Maturing as Christians

Our Lord’s teaching on spiritual power & the discipleship connection is found in John 15:1-8. This passage can be rightly understood as a metaphor for the relationship between a disciple and his Lord. This is made very clear by the words that conclude the vine/branch conversation: “My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples” (John 15:8). Unlike the salvation relationship, the discipleship relationship can be lost: “If anyone doe

The fruit of the Spirit represents who Jesus is. As believers walk in the Spirit, they bear the fruit that reflects Christ's character. John puts it this way, “The one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked” (1 John 2:6).  This power is released as believers remain in a “discipleship relationship”  with God, similar to a branch staying connected to a vine to produce fruit! In other words, it means that godly character is the result of

The fruit of the Spirit is an exertion of His power! In other words, the virtues listed in Galatians 5:22-23 (love, joy, peace, patience, etc.) are not produced by human effort or willpower, but are the direct result of the Holy Spirit's active, transforming power working within a believer. It signifies that these characteristics are supernatural, reflecting God's own character rather than mere behavioral modification or self-help. The fruit is not a "to-do" list of moral imp

What images and expectations come to mind concerning spiritual power? Spiritual power isn’t usually the miraculous or spectacular, but rather the consistent showing of the fruit of the Spirit in the believer’s life! Jesus alluded to this when He said, “He will glorify Me, for He will take from Mine and will disclose it to you” (John 16:14).  Jesus explains that the Holy Spirit will bring Him glory by taking what is His (the fruit of the Spirit) and revealing it to the discipl

Yes, it does!! As believers we need to know how God has revealed Himself to us in the Bible! The Bible teaches the triune nature of God. Scripture affirms that there’s one and only one God, eternally existing in three Persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. It's critical that our God is One God (Deuteronomy 6:4), lest we become like the other beliefs of the world which are false; and yet God is made up of 3 distinct Persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. I also thin

Yesterday, I heard a well-known preacher say, “We don’t believe in three separate and distinct personalities to God.” Is he correct in his teaching? Is this teaching sound? Does he know the God of the Bible? The answer is no! What does the Bible teach? The biblical view is that God is a triune or Trinity of three distinct Persons. Each Person is equally God, each is eternally God, and each is fully God, not three gods, and not merely one God expressing Himself in three ways.

People are often offended by biblical truth because it acts as a "two-edged sword" (Hebrews 4:12) that exposes personal sin, challenges human pride, and demands repentance. It is perceived as restrictive, exclusive, and contrary to personal desires, rather than just comforting, which forces a confrontation with uncomfortable realities.  The New Testament uses the word offense, stumbling block, or snare to describe how the Gospel message traps or triggers a negative reaction i

In 1 Corinthians 2:9, the wisdom of God tells the believer, “the best is yet to come!”  This is opposed to the unsound and unhealthy teaching of “living your best life now!” What does this mean? Paul has been comparing human wisdom with God's wisdom in the previous verses. Human wisdom is based on what can be observed by the human senses and worked out from human logic and reason. Even though God has revealed some of His glory to us (1 Corinthians 13:12), the human mind canno

"With God, the best is yet to come" is a biblical principle based on the promise of an eternal future that far outweighs present, temporary struggles. It means that, for those who believe in Jesus, the greatest joys, ultimate restoration, and final victory over sin and pain are ahead rather than behind. The phrase is rooted in the belief that while life involves trials, these are temporary, whereas the glory to be revealed is eternal. It is anchored in 1 Corinthians 2:9, whic

"Lack of effort equals lack of interest" means that consistent inaction or failure to invest any amount of time, energy, and care into a person or pursuit reveals a true absence of passion, despite any verbal promises to the contrary. It signifies that actions are the only true measure of commitment. If someone is interested, they will show it through, even small, actions. Words without corresponding actions are often just "smoke and mirrors." A lack of effort demonstrates th