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102: What The World Needs Now – Fruit of the Spirit
50 Plays3 months ago
In his letter to the Galatians, Paul identifies nine virtues that Jesus followers should develop in themselves to live in harmony with each other. He calls them the Fruit of the Spirit. If we display these fruit in our life, it is evident that we are walking with God and reflecting His character.
Pastor Jim Mueller, Pastor Chuck Schlie, and Ryan Pfendler sat down with Jill Devine to discuss how they will be looking at each “fruit” in depth over the course of the next nine weeks at Messiah St. Charles.
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Transcript
Introduction and Purpose of the Podcast
00:00:00
Speaker
The following podcast is a Jill Devine Media production. Christianity has become known for judgy people, strange words, ancient stories, confusing rules, and a members-only mindset. This is why I stayed away from the church for so long, but it's not supposed to be that way. I'm Jill Devine, a former radio personality with three tattoos, a love for a good tequila, and who's never read the entire Bible. Yet here I am hosting a podcast about faith. The normal goes a long way podcast is your home for real conversations with real people using real language about how faith and real life intersect. Welcome to the conversation.
Exploring 'What the World Needs Now' Sermon Series
00:00:40
Speaker
I'm Jill Devine and at Messiah St. Charles, where I work and where I attend weekly worship on Sunday mornings, we are in the middle of a sermon series called What the World Needs Now. And it's all based on Paul's letter to the Galatians about the nine virtues that Jesus followers should develop in themselves to live in harmony with each other.
00:01:03
Speaker
The idea is if we display these fruit in our life, then it's evident to others that we are walking with God and we're reflecting His character.
Understanding the Fruit of the Spirit
00:01:12
Speaker
So each pastor is taking on a couple of the words and Pastor Jim Mueller, I wanted to talk to you first about how this message came about and how we need this so badly in our lives right now.
00:01:26
Speaker
Obviously, Fruit of the Spirit is about Christian character. It's about how we literally treat the world. How do we treat other people? So what I like to think is when our character reflects God's character, not perfectly, we're not perfect people, but when we reflect God pretty well, when people can look at you and say, I can tell you're trying to follow God.
00:01:50
Speaker
It's not because you're so moral. It's not because you're living perfectly. It's because you're reflecting these
Personal Struggles and Growth with Virtues
00:01:57
Speaker
fruit. I think for a lot of people, they think of Christians by what they believe in. And I wish they would look at us more because we reflect the character of God.
00:02:07
Speaker
m yeah Like, yes, we we believe in Jesus and we follow Jesus, but what does that mean? It means love, it means joy, it means peace, it means patience, it means kindness. I'm just like everybody else, like some of those words I'm like, okay. And then other, I read some of the words and I'm like, oh no, I'm not very good at that at all. Specifically, patience. I don't think my family would ever consider me nor any of the people I work with a gentle person. I'm more like a,
00:02:34
Speaker
ah loud and come crashing into a room kind of person, but ah but I hope I have a ah gentle and soft spirit when it's needed. You know, at least I'm working on it. I'm trying to work on it. So yeah, those those there's always going to be times where you read these words and you're like, of course that's how a Christian should be. And then there's going to be other times you might read through some of the words and you're like, ah, it's so convicting for me personally, because I want to be a patient person, but I just drove to work. I'm not patient. Right. The car line at school, I'm not patient. Right. And we also know too, like as a parent, like when you display the vices or the opposites of those virtues, that's when you really feel like you're failing as a parent. Oh, oh I don't want to show that to them. Yeah. I know I'm not perfect, but I sure want to be pretty good around them.
00:03:25
Speaker
It seems like this would be just such a good part of scripture to just pray over almost like every single day. Just give me this. yeah Just give me maybe not all
Practical Reminders and Memorization Techniques
00:03:38
Speaker
of this right now. I can only do one thing right now, but give me patience. Give me kindness. Give me joy. Yeah. You know, it's funny, like,
00:03:48
Speaker
One of our ideas when we passed them out the first week at church, and we're actually gonna order some more because we ran out immediately that first week at church, but we we printed a sticker that's meant for like your water bottle or your cooler or something like that. And the thought was, hey, but whatever that water cup you carry around each day, put that sticker there yeah so those words just stare at you.
00:04:10
Speaker
It's on mine and it matches my cup perfectly. So yes, I was like, what, how does this work? And every time I look at it, that's exactly what happened. It kind of just like resets my mind. Yeah. And that's the goal. Like yeah if the only thing somebody got out of this entire series was, Hey, Jim, Chuck, Ryan, you didn't do a great job teaching, but I memorized the nine words. Well, we did something
Kindness in Political Discourse
00:04:33
Speaker
then.
00:04:33
Speaker
yep Because if you just memorize the nine words, you're getting something. I mean, that's that's actually really, really huge. And especially if you've got a tough decision you got to make or you've got a temptation that's out there and you remember that word goodness and you're like, but what would it mean to be good in the situation? yeah Oh man, if that comes up, then the spirit's working on you, whether or not we we did our best job or not. Okay, before I let you go, loaded question. Today,
00:05:02
Speaker
Right now, which one of the fruits would you say you're thriving at? That is a loaded question. I know. not i don't I just want to know like today, because each day is so different, but that's the beautiful thing, Jim. I know. Let let me answer a different question. Okay. What I most want from myself, and I'm working on it hard, so I think I'm doing okay at this.
00:05:31
Speaker
and specifically what I want from everybody else. Anybody who's showing up and they're listening, they're showing up because they wanna hear from God. The reason we wanna do this series is partially because of the political season. That word kindness, I'm gonna tell you what everybody, and people have their opinions and people know who they're gonna vote for and they sometimes think everybody else is wrong, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera.
00:06:00
Speaker
absolutely cast your vote, absolutely have your opinion, absolutely you know share, debate everything else. Do it with kindness. yeah I dare you. I dare you to do it with kindness, um to be respectful, to be loving.
00:06:15
Speaker
in the midst of everything to have a gentle spirit. I mean, these words all stick out, right? But that word kindness in a season like this and our politicians, I dare you to be that kind of person. Yes. Okay. Yes. That's it. Everybody. Okay. Kindness. That's what you're focusing on. And if you're not a Christian, you don't, you don't have to do it, but if you are, Oh, if you are,
00:06:38
Speaker
I get the
Self-Reflection on Virtues
00:06:39
Speaker
points. It's a good challenge. Yeah. All right. Let's get pastor Chuck and Ryan Finler in here and talk about your perspective. But the one thing we haven't done yet is named all of the fruit of the spirit. So go love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, self-control against such things. There is no law.
00:07:05
Speaker
Which one, yeah loaded question, oh are you thriving at? Oh, that's not what it's not. See, uh-huh. You thought I was going to say, which one do you need help with? No, which one are you thriving at? Right now though, because it's not about, I don't think you can look at like your whole life. I think it's, it changes. Okay. I think the one that probably comes a little natural to me or the one is peace. I'm pretty peaceful kind of guy. I don't in general get too worked up over nonsense and things definitely go wrong for me. um My wife and I have been sharing the same car since May and all our other cars are always broken. I got one in the shop right now and you know, and, but you know what? I'm totally at peace with that. I'm just like, yeah, whatever, whatever.
00:08:01
Speaker
I don't get cranked up about politics or just, I'm basically pretty peaceful, pretty unoffendable. The one I want to get good at is kindness. I would love, love to be known as a kind person. Ryan and I just shot each other a weird look because that's like the last thing I would think about you. Oh, that's what I want, so bad. That's what I pray for.
00:08:30
Speaker
You don't think you're kind? No, because I know me. I walk around with me all the time. I know my thoughts and, you know, I would just like to be kinder. Like you, like kind, I would love, love, love that one. Okay. And self control would be sweet too. I don't think anybody's thriving at that one. But kindness and self control would be like,
00:08:58
Speaker
Oh, what are you thriving at? I'm going to go with joy. Yeah. I think it's hard to, I don't know. I
Guided Prayers and Spiritual Growth
00:09:07
Speaker
just think that I get excited about life and and excited about opportunities. And I think, uh, I guess I can talk about, let's talk about marriage. Like I feel like there's a lot of people marriage and now with baby coming, maybe it was before I got married or when I was just married, I remember some people that were like,
00:09:28
Speaker
Oh, he must still be in that honeymoon phase, right? And I'm like, three years later, I still am, I guess, if, I actually think it's getting better. And so like, I'm still like waiting for like the negativity that people said will come. And maybe, I don't know, maybe it will, but I'm like, I'm still pretty jazz about this thing I got. And then- That's good. And then with the baby, there's just honestly, I'm kind of frustrated at some negativity that's been thrown towards us about being a parent.
00:09:58
Speaker
And I'm like, first off- Everybody has an opinion. Yeah, I'm like, maybe just shut up, but I'm like, I'm pretty excited for this. And I just don't think, I think you just adapt to it. Like, just, there's another human in your life, cool. Yeah. What do I get to do with them now? People have been doing this for ever. Ice cream dates, awesome, you know? So I don't know, follow up with me in three more years, but like,
00:10:26
Speaker
I remember the negativity people said would come like in marriage. That hasn't come yet. I have a feeling that being a parent will also be pretty joyful. And I'm like, that's just kind of my...
00:10:40
Speaker
Attitude is also like why would I why would I look forward to it with negativity anyways? I've so Yeah, I'm gonna say joy. Which one are you not thriving at? I would have said patience That's why I picked to preach on so I would get better at it and present myself as a patient master um but we are ah three weeks away and I don't know if I'm there yet. Um, I'm going to go self-control. Okay. Cause like, I think that's the easy one. That's just one dings everyone. Yeah. That's everybody's take it. Well, thank you guys. Wait, how about you? I'm, I asked the questions. Come on. People are, people want to know everyone listening to this goes, I wonder about Joe. Oh yeah. I'm sure. i got it Where are you at? Oh, you guys guess then you're thriving in gentleness.
00:11:33
Speaker
Yeah, kindness. I would say love. Just basically kindness. That would be that would be mine is love. Like that's, that's my thing. I'd also put you in the joy category. Yeah, you you know, people are either a little more happy or a little less happy in every encounter with somebody else. And I think people are always a little more happy when I am s when i run into you. Jessica says that's the nicest thing ever. See there, you make people a little bit better, a little worse, feel a little better. worse us You always make people feel better. yeah Yeah. You bring the the joy. Well, man, I should get all the time. Yeah. You're actually really perfect at your job because I'm like,
00:12:20
Speaker
If they were a new person, I'd want to be like, sure, they meet Jill. So yeah. Well, thank you. When you go to normal goes a long way dot com and even in our show notes that you can access, you will find a link to each of the messages that the pastors will preach on for each fruit.
00:12:40
Speaker
And we, like I said, have already started this message. So Laura Fleetwood is going to do something special for us with each fruit. She's going to do some guided prayers. And so tomorrow we'll release her first guided prayer on the words, love, joy, and peace, because those have already been taught on Sunday mornings. And so then we encourage you to come back every Tuesday up until October 15th to get that guided prayer for the rest of the fruit.
00:13:10
Speaker
Thank you for listening to Normal Goes a Long Way. We really appreciate it.