Wow, it was great to get to teach again today. I was blessed this year to have a great 6-week teaching break. I want to thank our Staff for the great job they did in keeping things running strong during my break. Between our “One Prayer” video series and Lee and Ryan, Fellowship was blessed with some incredible teaching!

I also want to thank our Elders who realize the value of strategic breaks and support my time away. If God will let me, I want to stay at this thing for the long haul. I began to realize a few years ago that this is a marathon and not a sprint. Time away from teaching provides me the opportunity to “zoom out” and see the big picture at Fellowship. God showed me several areas where I need to step it up in my leadership and my teaching. He continues to stretch and grow me…and I amazed at God’s patience with me.

Side Effects is going to be big. We began today with a couple of questions…

1. What is my life producing? This is stuff we can see…actions in our life
2. What is being produced in my life? This is the question that drives deeper. Paul drives beneath the surface when he describes the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23.   Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, goodness, and self-control - It’s the Holy Spirit that produces this kind of fruit in us.

Think about it…is what is being produced in your life in sync with what Jesus said would be characteristic of his disciples?