Thomas VanderPloeg

Just the right amount of tension and pressure are sometimes required in order for an engine to run smoothly; are there necessary tensions and pressures that help maintain a healthy soul?

Often we think that we are the ones who approach God; in fact, it is God who approaches us. How does your life form a response to God?

The heavenly Father is always ready to give what we need; sometimes the question is if we are ready to receive it.

God’s people have always sought to listen for the voice of God; seeing how the Word of God shows up from the Old Testament into the New Testament helps us understand the voice of God in our world today.

The collection of spiritual fruit not only gives us instruction for developing our own Christian character, it also provides a diagnostic framework to give our lives focus, clarity, and direction.

Bearing the spiritual fruit of self-control requires discernment; the Bible tells us that discernment requires participation in God’s covenant community.

The Bible tells us that the gentle actions of those who follow Jesus shine like stars in a dark world.

God’s covenant faithfulness to his people is the foundation for us to bear the spiritual fruit of faithfulness.

The spiritual fruit of goodness is about more than being good (right behavior); it is about integrity of character.