Tag: fruits of the spirit

Pastor’s Notes 7/31/2026

Posted on by Wende Gonzales

Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
–Matthew 11:29

Our “Fruit of the Spirt” for Sunday is one of those words that can’t help but be said with an intonation that defines the word.

“Gentleness.”

Anytime we say gentle or gentleness we tend to do so as though we are instructing a toddler who is petting a bunny or chick for the first time… “Gently.” There is a special care and concern that is generated with gentleness.

But gentleness is also a deceptive little gift of the Spirit. The wrong way to interpret gentleness is to understand it as submissive, weak, passive, or subservient.

In worship on Sunday, we will look at three passages of scripture to better help us understand what Jesus and the Holy Spirit have in mind for gentleness: Matthew 11:28-30, John 10:14-18, John 21:15-17.

Jesus declares himself to be gentle and humble of heart. He also refers to himself as the good shepherd. Two hymns we will sing Sunday, “Gentle Shepherd,” and “Savior, Like a Shepherd Lead Us,” identify a certain fragility and care needed when dealing with God’s people.

There is quite a chasm of understanding between a Savior who welcomes children and blesses them or speaks of rescuing a lost sheep stuck in a thicket with a Jesus who curses the fig tree or turns the tables in the temple.

Gentleness is not docile. When dealing with Peter in John 21, he repeats himself 3 ways, “If you love me, feed my sheep.” There must be something more to the act of serving otherwise why would Jesus repeat himself. Our delivery matters, how we love, is important and the fruit of gentleness will remind us of this on Sunday as we worship in the chapel or on YouTube.

Brett

First fruits.

Posted on by Wende Gonzales

Jesus told his disciples to gather around him. Then he said: I tell you that this poor widow has put in more than all the others. Everyone else gave what they didn’t need. But she is very poor and gave everything she had.
–Mark 12:43-44

First fruits.

When the first sheaves of grain ripened or the first grapes appeared on the vine, Israel was instructed to bring the first of the harvest as an offering to God. This wasn’t because God needed their produce. It was because the people needed to remember where every blessing had come from. It was a way of saying, “God, we trust you with what comes next.” It was a gesture about gratitude, belief, and placing God first in every season of life.

So when we skip ahead to Mark 12:41-44 to go with our theme “Fruit of the Spirit: Generosity,” the story is quite compelling. Surrounded by wealthy donors making impressive contributions, Jesus notices a widow who quietly places two small coins into the treasury. Her gift is tiny by every measurable standard, yet Jesus says she has given more than anyone else because her offering came from trust rather than surplus.

The point is not that God desires poverty or self-sacrifice. Rather, Jesus reveals that generosity is measured by love and faith, not by numbers on a ledger. She offers what she can because her life already belongs to God.

As we continue discovering the Fruit of the Spirit, we’ll see that generosity is much bigger than finances. It is generosity with our encouragement, our forgiveness, our patience, our hospitality, our time, our listening, and our compassion. It is choosing abundance over scarcity, believing there is enough grace to share because God has first been generous with us.

I look forward to worshipping with you in person or on YouTube this Sunday.

Brett