Give Me Fruit, or Give Me Death - Crosswalk the Devotional - September 10

Truths observed at the intersection of faith and life by Crosswalk.com editors [Crosswalk.com Logo]( Crosswalk: The Devotional [Devotionals]( [Newsletters]( [e-Cards]( [Learn more about RevenueStripe...]( Give Me Fruit, or Give Me Death by John UpChurch “And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.” [Philippians 1:9-11]( For the last several years, my wife and I have dabbled in gardening. I say “dabbled” because each year has brought more frustration than juicy cucumbers. First, we realized the importance of finding a spot that gets enough sunlight. Then, we discovered the joys of unfit or exhausted soils. Most recently, we’ve found how much deer like to nibble on just-about-to-bloom plants. Master gardeners we are not. All those visions of vegetables and fruits dancing in our freezer have met the brown reality of stunted corn and shriveled peas. You see, we come at this with some serious deficiencies. Namely, we have no idea what we’re doing. Everything we’ve learned about clays and fertilizer and propping up pumpkin vines has come from a book I picked up at Tractor Supply and various YouTube videos. We’ve cut back the weeds on our ignorance page by page because neither of our families really did much in the way of horticulture (unless you count cutting the grass). But that doesn’t mean we’ve been completely unsuccessful. In fact, every time we pick something from our garden that’s actually edible, it’s pretty much a party. “We have beans. Who wants to do the bean dance?” I have no shame when it comes to herbal success. Perhaps that’s because my spiritual growth has come pretty much the same way. Everything I’ve learned about God, salvation, [faith]( and love has come from the [Bible]( I picked up in 2003 (and all the others since then) and the examples of Christians I’ve met along the way. I stumbled along for years, trying to figure out my newfound freedom in Christ, trying to grasp what it means to be an effective ambassador for Him. [CONTINUE READING →]( [Learn more about RevenueStripe...]( You May Also Like: [10 Gifts Grandparents Can Give Their Grandkids That No One Else Can]( Deborah Haddix The best gifts we can give to our grandchildren come from the heart, not the wallet. [CONTINUE READING →]( [Learn more about RevenueStripe...]( [10 Promises God Has for the Overwhelmed and Anxious Soul]( Debbie McDaniel In a world that often feels harsh, chaotic, and full of struggle, it doesn’t take long before we find ourselves battling the feelings of overwhelm, rush, or anxiety. Through some of the most challenging times in life, I have learned the power of praying God’s words back to him. This discipline alone holds the ability to soothe our souls, to refresh our spirits, and cause hope to rise above the fear we might be feeling. [CONTINUE READING →]( [Crosswalk.com Logo]( [Read about Salem Web Network]( | [Unsubscribe From This Email]( [Email Preference Center]( | [View in Browser]( © 2020 Salem Web Network. All rights reserved. 111 Virginia Street, Suite 500, Richmond, VA 23219. This email is never sent unsolicited. You are receiving this email because your email address, {EMAIL}, is signed up to receive newsletters, updates, and special offers from Crosswalk.com - The Devotional. [Link](