Spirituality Checkup: Fruit or Chaff

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Spirituality Checkup Fruit or Chaff?

• Source
• John Ortberg, Willow Creek Community Church,
  1998

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Psalm 1 The Two Ways
The Wicked

• v.1 Take/give bad advice, follow sinners and
  scoffers
• v. 5 Will not stand with the righteous or at
  judgment
• v.6 Their way will perish

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Psalm 1 The Two Ways
The Righteous

• v.2 Delight and meditate in the Law day and
  night
• v.3 are like planted, healthy, prospering trees
• v.6 the Lord watches over their way

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The Central Image
Fruit ... or Chaff?
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What is chaff?

• Museum of Frontier Culture
• After threshing grain and separating from stalk,
  tossed into air
• Heavier grain falls to floor, lighter chaff blows
  away with the breeze

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Chaff

• Are the things in my life that might seem
  impressive, but when life is over and the
  Judgment comes, will amount to nothing
• Such as ?

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On the other hand, fruit is

• Alive
• Connected to and fed by its roots
• Nourishing and substantial
• Wont blow away like chaff

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The Fruitful Person

• They are like trees planted by streams of
  water, which yield their fruit in its season,
• and their leaves do not wither. In all that
  they do, they prosper.
• Psalm 13

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Jesus on Fruit

• I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who
  abide in me and I in them bear much fruit,
  because apart from me you can do nothing.
  Whoever does not abide in me is thrown away like
  a branch and withers such branches are gathered,
  thrown into the fire, and burned.
• John 155-6

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What is this Fruit?

• The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,
  patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness,
  gentleness, and self-control.
• Galatians 522-23

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A Diagnostic Check-up

• How am I doing?
• School grades
• Sales quotas
• Games the score
• Business bottom line
• Church A.B.C (?)

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But how am I doing spiritually?

• How can I tell if I am abiding in Jesus?
• How can I determine if my life is fruitful or
  chaff-like?
• How can I assess my progress or slippage?

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The Fruit of the Spirit

• Nine categories of Galatians 522-23
• Am I progressing or slipping in each area?
• The issue is (non) growth
• Rate compared to 1, 3, 6, 12 months ago, how am
  I doing?
• Arrows Up, Down, Plateau

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1. Love

• Am I engaging in more acts of servanthood?
• Is my heart more tender toward God?
• Are my most important relationships more intimate
  or superficial?

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2. Joy

• How much am I laughing? Whining?
• Am I responding out of circumstances or out of
  character?
• Thermometer or Thermostat?
• My gratitude factor?

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3. Peace

• Is my heart and mind more or less at ease?
• Are my relationships promoting peace or stirring
  dissension?
• Am I more or less opinionated?

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4. Patience

• When I dont get my own way, how do I respond?
• When frustrated, whats my reflex?
• Hows my driving? Waiting in line? Grace when
  things are slow?

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5. Kindness

• Am I more likely to do good things for others
  when I know there will be no return benefit from
  it?
• Am I more/less affirming? Likely to say thank
  you?
• More/less hospitable?

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6. Generosity

• What proportion of my income am I giving to God,
  the poor, and others?
• Do I desire to give more?
• Am I giving in other ways?

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7. Faithfulness

• Or perseverance
• Am I more/less tenacious?
• More/less likely to give up?
• Am I tougher? Thicker-skinned? More dependable?
• How am I on procrastination?

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8. Gentleness

• More/less approachable?
• More/less tender?
• Do I use words to bless or to inflict pain?
• Am I able to mourn with others losses?

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9. Self-Control

• Hows my mouth?
• Are there bad habits I wrestle with?
• Am I more/less likely to give into impulses?

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Your Score?

• The overall direction fruit or chaff?
• What are two areas of celebration?
• Two areas of concern?

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Small Group Household Strategy

• Each person share one area of growth and one area
  of difficulty
• Well poll for strong and trouble spots for
  whole group
• Identify growth areas for each person in the
  household, S.A.M. goals in time frame

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Spirituality Checkup Fruit or Chaff?

• Dr. John P. Chandler
• Courageous Churches
• Virginia Baptist Mission Board
• Copy Right John P. Chandler, 2001