Galatians 5:1, 13-25

Thoughts:            Frequently, our church displays nine banners, with one fruit of the Spirit printed on each one.  These nine fruits of the Spirit are love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance.  Our young people sing a chorus naming these virtues.
 
Not surprisingly, our church does not have a set of seventeen banners which name the works of the flesh:  adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditious, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, and revellings.  I am not aware of any song which enumerates these vices.
 
But before these two lists, verse fourteen tells us succinctly what we need to remember.
 
“For all the law is fulfilled in one word… ‘Thou shalt love they neighbor as thyself.’ ”
 
Discussion:          Which fruit of the Spirit did Paul find most difficult to practice?
 

Activity:               Choose the fruit of the Spirit which is most difficult for you, and keep it in your heart.

Please remember in prayer this week Bob and Vivian Grusnick, Vivian Hansard, June Lamm, and Jeff Olesen.  Please also remember Steve Olsavsky and family on the death of his sister.  There will be a memorial service here on Saturday, June 25th, at 11:00am. Also prayers for Craig and Weatherly Verhelst and family on the death of his grandmother this past week. 
 
A church family has requested weekly paid help with housekeeping, driving to doctors’ appointments, and down-sizing their household.  If you know of someone, this referral would be most welcome.  If you are this caring Christian, please call the office for more information. 
 
Please pray for our Mission: Possible workers this week.  These are incoming 5th-8th graders doing mission work in our community.
 
Come out and cheer our softball team this Thursday at 6:15pm at Our Shepherd Lutheran School, 1658 E. Lincoln St., Birmingham.  
 
This Sunday you may sign up for the George Bauman Memorial Troy 1st Golf Outing on August 7th.  See Jeff Stover in the CLC.