The Fruits of the Spirit

Hi everyone! It's my (Melita's) turn to host the challenge this week! This challenge will also be along the lines of our last two challenges. Continuing along the same vein as Lythan and Kim, our focus this week is on the work on the Holy Spirit in us and how it is manifested in the community of believers, namely, through the fruits of the Holy Spirit in our lives which are so clearly laid out in Galatians 5:22-23. "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law."

I love this verse at times and at others, I honestly have to say that I do get disheartened by it because I don't think I will ever possess any of these qualities in the way that God intends. Of course, I know that this is the evil one's way of getting me to forget about trying to apply any of them to my life. It is overwhelming to think about them all at once, but when I look at them separately, I know that God is working in my life and helping me to find measures of each to share with those around me. So that is my challenge to you. Look at each of these and share how God is working in that area in your life. Here are just a few verses to help you out.

Love: Colossians 3:12-15; I Corinthians 13:3-5

Joy: 1 Peter 1:8; Proverbs 15:30; Romans 15:13

Peace: John 20:21; Romans 15:13

Patience: Proverbs 19:11; Colossians 3:12-15; I Timothy 1:16

Kindness: Romans 11:22: Ephesians 2:7

Goodness: Psalm 31:19: Hebrews 6:4-6

Faithfulness:

Self-Control:

I chose to focus on peace. Being a stay at home mom, it is so easy for me to get caught up in the minutia in everyday life. I am all about have a well-scheduled plan. The schedule doesn't have to be the same every day, but I like for there to be one. I have learned that I don't like disruptions to my schedule. But, God is showing me how to find peace in the midst of disruptions (as well as patience too!). Here is how I interpreted the challenge this week. I can't wait to see what you do! Make sure you link us to your creations so we can come check them out!

Melita


Lythan

Tanis



Pauline

Kim
Julie

Hazel


Mona

Nikki

Stacy

Meet the Design Team - Tanis Giesbrecht

Hi Salt Readers!!

I'm Tanis and I wanted to start by saying how much I am enjoying this team :) It's great to study a topic and then have the opportunity to "create" what you've learned.

I grew up in a Christian home, came to know Christ as a little girl and have continued to grow in my faith. I'm thankful for the blessing of being raised up this way, and for God's amazing grace for me each day of my life.

I am a stay at home wife and mom to hubby and 4 kids (12, 10, 8 and 5).
I'm attending a Baptist church in Winnipeg, Manitoba right now where I teach preschool Sunday School and play piano and sing on our music team.

I have a boat load of favourite verses and passages of scripture, but here are 2 of my favourites...
Both are things I need to be reminded of daily!!

Be beautiful in your heart by being gentle and quiet. This kind of beauty will last, and God considers it very special. {1 Peter 3:4}

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I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!

I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us. {Philippians 3:10-14}

Thanks for reading

The Community of Faith

For the next challenge I (Lythan) wanted something that followed in some way from the last one - the work of the Holy Spirit. So I have chosen to focus on one element of the Spirit's work - the community of faith. In Acts 2:42-47 Luke describes the amazing first congregation and how they share their lives together totally. It is quite something to try and live up to. How do we become Acts 2 communities today?

I also thought about Matthew 18:20 (where two or three are gathered in my name there I am in the midst of them). Being a Minister I feel I have to point out that this reading is not just a reminder of Jesus being with us when there are just a few of us there, but that the context is actually when people are falling out and how to deal with it - but that is part of being a community of faith too.

Community of faith could be a church, a group, your family, your area. You may want to focus on the highs or lows of trying to be the people together that Jesus has called us to be. I'll leave it to you and the Spirit to mull over as you create

Lythan
Nikki

Pauline

Kim



Esther


Hazel


Julie


Stacy




Melita

Meet The Design Team -Stacy Stone

Hello everyone, I am one of the new faces of the team and i am so excited to be here. I struggle so much as a christian. I find comfort and strength here with these ladies they are very encouraging and uplifting. I am going to tell a little story about me and i promise to be brief. I was born and raised in Alberta, Canada. I was born into a family with an extended family whom encouraged religion. I went through the motions of it. I was struggling with a divorce my parents, a remarriage both of my parents and some new siblings. My mom and dad were really not that involved in church. They were emtionally spent it was rough my dad was gone alot, my mom basically raised us but she was battling herself some. They had both divorced again some decisions they made were not good. After some really bad fights with my mom I moved out at 15. Moving back and forth and around alot. I made some really good friends who took me in made me family. I became a new born christian when i was 19 years old and i really have not looked back. Jesus Rocks as my kids would say, I have now been married to my wonderful husband almost 11 years we have 3 beautiful kids 2 boys 10 and 8 and a girl 7. There is so much more to my story but it would take pages lol Jer29:11 is my verse and i hold on to it thanks for reading

Love in christ

stacy

TheWork of the Holy Spirit

Lately, I’ve (Kim) been thinking about the Holy Spirit and how He works in the life of believers. My primary reason for thinking about this topic is my own struggle with remaining sin and how often I face these struggles, unnecessarily, on my own because I fail to ask for help from the One Jesus promised to send after He ascended into heaven – the Holy Spirit.

My Reformation Study Bible notes the following, “The work of the Spirit is to glorify Jesus Christ by showing His disciples who He is (John 16:7-15) and what He means to them (Rom. 8:15-17). The Spirit enlightens (Eph. 1:17, 18), regenerates (John 3:5-8), sanctifies (Gal. 5:16-18), and transforms (2 Cor. 3:18, Gal. 5:22, 23). He gives God’s people what they need to serve Him (1 Cor. 12:4-11)."

I'm encouraged by the idea of being transformed from who I was outside of Christ. Galatians 5 tells us that the works of the flesh are well known to us; jealousy, envy, selfish ambitions, etc. However, as a Christian we have the Spirit that works within us to change us into those that are filled with joy, peace, love, goodness, faithfulness, and self-control. How exciting to know that God, through the work of the Holy Spirit, not only brings about lasting and dramatic change in the life of a believer, but ultimately gives us victory over our remaining sins!

We hope you enjoy the beautiful work the design team has created for you this week. Please, if you're inspired by this week's topic, leave us a comment. And if you create something based on the topic, leave us a link back to your blog or gallery...we'd love to see your creations!

Kim


Stacy

Hazel




Pauline


Melita

Tanis


Ruth


Julie


Gina

Lythan

Meet the Design Team - Ruth Magness

Hi there everyone, thought I'd tell you a bit about myself - Ruth. I've been on the Salt team for a couple of years now, and have found the experience to be challenging and encouraging. It's been wonderful to use the creativity God has given me to make thngs that Glorify him and highlight his Word.

I was born in Nigeria as both my parents were missionaries out there. I am grateful for the experiences I had there and for Christian parents who taught me about Jesus and needing to have a personal relationship with him. Throughout my child hood it was never assumed I was a Christian because my parents were, or because I went to church. I knew I had to come to a personal faith. Praise God that happened when I was 17. I was listening to my dad preach (he was then a Pastor of a church in North London) and the passage was from Hebrews, it was talking about how the Priest in the Old Testament would have to go day after day to offer sacrifices to show their faith in God. But when Jesus Christ died on the cross he was the once for all sacrifice, never to be repeated, because he was the perfect sacrifice for our sins. The Holy Spirit spoke to me that day, and I became a Christian when I committed my life to God.

From that day I have not looked back, and although I have failed God, disobeyed him and not always followed his commands, I know that because of Jesus, I have a hope. A hope and trust in Jesus, that what he did on the cross can never be taken away. And although what I do can never repay God for the gift of his Son, I strive to Glorify God in all I do.

So, I hope from this little bit of blurb, you can see the motivation of my life and why I'm crafting for Christ!

God's Strength

It was my turn (Julie) to pick the topic for this week and I chose God's Strength based on 2 Corinthians 12:9

"My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me."

It seems lately that I have been made aware of so many people going through so many difficult trials, serious illnesses/injuries, financial strains, marital stress, loss of loved ones, and more. It's often easy for us to begin to question God's purposes and worry or despair. In this chapter of Corinthians, we see the example of the apostle Paul, how he prayed 3 times for God to remove a "thorn in the flesh" (we are not told what it was). God's answer should be our encouragement and comfort as it was Paul's! "My grace is sufficient for you."

Matthew Henry in his commentary on this chapter states that

"Grace signifies . . . The good-will of God towards us, and this is enough to enlighten and enliven us, sufficient to strengthen and comfort us, to support our souls and cheer up our spirits, in all afflictions and distresses. . . . Christ Jesus understands our case, and knows our need, and will proportion the remedy to our malady, and not only strengthen us, but glorify himself."

Thank you for taking the time to visit. We would love to have you participate in our challenge this week and if you do, please leave us a link so we can be view your project! Don't forget also to visit the other Salt members' blogs and read their contributions for this week's theme.

Julie

Hazel Lythan
Melita
Pauline
Nikki

Kim

Mona
Ruth Esther

Gina


Tanis


Stacy