September 21 - "Love"It is simple to say, but very hard to live. Love is a verb!
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September 28 - "Joy"Joy transcends happiness in that joy is not occasioned by circumstances but is a state of mind and heart that enables us to interact with others in very surprising ways. In this well-known parable, contrast the joy of the Father with the utter lack of joy that we see in the older brother.
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October 5 - "Peace"The truth is that peace eludes us. Despite Jesus’ repeated reassurances that God can take care of us just as well as he takes care of the flowers, we are an anxiety-ridden people. Granted, we live in a difficult and dangerous world where a little anxiety is understandable. Yet, when hasn’t this been the case?
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October 12 - "Patience"Having patience is trusting God enough to remain faithful, even in suffering.
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October 19 - "Kindness"Be kind. Be nice. For most of us, these two words are synonymous. And therein lies the problem. There is no fire, no passion in niceness. Our task is to resurrect the fruit, kindness, from the clutches of niceness.
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October 26 - "Goodness"Goodness is derived from God and God alone. Good is not merely something God does; “goodness” describes the very nature of God. Further, whatever measure of goodness we may have ourselves is derived from God.
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November 2 - "Faithfulness"It is in the thousands of small choices we make that our character and identity are found. Do we strive to make choices that are Christlike, or do we go our own way, doing whatever we think is right, day after day, year after year? God created us in his image and gave us the responsibility to care for God’s creation, to make good God-filled choices
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November 9 - "Gentleness"The picture of believers, individually and corporately, is of a gentle people who follow in the footsteps of their gentle Lord and master. Clearly, this is not a gentleness that is naive or spineless, but a gentleness that lives with principled firmness, like the innocence of doves lives with the shrewdness of snakes
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