy Spirit? … in the battle and in victory. In the storm and in the blissful sunshine. The truth is, without God’s peace, you can be sitting in the most beautiful day of life and be radically upset. Without God’s peace you can miss the goodness of the moment and be all stirred up about things that aren’t even a real threat. Are you in a reasonably good season of life right now? Did you wake up today without crisis or deep grief? Pause for a moment and think about that. You’re okay today. Your people okay are today. Let your mind settle in peace. You don’t have to manufacture the next thing to worry about. You don’t have to busy yourself. You can sit here in this peace and let it wash over you. PEACE CAN BE YOUR CONSTANT. When the Holy Spirit is living inside of you, this level of peace naturally grows in your life. You wake up with this peace. You walk in this peace. You are held steady in this peace. You move forward in this peace. You rest in this peace. And you know what else you do – YOU BRING PEACE TO EVERY TABLE YOU SET AT. Girl, that’s what your family needs! That’s what your office needs. That’s what your neighborhood needs. They don’t need you to be the one with all the answers and solutions. They don’t need you to be the one that takes charge and creates radical change. Actually what they need is for you to bring the gift Jesus brought to his disciples on the night before the cross. THE GIFT OF PEACE. Think about that – how can you offer the gift of peace today? It is a gift you can give because it’s growing in your life. Have you ever seen an apple tree straining and groaning trying to push out apples? No. It simply stays rooted. The fruit is evidence of the life inside it. That’s our job too. Stay rooted in Jesus. The Holy Spirit grows the fruit. If I’m an apple tree growing apples, I can easily offer you an apple. I can’t offer you a ribeye steak because that’s not what’s growing on my limbs. But as an apple tree, I can always give you an apple. And it’s really that simple. As God’s girl with the very presence of God within, you’re growing peace on your limbs. Peace during the good and peace during the bad. Peace in the storm and peace in the calm. You can always offer peace. It’s not your calling to bring the freak-out. Freak-out doesn’t grow in the life of a girl carrying around the Holy Spirit. It’s not your calling to bring the negativity. Negativity doesn’t grow in the life of a girl carrying around the Holy Spirit. It’s not your calling to bring the drama. Drama doesn’t grow in the life of a girl carrying around the Holy Spirit. It’s not your calling to spread fear. Fear doesn’t grow in the life of a girl carrying around the Holy Spirit. Your calling is to bring the peace. PEACE GROWS IN THE LIFE OF A GIRL CARRYING AROUND THE HOLY SPIRIT! Peace in your home. Peace in your office. Peace in your neighborhood. Peace in your car. Peace everywhere you go. Don’t be a thermometer that only reflects the temperature of the room. Be a thermostat that changes it. When everyone else is anxious, you stay steady. When everyone else is panicking, you stay prayerful. When everyone else is arguing, you stay peaceful. Why? Because you’re carrying the Holy Spirit. Every room you walk into has an atmosphere. Some rooms feel tense. Some feel fearful. Some feel angry. Some feel rushed. But because the Prince of Peace lives in you, every room you enter has the opportunity to become more peaceful simply because you showed up. Show up today and bring PEACE WITH YOU AS YOUR PLUS ONE! Hey girl, it’s me, plus PEACE today! I interrupt your chaos with God’s peace. I interrupt your stress with God’s peace. I interrupt your worry with God’s peace. Don’t confuse peace with being passive. Jesus had perfect peace—and He still walked straight toward the cross. Peace doesn’t make you weak. Peace makes you unshakable. Imagine what would happen if every daughter of God decided today: “Wherever I go, peace goes.” Into my marriage… peace goes. Into my parenting… peace goes. Into my workplace… peace goes. Into the waiting room… peace goes. Into the hard conversation… peace goes. Into the celebration… peace goes. Why? Because I carry the Holy Spirit. I don’t have to manufacture peace. I don’t have to chase peace. I don’t have to wait for peace. I carry Peace Himself. And wherever the Spirit of God lives, the fruit of peace grows. You are a soul who has been made whole by God, so you have PEACE. SHALOM. With God, everything is as it should be. Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com

Get in losers, let's go to the movies. We're saddling up and strutting our way through the Messed Up mall of Forbidden Fruits - the latest Shudder original that's part Mean Girls, part The Craft and part Mallrats? That last one is debatable, especially for high school Griffey. In this episode, Sam reveals his new approach to reviewing movies by going totally method and stepping into the mind of a teenage mall girl from Texas. Meanwhile, Griffey and Heath grapple with whether they are aging out of stories intended for Gen Z. By the way, were there supposed to be witches in this movie? Logline: At a mall store, Apple leads a secret witch cult with coworkers Cherry and Fig. New hire Pumpkin questions their sisterhood, forcing them to confront inner darkness or meet violent ends. Director: Meredith Alloway  Starring: Lili Reinhart, Lola Tung, Victoria Pedretti, Alexandra Shipp, Gabrielle Union

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Train the Prophets Students – Fruits of the Spirit

Train the Prophets Students – Fruits of the Spirit

The seventh and final director interview Wilson conducted at this year's Hong Kong International Film Festival is with the legendary Taiwanese filmmaker Tsai Ming-liang. Wilson asks one of his cinematic heroes about the state of filmmaking today, his methods for working with actors, and his decades-long collaboration with Lee Kang-sheng.Kiss a melon in our FREE patreon, discord server, and our socials @ www.deepcutpod.com Timestamps:00:00 intro03:42 What do you hope new audiences will take from your films?04:43 Rebels of the Neon god06:20 Tsai and realism07:35 The Hole09:30 Tsai's childhood11:13 Theaters, streamers, and art museums13:24 Video art versus narrative cinema16:15 Fruits and vegetables (props and crops)17:40 Abandoned buildings19:27 Pacing and directing actors21:22 Working with Lee Kang-sheng22:35 Tsai's Deep Cut picks

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Series: Galatians 5Sermon Title: Praying for FruitMain Scripture: Galatians 5:22-23 "But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control."Synopsis: Before teaching on the Fruits of the Spirit, let us stop and pray that the Holy Spirit would begin to supernaturally produce this fruit in our lives and in our church.• • • • • • • •.• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Join us for service in person and online every Sunday at 10am (MST) at the City Life Community Center in Missoula, MT. We believe that you matter. We would love to connect with you and hear your story! https://www.anchorchurchmissoula.com/contactIf you would like to engage financially with Anchor Church you can give by texting any amount to 84321 or by visiting https://www.anchorchurchmissoula.comNeed prayer or have a praise report? https://www.anchorchurchmissoula.com/needFor more information about Anchor Church or ways to get connected visit us at https://www.www.anchorchurchmissoula.com or follow us on our social media platforms below.

Joy is one expression of the life of Jesus growing within us. What exactly is joy? It’s deep, not surface level. It is permanent, not circumstantial. It’s a settled confidence, not a mood. It’s a spiritual strength, not a changing emotion. And this joy, according to Nehemiah 8:10, is the source of your strength. Joy is supernatural, not natural. The source of joy is God – not a personality type, not positive thinking patterns. No, joy is the result of God’s Holy Spirit dwelling within you. The closer we remain to Jesus, the more joy grows in our lives. Not by force, not by will, but by connection. The world searches for joy through outside sources. We look in relationships, and we’re left disappointed. We strive for success, and we’re left stressed. We think joy is found in having money, then we realize we always want more. We look to entertainment and we’re left empty. We think joy is found on vacation, then the vacation ends and it’s back to regular life and where’s the joy in that? None. Joy is not found out here. So where is joy found? Psalm 16:11 tells us where joy is and it’s very clear. “In your presence, Lord, there is fullness of joy.” And because the Holy Spirit within us is the literal presence of God, we are carrying the SOURCE of JOY. It’s not out here in anything external, created or strived for, it’s right inside of us. It’s God in us! He is our source of joy. This is why it’s possible to have joy wherever we go, whatever we go through, regardless of circumstances – we carry the joy with us. We have the SOURCE – that is the presence of God. There’s a difference between happiness and joy. Some times are simply not happy times. Some times we hurt, some times we grieve. And yet joy remains. How is that possible? Joy depends on one thing – God within you. And guess what, he’s not leaving! So joy is always present regardless of the season or the circumstance. Happiness depends on what happens. Happiness changes hourly. But joy abides and survives tragedy. Even on the cross, Jesus was filled with joy. Even in agony, joy was within. Hebrews 12:2, “For the joy set before him he endured the cross.” With eyes set on the joy of fulfilling his purpose and completing his mission of saving YOU, he endured and he remained. He held the perfect power to take himself down from that cross at any moment, yet he remained, and he remained with the joy of knowing God’s goodness through it all. Jesus shows us how to endure, how to suffer, how to go through the very hardest of times. He doesn’t run. He doesn’t hide. He doesn’t try to change it. He endures it with joy set before him. God was right there with him, therefore he had supernatural joy to stay in the moment and fulfill his purpose. That’s what the Holy Spirit does in our lives – He helps us look forward knowing this is temporary and eternal promises are ahead. The Holy Spirit reminds us of God’s good plans and his perfect track record of fulfilling them. Joy is not the absence of sorrow – sometimes sorry and joy are present at the same time. The Holy Spirit teaches us to hold grief in one hand while still holding joy in the other. Here’s the truth, at any given moment, someone is having the absolute best day of their life. At that same moment, someone else is experiencing the absolute worst day of their life. And here we are in the middle of it all. What do we do with that? With the power of the Holy Spirit, we faithfully hold both. Last weekend at retreat, in the middle of all our fun, all our happiness, all our games, all our laughter, one of our BIG Life girls received the phone call that changed absolutely everything for her. Her husband had just died at home. He was gone and she was states away there with us. Oh the grief that overtook her. The pain that was palpable in the room. We fell to our knees with no words, only breathing out the name of YAHWEH. And let me tell you from that experience, I see how when life hits that hard, you want to be surrounded by people like that! You want your army of girls who can lay on the floor with you, then help pick you back up. You want your people who can pray with you and walk with you. Once we had her fully cared for and being escorted by the right girls back home, we were left in a house that had just held so much sorrow. What do you do after that? How do you salvage a weekend retreat when tragedy has hit for one among you? Well my friends, JOY IS STILL THERE. We had ourselves a real life lesson of holding grief in one hand and joy in the other. What did we do? We lived. We allowed God’s joy to well up from within us and we intentionally chose to create memories. The weekend was not wasted. That’s the reality we live in. If we’re waiting for perfect moments where everyone and everything is all good, then we spend our whole lives waiting while life passes by. We can hold grief with one hand and joy with the other. Jesus showed us how on the cross. 2 Corinthians 6:10, “Our hearts ache, but we always have joy.” We grieve with hope. We cry with confidence. We hurt without despair. The Holy Spirit gives joy that coexists with tears. The Spirit gives joy that coexists with tears. There’s this strange little verse in the Bible that sometimes doesn’t make sense – James 1:2, “When troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy.” This isn’t a command to enjoy suffering – this is a reminder that we can rejoice because we KNOW God is accomplishing something through whatever we go through. We can set our eyes on the joy ahead, just as Jesus did. God is doing something good. We can trust that always. Whatever you may be going through, joy can grow here. Joy grows whenever eternity becomes more real than temporary pain. That’s how the Holy Spirit constantly lifts our eyes upward. There’s so much more than what we see and know here – we can count on that! And when we live in that awareness, joy grows. The joy of the Holy Spirit is not shallow optimism or denial of hardship. It is the settled delight that comes from knowing God, trusting His character, walking in His presence, and seeing life through the lens of eternity. As you abide in Christ and yield to the Spirit, this joy is not something you force—it becomes something the Spirit steadily grows within you, enabling you to rejoice even when circumstances remain unchanged. Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com

Galatians 5:22, “But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: LOVE …” God isn’t asking us to manufacture love. This isn’t about trying harder. God invites us to connect with him and grow in him, and as we abide in him, his love naturally flows through us. Jesus says “Apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5) This is why some people are incapable of loving well or loving at all – they don’t have the love of Jesus flowing through them. It’s like expecting the limb of the apple tree lying on the ground to keep producing apples. Of course it can’t – it’s disconnected from it’s source of life so no fruit will grow. When we are detached from our source, we are incapable of loving well. We don’t need more effort, we need more connection to our source. Every detail of God’s word is specific. The order here is important. Love comes first on the list of fruits because every other fruit grows out of love. Think about it: Joy is love rejoicing. Peace is love resting. Patience is love enduring. Kindness is love serving. Goodness is love acting. Faithfulness is love staying. Gentleness is love responding. Self-control is love choosing. Love is the root. The other fruits are expressions of it. So doesn’t it make sense that the enemy goes to work on our ability to love and be loved? If he takes away our love, he takes away every other fruit in our lives. For this reason, love in this world gets twisted. It becomes lust. It becomes self-serving. It becomes pain. Love is like the weapon taken right out of our hands and pointed at us by the enemy of our soul to destroy us. Loving like Jesus will defeat the enemy, but when that love is turned on us and twisted, the enemy nearly destroys us. If you watched the news at all yesterday, you likely saw a man and woman dressed in black illegally climb the Empire State Building yesterday. On the very top of the building, towering 1400 feet above New York City, they flew a flag that boldly proclaimed, “WHEN THE POWER OF LOVE BEATS THE LOVE OF POWER, THE WORLD KNOWS PEACE.” So true – but only when we remember this – 1 John 4:8, “GOD IS LOVE.” Love can get twisted, God cannot. God is strong and steady throughout the history of the universe. He is the same today, tomorrow and forever. His love is pure, and when his pure love flows through us, the world is radically changed. When God literally lives in us through his Holy Spirit, our nature is changed. We become a vessel of his love and it flows so naturally. Jesus teaches us that he is the vine and we are the branch. We aren’t created to survive without him. We aren’t created to grow without him. And we’re certainly not created to produce any type of goodness in our lives without him. Jesus says, “ABIDE IN ME.” (John 15:4) This means stay connected. Stop trying to do this on your own. Stop seeking the answer somewhere else. Fruit will grow because we stay connected to the vine of Jesus. Our job is abiding. God’s job is producing fruit. Have you been trying to produce fruit and will yourself into loving better instead of focusing on staying connected to Jesus? That’s exhausting and disappointing isn’t it? Trying to love someone better without a life-giving connection to Jesus will leave you absolutely depleted. You are trying to give what you cannot self-produce. You’re not capable of loving them enough on your own. You’re not the vine they need, Sis. Sometimes it’s humbling to realize you can’t love them enough to change them. BUT JESUS CAN! The more you get to know Jesus, the more you will naturally overflow in love. It’s not something you have to work for, it’s something you have to stay connected for. Love is like the electrical energy that flows through an extension cord when plugged in to the outlet. Unplug it and there’s no flow. Unplugged the extension cord has absolutely nothing to give. Plugged in, the energy is continually available. Honey, you’re not a power generator. You’re not the source. You’re the extension cord. LOVE FLOWS THROUGH YOU, BUT ONLY WHEN YOU’RE CONNECTED TO THE SOURCE! Love doesn’t come from you first – no, first you receive LOVE, then love flows through you. Jesus tells us that we will be known as his disciples through our love. Not through our memorized scriptures, not through our long wordy prayers, not through our church attendance – nope, through our love. When asked what the most important commandment was, Jesus replied in Matthew 22: 37-40, “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: Love your neighbor as yourself. The entire law is based on these two commandments.” It all boils down to LOVE. It started in LOVE, “For God so loved the world” and it continues in LOVE, “Now you go love.” But some people are really hard to love, aren’t they? Do you have some of those people in your life? I do. And some people are so easy to love. It’s easy to give them our best. Which one are we commanded to love? BOTH! It’s not always easy, but you don’t love under your own power – you love through the power of the Holy Spirit. This isn’t your love you’re giving, this is God’s love. Romans 5:5, “God has given us the Holy spirit to fill our hearts with HIS love.” You don’t have to produce this love, you simply have to let it flow through you. Sometimes we create a dam within our own hearts and keep his love from flowing. We decide to withhold love thinking it will teach a lesson or it will protect our hearts. Instead all it does is create a blockage within our own selves. Have you heard of the Dead Sea? The Dead Sea is called dead because nothing will grow in it. Do you know why nothing grows in it? Because it is so filled with nutrients and minerals that it’s become toxic. It has an inlet, but no outlet. So everything just sits within the Dead Sea and evaporates, leaving this dense, hardened water that nothing can live in. That’s really the picture of our hearts when we dam it up with self-protection or restriction. We become toxic to our own selves. You need an outlet. Let me tell you who is worthy of LOVE today – EVERY SINGLE SOUL YOU COME IN CONTACT WITH! Yes, every one of them – starting with that hard to love person in your own home, perhaps. Ask the Holy Spirit to love them through you today. Ultimately, here’s the goal – YOU BECOME MORE AND MORE LIKE JESUS. Jesus didn’t hang on the cross and say, “This is for the nice people, but all you mean people get none of my blood.” He didn’t say, “This is for the ones who act right, but all you jackwagons get none of my love.” No, he did it for every single one of us, even in our jackwagon era. As we become more and more like Jesus, we allow that kind of love to flow through us. Love isn’t becoming a nicer version of yourself, it’s Jesus becoming visible through everything you do. Faith without love becomes cold. Truth without love becomes harsh. Power without love becomes dangerous. Love is the life-changing power of God that flows through us. What the world most needs is precisely what we have in our connection with God! So here’s how love works in 4 parts: 1. The Father is the source of love (“God is love.”) 2. The Son perfectly reveals that love in His life, death, and resurrection. 3. The Holy Spirit pours that love into believers’ hearts and forms Christ’s character within them. 4. The believer abides in Christ by faith, and love emerges as fruit rather than as self-generated effort. Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com

Returning to our study on the Fruits of the Spirit, this is part 6. So far we’ve looked at living on the wrong side of the list – what happens when we live WITHOUT the direction of the Holy Spirit and under the influence of the world and our flesh. We see all those things that create destruction and chaos in our lives, but wow, they happen so naturally. We don’t have to try to be selfish, that comes easily. We don’t have to strive to be jealous. Sexual immorality is something that peaks its head up as a temptation early in our teen years and continually pesters us. Then notice what Galatians 5:21says, “Anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.” Woah, now that’s scary. Heaven is on the line here? What exactly does this mean? Every single one of us have struggled with at least one of these things on the wrong side of the list. Does this mean we’re all excluded from eternity with God? Does this mean we’re out? This is a big deal, so we need to be sure. If Heaven depends on getting it right, let’s get it right! Nothing is worth missing out on Heaven. Here’s what this DOESN’T mean. This doesn’t mean that as a follower of Jesus we could never commit any of these sins. What this does mean is that as a follower of Jesus we can’t STAY in these sins. God has given us something that calls us out of that old way of life. He has made us new with a new operating system. Our new operating system as a follower of Jesus is the Holy Spirit. We studied the Holy Spirit in depth in episode #2146. This is literally God living IN YOU. This is the direct guidance and influence of something greater than you now directing your life. Do you know what this means? This means with a new operating system, you are naturally changing and you’re no longer who you once were. Girl, YOU’VE CHANGED! You don’t have to keep living the way you used to. You no longer have to struggle with the same things you’ve always struggled with. The Holy Spirit is changing you from within. Now, you get to be DIFFERENT. Under the direction of the Holy Spirit and it’s inner influence, you live different. This isn’t a New Year’s resolution that you forget about by February. This isn’t an “I’ll try to be better”. This is the true inner change that we seek. A change of your desires. A change of your will. A change of your operating system. Does Jesus really change lives? ABSOLUTELY AND THIS IS EXACTLY HOW. I’ve seen the soul who has struggled with addiction for years absolutely SET FREE when surrendered to Jesus. I’ve seen the hardened heart absolutely HEALED when surrendered to Jesus. I’ve seen the depression and anxiety lift. I’ve seen the change from within. I know it to be true because I’ve experienced it. What nothing else in the world can do, JESUS CAN! Oh what a little box we put our God in when we think this is too big for him. Girl, absolutely nothing is too far gone for the work of his Holy Spirit. Nothing is beyond his reach. Nothing is too late or too hard. God is good enough and God is BIG enough to change EVERYTHING inside of you, everything you’ve ever struggled with, everything that has ever bound you up and caused you to struggle. And here’s how he does it: The Fruit of His Spirit. Fruit. Fruit naturally grows on the right kind of tree. It’s not forced, it’s natural. If it’s an apple tree, it produces apples. If it’s a cherry tree, it produces cherries. If it’s a pear tree, it produces pears. Not because the tree has tried hard to change or willed itself into production, but because it naturally lives as it was created to live. And this is the example God chose to use to represent what happens in our lives when his Holy Spirit dwells within us. We just naturally begin producing very specific fruit that comes from our attachment and growth in Him. Galatians 5: 22-23, “But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” How does that verse begin? BUT. BUT the Holy Spirit produces something different in our lives. This is an interruption to what has been explained in the verses before. Before we have what our lives naturally become without the Holy Spirit. That was the list of yuck we went through all last week. That was the envy, the drunkenness, the selfishness, the anger, the jealousy, the quarreling, the hostility, the immorality and impurity, and seeking everything but God. Thank God for his interruption. BUT THE HOLY SPIRIT. You can live on the wrong side of the list and be ruled by the world and your flesh. However, that’s not the way to Heaven. The way to Heaven is to connect and grow in Jesus – and when you do, the Holy Spirit begins doing his work in you to change you from the inside. These fruits of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, NATURALLY grow in your life as a result of abiding in Jesus. This isn’t something you set your alarm for and work for. This isn’t something with a goal box you can check. This is something that GROWS within you because of connection. It’s a change that happens naturally that makes you different. Your focus is connection. The fruit will happen naturally. God didn’t have to design it all that way. He could have designed right living to be a goal we achieve. He could have designed the required change within us to be a 10 level system we work our way through. He could have given it all a grading curve in which only a few pass. BUT HE DIDN’T. It’s not about our work at all. It’s about the work of the Holy Spirit within us. Our job is to stay connected. Our job is to surrender to the change he starts within us. Our job is to embrace the growth. Our job is to naturally produce what he promises to grow within us. FRUIT. It’s the evidence of a different operating system. FRUIT. It’s not achieved by working, but by abiding. FRUIT – it’s fragile, it’s attractive, it’s nourishing, and it’s natural. So as we begin this study on each of the Fruits of the Spirit, don’t hear this as another list of things you have to go accomplish. Don’t turn this into another burden you carry or another measuring stick you beat yourself up with. Instead, let every fruit become an invitation. If I’m lacking peace, I don’t need to try harder—I need to draw closer. If I’m struggling with patience, I don’t need to grit my teeth—I need to stay connected to the One who grows patience in me. If I’m battling self-control, I don’t need more willpower—I need more surrender. The fruit is never the source. Jesus is. And here’s the beautiful thing: Fruit doesn’t appear overnight. It grows. Slowly. Steadily. Sometimes so gradually you don’t even notice it until one day you realize you don’t react the way you used to. You don’t chase the things you used to chase. You don’t become undone by the things that once controlled you. Why? Because the Holy Spirit has been faithfully doing His work all along. Don’t despise the growing season. Don’t quit because you’re not fully mature yet. Healthy things grow, and if you’re connected to Jesus, you will too. So over these next several days, we’re not studying a checklist. We’re studying the evidence of a life surrendered to God. We’re studying what naturally happens when His Spirit is alive within us. This is what Jesus came to do – not just forgive your past, but transform your future. Not just rescue you from sin, but restore you into the person you were always created to be. So stay connected. Stay surrendered. Stay growing. Because the Holy Spirit is still producing fruit in you. And one day, you’ll look back and realize the miracle wasn’t that you tried harder. The miracle is that Jesus changed you. Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com

Who likes to wait for what we need or want? Basically — nobody. Of those nine elements that make up the Fruit of the Spirit, patience may be the hardest. Romans 8:25 says, “But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.” And patience is learned, which makes it one of the sweetest fruits the Spirit gives us. Waiting for a payoff of some kind makes the end result that much more rewarding, and life teaches us that. A childless Hannah endured mocking and ridicule, but the Bible tells us in First Samuel that she prayed, and she waited. Imagine how she felt when the date of her delivery drew near. She eventually had several children, but it was her patience in waiting on Samuel that made all the difference. If you're waiting for something very important, read and meditate on the Fruits of the Spirit, especially patience. Let's pray. Lord, give us the patience of Hannah when we're frustrated by waiting, and teach us humility in the process in Jesus' name, amen. Change your shirt, and you can change the world! Save 15% Off your entire purchase of faith-based apparel + gifts at Kerusso.com with code KDD15.

This week we’ve studied what our lives looks like without the Holy Spirit. Without God’s influence, without God’s direction over our life, we naturally drift toward dysfunction, selfishness, broken relationships, and sin. Left to ourselves, our sinful nature becomes the driving force behind our decisions, our attitudes, and our actions. That’s exactly what Paul describes in Galatians 5. He paints an honest picture of what life looks like when the flesh is in control. It’s not a list meant to shame us – it’s a mirror showing us what every one of us is capable of apart from God. But thank God, we’re not left there. The good news is that God didn’t simply save us from our sin; He gave us His very presence. When we place our faith in Jesus, the Holy Spirit comes to live within us. We are no longer left to navigate this life in our own strength. We have a Helper, a Guide, a Teacher, and the very power of God at work in us. So before we can understand the fruit of the Spirit, we have to understand the Spirit Himself. Who is the Holy Spirit? Why did God give Him to us? What is His purpose in our lives? And what does it actually look like to live under His influence every day? The fruit of the Spirit isn’t about trying harder to become a better person. It’s about allowing the Holy Spirit to transform us from the inside out. I spent many years not understanding who the Holy Spirit is and what it mean to have this influence in my life. Maybe you’re in that place. This doesn’t quite make sense to you. It can be a little confusing, so lets slow down to understand. Quite simply, the Holy Spirit is God HIMSELF. God reveals himself to us in 3 ways which we call the trinity. The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit – all God. Think of it this way, the Father loved us, the Son saved us, the Spirit changes us. The Holy Spirit is God’s very own presence dwelling within us. Before Jesus returned to Heaven after his crucifixion, he made an incredible promise. In John 14: 16-17, “I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. You will know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you.” In verse 23, Jesus says, “We will come and make our home in each one who loves me.” Jesus had been walking with his disciples. He had been living with them, teaching them, guiding them. In flesh, he was there with them. Now, before he returns to Heaven, he is promising for everyone who loves him, they will be given ANOTHER who will actually live in you and never leave you. The Greek, word translated “another” means another of the same kind. So we have been given someone exactly like Jesus in nature and purpose to live inside of us. That’s the Holy Spirit! The Holy Spirit makes God’s presence permanent in everyone who believes in him. As real as Jesus walked this earth as God in human form, God now lives within us in Spirit form. The Holy Spirit empowers us to live like Jesus. So this isn’t about trying harder and harder, this is about allowing God to live through us. In the Old Testament, God’s Spirit dwelt in the tabernacle and later in the temple. Occasionally his Spirit would come upon specific people for specific purposes. Through the cleansing power of Jesus to make us holy and righteous, God Spirit is now available to each of us and we become his temple. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 6:19, “Your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God.” For real, God now lives within us! My mind can’t comprehend that, but by faith I choose to believe it. Do you? Let’s look at 3 things the Holy Spirit does: He teaches us, empowers us and transforms us. The Holy Spirit teaches us. When you read the Bible and actually understand it, that’s the work of the Holy Spirit. When you listen to this podcast or a sermon and it hits just right, that’s the work of the Holy Spirit. When you’re living your regular life and you remember what God said about it, that’s the work of the Holy Spirit. What a lot of people describe as a “gut feeling” is actually the prompting of the Holy Spirit! The Holy Spirit empowers us. Acts 1:8, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you.” Have you ever been stronger than you ever thought you could be? Girl, that was the Holy Spirit. Have you ever had the power to do things you never thought you could do? That’s the power from the Holy Spirit. We’re so quick to think we’re weak and incapable, but as a believer, remember who is living within you. God himself is inside of you! His power is in you! So yes, you do have the strength for this through the Holy Spirit. Yes, you are good enough. Yes, you are capable. Remember what’s in you! And ultimately what the Holy Spirit does within us is he transforms us. That’s where the Fruit of the Spirit comes in in Galatians 5. WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT, we are changed naturally. This change isn’t something we have to force and will, it’s a change that grows in us and makes us more like Jesus. That’s the goal of the Holy Spirit, to make us more and more like Jesus. As we move to the right side of our list and begin to see what it looks like to live under the influence of the Holy Spirit, rather than without him, think of it like this: If you are under the influence of alcohol, you think different, you talk different, you walk different, you have different emotions, and you make different decisions. Why? Because you’re under the influence of that alcohol so you operate different. Now, think of the influence of the Holy Spirit in your life. It changes everything. You think different under the influence of the Holy Spirit. The way you see things changes. The way you see people changes. Your thought process is changed. You talk different under the influence of the Holy Spirit. You don’t even want to be in the conversations you were once in. You walk different with different emotions, making different decisions. Under the influence of the Holy Spirit, your desires are literally changed. Your heart begins to align with God’s heart and you begin to pursue the things he created you for. And what happens when there’s a different life within us – FRUIT! Fruit is evidence of life. An apple tree doesn’t struggle to tape apples to its branches to look more like an apple tree. An apple tree just naturally produces apples. When the Holy Spirit lives within us, we don’t have to struggle and strive, we just surrender and then we naturally produce the Fruit of the Spirit. This is what makes us more and more like Jesus. Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com

Today, we’re wrapping it up – the yuck list of what our lives can become when we are not under the influence of the Holy Spirit and following his guidance. So far in Galatians 5: 19-21 we’ve seen the sexual sins we so easily fall into, then the attitudes and behaviors that damage our relationship with God and others. It’s been a real yuck fest hanging out on the wrong side under the wrong influence. What we’ve learned so far is that’s not what we want, nor is that who we want to be. Now finally in verse 21, we have our final things to add to the column on the left labeled ‘Without the Holy Spirit’ – “Drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these.” Before you push away and think the Holy Spirit would never allow you to have fun, that’s not what this is about. This isn’t about making your life boring. This is truly about taking away every imitation of happiness the enemy has tried to entangle you in. God offers us immense joy and overflowing happiness, then Satan swoops in and tries to twist that into a pursuit of things that simply aren’t good for you. Do you realize when God calls something a sin it’s because it’s not good for you. He created you with a specific design, and as your creator he knows what is harmful to your design, so he warns you, “Hey, my child, don’t do this … it’s not good for you.” It’s like the warning label on a hair dryer that says don’t put this in water … Why fight that? We have warning labels on us, why are we fighting it? Understand what is specifically being said—drunkenness and wild parties. The sin is not drinking. The problem is not a party. Jesus was once at a wedding celebration where the wine ran out, so His first public miracle was turning water into wine for the wedding feast (John 2). The sin is intoxication that masters the person. The problem is the party that celebrates the loss of self-control, encourages excess, and creates an atmosphere where people cast off moral restraint. The concern here is not with joy or celebration; the concern is with a culture of indulgence where people surrender themselves to their desires rather than submit themselves to the Spirit. The problem is the party that is built around excess. The Greek word kōmoi used in this scripture refers to revelries—wild, drunken celebrations where restraint is abandoned and sinful behavior is encouraged. This is not a condemnation on gatherings, celebrations, or even the enjoying good things. This is about the kind of partying where intoxication and reckless behavior become the purpose of the event. You know that, “We’re gonna get drunk tonight! Get lit! Let loose!” … yeah that is NOT from the Holy Spirit. It’s hard for me to talk about these things because I have to be honest with you – I have absolutely no experience with it. At 50 years old, I’ve never been drunk a single time in my life. I’ve never been to the club or a bar. I’ve never gotten tipsy and let loose. So no, I really don’t know what that is like. But let me tell you what I’m qualified to talk about – I’m absolutely certain you can have fun and be 100% sober. There’s not a gathering I don’t have fun at. There’s not a celebration where I can’t laugh and enjoy. You can throw a party and it not become wild and wreckless. You can dance, you can sing, you can celebrate, and you can be the life of the party without a single regret. Think about how Jesus must have been when he walked this Earth. The gospels are full of accounts of Jesus being invited to weddings, invited to celebrations and gatherings, continually invited to come over for dinner. Children loved to be around Jesus. You know what this tells me – this tells me Jesus wasn’t boring. He wasn’t a stick in the mud. He wasn’t a downer. He was LITERALLY the life of the party in every sense of the word. Now we carry his spirit within us as his followers. He lives within us. We are empowered to be the life of the party with what he has put within us through our connection with him – and we’ve gotten it all twisted thinking in order for us to be fun and have fun we have to get drunk? That’s just straight from Hell right there. Tomorrow is opening day of my 111th BIG Life Retreat. It’s a girls weekend on the lake where we will tie together all of our floaties and float in the sunshine on the lake. We’ll be playing music and singing. There will be dancing. There will be uncontrollable laughter. There will be random last minute competitions of floating obstacle courses, relays of nonsense, and cheering team mates like we’re winning real gold medals. It will be a full on celebration of happiness. And there won’t be a drop of alcohol. None. When I first started hosting retreats, a whole lot of people didn’t come because they thought it would be impossible to have fun at a gathering without something to loosen them up. How could a girls weekend be a good time without the good stuff? Now, we know THE GOOD STUFF isn’t found in a bottle. The GOOD STUFF is found in God showing us how to celebrate life with pure joy and no regrets. Drunkenness and wild parties intentionally lower restraint with a celebration of impulsiveness, excess and indulgence. That’s the problem. A drunken person often pulls others into the same behavior. It becomes a chain effect. One person gets stupid, then the next person gets stupid. And with a bunch of stupid people not thinking right, sin becomes normalized. That’s not under the direction of the Holy Spirit. God says, “That’s not good for my creation.” So, we come with a warning label just like the hair dryer that’s not to be put in water – we’re vessels for the Holy Spirit and we are not to be drunk going to wild parties. It’s simply not good for us. This isn’t a matter of having all our fun taken away from us. Actually quite the opposite – this is a matter of not being fooled by the enemy and living in such a deeper level of fun offered by God. A fun with no regrets. A fun with full awareness. A fun that represents the joy of the Lord. This week, I’ve given the girls I mentor a challenge – a challenge to be the Ambassador of Fun wherever they are. Fun is a ministry. Really think about that. Fun shows the goodness of God and draws others into him. Misery doesn’t do that. Boring doesn’t do that. But fun sure does. Fun is a breath of fresh air for the soul who questions how much longer they can carry their burden. Fun invites them to see the good in life again. Fun is warfare against darkness, pushing back what the enemy has tried to use to overwhelm. And we can literally minister to others through our holy fun. Walk into every room asking, “How can I leave this place lighter than I found it?” My friend, THAT IS MINISTRY! Do you think I’m a fun person? Do you think I know how to enjoy life? Do you think I know how to throw a party others really want to come to? I can promise you there’s something better than alcohol and stupidity … there’s the Holy Spirit and genuine fun! After the past 4 days of studying the list on the wrong side, maybe you’re breathing lighter because your specific sin hasn’t been listed. That’s why I love it’s all wrapped up with a “and other sins like these.” Yip, it’s covered. Anything not under the guidance of the Holy Spirit is not producing goodness in our lives. It is hurting us or hurting others. It’s not God’s best for us. There’s a song called “Search Me” by Kristian Stanfill that has given me the words to pray. Each morning during my time with God on my knees, I pray these song lyrics: Search me, Lord, and know me Purify my life Find in me anything That doesn't bow to You as King I'm not ok to stay the same From now until life's through Jesus, make me more like You Do whatever You have to do That’s what it’s about – Allow the Holy Spirit to search you and know you. Allow him to find anything within you that doesn’t bow to him as King. Decide right now you’re not okay with just staying the same. You want more – let the Holy Spirit set you free to experience the fullness of life Jesus came to offer you! Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com