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This week we are talking about Patience as a Fruit of the Spirit and the reality that we can have patience even in situations that annoy us.

We had mentioned earlier that this “fruit”, and all the other fruit, comes from love.

In 1 Corinthians 13 we read that love is patient, which means to persevere. This perseverance can display itself in several different ways, it may mean enduring misfortunes and troubles or bearing the offenses and injuries from others: people who are hard to love or situations that try to steal our joy and peace.

We can have endurance, steadfastness, perseverance, and patience that is slow to avenge wrong. Patience is given to us as a Fruit of the Spirit and is necessary for us to live in this fallen world. 

This week Pastor Rob and Pastor Jeffery continue our conversation about the Fruit of the Spirit and are talking about peace.

Jeffery and his wife recently went through a move to S.W. Florida to start their lives as part of our family at First Christian. In this vlog we learn some key practices that they used to give them a peace that surpasses understanding. These keys include: prayer, counsel, supplication, communication and fasting. If you are going through a chaotic season and need someone to talk to, please reach out to Pastor Rob - robk@firstchristiancc.com

In this week's blog Pastor Rob and Pastor Joe talk about Joy as a Fruit of the Spirit. 

We learn that joy is different than happiness. Happiness is often associated with our circumstances, while joy can be found during horrible times.

James 1:2 - 3 tells us that we should "count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness." James 1:2 – 3 

We must see our circumstances from an eternal perspective and know that God is working everything out for our good and His glory.

We see an example of this kind of joy in the lives of the Disciples as they were beaten in Acts 5 and left the court rejoicing that they were counted worthy of suffering for Christ.

And in Acts 16, after Paul and Silas were stripped, beaten and thrown in prison, they prayed and worshipped the Lord by singing hymns. This is not a normal reaction to being wrongfully stripped, beaten and thrown in prison. They knew that God was in control and He would work things out according to His will and timing. 

Are you going through a hard time? Are you feeling lost and lonely? You can find joy if you persevere, focus on Christ, knowing that He will see you through and increase your faith as you walk through these hard times.

We are beginning a series on the Fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5. Pastor Rob and Pastor Tim share a conversation about the first Fruit of the Spirit which is love. In fact, Martin Luther said, "It would have been enough to mention only the single fruit of love, for love embraces all the fruits of the Spirit.” What we learn as we walk through this conversation is that Love is the Fruit of the Spirit and all the other attributes listed there are what love looks like when we live it out.

Pastor Tim mentioned the Good Samaritan as a great example of L.O.V.E. and gave us a new acronym for LOVE.

The Good Samaritan:

• Lent a hand
• Offered what he could
• Valued him
• Expected nothing in return

He put the needs of the injured man, above his own needs and was a great example of Agape love. And while the Good Samaritan is a great example. The greatest example of love of Jesus. He gave His life to a pay our debt. If you want to know more about that kind of love, email Pastor Rob to learn more. robk@firstchristiancc.com

A Biblical Response to Persecution

There is a reality that many of us don't want to face or deal with, but I believe that religious persecution is coming our way. Jesus warned us this would happen and even told us to expect it. Here are 5 things we need to keep in mind when we face the persecution that is to come.

First – we need to expect it

Jesus told us in John 15 that the world hated Him, and it will hate us too, He went on to say that they persecuted Him, and they will persecute is too. So we need to expect persecution if we follow Christ.

Second – we have to be bold

When Stephen faced persecution in Acts chapter 6, didn’t run away. He stood his ground and communicated truth to those who had just crucified Christ. Paul instructed Timothy to preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching and then says, "always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry". If we share the truth…we will endure suffering

Third - we must maintain an eternal perspective

I get it, it’s easy to get caught up in the moment and try and figure out the "why", but we are supposed to maintain our focus on the Kingdom and not our circumstances. When we look at the disciples, all (but John) were martyred. In fact, Peter was crucified upside down because he said he wasn’t worthy of dying the same position as Christ. When we suffer, we must continue to focus on Jesus.

Fourth - pray for your persecutors

We see two examples of this in the New Testament. The first being Jesus and second is Stephan. They both asked God not to hold it against those who were persecuting them. It goes against our nature, but we are called to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us.

Fifth – we should rejoice

I'm sure some of you think I have lost my mind, but Jesus says we are “Blessed” if we are persecuted. In Acts the disciples were arrested, beaten and told to keep their mouths shut about Jesus, but they went away rejoicing that they were “COUNTED WORTHY” of suffering for Christ.

The point is, persecution is often good for the church and the Kingdom because it purifies the church because those who are not sold out will leave. It also builds the church, every time the church goes through persecution, it grows!

We need to expect it, we need to be bold, We need to look at things from an eternal perspective, pray for those who persecute us and rejoice because it's good for the Kingdom.

A Biblical Response to Pain and Suffering

In this week’s blog we wanted to share how we, as Christians, should respond to pain and suffering. Pain comes with the trials of life, but suffering is experienced based upon our brain’s response to the pain. We are talking about the long-term stress caused from the death of a loved one, betrayal or divorce. It has been said that you are either entering a hard time, going through a hard time or coming out of a hard time. In today’s post we will give you 5 things that we should do in response to our pain and suffering.

1. Let the emotions out. We see this example from Jesus as He wept when His friend Lazarus died.

2. See your trial from an eternal perspective. James 1 tells us to count it all joy when we face trials of many kinds, because it builds perseverance and we will be made complete.

3. Pray – Prayer should be your first response, but these are not listed in order of importance. We see the example of Jesus again, He prayed before going to the cross.

4. Memorize Scripture – We read in Psalm 119:11 – I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. And we see the example from Jesus when He defeated Satan in the desert by quoting from the book of Deuteronomy.

5. The last thing we need to do is praise Him in the storm. Always keep your focus on Christ and praise Him during the hard times.

Click on the video to hear some additional thoughts on how we should respond to pain and suffering. 

Believe or Obey?

It has often been said, “Believe in Jesus and you will be saved”. And while this is true, the answer is incomplete. It is poor understanding of Acts 16:31.

And they said, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household." - Acts 16:31

The first thing we to understand is what the word “believe” means in the original language. Our modern understanding of the word would be to accept something as true or to trust it. But the Greek goes deeper. It means “to have faith (in, upon, or with respect to, a person or thing).” The word faith is the key. We have to put our faith in Jesus.

The second thing to see is that we “believe” or put our faith in “the Lord Jesus”. Notice the word Lord. This means that He is supreme in authority, that He is the Messiah. This is not just a intellectual belief, this is a life-altering decision that leads to action. One doesn’t just believe in Jesus and continue on without significant change in their life. This belief means you have put your faith in Him as the Messiah and you obey Him as King.

To hear the full conversation between Pastor Rob and Pastor Tim, click on the video above.