May 15, 2025 • 21 mins
What transforms ordinary believers into extraordinary reflections of God's character? The answer lies in cultivating the fruit of the Spirit—divine characteristics that develop naturally as we walk with Christ.
Join Debbie and Greg Gold as they launch a three-part series exploring these spiritual fruits that reflect God's character working through us. In this first installment, they dive deep into the first three fruits: love, joy, and peace. Beyond mere positive emotions, these spiritual qualities empower believers to transcend natural limitations—loving those who are difficult to love, maintaining joy during hardship, and experiencing peace amidst uncertainty.
Debbie shares a powerful personal testimony about how deepening her relationship with Jesus has transformed her spirit in ways that others notice. This isn't about religious performance but authentic heart change that comes through consistent spiritual practices. Greg adds valuable insights about trusting God while actively pursuing opportunities, demonstrating how peace and action work hand-in-hand.
Whether you're new to faith or looking to deepen your spiritual walk, this episode provides practical wisdom for growing these divine characteristics in your daily life. The hosts offer encouraging takeaways and a Bible reading recommendation that will help you understand how walking in the Spirit prevents fulfilling the desires of the flesh.
Ready to experience supernatural transformation? Listen now and discover how the fruit of the Spirit can radically change your response to life's challenges. Remember, this journey isn't meant to be walked alone—Jesus is always with you, and through this podcast community, you are not alone either.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:06):
Hello, this is Debbie and Greg Gold, and welcome to
the you Are Not Alone podcast,where we cover topics that will
help you navigate life, and, asChristians, we know that we
can't do it alone.
We need Jesus.
We encourage you to join us onthe journey that will help you
begin or deepen your walk withChrist, no matter where you are.
Speaker 2 (00:26):
Hello everyone, welcome back to season two,
episode seven of the you Are NotAlone podcast, and today we're
going to be starting athree-week journey talking about
the fruit of the spirit.
But first it's going to be timefor highlights of the week.
So what's yours?
Speaker 1 (00:40):
Oh well, thank you for letting me go first.
I kind of had two, but I thinkyou're going to talk about one
of mine, so I might chime in onthat, but I want to.
I'm excited to say that we gotour family vacation booked for
the summer over July 4th, andit's going to be like I don't
know 12 days or something.
(01:00):
So, and I'm super excited to umgo back during that time, cause
it's the 4th of July and we'llget to spend time going to the
fireworks and seeing a paradethat that I used to do when I
was a kid.
All every year we would do it.
Speaker 2 (01:15):
It was family too.
I'm excited yeah totally.
Speaker 1 (01:18):
We'll get to see all the family and and then um and
then I also.
We also booked an Airbnb orVrbo at Green Lake, which is
just a beautiful.
It's almost like a littleresort area, much like where we
live, and kind of quiet and it'sa real small town but quiet
(01:42):
during off-season but during thesummer it's supposed to be
really busy and people come upfrom Illinois that have family
homes there, people comevacation there.
There's a huge lake and it'sactually called Green Lake, so
really deep, like 200-some feetdeep.
It's good for water sports.
Speaker 2 (02:02):
Yeah, it sounds fun.
Speaker 1 (02:03):
Yeah, lots of hiking trails and bike trails and just
a lot of outdoor activity goingon.
Speaker 2 (02:11):
It's going to be fun.
Speaker 1 (02:12):
Yeah, I've been checking out places to eat and
things like that.
So, yeah, I'm super excitedabout it.
Speaker 2 (02:20):
I am too, and just getting away.
Speaker 1 (02:21):
I don't know the last time we went away for that long
of a time.
Speaker 2 (02:24):
It could have been.
Yeah, it's a pretty decentvacation too.
It's like 10 days so.
Speaker 1 (02:29):
I think it's like 11 or 12.
Speaker 2 (02:31):
There you go yeah.
Speaker 1 (02:31):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (02:32):
So it's going to be a going to be a good trip.
Speaker 1 (02:34):
Nice and relaxing and a much needed break, for sure.
Speaker 2 (02:38):
Exactly, yeah, so uh, and then mine, I guess.
So last Friday it was a reallylong day at work, um, doing a
bunch of orders and stuff.
And uh, you got into it.
You got invited to a pool partywith one of your friends and
she let you know.
She was like make sure, gregsonknows that he's invited.
And so you gave me a text orlike, okay, um, do you want to
(03:01):
go to this party?
And I'm like sure and sure,like well, I'll be here after
work when you get off, and I'llbe like all right, well, I'll
come then.
And so I go and I see a bunchof people and I see a pool table
.
I'm like, oh sweet, there'sthis little kid rider, he's
playing pool, he's trying to,he's five, he's five little kid.
And so we just start playingpool together.
You play him first and then, um, I started playing with him,
(03:25):
trying to teach him directionsand stuff, and then we teamed up
.
It was me and you versus him and, uh, his grandpa, I guess that
wasn't his grandpa.
It was um some people that werevisiting from out of town that
used to live here and yeah, goodto see them, for sure yeah, but
got to connect a lot withpeople and got chatted it up a
lot for sure.
Speaker 1 (03:44):
Yeah, so Ryder is pretty amazing.
He's like you know, he likes tomove the cue ball around.
He's moving balls so he can getat the cue ball.
He's you know, he's a shortlittle five-year-old so he can't
really have.
Speaker 2 (04:00):
Some shots are just too hard, because he's not tall
enough to even approach themright.
Speaker 1 (04:03):
And so, anyway, we're , we kind of um, told him that
you know, ryder, you can't dothat, we don't do, that's not
how we play.
And so we were trying to teachhim the real way to play and um
and uh, anyway, he got to apoint where he was following the
rules a little bit better.
Speaker 2 (04:23):
He was not moving balls around quite so much.
He fell in love with that game,for sure he did I said you and
I are going on tour buddy.
Speaker 1 (04:29):
But then I know I beat him that one game and I
said, okay, you owe me a dollar.
And so he went up to.
I saw him walk up to his dadwho was out by the pool, and he
hands up a dollar.
He comes back and gives me thedollar, but that's how I I
learned when I was.
We lived in the tavern and anduh the art, the guy that taught
me how to play it was always fora dollar, even back then, so I
(04:49):
should have maybe said a fivedollar bill right there.
And then you made that amazingshot, which was I jumped the
ball.
Speaker 2 (04:57):
Yeah, hit it in the corner you had no shot really
whatsoever.
Speaker 1 (05:02):
So you had the cue ball sitting there and there was
the opponent's ball in front ofthat and then your ball was
beyond that and I said, whydon't you try to just jump it?
What do you got to lose?
You had nothing else to shootat.
Jumped it smashed it in thecorner.
Speaker 2 (05:14):
Yeah, best pool shot of my life so far.
Speaker 1 (05:16):
So that was amazing.
Speaker 2 (05:18):
Oh, I loved it.
I loved it.
I loved it.
That was great, yeah, all right.
Well, let's talk about what isthe fruit of the spirit.
It's where divinecharacteristics form in people
who walk in the spirit.
These characteristics reflectGod's character, and the spirit
lives in you.
If we walk in the spirit, weare less likely to fulfill the
lust of the flesh.
And the spirit is God'spersonal preference.
(05:40):
Its purpose is to transformyour heart.
When we look at each of thenine fruit of the spirits
individually over the next threeweeks, you will learn how you
can be transformed.
The fruit of the spirit are love, joy, peace, forbearance,
kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
So the fruit of the spirit istalked about in Galatians 5, 13
(06:02):
through 26, which says you, mybrothers and sisters, were
called to be free, but do notuse your freedom to indulge in
the flesh.
Rather serve one another humblyin love, for the entire law is
fulfilled in keeping this onecommand Love your neighbor as
yourself.
If you bite and devour eachother, watch out or you'll be
destroyed by each other.
(06:23):
So I say walk by the spirit andyou will not gratify the
desires of the flesh, for theflesh desires what is contrary
to the spirit and the spiritwhat is contrary to the flesh?
They are in conflict with eachother, so that you do not.
You are not to do whatever youwant, but if you were led by the
spirit, you were not under thelaw.
(06:44):
The acts of the fleshlesh areimperious Sexual immorality,
impurity, adultery andwitchcraft, hatred, discord,
jealousy, fits of rage, selfishambition, decisions, factions
and envy, drunkenness, orgiesand the like.
I warn you, as I did beforebefore, that those who live like
(07:06):
this will not inherit thekingdom of god.
But the fruit of the spirit islove, joy, peace, forbearance,
kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
So I went over a little bitthere, but I just wanted to get
that last part in so kind oftalks about what the fruit of
the spirit is really.
Speaker 1 (07:24):
So yeah, um are you.
Can I interject?
Speaker 2 (07:28):
Yeah, go for it.
Speaker 1 (07:29):
So just a couple of things.
That um it says, if those wholive, um, well, when we talk
about the flesh, that meanswe're, we're living our life by,
according to our mind, our will.
You know what we want to do.
That's when we so, when we saythe, we're living by the flesh.
That's what that means just forpeople that may not know that.
And then also, I just washaving a thought about those who
(07:52):
live like that all those thingsthat you listed will not
inherit the kingdom of God.
It doesn't mean that we're notgoing to make mistakes and do
those things sometimes, but itmeans that if we continually
live like that and we choose notto have the Holy Spirit in us
and the fruit of the spirit inthere in us, then then we don't
inherit the kingdom of God.
Speaker 2 (08:13):
So so I just wanted to remind our listeners that the
Bible is our God on how we'retrying to live our lives.
Have you ever found yourselfwalking around like in a dark
room trying to find your way?
Then you turn on.
The light changes yourexperience.
That happens to me.
Speaker 1 (08:29):
I'm sorry.
It happens to me at night, likeI'm trying to go to the
bathroom or get out of bed to goget a cup, another, you know, a
glass of water or whatever, andit's like I'm kind of feeling
around if I don't turn the lighton.
Speaker 2 (08:47):
Yeah, so life can feel like that.
It's like we all feel momentsof darkness, pain, uncertainty
and discouragement, and it feelslike we're fumbling around in
the dark unsure of what to donext.
Spending time in God's wordwill bring light into your
darkness.
We encourage you to do it everysingle day, and if reading the
Bible is new to you, I want topoint to you in the book of Mark
in the New Testament as a placeto begin.
Speaker 1 (09:09):
So yes, very good as a place to begin.
So, yes, very good.
Um, also, in besides Mark, youcan also, uh, look at Psalms and
Proverbs.
Those are also good places tostart.
Just start wrapping your headaround what's going on in the
Bible.
They're a little easier to readand understand.
Those books are so um.
(09:29):
Okay, so today we're going totalk about the first three um
fruits, and the first one islove.
So this doesn't really refer to,uh, you know, this natural love
that we have for, like, ourspouse or family or friends.
This is about loving people whoare not easy to love, and I
(09:50):
think we all have an image ofsome of what that might look
like.
And so you know, when we'retreated badly, you want to do
the evil for evil, right, youwant to get back, you want to do
the same to them, but you knowthis is wrong and you know it's
(10:11):
not the right thing to do.
And um, what else do I want tosay about that?
You might tell yourself that itwas wrong and shameful.
Right, what they did to you,and of course it was, but do not
repeat the behavior, no matterhow tempting that is, and I know
it can be very tempting.
So we don't um matter howtempting that is, and I know it
(10:34):
can be very tempting, so wedon't um, we don't want to be
revengeful or pay um an insultback to another person, because
it's not the right thing to doin God's eyes.
Right Instead of being.
Instead, we, we are expected byGod to bless them and to pray
for them, and I have been, um, Ihave been practicing that for a
number of years now and, um, itreally puts me in a better
(10:58):
place, and I'm really remindedof that episode we did, Um, it
was episode five, I believe.
Choices lead, feelings follow,Um, and I call it that, but it
could be actually titledsomething different on the
podcast, but anyways, it wouldbe episode five.
If you want to go back and giveit, give it a listen, Um, so
(11:21):
what it says is so if I chooseto let my feelings take over
that situation, I'm going tomake some poor choices, right?
I'm going to make some poorchoices, right?
Um, I'm going to get even withthem, or I'm going to hurt them
back or whatever, and so, but ifI let my choices lead, my
(11:43):
feelings will follow.
So if I I say you know what,I'm just going to pray for them
and bless them.
Maybe they didn't know what theywere doing.
What are my feelings going tobe?
Then my feelings are going tobe I'm happy, Um, I'm going to
let that go.
I don't have to ponder itanymore.
I can move on with my life andwhat I have going on in my world
and focus on that.
So that is the fruit of loveand the second one is the fruit
(12:08):
of joy.
Did you have any comments onthat one, Greg?
On the love.
Speaker 2 (12:12):
Not really.
I mean, you explained it prettywell.
Speaker 1 (12:15):
All righty.
Feel free to jump in any time.
Speaker 2 (12:18):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (12:18):
So the fruit of joy.
So this is not the joy thatcomes from you know, our
experiences or a set ofcircumstances like buying your
first home, graduating highschool or college, getting that
first truck, greg.
That's not the joy we'retalking about here.
It's a joy that we remain inwhen circumstances seem really
(12:44):
terrible or gloom and doom, andthis is a joy that doesn't come
from earthly things.
So just remember that.
It's not the joy that comesfrom earthly things.
It's the joy that comes fromhaving a godly foundation.
So if you're going through acircumstance that seems doom and
gloom or really terrible, justremember to have joy or stay in
joy, because you know this toowill pass according to God's
(13:06):
will.
Recently, this was such aspecial text that I received
from my, my girlfriend, michelle.
She said I love your heart andyour spirit so much and I have
to say it really is that isbecause of my relationship with
Jesus and um, I continue to workon that every day and I do that
(13:31):
by spending time in the Bibleevery day, prayer time, going to
church, greg, with you, gettingin small groups, serving at the
church or, you know, anywherereally and you know, anything
else I can do to make an impacton my faith.
So I'm constantly, you know,thinking about it and I do make
(13:51):
that time every morning to spendtime with God and the Bible.
Speaker 2 (13:55):
You do.
Speaker 1 (13:56):
And it really makes a difference.
It changes, it really justdeepens your faith.
And, to put it another way, Iguess I think joy comes from—it
doesn't come from what one has.
Rather, it comes from what youare in Christ.
How deep is your relationshipwith Christ?
And if you don't have arelationship with Christ, I just
(14:17):
want to encourage you or maybeyou don't know what that means
I'd like to encourage you to goto our website and download your
digital copy, copy of my sixweek Bible study called crossing
over Cause.
It's a study that will get youstarted on a journey to having a
personal relationship withChrist and it will change who
you are.
I never used to be, you know,happy and you know I don't know
(14:44):
Spiritual or you know how.
you know Michelle said I justlove your heart and spirit so
much, you know it's noticeableand we talked about that in one
of the small groups I was inrecently.
It's like, you know, I feelhappy and people notice it.
They say you're always so happy, you know, so it does make a
difference.
So go download your digitalcopy of Crossing Over at.
(15:05):
We'll tell you the website.
If you don't already know it,we'll tell you at the end.
So that is the fruit of joy.
And then there is finally thefruit of peace for this episode.
And this is not peace thatcomes from an absence of
fighting and struggles.
Right, this is a peace with God.
(15:26):
It's a peace with people.
It's a peace during times ofdifficulty.
It's this higher peace, sort of, than just what comes when
everything is good and going ourway.
That's easy.
But this is a different peace.
It's just a constant peace andcalm that we have inside of us,
so like.
it's a tranquility in the heartthat comes from knowing and
(15:47):
trusting that our times are inthe hands of God that our times
are in the hands of God and thathas been something that I've
been able to do so much bettersince we had the Freedom
Conference and we did that12-week study prior to the
conference.
I can just put my I just giveit to God.
(16:07):
I have so much going on that Icould just be depressed over,
and I was for a while, I thinkthere were days I didn't want to
do anything but watch TV orread a book, not even read a
book, just watch TV and sleep.
(16:29):
But I feel like, since thatconference, just being able to
let all of that go, trustingthat God's got this in his
timing.
Everything is going to work outperfectly as he's planned and I
don't know if you have anythingyou want to add to that about
some maybe struggles you haveright now.
Speaker 2 (16:42):
I mean, yeah, you know the future is uncertain for
me and I'm trying to find acareer path, but yeah, giving it
all over to God helps for sure.
Freedom Conference was trulyamazing like you said but yeah,
trusting in the Lord and givingit all over to God, knowing that
he has a plan and thateverything was going to work out
.
Speaker 1 (17:02):
Yeah, and I think also to add to that it doesn't
mean that we just sit around andwait.
We have to try things right.
Like we're really.
This podcast is is reallygrowing.
It's getting amazing.
We're looking at ways, um, tomonetize and make money off of
this, which we've.
We haven't done, but it's.
It's all coming together reallybeautifully, but it's not
(17:24):
because I just, you know, sitaround and watch TV.
I'm on the internet, I'mlooking, I'm trying things.
I'm I'm, you know, justchecking everything out that I
can.
That will help us, and I knowyou're doing the same thing.
So don't forget that we have tostill put our, do our part
right.
Speaker 2 (17:41):
Exactly yeah.
So well, let's talk about sometakeaways, shall we?
Speaker 1 (17:45):
Yeah, let's do it.
I got this takeaway thing fromthat book that you're reading
from Dana Perino what's itcalled?
It's her latest.
Speaker 2 (17:53):
I wish I knew, or I wish someone had told me yeah,
yeah.
Speaker 1 (17:59):
So at the end of each , chapter that's a great book,
by the way.
It tells you know sheinterviews a lot of her
colleagues and so you know, whatwould you tell someone you know
, or what do you think about Idon't know putting together a
resume?
Or what were you thinking whenyou were 18 years old and did
you know what you really wantedto do back then?
And she asks all these people,all these questions.
(18:20):
You get so many differentanswers and it just makes you
feel like you are not alone.
Speaker 2 (18:27):
And it's okay where I'm at.
Speaker 1 (18:28):
But I'm going to get where I need to be one day, so,
but anyways, she does takeawaysat the end of every chapter, so
I'm sorry, go ahead.
No, you explained it perfectly.
Speaker 2 (18:36):
So um we're.
We are to love people who arehard to love and to bless them
and pray for them.
I know it's not easy, but youknow it's the right thing to do.
Speaker 1 (18:44):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (18:45):
And you don't want to live in hatred and just
unforgiveness.
Speaker 1 (18:48):
Right.
Speaker 2 (18:49):
Yes, number two this is not the joy that comes from
earthly things, you know, cars,money, finance, whatever it may
be.
It's really not about that.
It's a joy that comes fromhaving a strong spiritual
foundation, which is arelationship with the most high.
And then, third, peace is atranquility in the heart that
(19:09):
comes because we trust God,always through the good and the
bad.
So you have to.
Speaker 1 (19:18):
Yeah, also I just want to emphasize in takeaway
number two you said joy comesfrom having that strong
spiritual foundation and reallyyou can't have that unless you
start that walk with having arelationship with Jesus and and
really trying to work on puttingyourself in situations that are
(19:41):
going to help grow your faith.
Speaker 2 (19:45):
So yeah, and then I'd say we have a call to action,
which is go back and readGalatians, verse five, 13
through 26.
Then relisten to this episode,take notes on the points that
sing to you.
Speaker 1 (20:01):
Yeah, so yeah, and so next week we're going to talk
about, um, fruits four, five andsix, and, uh, I'm also going to
do a little summary, not a sumfive and six, and I'm also going
to do a little summary not asummary, maybe a summary or kind
of break down what all thismeans.
You know, living by the law,that was, living by the law of
Moses way back, and now we'reliving in the spirit because
Jesus came to us.
(20:21):
So I really want to dig intothat and explain this scripture
that we're focusing on a littlebit more for our listeners, so
they can wrap their head aroundit a little and get a better
understanding of it.
Um, so that'll be for next,next time, and I guess that will
be our show for today.
Speaker 2 (20:41):
I think so.
Speaker 1 (20:41):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (20:43):
If you haven't already done, please visit our
website at Debbie and Greggoldcom.
Please subscribe.
Listen to us on podcast, onapple podcast I heart um
whatever we're out there forever.
Speaker 1 (20:58):
Yeah, we're out there though and then, um, tell her,
tell your friends about us wehave a lot of especially.
Tell them about how maybe someof the words that we're speaking
in this podcast or previouspodcasts have resonated with you
or changed you in some way.
That's really just incredible.
Or write us some reviews.
That would be helpful for us aswell.
Speaker 2 (21:19):
Yeah, we love reviews .
Give us five stars, Give us agood rating.
We'll see you here back nextweek.
Thank you, God for this episode.
Remember, Jesus is always withyou.
Speaker 1 (21:31):
And you are not alone , all right.
Hello, this is Debbie and Greg Gold, and welcome to
the you Are Not Alone podcast,where we cover topics that will
help you navigate life, and, asChristians, we know that we
can't do it alone.
We need Jesus.
We encourage you to join us onthe journey that will help you
begin or deepen your walk withChrist, no matter where you are.
Speaker 2 (00:26):
Hello everyone, welcome back to season two,
episode seven of the you Are NotAlone podcast, and today we're
going to be starting athree-week journey talking about
the fruit of the spirit.
But first it's going to be timefor highlights of the week.
So what's yours?
Speaker 1 (00:40):
Oh well, thank you for letting me go first.
I kind of had two, but I thinkyou're going to talk about one
of mine, so I might chime in onthat, but I want to.
I'm excited to say that we gotour family vacation booked for
the summer over July 4th, andit's going to be like I don't
know 12 days or something.
(01:00):
So, and I'm super excited to umgo back during that time, cause
it's the 4th of July and we'llget to spend time going to the
fireworks and seeing a paradethat that I used to do when I
was a kid.
All every year we would do it.
Speaker 2 (01:15):
It was family too.
I'm excited yeah totally.
Speaker 1 (01:18):
We'll get to see all the family and and then um and
then I also.
We also booked an Airbnb orVrbo at Green Lake, which is
just a beautiful.
It's almost like a littleresort area, much like where we
live, and kind of quiet and it'sa real small town but quiet
(01:42):
during off-season but during thesummer it's supposed to be
really busy and people come upfrom Illinois that have family
homes there, people comevacation there.
There's a huge lake and it'sactually called Green Lake, so
really deep, like 200-some feetdeep.
It's good for water sports.
Speaker 2 (02:02):
Yeah, it sounds fun.
Speaker 1 (02:03):
Yeah, lots of hiking trails and bike trails and just
a lot of outdoor activity goingon.
Speaker 2 (02:11):
It's going to be fun.
Speaker 1 (02:12):
Yeah, I've been checking out places to eat and
things like that.
So, yeah, I'm super excitedabout it.
Speaker 2 (02:20):
I am too, and just getting away.
Speaker 1 (02:21):
I don't know the last time we went away for that long
of a time.
Speaker 2 (02:24):
It could have been.
Yeah, it's a pretty decentvacation too.
It's like 10 days so.
Speaker 1 (02:29):
I think it's like 11 or 12.
Speaker 2 (02:31):
There you go yeah.
Speaker 1 (02:31):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (02:32):
So it's going to be a going to be a good trip.
Speaker 1 (02:34):
Nice and relaxing and a much needed break, for sure.
Speaker 2 (02:38):
Exactly, yeah, so uh, and then mine, I guess.
So last Friday it was a reallylong day at work, um, doing a
bunch of orders and stuff.
And uh, you got into it.
You got invited to a pool partywith one of your friends and
she let you know.
She was like make sure, gregsonknows that he's invited.
And so you gave me a text orlike, okay, um, do you want to
(03:01):
go to this party?
And I'm like sure and sure,like well, I'll be here after
work when you get off, and I'llbe like all right, well, I'll
come then.
And so I go and I see a bunchof people and I see a pool table
.
I'm like, oh sweet, there'sthis little kid rider, he's
playing pool, he's trying to,he's five, he's five little kid.
And so we just start playingpool together.
You play him first and then, um, I started playing with him,
(03:25):
trying to teach him directionsand stuff, and then we teamed up
.
It was me and you versus him and, uh, his grandpa, I guess that
wasn't his grandpa.
It was um some people that werevisiting from out of town that
used to live here and yeah, goodto see them, for sure yeah, but
got to connect a lot withpeople and got chatted it up a
lot for sure.
Speaker 1 (03:44):
Yeah, so Ryder is pretty amazing.
He's like you know, he likes tomove the cue ball around.
He's moving balls so he can getat the cue ball.
He's you know, he's a shortlittle five-year-old so he can't
really have.
Speaker 2 (04:00):
Some shots are just too hard, because he's not tall
enough to even approach themright.
Speaker 1 (04:03):
And so, anyway, we're , we kind of um, told him that
you know, ryder, you can't dothat, we don't do, that's not
how we play.
And so we were trying to teachhim the real way to play and um
and uh, anyway, he got to apoint where he was following the
rules a little bit better.
Speaker 2 (04:23):
He was not moving balls around quite so much.
He fell in love with that game,for sure he did I said you and
I are going on tour buddy.
Speaker 1 (04:29):
But then I know I beat him that one game and I
said, okay, you owe me a dollar.
And so he went up to.
I saw him walk up to his dadwho was out by the pool, and he
hands up a dollar.
He comes back and gives me thedollar, but that's how I I
learned when I was.
We lived in the tavern and anduh the art, the guy that taught
me how to play it was always fora dollar, even back then, so I
(04:49):
should have maybe said a fivedollar bill right there.
And then you made that amazingshot, which was I jumped the
ball.
Speaker 2 (04:57):
Yeah, hit it in the corner you had no shot really
whatsoever.
Speaker 1 (05:02):
So you had the cue ball sitting there and there was
the opponent's ball in front ofthat and then your ball was
beyond that and I said, whydon't you try to just jump it?
What do you got to lose?
You had nothing else to shootat.
Jumped it smashed it in thecorner.
Speaker 2 (05:14):
Yeah, best pool shot of my life so far.
Speaker 1 (05:16):
So that was amazing.
Speaker 2 (05:18):
Oh, I loved it.
I loved it.
I loved it.
That was great, yeah, all right.
Well, let's talk about what isthe fruit of the spirit.
It's where divinecharacteristics form in people
who walk in the spirit.
These characteristics reflectGod's character, and the spirit
lives in you.
If we walk in the spirit, weare less likely to fulfill the
lust of the flesh.
And the spirit is God'spersonal preference.
(05:40):
Its purpose is to transformyour heart.
When we look at each of thenine fruit of the spirits
individually over the next threeweeks, you will learn how you
can be transformed.
The fruit of the spirit are love, joy, peace, forbearance,
kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
So the fruit of the spirit istalked about in Galatians 5, 13
(06:02):
through 26, which says you, mybrothers and sisters, were
called to be free, but do notuse your freedom to indulge in
the flesh.
Rather serve one another humblyin love, for the entire law is
fulfilled in keeping this onecommand Love your neighbor as
yourself.
If you bite and devour eachother, watch out or you'll be
destroyed by each other.
(06:23):
So I say walk by the spirit andyou will not gratify the
desires of the flesh, for theflesh desires what is contrary
to the spirit and the spiritwhat is contrary to the flesh?
They are in conflict with eachother, so that you do not.
You are not to do whatever youwant, but if you were led by the
spirit, you were not under thelaw.
(06:44):
The acts of the fleshlesh areimperious Sexual immorality,
impurity, adultery andwitchcraft, hatred, discord,
jealousy, fits of rage, selfishambition, decisions, factions
and envy, drunkenness, orgiesand the like.
I warn you, as I did beforebefore, that those who live like
(07:06):
this will not inherit thekingdom of god.
But the fruit of the spirit islove, joy, peace, forbearance,
kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
So I went over a little bitthere, but I just wanted to get
that last part in so kind oftalks about what the fruit of
the spirit is really.
Speaker 1 (07:24):
So yeah, um are you.
Can I interject?
Speaker 2 (07:28):
Yeah, go for it.
Speaker 1 (07:29):
So just a couple of things.
That um it says, if those wholive, um, well, when we talk
about the flesh, that meanswe're, we're living our life by,
according to our mind, our will.
You know what we want to do.
That's when we so, when we saythe, we're living by the flesh.
That's what that means just forpeople that may not know that.
And then also, I just washaving a thought about those who
(07:52):
live like that all those thingsthat you listed will not
inherit the kingdom of God.
It doesn't mean that we're notgoing to make mistakes and do
those things sometimes, but itmeans that if we continually
live like that and we choose notto have the Holy Spirit in us
and the fruit of the spirit inthere in us, then then we don't
inherit the kingdom of God.
Speaker 2 (08:13):
So so I just wanted to remind our listeners that the
Bible is our God on how we'retrying to live our lives.
Have you ever found yourselfwalking around like in a dark
room trying to find your way?
Then you turn on.
The light changes yourexperience.
That happens to me.
Speaker 1 (08:29):
I'm sorry.
It happens to me at night, likeI'm trying to go to the
bathroom or get out of bed to goget a cup, another, you know, a
glass of water or whatever, andit's like I'm kind of feeling
around if I don't turn the lighton.
Speaker 2 (08:47):
Yeah, so life can feel like that.
It's like we all feel momentsof darkness, pain, uncertainty
and discouragement, and it feelslike we're fumbling around in
the dark unsure of what to donext.
Spending time in God's wordwill bring light into your
darkness.
We encourage you to do it everysingle day, and if reading the
Bible is new to you, I want topoint to you in the book of Mark
in the New Testament as a placeto begin.
Speaker 1 (09:09):
So yes, very good as a place to begin.
So, yes, very good.
Um, also, in besides Mark, youcan also, uh, look at Psalms and
Proverbs.
Those are also good places tostart.
Just start wrapping your headaround what's going on in the
Bible.
They're a little easier to readand understand.
Those books are so um.
(09:29):
Okay, so today we're going totalk about the first three um
fruits, and the first one islove.
So this doesn't really refer to,uh, you know, this natural love
that we have for, like, ourspouse or family or friends.
This is about loving people whoare not easy to love, and I
(09:50):
think we all have an image ofsome of what that might look
like.
And so you know, when we'retreated badly, you want to do
the evil for evil, right, youwant to get back, you want to do
the same to them, but you knowthis is wrong and you know it's
(10:11):
not the right thing to do.
And um, what else do I want tosay about that?
You might tell yourself that itwas wrong and shameful.
Right, what they did to you,and of course it was, but do not
repeat the behavior, no matterhow tempting that is, and I know
it can be very tempting.
So we don't um matter howtempting that is, and I know it
(10:34):
can be very tempting, so wedon't um, we don't want to be
revengeful or pay um an insultback to another person, because
it's not the right thing to doin God's eyes.
Right Instead of being.
Instead, we, we are expected byGod to bless them and to pray
for them, and I have been, um, Ihave been practicing that for a
number of years now and, um, itreally puts me in a better
(10:58):
place, and I'm really remindedof that episode we did, Um, it
was episode five, I believe.
Choices lead, feelings follow,Um, and I call it that, but it
could be actually titledsomething different on the
podcast, but anyways, it wouldbe episode five.
If you want to go back and giveit, give it a listen, Um, so
(11:21):
what it says is so if I chooseto let my feelings take over
that situation, I'm going tomake some poor choices, right?
I'm going to make some poorchoices, right?
Um, I'm going to get even withthem, or I'm going to hurt them
back or whatever, and so, but ifI let my choices lead, my
(11:43):
feelings will follow.
So if I I say you know what,I'm just going to pray for them
and bless them.
Maybe they didn't know what theywere doing.
What are my feelings going tobe?
Then my feelings are going tobe I'm happy, Um, I'm going to
let that go.
I don't have to ponder itanymore.
I can move on with my life andwhat I have going on in my world
and focus on that.
So that is the fruit of loveand the second one is the fruit
(12:08):
of joy.
Did you have any comments onthat one, Greg?
On the love.
Speaker 2 (12:12):
Not really.
I mean, you explained it prettywell.
Speaker 1 (12:15):
All righty.
Feel free to jump in any time.
Speaker 2 (12:18):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (12:18):
So the fruit of joy.
So this is not the joy thatcomes from you know, our
experiences or a set ofcircumstances like buying your
first home, graduating highschool or college, getting that
first truck, greg.
That's not the joy we'retalking about here.
It's a joy that we remain inwhen circumstances seem really
(12:44):
terrible or gloom and doom, andthis is a joy that doesn't come
from earthly things.
So just remember that.
It's not the joy that comesfrom earthly things.
It's the joy that comes fromhaving a godly foundation.
So if you're going through acircumstance that seems doom and
gloom or really terrible, justremember to have joy or stay in
joy, because you know this toowill pass according to God's
(13:06):
will.
Recently, this was such aspecial text that I received
from my, my girlfriend, michelle.
She said I love your heart andyour spirit so much and I have
to say it really is that isbecause of my relationship with
Jesus and um, I continue to workon that every day and I do that
(13:31):
by spending time in the Bibleevery day, prayer time, going to
church, greg, with you, gettingin small groups, serving at the
church or, you know, anywherereally and you know, anything
else I can do to make an impacton my faith.
So I'm constantly, you know,thinking about it and I do make
(13:51):
that time every morning to spendtime with God and the Bible.
Speaker 2 (13:55):
You do.
Speaker 1 (13:56):
And it really makes a difference.
It changes, it really justdeepens your faith.
And, to put it another way, Iguess I think joy comes from—it
doesn't come from what one has.
Rather, it comes from what youare in Christ.
How deep is your relationshipwith Christ?
And if you don't have arelationship with Christ, I just
(14:17):
want to encourage you or maybeyou don't know what that means
I'd like to encourage you to goto our website and download your
digital copy, copy of my sixweek Bible study called crossing
over Cause.
It's a study that will get youstarted on a journey to having a
personal relationship withChrist and it will change who
you are.
I never used to be, you know,happy and you know I don't know
(14:44):
Spiritual or you know how.
you know Michelle said I justlove your heart and spirit so
much, you know it's noticeableand we talked about that in one
of the small groups I was inrecently.
It's like, you know, I feelhappy and people notice it.
They say you're always so happy, you know, so it does make a
difference.
So go download your digitalcopy of Crossing Over at.
(15:05):
We'll tell you the website.
If you don't already know it,we'll tell you at the end.
So that is the fruit of joy.
And then there is finally thefruit of peace for this episode.
And this is not peace thatcomes from an absence of
fighting and struggles.
Right, this is a peace with God.
(15:26):
It's a peace with people.
It's a peace during times ofdifficulty.
It's this higher peace, sort of, than just what comes when
everything is good and going ourway.
That's easy.
But this is a different peace.
It's just a constant peace andcalm that we have inside of us,
so like.
it's a tranquility in the heartthat comes from knowing and
(15:47):
trusting that our times are inthe hands of God that our times
are in the hands of God and thathas been something that I've
been able to do so much bettersince we had the Freedom
Conference and we did that12-week study prior to the
conference.
I can just put my I just giveit to God.
(16:07):
I have so much going on that Icould just be depressed over,
and I was for a while, I thinkthere were days I didn't want to
do anything but watch TV orread a book, not even read a
book, just watch TV and sleep.
(16:29):
But I feel like, since thatconference, just being able to
let all of that go, trustingthat God's got this in his
timing.
Everything is going to work outperfectly as he's planned and I
don't know if you have anythingyou want to add to that about
some maybe struggles you haveright now.
Speaker 2 (16:42):
I mean, yeah, you know the future is uncertain for
me and I'm trying to find acareer path, but yeah, giving it
all over to God helps for sure.
Freedom Conference was trulyamazing like you said but yeah,
trusting in the Lord and givingit all over to God, knowing that
he has a plan and thateverything was going to work out
.
Speaker 1 (17:02):
Yeah, and I think also to add to that it doesn't
mean that we just sit around andwait.
We have to try things right.
Like we're really.
This podcast is is reallygrowing.
It's getting amazing.
We're looking at ways, um, tomonetize and make money off of
this, which we've.
We haven't done, but it's.
It's all coming together reallybeautifully, but it's not
(17:24):
because I just, you know, sitaround and watch TV.
I'm on the internet, I'mlooking, I'm trying things.
I'm I'm, you know, justchecking everything out that I
can.
That will help us, and I knowyou're doing the same thing.
So don't forget that we have tostill put our, do our part
right.
Speaker 2 (17:41):
Exactly yeah.
So well, let's talk about sometakeaways, shall we?
Speaker 1 (17:45):
Yeah, let's do it.
I got this takeaway thing fromthat book that you're reading
from Dana Perino what's itcalled?
It's her latest.
Speaker 2 (17:53):
I wish I knew, or I wish someone had told me yeah,
yeah.
Speaker 1 (17:59):
So at the end of each , chapter that's a great book,
by the way.
It tells you know sheinterviews a lot of her
colleagues and so you know, whatwould you tell someone you know
, or what do you think about Idon't know putting together a
resume?
Or what were you thinking whenyou were 18 years old and did
you know what you really wantedto do back then?
And she asks all these people,all these questions.
(18:20):
You get so many differentanswers and it just makes you
feel like you are not alone.
Speaker 2 (18:27):
And it's okay where I'm at.
Speaker 1 (18:28):
But I'm going to get where I need to be one day, so,
but anyways, she does takeawaysat the end of every chapter, so
I'm sorry, go ahead.
No, you explained it perfectly.
Speaker 2 (18:36):
So um we're.
We are to love people who arehard to love and to bless them
and pray for them.
I know it's not easy, but youknow it's the right thing to do.
Speaker 1 (18:44):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (18:45):
And you don't want to live in hatred and just
unforgiveness.
Speaker 1 (18:48):
Right.
Speaker 2 (18:49):
Yes, number two this is not the joy that comes from
earthly things, you know, cars,money, finance, whatever it may
be.
It's really not about that.
It's a joy that comes fromhaving a strong spiritual
foundation, which is arelationship with the most high.
And then, third, peace is atranquility in the heart that
(19:09):
comes because we trust God,always through the good and the
bad.
So you have to.
Speaker 1 (19:18):
Yeah, also I just want to emphasize in takeaway
number two you said joy comesfrom having that strong
spiritual foundation and reallyyou can't have that unless you
start that walk with having arelationship with Jesus and and
really trying to work on puttingyourself in situations that are
(19:41):
going to help grow your faith.
Speaker 2 (19:45):
So yeah, and then I'd say we have a call to action,
which is go back and readGalatians, verse five, 13
through 26.
Then relisten to this episode,take notes on the points that
sing to you.
Speaker 1 (20:01):
Yeah, so yeah, and so next week we're going to talk
about, um, fruits four, five andsix, and, uh, I'm also going to
do a little summary, not a sumfive and six, and I'm also going
to do a little summary not asummary, maybe a summary or kind
of break down what all thismeans.
You know, living by the law,that was, living by the law of
Moses way back, and now we'reliving in the spirit because
Jesus came to us.
(20:21):
So I really want to dig intothat and explain this scripture
that we're focusing on a littlebit more for our listeners, so
they can wrap their head aroundit a little and get a better
understanding of it.
Um, so that'll be for next,next time, and I guess that will
be our show for today.
Speaker 2 (20:41):
I think so.
Speaker 1 (20:41):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (20:43):
If you haven't already done, please visit our
website at Debbie and Greggoldcom.
Please subscribe.
Listen to us on podcast, onapple podcast I heart um
whatever we're out there forever.
Speaker 1 (20:58):
Yeah, we're out there though and then, um, tell her,
tell your friends about us wehave a lot of especially.
Tell them about how maybe someof the words that we're speaking
in this podcast or previouspodcasts have resonated with you
or changed you in some way.
That's really just incredible.
Or write us some reviews.
That would be helpful for us aswell.
Speaker 2 (21:19):
Yeah, we love reviews .
Give us five stars, Give us agood rating.
We'll see you here back nextweek.
Thank you, God for this episode.
Remember, Jesus is always withyou.
Speaker 1 (21:31):
And you are not alone , all right.
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