Welcome to Daily Growth Point, I’m Pastor John Bingham.

When William McKinley was President of the United States, he was called upon to appoint an ambassador to a foreign country. As he was considering which man to appoint, he recalled an incident that helped him to decide. 

Years previously, he had boarded a streetcar during rush hour, and an elderly woman got on, carrying a heavy basket. No one got up to offer her a seat, so she stood unsteadily holding her heavy load.

One of the men McKinley was later to consider for ambassador was sitting next to where the woman was standing, but refused to offer his seat.

The soon to be president, noticed this exchange, and offered this dear woman his own seat. Later, that one little act of selfishness would later deprive that man of a prestigious position.

Welcome to Daily Growth Point, I’m Pastor John Bingham.

Have you ever said something harsh or condescending toward someone only later, to wish you could take back your words? James says, “Let every man be slow to speak.”

Mary Davies wrote:

If I had known what trouble you were bearing,

What griefs were in the silence of your face;

I would have been more gentle and more caring,

And tried to give you gladness for a space.

I would have brought more warmth into the place,

If I had known.

As the Spirit of God leads us, He often gives us a discernment to know when to be gentle. The Apostle wrote to the Church of Thessalonica, “We were gentle among you.”

The Lord gave the Apostle Paul a spirit of care and kindness. This life, that was once defined by harshness was transformed to one of gentleness and care.

Welcome to Daily Growth Point, I’m Pastor John Bingham.

Some of the greatest missionaries of history devotedly spread the seed of God’s Word and yet had to wait long periods before seeing the fruit of their efforts. William Carey, for example, labored 7 years before the first Hindu convert was brought to Christ in Burma. Adoniram Judson toiled 7 years before his faithful preaching was rewarded. In western Africa, it was 14 years. In New Zealand, it took 9 years; and in Tahiti, it was 16 years before the first harvest of souls began.

As the Spirit of God works in our lives, he produces the ability to be long-suffering. God’s Spirit teaches us to endure faithfully during extended times of waiting or extreme testing. 

As we choose to walk in unity with God’s Spirit, we grow in this ability to endure, no matter how long it takes.

Welcome to Daily Growth Point, I’m Pastor John Bingham.

In the Old Testament, the most prominent Hebrew word for peace is “Shalom.” It is used as a common greeting for many Hebrews. Yet, this word is wide in its application. But no matter the situation, the presence of “shalom” was not considered an outcome of human endeavor, but as a gift or blessing of God. God said in Isaiah, “I make peace.”

This idea of peace coming from God is expanded in the New Testament. Galatians 5 lays the same groundwork that genuine peace is applied to the heart of the believer when he is walking in agreement with God.

The peace that Jesus brings is not an end to tension; rather, it first reconciles us to God, then gives us a calmness in spirit despite the circumstances in which we are living. Today, He invites you to know His peace through Christ.

Welcome to Daily Growth Point, I’m Pastor John Bingham.

As Christ walked this earth in the flesh, the Bible records incredible and miraculous evidences of his deity. Whether it was the withered fig tree or a blind man that was made to see. These became an evidence of the fact that Jesus was and is God.  

At one point in their life, the apostles requested that Christ would “increase [their] faith.” This led Christ to share the parable of mustard seed faith. You see, it’s not the size of the faith, it is the object of our faith that makes a difference. 

It is good for anyone who wants faith to ask for it. For example, Jesus prayed for Peter’s faith to be strengthened. Remember, Christ said He will finish the good work He started in us!

Welcome to Daily Growth Point, I’m Pastor John Bingham.

As a child we would sing in Jr. Church, “I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy, down in my heart!” While the grammar was not great, the concept was good to impress upon the heart of a young christian. Because walking with God brings us joy! 

Joy is closely related to gladness and happiness, although joy is more a state of being than an emotion. Joy is a result of choice.  

It is said of Jesus, “who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross.” The circumstances of the cross were not joyful, but the Lord was filled with joy because He knew the outcome of the cross. The joy of the Lord is not just a fleeting emotion, but an enduring peace that Christ offers to all that walk in the Spirit.

Welcome to Daily Growth Point, I’m Pastor John Bingham.

A certain medieval monk announced he would be preaching next Sunday evening on “The Love of God.” As the shadows fell and the light ceased to come in through the chapel windows, the congregation gathered.

In the darkness of the altar, the monk lit a candle and carried it to the crucifix. First, he illumined the crown of thorns, next, the two wounded hands, then the marks of the spear wound. In the hush that fell, he blew out the candle and left the chapel. There was nothing else to say.

You see, Christ’s death on the cross is the image of a perfect, godly love. There is no other love that can even compare to the immense love that God has for us. As we walk in fellowship with the Spirit of God, the result is we know the power of God’s love personally.

Welcome to Daily Growth Point, I’m Pastor John Bingham.

Each year, my wife and I spend time planting and cultivating a garden. We love to see the bare ground of the winter transform into a beautiful harvest in the late summer. When you sit down to a table filled with food that has been planted, cultivated, and gathered with your own hands, it becomes its own reward.

As Christians, God calls us to plant the seed of surrender by walking in the Spirit. This heart of surrender yields a fruit that is bountiful in its return.

Galatians 5 says that the fruit of the Spirit is “love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance.”

Today, God is calling us to plant the seed of surrender so that we might yield the fruit of the Spirit in our lives.

Welcome to Daily Growth Point, I’m Pastor John Bingham.

Fire needs three things to thrive: fuel, air, and heat. When firefighters desire to extinguish a flame, they do so by putting water or other retardants on the fire that will quench the it.

In the same way, Christians can quench the Spirit of God in our lives. While the Spirit doesn’t disappear from our life, His power and work are diminished because we have resisted His work and leading.

We resist Him by resisting truth, supporting error, harboring a bitter spirit, violating Scripture, giving into fleshly appetites, or neglecting prayer.

The result can be drastic for a Christian. There is a hardness that settles in our heart, a spiritual coldness, or weakness to resist sin.

The answer is to yield completely to Him today.

Welcome to Daily Growth Point, I’m Pastor John Bingham.

Years ago, a father and son arrived in a small western town looking for an uncle whom they had never seen. Suddenly, the father, pointed at a figure walking away from them and exclaimed, “There goes my uncle!”

His son skeptically asked, “How do you know when you have not seen him before?”

The father gently replied, “Son, I know him because he walks exactly like my father.”

The Bible instructs the Christian to “Walk in the Spirit.” Walking in the Spirit is a daily, intentional process of relying on and being guided by the Holy Spirit. It involves trusting Him for guidance and courage, while actively inviting Him to lead, empower, counsel, and comfort you each day.

The result is that our walk reflects the Father’s walk.