Fruit for everyone!
I am publicly saying I am well aware Canada Day is a couple of days from now. I am also aware this Sunday was publicized on this very website/blog as our Canada Day service. I am also saying I felt no leading to preach about Canada, and quite a lot of leading to preach about the fruit of the Spirit. I bow to no one regarding love for Canada, but I am far more interested in what the Holy Spirit wants me to preach about; she knows much better than I do what needs to be said.
The sermon title is intentionally ambiguous. “Fruit for everyone!” can refer to the fruit of the Spirit within those who have a relationship with God. It can also refer to the fruit of the Spirit given to those people around who need it. If anyone asked me if the sermon title was for the possessors or recipients of the fruit, I would say, “Yes.”
I didn’t spend any time on the reverse of the fruit of the Spirit. There is a non-exhaustive list of such “fruit” a few verses earlier in the same chapter of Galatians (Gal 5:19ff). Most folks have a pretty good idea of what bad behaviour encompasses. I was more concerned with providing the comfort of knowing the fruit of the Spirit are similar to the fruit of the backyard garden, the orchard, or the field; there are good seasons, bad seasons, average seasons, and we are not always responsible for the quantity of fruit at our disposal.
Give the sermon a listen, it is shorter than last week’s while still covering important stuff. As always, please feel free to comment as you are inclined and able.
Blessings,
