When you spend time with God, strange things begin to happen - you are blessed, and those around you are blessed. Of course, blessing doesn't necessarily mean an earthly treasure because blessings are spiritual. Blessings bring happiness, like some possession, but the joy that comes from a blessing is long-lasting.

Can you stand to be blessed?

Spiritual fruit is a metaphor describing the things that are produced in us as a result of our relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Fruit includes things like love, peace, joy, generosity, encouragement, compassion, kindness, etc.

The spiritual fruit of a follower of Jesus Christ is essential for God's vision. It not only brings about a more joyful and peaceful life for us individually, but it also reaches out to others to bring about their joy and peace, and their freedom from the headaches of life.

The Bible teaches us that the production of this spiritual fruit is God's responsibility. Our responsibility is to ensure that we maintain a healthy and strong connection to Jesus Christ (the "vine" metaphor of John 15). In this message, we are encouraged to look at our connection to Christ - our abiding with Him - to explore what fruitfulness looks like, and to get excited about further developing our fruitfulness.

Even though you may feel that you are going through so much as a Christian, you do not need to go through this alone. There are others around you who are victorious in Christ. We should be rejoicing with what God is doing in our lives rather than dwelling on what Satan is trying to do.

Persevere no matter what you face ... encourage one another!