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4/27/2015 Living a Jesus Christ Life: Self-Control ~ selections from Proverbs ~ Apr. 26, ’15 ~ CCrouseRead NowWhat a joy it’s been to go through each of the nine Fruit of the Spirit as found in Gal. 5 ~ Can you say them? ____ Each is most fully demonstrated by the life of Jesus. Today we finish with the Fruit of the Spirit that many people don’t want: self-control. Consider Chocolate!/// Isn’t it fun, every now and then, to indulge! Today, I thought it fun to choose select sayings from Proverbs to learn what it means to have self-control… Self control is a major theme of wisdom. (I am choosing to use primarily the NLT). A key saying: "A person without self-control is as defenseless as a city with broken down walls". (Prov. 25:28). Oh, how we need self control, the discipline of restraint… When I was in my teen years, Jim and I spent a few Summers with dad hiking the Washington section of the Pacific Coast Trail. I remember meeting a woman named Teddy, who was walking the entire trail with her husband, a second trip for her. She told us about her first trip that she did all by herself. She described starting early in the season starting at the Canadian border and heading towards the Mexican border. The journey south was lonely, early on she met very few people. What has always stuck with me is when she summarized her experience, “It took me all the way walking through the state of Washington before I could stand myself.” 
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4/21/2015 Living a Jesus Christ Life: Gentleness ~ Is. 40:1-5, 10-11, 25-31 ~ Carl Crouse ~ Apr. 19, ‘15Read Now Here are some books from a box in my office waiting to be passed on… [show some…. Do they look like something you’d read?] Some books make me cringe, such as the cover of a harlequin romance… I shy away from books with blood and guts on the cover, or demons, or darkness. It is said, “Don’t judge a book by its cover,” but we do…. If your life were a book, what would be on the cover? The first impression? Would they be intrigued enough to go beyond the cover?
We’ve been going through the Fruit of the Spirit in Gal. 5. Today ~ gentleness. Gentleness would make a wonderfully intriguing cover of a book. If people see a gentle person there is something inviting, something good…. In today’s fast paced impersonal world in which people feel used, abused, and confused, a gentle person crosses their path and they sense this is a book worth their time, somebody to listen, caring, considerate. 4/13/2015 Living a Jesus Christ Life: Faithfulness ~ Heb. 11:1, 13-16; 11:39-12:3 ~ Carl Crouse ~ 4-12-15Read Now The Fruit of the Spirit are those wonderful character traits that are promised by God when we give our lives to him. Through the Holy Spirit working in us, we become like Christ. The 9 fruit of the spirit from Gal. 5, as shown on the front of the bulletin, are specific traits of how the Holy Spirit matures our faith and Christian character. If somebody tells me to go build a house I would be absolutely overwhelmed with how to make it happen, but if the person breaks it down into the foundation, the floor, the walls, the roof, the wiring, the plumbing, the wallboard, the paint…I have a much better chance. “Now that you are a Christian, become like Christ!” Gulp! That’s an overwhelming task. But to tell me, the Holy Spirit is going to transform me from the inside out with a loving spirit, a joyful heart, the patience of Job, an attitude of Kindness, a Christ-like goodness, God honoring faithfulness, a gentle nature, restrained by self-control… that is easier to imagine….
One of my great honors as a pastor is to see people in their homes. I learn so much… A few months ago I saw Bob and Betty Binder. They have a story (about 100 kids as I recall) ~ I’ve asked Betty to come and share one of her joys/gifts because it is fitting…. [Fruit of the Spirit quilt] Isn’t that great! The Holy Spirit will wrap you in the Fruit of the Spirit! Thank you…. 4/7/2015 Living a Jesus Christ Life: Love ~ Easter Sunday, 4-5-15 ~ John 20:11-18; 1 John 3:1-6 ~ Carl CrouseRead NowWhat does love mean? It’s the first Fruit of the Spirit listed in Galatians 5:22, some say it is the only Fruit and the rest …joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control are expressions of love. I am not sure how to define love, but we can learn something from children:
Love is a verb. Not long ago I gave a couple an assignment to choose two days in which they were not allowed to say, “I love you” but had to figure out ways to show they loved each other. Love is an action: “For God so loved the world that he GAVE his one and only son….” |
 
Carl Crouse, Pastor
At SACC we believe the Bible is the inspired Word of God. Every Sunday the worship service includes a message from the Bible. My words are an attempt to understand and apply the Bible to our daily living. I post weekly sermons and other biblical messages on this page. May you find meaning and hope as you read through each message and seek to hear God's voice. Leave a comment to ask questions or inspire others with your insights. Categories
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