The Restored Life

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Extending Kindness to Others — July 23, 2025

Extending Kindness to Others

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Week 5 Fruit of the Spirit: Kindness

Tenderhearted: (1) having a kind, gentle, or sentimental nature, (2) easily moved to love, pity, or sorrow : compassionate, impressionable, and (3) very kind and showing a lot of sympathy

Hello everyone!! We are halfway through our 9-week discussion. We’ve already gone over love, joy, peace, and longsuffering. Today, we will examine the fruit: kindness. Each week, as we explore a new fruit, we see how it is connected to the previous weeks. There is no coincidence that the first listed fruit is love. Throughout the last 4 weeks, we can recognize how operating in agape love enables us to be spiritually fruitful. To produce this fruit, it’s vital to start with love, and then the others build upon it. This week’s discussion is no different. In order to extend kindness to others, we need love, peace, and longsuffering. These fruit are incorporated when we: (1) walk in the Spirit, (2) put off the old man and its deeds, and in return put on the new man, (3) walk in love, (4) walk in forgiveness, and (5) maintain our inner peace and peace with others.

What is Needed to Show Kindness to Others

(1) Walk in the Spirit

**Scripture posted separately-Galatians 5:16-26**

In the passage of scripture, it shows us how walking in the Spirit allows us to produce spiritual fruit. As believers, it’s important that we understand the Spirit and the flesh have desires that are contrary to one another. What the Spirit desires, the flesh resists, and what the flesh lusts after is against the Spirit. The two natures are always in opposition. But in order to be fruitful, we need to walk in the Spirit. When we do so, we are resisting the flesh, not fulfilling its lust. Consequentially, when we decide to operate in the works of the flesh, it not only prevents us from producing fruit, it causes us to forfeit our inheritance in the kingdom of God. We must choose if we are willing to face those consequences by allowing our sinful flesh to dictate our lives. Instead, when we walk in the Spirit, we have the ability to produce the fruit of the Spirit. In verse 24, we see that as those who belong to Christ, we are to put to death the flesh along with its passions and desires. Once we are saved, we should be Spirit-led, not driven by our flesh. Even though our inner man is regenerated, our flesh will war against all things pertaining to the Spirit.

Our spiritual walk is strengthened as we build up our spirit man. There are different ways we can be intentional in accomplishing this. We can do so when we read and meditate on the Word of God. In prayer, it cultivates a time of communing with the Father. Through our praise and worship, it causes our minds to be centered on YAH. When we prioritize building up our spirit man, we are able to yield to the Spirit rather than giving in to the persuasion of our flesh. The stronger our spirit becomes, the less of a hold our flesh has on us, influencing the indulgence in sinful behavior. With our lives being led by the Spirit of God rather than the flesh, we can put off the old man and put on the new man with its regenerated nature.

(2) Put off the Old Man and its Deeds ➡️ Put on the New Man

Put off the old, sinful nature and put on the new man with its Godly nature which includes compassion and kindness.

When we walk in the Spirit, it enables us to put off our old man and its sinful nature. As believers, regenerated by the Spirit of God,  our nature changes. Our desires become aligned with God. As we seek after the Father and draw closer to Him, there is a noticeable distinction. When our mind is renewed in the Word, meditating in the Truth, we can operate in holiness. This area takes intentionality. We must be willing to let go of the former nature–the way we lived prior to salvation. We can not cherish and hold on to carnality. Carnality will never yield Godly results; and we can not expect that it’ll enable us to produce spiritual fruit. So we should put on the new man that is renewed. In Colossians 3, it details the nature we are to put on; and we now have the awareness of how we ought to live.  As YAH’s children, we are able to display Godly behavior. In yielding to the Holy Spirit, we put on Christ’s nature that is modeled for us. It is two-fold; we first make the decision to imitate Christ, and with assistance from the Holy Spirit, He gives us the ability to do so.

(3) Walk in Love

After we have put off our old nature and in return put on the new man with its new nature we need to walk in love. Love is a vital aspect of being able to produce any spiritual fruit. In order to show kindness, we must have genuine and fervent love for others. When we display kindness in and of itself is an act of love. We see in John 13, our Savior commanding us to love one another. The way we love reflects who we belong to. The former nature of anger, wrath, malice, hatred, and contention is put off, and we can walk in love. As followers of Christ, we’re to model God’s love before the world. **To have a brief refresher on how agape love should be expressed is given in I Corinthians 13:4-8a, Romans 12:9-10, and I John 4.

(4) Walk in Forgiveness

As believers, we can more easily walk in forgiveness when we are not harboring offenses and walking around in bitterness, resentment, and contempt.  Conflicts occur that cause a rift in relationships. But in these situations, it requires us to patiently endure with others.  That is why operating with forbearance is a must. Consequently, if we walk in unforgiveness holding grudges, deciding to keep a record of wrongs it hinders us from producing kindness. If we habitually rehearse what someone has done, the offense in our heart blocks our ability to love, furthermore affecting our ability to show kindness. So when conflict and offenses arise, we must decide if we will walk in unforgiveness or choose to forgive to maintain the peace in the relationship.

(5) Maintain Our Inner Peace and Peace with Others

Trusting in YAH and keeping our mind on Him enables us to maintain inner peace.

As believers, called to be peacemakers, we should desire peace and pursue after it.

In our ability to show kindness to others, we need to maintain our inner peace and peace with others. When we show kindness, it may not always elicit the response we hope. When our motives are pure, we should display kindness regardless of how receptive the person is. That is why it’s necessary for what we do to be done in love, not for recognition and the praises of men. We need an inward resolve of peace because there may be occasions when the act of kindness is not received well or the other person may come across as ungrateful or unappreciative. In those moments, we should not be deterred from extending kindness as led by the Holy Spirit. Also, when maintaining peaceful relationships with others, not harboring any animosity makes it easier to show kindness. If we have made the decision to forgive for any wrongs committed and walk in love, there is peace in our interactions, allowing us to effortlessly show kindness. With that understanding is why we need to walk in the Spirit to allow Him to lead us in our way of expressing genuine kindness.

Ways to Extend Kindness to Others

As believers, we should lovingly serve one another and love our neighbor as ourselves.

  • Encouragement
    • Finding ways to encourage someone
      • Encouraging Words
      • Thoughtful Phone call or text message
      • Visiting the person
  • Showing up for Others: Being present with someone as they navigate difficult times and changing seasons in his/her life
    • Giving people the space to express themselves while being supportive and a listening ear
    • Showing concern and giving a comforting word to someone who is grieving the loss of a loved one or a major transition in life.
  • Providing acts of service
    • Providing a meal for someone who has recently had surgery and is unable to cook for him/herself
    • Helping out with household tasks for someone who needs assistance
      • Vacuuming, doing laundry, dusting, cleaning, cooking, etc.
    • Providing care for someone battling a major illness/disease (serve in your reasonable capacity)
    • Driving the elderly or those without a vehicle to complete their errands.
      • Grocery shopping, doctor’s appointment, etc.
    • **In providing acts of service, we don’t do so with the expectation of receiving praise for our good deeds. But we should do so from a pure, compassionate heart with a genuine desire to be a blessing to others.**

RECAP

What is Needed to Show Kindness to Others

  1. Walk in the Spirit
    • Galatians 5:16-26
    • When we walk in the Spirit, we will not fulfill the flesh’s lustful desires.
    • Walking in the Spirit enables us to produce the fruit of the Spirit.
  2. Putting off the Old Man with it Deeds and Putting on the New Man
    • Colossians 3:5-15
    • Put off the old man with its sinful nature
    • Put on the new man that is renewed in the Word of God
    • Carnality will never yield Godly results; and we can not expect that it’ll enable us to produce spiritual fruit.
    • Putting to death the works of the flesh (carnality) + Building up our spirit (strengthening the spirit man) + Walking in the Spirit = Producing spiritual fruit
  3. Walk in Love
    • John 13:34-35 and I Peter 4:8
    • In order to show kindness, we must have genuine and fervent love for others.
  4. Walk in Forgiveness
    • Ephesians 4:32 and Matthew 6:14-15
    • When we walk in unforgiveness holding grudges, keeping a record of wrongs, that hinders us from producing kindness.
    • Make the decision: To walk in unforgiveness or choose to forgive when conflict and offenses arise.
  5. Maintain Our Inner Peace and Peace with Others
    • Isaiah 26:3-4 and Psalm 34:14
    • Maintain our inner peace regardless of how the person responds to our extension of kindness.
    • When we choose to forgive for any wrongs done and walk in love, there is peace in our interactions with others, allowing us to effortlessly show kindness.

Put it into Practice: Personal Reflection

  • Are there areas in your life that are hindering you from showing kindness to others?
  • Challenge: Find a way that you can extend an act of kindness to someone.

**Scriptures used from the New King James Bible and the authorized King James Bible
**Definitions used from the Oxford, Cambridge, and Merriam-Webster Dictionaries

Next Week’s Blog

Week 6: Goodness 🥭

TOPIC: Seeking to Good Toward Others
Patiently Enduring as Believers — July 16, 2025

Patiently Enduring as Believers

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Week 4 Fruit of the Spirit: Longsuffering (Patience)

YAH is our model of longsuffering.

Hello everyone!! We have been journeying through the fruit of the Spirit for the past 3 weeks. So far, we have explored love, joy, and peace. Today, we will discuss longsuffering (patience) and how we can patiently endure as believers. Additionally, we will explore how it is intertwined with fruit from the previous weeks: love and peace. Oftentimes, we see the fourth fruit of the Spirit labeled as patience. But I am choosing to use the King James version, which lists it as longsuffering. I have included definitions of the term so we have the correct understanding of the word. In my own words, I would describe longsuffering as being an enduring type of patience through the troubles and hardships of life. It is persevering and not easily angered, even when faced with difficult people or circumstances. I will break down what we need to patiently endure. This is not an exhaustive list but some suggestions that will help you. It’s divided it into five areas: (1) genuine love for one another, (2) the desire to maintain peaceful relationships, (3) forbearance with others, (4) the decision to walk in forgiveness, and (5) slow to anger.

What We Need to Patiently Endure

Genuine Love for One Another

To patiently endure as believers, we need genuine love. Love that is fake and forced will not enable us to exercise longsuffering. Rather, it will cause us to continually look for reasons or excuses of why we can not walk in love with one another. But in Romans 12:9, it emphasizes the necessity for our love to be sincere. We must confront and resolve any problems we have with displaying love if we truly desire to be longsuffering. As followers of Christ, we are commanded to love one another. It is not a suggestion but a requirement for all who are born again believers. We can not afford to walk around with hate, resentment, bitterness, or strife in our hearts. We must look to our Father to examine our hearts in order to get to the root of what is hindering us from genuinely loving others. When He reveals what is in our hearts, we should be intentional in resolving it rather than pretending everything is fine. We can seek His guidance in working out the issue. We don’t have to do it in our own strength. When we are truly repentant, sorrowful of what is hidden in our heart, He helps us in the matter. Through the leading of His Spirit, we are able to rectify the wrong and put things in Godly order, enabling us to walk in genuine love.

The Desire to Maintain Peaceful Relationships

The next area that is necessary for believers to patiently endure is having the desire to maintain peaceful relationships. When our aspiration is to have peace within our relationships, that is half the battle. It is a matter of having the right mindset. We can have a mindset of peace and unity or one of strife and discord. Everyone doesn’t have the same way of thinking pertaining to our interactions with each other. Some people thrive off drama and chaos. They immaturely live to meddle in other people’s lives and stir up mess. Others who are mature, operating with Godly wisdom genuinely pursue peaceful relationships. In Psalm 34:14, we are instructed to seek peace and pursue it. As believers, we should be peacemakers, not sowers of discord, strife, and division. That behavior goes against how we are called to live. When we maintain peace with others, it enables us to exercise longsuffering. If our focus remains on peace, we can endure through the difficult times in our relationships with others.

Forbearance with Others

The third area that is instrumental in believers exercising longsuffering is forbearance. As believers, we need to be able to patiently restrain ourselves in difficult situations. There are times that test our character and our ability to exercise self-restraint. When they come, we may be pushed to our limit. We will have to face challenging situations with others that force us to exercise restraint in spite of the person looking for a reaction desiring to pull us out of Godly character. When we choose to operate in forbearance, we are not reactive to instigators, agitators, and arguers. With the assistance of the Holy Spirit, we are able to sustain our character while working toward maintaining peace, if possible. Also, in being forbearing with one another, we do so in love. It requires walking in genuine love to choose peace and to deal with others in patient self-restraint during trying circumstances. With forbearance, it leads to the need for us to walk in forgiveness as believers.

The Decision to Walk in Forgiveness

In this area, it takes each of us making a mature decision to forgive. We will have circumstances where we are provoked either intentionally or unintentionally.  If we choose to walk in unforgiveness, it restricts us from being able to love authentically, and likewise, we may not desire to pursue peace with others. Staying in a state of unforgiveness prevents us from operating in longsuffering when we face challenges and hardships. Just as we are required to love one another, the same applies to forgiving others. If we hope to patiently endure, we can not ignore the need to forgive. Walking in unforgiveness is a major hindrance in our lives that has dire consequences that are often overlooked. If we choose not to forgive others of their faults (whatever they have done or said to us), God will not forgive us of our sins. No matter what conflict or offense has occurred, we need to forgive. It is not excusable for us to stay in unforgiveness as believers. We must forgive and release them to God. It is our responsibility to forgive and let YAH handle the rest.  We can not be vengeful and look to repay evil with evil. We must release them to the Father. Forgive, release, and let YAH handle the rest.

Slow to Anger

Our example as believers for being slow to anger is modeled by our Father.

Be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger.

In the last area, our Father models for us being slow to anger. We should not be hot-headed, quick-tempered people. Throughout the scriptures, we are instructed to be slow to anger and to rule over our spirit. In life, we will face troubles, hardships, and people that cause us to become angry. It is unrealistic to think we will never be angry. But the difference is, as believers, we should not be easily provoked to anger. Both minor and major conflicts, disagreements, or inconveniences with others should not lead us to a place of being enraged or wrathful. We shouldn’t be overtaken by anger. Ephesians 4:26-27 says, “²⁶ Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: ²⁷ neither give place to the devil.” To be longsuffering, we must be slow to anger. We should follow James’s instructions and be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to wrath. I have looked at James 1:19-20 as reminding believers to listen twice as much as we speak. We have two ears and one mouth. Listen more, talk less.  If we take the time to hear and understand what the person is saying, it will help us to be less reactive, argumentative, and defensive. We need to use Godly wisdom not to become reactive when challenges arise or when we have to deal with difficult people. Remain calm, listen to understand, and then address the situation/person with maturity and a level head.

Recap

What is Needed to Patiently Endure

  1. Genuine Love for One Another
    • God models how we are to love. (Agape love)
      • Sacrificial, selfless unconditional love
    • Let our love for others be sincere, not fake or forced.
  2. The Desire to Maintain Peaceful Relationships
    • Seek and pursue peace with others
    • As believers, we are called to be peacemakers, not sowers of discord, strife, and division.
  3. Forbearance with Others
    • Patiently restrain (control) ourselves in the midst of challenges
      • Don’t become reactive, but maintain our peace. (Stay calm, cool, and collected)
    • Forbear with one another in love
  4. The Decision to Walk in Forgiveness
    • It is up to each of us to choose if we will walk in forgiveness or unforgiveness.
    • Staying in a state of unforgiveness prevents us from operating in longsuffering when we face challenges and hardships.
    • When we forgive, release the person, and let YAH handle the rest. (Forgive, release, and give it to God)
  5. Slow to Anger
    • Learn from YAH’s example of being slow to anger.
    • During a conflict or disagreement, be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to anger.
      • Two ears and one mouth: Listen twice as much as you speak
      • Listen to understand, not just to respond

Think About It: Personal Reflection

  • Am I exercising longsuffering in my life regarding my relationships with others?
  • Are there areas in my life God is stretching me to have a greater ability to patiently endure?
**Scriptures used from the authorized King James Bible

Next Week’s Blog

Week 5: Kindness 🍓

Topic: Extending Kindness to Others

Living a Peaceful Life — July 9, 2025

Living a Peaceful Life

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Week 3 Fruit of the Spirit: Peace

Peacemakers: individuals who actively seek to reconcile and restore harmony in relationships, communities, and nations (definition from https://biblehub.com/topical/p/peacemakers.htm)

As believers, we should be intentional in seeking peace and pursuing after it.

Hello everyone!! This is the third week of our fruit of the Spirit discussion. So far, we have explored walking in love and joy. Today, we will discover how we can be intentional in living a peaceful life. It does take work for some of us more than others. But no matter how difficult or easy it may be, it is necessary for us to be peaceful people. Two areas that are vital for each of us to be peaceful people are understanding that we first must be loving and, two, have a greater dependency on the Holy Spirit. Genuine, not fake, love is needed to have peace. Walking in peace is easier to do when we truly love one another. Also, when we have difficulties or issues arise, we can lean into the Holy Spirit’s guidance on how to maintain peace. Conflicts, whether great or small, can cause breaches in our peace with one another. But we are responsible for being peacemakers, not to harbor any ill-feelings further causing a strain in our relationships. In the above scripture, Matthew 5:9, Jesus is talking with his disciples and discussing the beatitudes. He says those who are peacemakers are blessed and will be called children of God. We are not to be arguers, agitators, or instigators, but as God’s children, we are peacemakers. Additionally, Psalm 34:14 reminds us to seek peace and pursue it. We should make every effort to live in peace, not involving ourselves in trivial disputes or divisive behaviors that further causes conflict. If we claim to be children of the Most High God, we should walk in peace. 

In today’s blog, we will explore: having inner peace, living peacefully with others, behaviors that hinder us from walking in peace, and leading by example.

Inner Peace comes from YAH

When we have complete reliance in YAH and our mind remains on Him, we experience perfect peace.

In order to walk in peace with one another, we must have inner peace. We can not give others what we do not have within ourselves. The inner peace that believers exude comes from YAH. Peace from any other source is a counterfeit and temporary. But perfect peace comes from our Father. When our mind remains on God and we trust in Him, we are able to have peace that sustains us. In spite of the inconveniences, issues, or conflicts that arise, we can remain calm, cool, and collected. We have an inward resolve that gives us the ability to stay peaceful even when circumstances or people want to pull us out of our Godly character. It is important to understand that we will experience times that come to test our capacity to maintain our peace. And, it is up to each of us to handle the situation the right way. During those intense moments, if we are still enough, we can sense the Holy Spirit helping us navigate those times. He will allow us to maintain our inner peace regardless of the outside sources trying to threaten it. The beauty of our walk with Christ is that we have Godly assistance. The same way God has modeled love and has given us joy, He will continue to strengthen us and provide us with the peace we need. 

After we have obtained inner peace from our Father, it enables us to more easily walk in peace amongst others.

Living Peacefully with Others

As believers, we are called to pursue peace with all people and a lifestyle of holiness.

The scriptures listed above show us the importance of believers living peacefully with others and being intentional to pursue after it. We must display maturity. When we are interacting with others, there will be times we disagree or issues arise within our relationships. But it takes two mature individuals to work through any problems to maintain peace within the relationship. There are occasions in which one person may be willing to discuss the matter; but the other person isn’t. Instead, he or she is resistant to talk it through in order to clear up the issue. On both ends of the matter, each person must be open to working through the disagreement or conflict. Disagreements will happen, but how we navigate them has a huge impact on our ability to come to a peaceful resolution. A disagreement does not have to become an argument. No one’s point of view is understood when one or both parties are shouting to get their point across. 

That reemphasizes the need for inner peace, so when a disagreement arises, it does not turn into a shouting match with no resolution in sight. We need to remain calm even when we are tested by others during emotionally intense situations.  We can not solely look at it from a surface level. We must be mature enough to understand that when problems arise, it is not always the person but a spirit in operation within them trying to cause division in the relationship. That is why we need the guidance of the Holy Spirit to help us navigate these situations. When we do so in our own strength, our flesh gets in the way, and it can cause more harm than good. So, we need to allow the Holy Spirit to help us in these areas of conflict management to ensure we can come to a harmonious resolution if possible.

There may be circumstances where we are intentional in seeking peace after conflict; but the other person may have no interest in reconciling. Romans 12:18 makes allowance for that. We are instructed that if it is possible as much as depends on you to live peacefully with all people. That shows us there will be times that we may not have peaceful relations due to the other party’s unwillingness. But if we can, maintaining peaceful relations should be our first desire.

Behaviors that Hinder Us from Walking in Peace

As we are pursuing a peaceful lifestyle, we must have the awareness that there are behaviors that hinder us from walking in peace. Living a peaceful life requires us to operate in Godly wisdom. In doing so, it will help us to avoid behaviors that further bring conflict and division in our relationships. I want to share some that serve as hindrances. Believers should not be contentious. That means we should not be people who are likely to cause a disagreement or argument. Nor should we exhibit an often perverse and wearisome tendency to quarrels and disputes. Simply put, we should not be the cause or instigator of arguments and disputes. Operating with contention contradicts walking in peace. Throughout the Book of Proverbs, we are warned about displaying contentious behavior and how it negatively affects relationships. 

James chapter 3 warns us of the consequences of operating with ungodly wisdom; it is earthly, soulish, and devilish. No good comes from this type of wisdom. The passage of scripture emphasizes how detrimental it truly is. We are given the warning that where there is envy and strife, there is confusion and every evil work. As believers, we should not behave in a way that is envious, nor should we be full of strife. These two behaviors will cause us to be at odds with people we are called to love and be at peace with. We should find contentment in what we have rather than comparing ourselves to others, allowing envy to take root in our hearts. Additionally, we should not allow a minor issue turn into a bitter or angry disagreement (strife). Before it causes a major riff in the relationship, it needs to be addressed, having a level-headed conversation. When two hot-headed people try to have a reasonable discussion, it can be like adding accelerant to a fire. Nothing good comes from it, just more possible damage. It is very likely that no one is going to clearly hear what the other has to say.  There would be too many emotions involved, and instead of being led by the Spirit of God, both would be led by their flesh.

Lastly, one major behavior that prevents us from walking in peace is immaturity. It takes maturity to have a respectful and honest conversation with the goal being a peaceful resolution. We have to get over the notion of having to be right and prove our point to the other person. That solves nothing. You may not always be right. Rather, the end result should be lovingly making amends coming to a resolution that is beneficial and healthy for both parties. Immaturity will prevent us from actively listening to what the other person is saying. Instead, we have to be quiet enough to listen and comprehend what is being said. We are not listening just to respond and defend ourselves. That’s why it is necessary to have a discussion when both parties are sober-minded, not amped up full of emotions. Otherwise, that can just result in a shouting match. In those moments, we need to give ourselves time to cool down, relax, and let the Holy Spirit lead us in our discussion. It all goes back to allowing the Spirit of God to lead us, not our flesh. Our flesh will only bring more division and strife, creating a further wedge in the relationship.

Leading by Example

In this last area, I want to emphasize the importance of being an example before unbelievers of how to live a peaceful life. We must recognize that as believers, those who are unsaved are observing how we live. Our life is on display for them to see. We can not proclaim one thing while living another way. The way we behave can either give a Godly example or a lukewarm-compromised example. It is up to each of us to make the decision.

In I Thessalonians 4, the apostle Paul instructs the church of Thessalonica to aspire to live a quiet life, mind your own business, and work with your own hands that they may walk properly. This passage shows us how vital it is to live a Godly, peaceful life before others. The way we live should be a positive reflection of who we belong to. There should be a noticeable distinction in believers when the world observes our lifestyle.

To make it relatable in today’s society, we should not live chaotic lives full of drama and discord. We should not meddle in other people’s affairs. Instead, we should take care of matters pertaining to ourselves and our home. While the world feeds off of sin, pettiness, and relational drama, our behavior should reflect Godly character. As believers, we are responsible for presenting a Godly example for the world to see.

RECAP

  • Inner Peace
    • Comes from YAH
    • Walking in peace starts inwardly
  • Living Peacefully with Others
    • Seek peace and pursue after it.
    • If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all people. (Romans 12:18)
  • Behaviors that Hinder Us from Walking in Peace
    • Contention
      • Strife in words or debate; quarrel; angry contest; controversy
    • Envy
      • A feeling of discontent or covetousness with regard to another’s advantages, success, possessions, or qualities
    • Full of strife
      • Bitter sometimes violent conflict or dissension
    • Immaturity
      • behavior that is not as calm and wise as people expect from someone of your age
      • Pettiness, drama, etc.
  • Leading by Example
    • As believers, we should be the example for unbelievers of how to live a peaceful life.

Think About It: Personal Reflection

  • Am I intentional about living a peaceful life, or does my life thrive off of drama and discord?
  • Do any of the relationships in my life have strife and division? Is it possible to make a peaceful resolution with the other person(s)?
  • What example am I displaying to unbelievers? Does my behavior reflect Godly character, or is it lukewarm and compromised?
**Scriptures used from the New King James Bible and the authorized King James Bible
**Definitions used from biblehub.com, the Oxford, Merriam-Webster, and Cambridge Dictionaries

Next Week’s Blog

Week 4: Longsuffering 🍌

A tree is known by its fruit. — July 3, 2025
Walking in Joy — July 2, 2025

Walking in Joy

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Week 2 Fruit of the Spirit: Joy

Hello everyone!! This is week two of our discussion on the fruit of the Spirit. Last week, we went over walking in love. By exploring I Corinthians 13:4-8a, we discovered what love is and what love is not. In John Chapter 13, we saw Jesus’s commandment for us to love one another. Additionally, we were given the model of agape love by our Father. We understood that YAH is our standard for love. We recognized Christ’s sacrificial love in which He willing laid down His life for us. And, through faith in Him, we receive eternal life. Lastly, we recognized the importance of genuinely loving one another, not solely with our words but to follow through with our actions. No lip service, but loving each other sincerely.

Today, we will explore the second fruit of the Spirit: joy. When we experience joy, it is more than a temporary happy feeling. In the biblical context, it can be defined as a profound and abiding sense of happiness and contentment that is rooted in spiritual realities rather than temporal circumstances. In order to walk in joy, we will discuss three areas in which we experience joy: inwardly, expressively to God, and in our interactions with others. 

Inner Joy

The first area we experience joy is inwardly. It starts within our hearts. The condition of our heart affects our ability to walk in joy. The trials and hardships of life can attempt to rob us of the joy we have. Nevertheless, we must choose to walk in joy regardless of those experiences. It requires us to exercise maturity to choose joy over despair. Challenges and hardships will come; that is expected in life. It is up to each of us to choose our response when they do come. We can make the decision to stay in a place of defeat wallowing in hopelessness and discontentment. Or, we can choose to put our hope in YAH, experiencing joy despite the unpleasant conditions of life. We must have an inward resolve to put our trust in our Father. When things look bleak and we become discouraged, we have the reassurance that God is our hope. When our  circumstances seem unstable, we can find peace and stability in knowing our Father remains consistent. He never changes, and He will not fail us. We can rest in the fact that we are covered by our Father, and regardless of the circumstance, He is with us. He has not left us nor forsaken us. This is a decision we have to make daily. Our adversary, the devil, would like more than anything for us to walk around depressed, defeated, and hopeless due to the trials we face both great and small. So we must overcome those feelings and walk in true joy that is unshakeable because it comes from YAH.

Another reality we must confront as believers is persecution. Whether on a large or small scale, we will experience it. According to 2 Timothy 3:12, it lets us know that all that will live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. Persecution is unavoidable if we truly live a godly lifestyle in Christ. Instead of dreading the possibility of it, our Savior lets us know to rejoice in it.  The persecution and evil words spoken against us, for His sake, let us know we are on the right path. It is all a part of living a righteous lifestyle. The fact that we are experiencing it reassures us of the great reward awaiting us in heaven. So we must endure persecution with gladness, believing that Christ will give us the strength we need in the midst of it.

When trials and persecution come a remedy to maintain our joy is having a posture of gratitude. When we have a heart of thanksgiving, remaining grateful for all that God has done, our focus is shifted from our circumstances to the goodness of God. During life challenges, it is the perfect time to reflect on our history with God and how He has continually sustained us. In doing so, this allows our perspective to shift. Where we previously felt helpless and were in a state of despair, we now have hope and joy in our Father. This is why we must maintain our posture of gratitude toward our Heavenly Father no matter the condition of our lives. This leads us to the next area, expressive joy.

Expressive Joy

Rejoice: To experience joy and gladness in a high degree; to be exhilarated with lively and pleasurable sensations; to exult. (From the Webster’s dictionary 1828)

Expressive forms of joy: dancing and singing

Joyfully offering praise to God and coming before Him with thanksgiving.

With this type of joy, it is an outward expression of what we are experiencing inwardly. The inner joy we have is now witnessed through our actions.  Often, the joy we have in God becomes visible in our praise and adoration to Him. The way in which we offer praise reflects the joy we have or the lack thereof. With joyful praise, it is not forced or coerced. We do not need assistance in encouraging us to give praise that is due to our Father. Instead, it flows from a genuine place within our hearts. In the Book of Psalms, the various authors, especially David, clearly articulate their dependency and hope in YAH. Within a particular psalm, it may start with the author focusing on the opposition he is facing and how it is overwhelming. But throughout the psalm, there is a shift in his focus, and he puts his attention on God, exalting God rather than the circumstance. The Book of Psalms gives us plenty of examples to mirror in our daily lives. We may not experience the same situations as the author, but it shows us the importance of having hope and dependency in our God. In maintaining our hope in YAH, we can have joy even in the midst of trials and hardships.

We can use Psalms to remind us to praise God in the midst of challenging times, not waiting until we have overcome the difficulty. When we choose to praise our Father rather than exalting the challenge, we can experience joy. As we are offering praise that is due to our God, we are strengthened, and our focus is on YAH rather than whatever is threatening our joy. What once caused despair, we now have the ability to endure through it because we have joy that comes only from God. We are able to express our joyful adoration in the way we choose to praise God.

Joyful Interactions with Others

The last area in which we can walk in joy is our interactions with others.  The inner joy we have should be expressed to those we do life with. If we are operating in true joy, not just temporary happiness, it will be expressed in our engagement with each other. This can not be faked. In the same way we are to genuinely love one another, we should seek to joyfully interact with others. In Acts 2, we witness how the newly converted believers interacted amongst one another. The scripture details that in their interactions, there was unity and togetherness. It depicts a group of people who truly love and enjoy communing with each other.  What’s understood is that they are joined together in Spirit. They all may not have been blood-related in the natural. But they now were spiritually related joined togther by their faith in Christ. They all belonged to the same spiritual family, the body of Christ. Unlike natural families, this family was bonded together by the blood of Jesus. It was the believers’ faith and oneness of Spirit that enabled them to have these joyful interactions.

Final Thoughts

One final thing I want to remind you of is that the joy of YAH is your strength. No matter what you may experience, remember He is present with you.  Put your hope in Him, and  He will endow you with His joy, helping you to endure the trials and hardships that come your way. It is His joy that will allow you to still offer praise even in the midst of your greatest challenges.

Think About It: Personal Reflection

  • Am I walking in joy or just experiencing moments of happiness?
  • Are there any threats to my joy that I need to confront head-on?
  • What do I need to adjust to genuinely walk in joy?
**Scriptures used from the New King James Bible and the authorized King James Bible
**Definitions from the Oxford Dictionary and biblehub.com

Next Week’s Blog

Week 3: Peace 🍇

— June 30, 2025
Walking in Love — June 25, 2025

Walking in Love

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Week 1 Fruit of the Spirit: Love

Hello everyone!! This week, we start our discussion on the Fruit of the Spirit. Each week, we will explore one particular fruit. Today’s topic is love. ❤️It’s all about love!!❤️ We will discuss how we can walk in love as a believer. Navigating through scripture will show us what love is, our requirement to love, the example that God provides for us, and how it can be expressed to others.

First, we can understand what love is when we read I Corinthians 13:4-8a. It gives us a perfect understanding of what love should and should not be. I will begin with what love is. In the passage of scripture, we see that love is longsuffering. This means it is showing patience in spite of troubles, especially those caused by other people. Next, love is kind. In showing kindness, we are generous, helpful, and thinking about other people’s feelings. Also, love rejoices in the truth. Verse 7 lets us know that it bears, believes, hopes, and endures all things. These describe what love is. Additionally, it is important to recognize what love should not consist of. When we display genuine love, it is not envious. It’s not boastful of oneself. It should not be prideful. Love is not self-seeking, only looking out for the benefit of oneself. It does not behave unbecomingly or rudely. Love is not provoked to anger. Authentic love thinks no evil. It does not rejoice in unrighteousness. Lastly, it never fails. As believers, we can take 1 Corinthians 13 to analyze if we are truly displaying love the way God has purposed for each of us.

This love is agape love. It’s considered the highest form of love. It is different from storge (familial), eros (romantic), and philia (brotherly/friendship) love. It is unconditional and selfless. What we will discuss further in this post is that our Heavenly Father perfectly shows us how to display agape love. But, before we look at the Father’s example, we must examine the requirement we have as believers.

The Love Command

In the above scripture, Jesus lets us know that we are commanded to love one another. This is not a suggestion but a requirement. He reiterates that when we love each other, we display that we are His disciples. The agape love we give to others shows the world who we belong to. When we choose to love selflessly, we are being Christ-like.
Loving others is not always an easy task, especially when dealing with difficult and mean-spirited people. But we have to be mature enough to love the person even when they can’t reciprocate it. Our ability to love is not based on the other person and his/her willingness to embrace us with love. We love because we are instructed to do so. With our Savior giving us this command, we have a perfect model of selfless, unconditional love.

Our Example of Love

Our Father is the template for love. God is love. We look to Him to learn how to love others. In our love walk, we need practice. There may be times when we fall short and do not show love the way that Yah has modeled for us. But when we read the Word, we can mirror God in operating in unconditional love.  We see the depth of His love in Romans 5:8 and in John 3:16. It displays sacrificial love. God sent His only begotten Son to die for the sins of the world. In return, the Son willing laid down His life to be the ultimate sacrifice. There is no greater love than that. And, by grace, the free gift of God, all who put their faith in Christ are saved. Because of Christ’s finished work of cross (death, burial, and resurrection), we have life through Him. If we ever struggle with feeling loved, that should be the cure. Through the Truth of God’s Word, we can see and believe that we are fully loved. And, no one can love us more than our Father. 

In I John 4:7-21, it emphasizes loving others. It’s a call to action. God loves us, so our response is to love others. When we love, it shows that we abide in God, and He abides in us. As I previously mentioned, displaying love shows the world who we belong to. While the world dishes out hate, we choose love. But it’s not a tolerant, all accepting love. It does not think evil, nor does it rejoice in iniquity. This love does not make allowances for sin or any type of wickedness. It is not tolerating what God has condemned but giving the truth in love led by the Spirit of God.

At the end of the passage, God instructs us to love our brother. He shows us that we can not genuinely love Him if we don’t love our fellow brethren.  We must love the people we do life with. We can not harbor hate in our hearts and truly love the Father. In spite of conflicts, disagreements, and even offenses, we must forgive so we do not become bitter and harbor resentment. Consequently, bitterness and resentment can turn into hatred. This shows us the reason why we need to be long-suffering. Otherwise, we would constantly stay in a state of offense, unable to love our fellow brethren. God shows us that the selfless, sacrificial love we give to others must be enduring and genuine.

Genuinely Loving Others

Dissimulation: the fact of trying to hide your real feelings, character, or intentions (from the Cambridge dictionary)

As believers, our love needs to be genuine. Our words and deeds should be in alignment with each other. When we say we love others, we should follow through in our actions. Anything else is merely lip service and insincere. It is possible to feign an “I love you.” But, what we do, or rather how we treat others, proves something entirely different. I want to reiterate the importance of working through differences, disagreements, and conflicts. We can not afford to let trivial things become magnified, bringing in discord, which causes a breakdown in our love walk with others. Genuine love takes maturity. It is giving up the right to be right. It involves putting off any selfishness and ego.  Instead, we work through the challenges and hardships together in order to achieve a peaceful resolution and love one another sincerely.

In Romans 12:10, we are instructed to be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love. This lets us know that we must show love to each other as in a family. Just as families may have disagreements that can be resolved, the same applies within the body of Christ. As believers, we make up the members of the body, which represent God’s spiritual family. It is important for us to see each other as family enabling us to better love. We operate in selflessness and honor when we give preference to one another.

If we still are having a difficult time displaying love, we need Yah to reveal anything hidden in our hearts that’s hindering us from genuinely loving others. With His guidance, we can identify the root and work towards resolving the issue. But regardless of the issue, we must be mature enough to address it, choose to forgive, desire to reconcile, and then operate in love. No matter what we face in our love walk, we should always remember who our example is. We can turn to our Father, who is the blueprint. When our ability to love is being tested, we have the Word to guide us in agape love. And, thankfully we have the Holy Spirit who brings to our remembrance the Word which we have meditated on and hidden within our hearts. That is why it is vital to meditate on God’s Word so it can be utilized when real-life situations occur.

RECAP

LOVE is…   LOVE is not…

  • Longsuffering
  • Kind
  • Rejoicing in the Truth
  • Bearing, believing, hoping, and enduring all things
  • Selfless and Sacrificial
  • Envious
  • Boastful of oneself
  • Prideful
  • Self-seeking
  • Unbecoming or rude in behavior
  • Provoked to anger
  • Thinking evil
  • Rejoicing in unrighteousness

Love never fails.

Think About It: Personal Reflection

  • Am I genuinely walking in love?
  • In what ways can I better show love to others around me?
  • Challenge: Find someone to sow a seed of love into his/her life.
**Scriptures used from the New King James Bible and the authorized King James Bible

Next Week’s Blog

🍎Fruit of the Spirit🍎 —
Love is.. —
Walking in Purity — June 18, 2025

Walking in Purity

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Hello everyone! In the previous blog, we discussed honoring God with our bodies. And, in order to do so, it’s important that we walk in purity. Today, we will continue this discussion. Purity is often mentioned pertaining to sexual purity, but it actually encompasses more than that. It involves us living free from all immorality, not solely sexual immorality. It is important to understand that as believers, we are called to live purely. This is not a movement or a sub-culture. It’s not reserved for a select group of believers. It is an expectation for all who are saved putting their faith in Jesus Christ.

We must understand that purity is more than abstaining from sexual immorality. You can be a virgin and still not be pure. The absention of fornication is not the equivalent to purity. In today’s blog, we’ll discuss areas in our lives that affect our purity and how we can be intentional about successfully walking in purity.

It Starts in the Heart

In the above passages, Jesus lets us know that we are defiled (made impure) by what is in our hearts. When we make the decision to speak or act on something impure, it was first conceived in our hearts. It is important for us to recognize that whether or not we are operating in purity is based on the condition of the heart. Jeremiah 17:9-10 says, “[9] The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? [10] I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins [test the emotions], even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.” We are unable to know what is hidden in our hearts, but our omniscient Father has the ability to search our hearts thoroughly, examining it. With Yah, nothing is hidden from Him.

To walk in purity, we must know that we do not trust in or follow our hearts. It is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked. Instead, we are to trust in God to examine us and reveal any areas of impurity. It may not be easy or comfortable, but it is necessary.

Examining our Lives: What is in our Hearts

When we give the Father access to reveal what is hidden in our hearts, we may attempt to avoid what He confronts us with: the Truth. We can not run from it or continue to turn a blind eye to it. Doing so will only cause more issues and allow the impurities to stay in our hearts.  Instead, what He reveals should bring us to a place of confession and repentance. Any revealed sin is for us to confess to the Father and turn from it, not to continue holding on to it. It brings conviction, not condemnation. The revelation we receive should cause us to draw near to the Father with a repentant heart rather than distancing ourselves from Him.

Also, we need to examine our lives for areas that can lead to impurity. With the help of the Holy Spirit, He can show us these areas. One major area is sexual immorality  (fornication, adultery, homosexuality, lesbianism, pedophilia, bestiality, incest, etc). When we use our bodies in any unlawful act that is prohibited by God, we are defiling our bodies. As it was mentioned in the previous blog, our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit. So when we commit sexual immorality, we defile the very place where God dwells. We can not participate in unlawful sexual activities and walk in purity. We must yield our bodies as a living sacrifice to God and be a vessel of sanctification and honor. It is vital that we give up any lifestyle of sexual immorality if we truly desire to walk in purity.

The next two areas are oftentimes avoided in discussion: masturbation and pornography. I would group these under sexual immorality, but they needed to be discussed on their own. With the topic of masturbation, there are varying opinions on its acceptance or rejection. I find myself posing the questions: Since God has designed sex to be enjoyed between husband and wife, how would He view a person seeking sexual gratification with himself or herself? Would He condone this behavior since it is outside of His original design for sex? This is not to condemn anyone for what they may have done but to consider if all our sexual behaviors or practices are pure in nature.

With pornography this encompasses pornographic sites, videos, magazines, and erotic fiction. These are all a threat to our purity. We can not maintain a lifestyle of purity if we continue to have various types of pornography in our lives. It is not harmless, nor is it “adult entertainment” as it’s often characterized in society. Pornography is damaging to our lives and our relationships with others. It opens the door to lust and perversion. It changes the way we view sex and others. It impacts the purity of our minds. Our perspective shifts from what is pure and holy to what is impure and profane. Not only does it lead to impure thoughts, likewise even our sexual desires can become distorted from what we have witnessed in pornography.

A subcategory within pornography is erotic fiction. This type of literature is just as damaging to the purity of our minds. Even though there are no visuals, the author provides vivid descriptions that leave nothing to the imagination. It has the capability to stir up the same lustful feelings as if you were watching pornography.

The next area I will discuss is our conversations, whether it is with others or the inner dialogue we have with ourselves. If we engage in gossip, slander, and back biting, that affects our purity. When we participate in these actions, it affects the way we see and/or interact with others. It can cause strife, division, and overall, a breakdown in the relationship. Even when we don’t respond to another person entertaining it, we shouldn’t give our ear to these ungodly conversations. We should remove ourselves from it.

Another area that affects our purity is entertainment. The entertainment we watch or listen to is very influential. The TV shows and movies we choose to watch matter. The music and podcasts we decide to listen to matter. We have to be mindful of the types of entertainment we readily accept. We must guard our gates, especially our eye and ear gates, because what we receive through entertainment can be a hindrance in our purity walk. We each have to be responsible for examining what we receive and assessing what message is being given.

The last area I want to discuss is social media. Who and what we follow can impact our purity. If we are intentional on walking purely, we have to go through a removal process letting go of the things that serve as stumbling blocks. That may include unfollowing certain accounts that promote ungodly material and stir up impure thoughts. Also, it wouldn’t be wise to follow people who do nothing but stir up arguments, strife, and division. It is necessary to do a clean sweep through our friends or followers list to remove any hindrances to our purity.

After we have allowed God to search our hearts and we have examined our lives, we can focus on pursuing a lifestyle with a pure heart.

Purity of Heart

To walk in purity, we must have a pure heart. This involves us inviting the Holy Spirit to lead us through sanctification. We need the impurities to be removed from our hearts. It is the combination of making practical decisions and the Spirit of God doing a work on the inside of us. The practical steps are removing things in our lives that are unmistakably sinful and impure. As well as turning from any sin the Father has revealed to us. We each have to have the desire to live purely. There is a difference in doing so out of obligation compared to a genuineness of wanting to please God living in a way that glorifies Him. In the challenging areas, we can seek the Father to give us the endurance we need to continue walking in purity. Throughout life, temptations will come, and there will be times we need more of His strength to be able to resist. In areas of weakness, we are able to pull on His strength to continue walking in purity. And if we fall, we need His grace that we do not have to stay in a low place of condemnation. Instead, with a repentant heart, we are able to confess our sin to the Father and turn from it.

Put it into Practice: Walking in Purity

  • Examination and Revelation
    • Allow the Father to search our hearts to reveal any impure areas (sin) within us.
  • Confession
    • Confess our sin to the Father
  • Repentance
    • Turn from the sin and turn to God
    • Our heart posture has to change toward sin
  • Belief
    • Believe that we are forgiven and that the sin is covered under the blood of Jesus
  • Purification and Refining
    • Allow God to purify and refine us, removing the impurities in our hearts
  • Mind Renewal
    • Renew our minds with the Word of God
      • Removes the filth (impurity) within our hearts to be aligned with what is pure and holy
  • Walk in Godly wisdom: Guard our Hearts
    • We must keep guard over our gates: Eyes – what we watch; Ears – what listen to, including conversations with others; Mouth – what we speak; Mind/Thoughts – what we meditate on
      • Sexually explicit materials
        • Pornography (videos, websites, and magazines), erotic novels, romance (sexually graphic) novels, etc.
      • Entertainment: Music, movies, and TV shows
        • Remove entertainment that is a stumbling block and entices us to sin or glorifies sinful behavior
      • Social Media
        • Unfollow social media accounts that can be a possible hindrance to your purity lifestyle.
        • Unfriend: Don’t be afraid to unfriend people who post material that can be a stumbling block for you. (Pleasing God takes priority)
  • Separation
    • People: Separate ourselves from others who will entice us to sin, drawing us away from a lifestyle of purity
      • BOUNDARIES: There are times when we can not completely separate ourselves but instead exercise Godly wisdom in how to handle our interactions.
    • Places: If we are intentional about walking in purity, there are places we should not go as believers. (Be led by the Holy Spirit)
  • Community
    • Surround ourselves with other believers who are intentional on walking in purity as well

Think About It

  • What is influencing your perspective of purity?   The Word…Family…Friends…The Church…Community…The culture of society…Media…Entertainment…Social Media
    • Does it help or hinder you from walking in purity?

Scriptures to Meditate on: Psalm 51:10 KJV (posted below) and Proverbs 4 KJV (posted separately)

Create in me a clean heart, O God; And renew a right spirit within me. 

**Scriptures used from the New King James Bible and the authorized King James Bible

Next Week’s Blog

Next week, we will start discussing the Fruit of the Spirit. Each week, for the next 9 weeks, we will focus on one fruit of the Spirit.

1st Week: LOVE 🍉