{Hope for the Home} Linky Party: Making JOY Come Alive

He was walking down that long, dusty road from Judea to Galilee. You know the one.

Most would have taken the long way around, avoiding Samaria altogether. It was a dirty place. Filled with ungodliness.  No one wanted to associate with those people. Their very presence could contaminate you.

Coming upon Jacob's Well, he sat down, tired from the journey. When out of nowhere, she shows up, a filthy Samaritan woman. 

I imagine her daily trip to the well was a sort of escape from her life. Anything to avoid the reality of 5 former husbands and now living with a man who was not even her husband.

If only she could meet the right man, her problems would disappear.

Isn't that what we think?

If only I could find a husband...have a baby...get rich...lose weight...land a better job. Get A Drink. Then I would be happy.

Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water that I give him will never thirst. Indeed the water that I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life. {John 4:13-14}

What is it that you are waiting on, to be happy?

The woman at the well came in search of water but instead, she found Jesus. Her joy was made complete, despite her circumstances. She immediately ran back to her town, leaving her water jar behind, telling everyone she encountered, "Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Christ?" 

And they did. They saw a change in her and as a result, they went to him.

You see, happiness is circumstantial. True joy is found in Christ alone. Will you let him fill you up?

Family Activity for the Week...

I have found that focusing on your blessings and being grateful for what you have, instead of what you don't have, leads to joy. This week I challenge you to read 15 Happy Ways to Joyfilled, Grateful Kids and choose at least one of the activities listed to do together as a family. Be sure to leave us a comment to let us know what you did and how it turned out.

Did you do the love challenge from a few weeks ago? (sorry I am so behind on posts, we have been on the road for 3 weeks straight and I am finally getting caugt up!)

Don't forget to hang your {Joy} fruit on your Fruit of the Spirit tree and display it in your home as a visual reminder for your family this week, as you focus on joy in your home. Go here to download the printables that go with our Making the Fruit of the Spirit Come Alive in Your Home series if you missed our introductory post. And go here  for Cat's tutorial on how to make your fruit printables into glass pebble magnets, so that you can hang your tree on the refrigerator.

Happy Monday, friends! Invite your friends to join us next week as we talk about PEACE! :)

About the Author: Erin Vick Franklin is the founder and director of Worthy of the Prize. Erin has a BBA in Marketing and Management from TCU and a Masters of Christian Education in Church Recreation from Southwestern Seminary. She is a published, award-winning author and poet. Purchase her book Worthy of the Prize Sports Camps: A Church's Guide to Implementing an Effective, Community-Reaching Christian Sports Camp to be used as an outreach tool for your church or mission organization. Erin is the wife of A, a Worship Pastor, and a work-at-home-momma to 2 crazy little boys, a and e.

{Hope for the Home} Linky Party: Making LOVE Come Alive

She had nothing. Nothing but a life filled with sin. Nothing but an alabaster jar filled with perfume.

 

Jesus was having dinner in the home of Simon, the Pharisee. Surrounded by the religious leaders of the day when she showed up. Uninvited. And obviously unwanted.

Right there at the dinner table, she washed Jesus' feet with her tears and poured out her expensive perfume onto his feet. A repentant sinner, anointing him with the only valuable thing she owned.

Seeing what she had done, Simon said, "if this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is -- that she is a sinner."

To which Jesus replied, "Two men owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he cancelled the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?"

"I suppose the one who had the bigger debt canceled."

"You have judged correctly...Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven-- for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little."

What is it that you value? What have you been holding onto, keeping for yourself, putting above your relationship with God?

This woman loved Jesus so much, she gave everything she had. What a beautiful testimony of faith.

Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. {1 John 4:7-10}

Family Activity for the Week...

Gather together and have each family member tell one thing that they are going to do this week to show love to Jesus and others. One of the best ways to show love is to put another person before yourself. Sacrifice something for them in the same way that Christ made the ultimate sacrifice for us on the cross. Give up something for them.

Leave me some comments to let me know what you did and how it went. I will be praying for you!

Don't forget to hang your Love fruit on your Fruit of the Spirit tree and display it in your home as a visual reminder for your family this week, as you focus on love in your home. Go here to download the printables that go with our Making the Fruit of the Spirit Come Alive in Your Home series if you missed our introductory post last week. And go here  for Cat's tutorial on how to make your fruit printables into glass pebble magnets, so that you can hang your tree on the refrigerator.

Happy Monday, friends! Invite your friends to join us next week as we talk about JOY! :)

About the Author: Erin Vick Franklin is the founder and director of Worthy of the Prize. Erin has a BBA in Marketing and Management from TCU and a Masters of Christian Education in Church Recreation from Southwestern Seminary. She is a published, award-winning author and poet. Purchase her book Worthy of the Prize Sports Camps: A Church's Guide to Implementing an Effective, Community-Reaching Christian Sports Camp to be used as an outreach tool for your church or mission organization. Erin is the wife of A, a Worship Pastor, and a work-at-home-momma to 2 crazy little boys, a and e.

{Hope for the Home} Linky Party: Making The Fruit of the Spirit Come Alive

I told you a few weeks ago that we were going to have a Fruits of the Spirit summer series, to help us put one fruit of the spirit into action in our home each week! I wanted to start last week, but our find joy in the journey Ebook finally released and I was preoccupied with that all day!

Go here for a description of the book and a few testimonials. It can be downloaded onto your computer, iPad, iPhone, iPod, Kindle or Nook. I am absolutely thrilled with the number of downloads and the incredible feedback we have received in just the first week! I know the stories of these 12 incredible women will bless you as much as they have me! Stay tuned for a HUGE celebration giveaway later in the week!

For now, here is Week 1 of our Fruits of the Spirit summer series, which I posted last year...

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. {Galatians 5:22-23}

I am sure these characteristics are displayed in abundance in your home as they are in mine, right? Ha! I can't even type those words without laughing out loud!

I feel like my 6 and 4 year old boys do nothing but pick at each other these days. We have been in transition for the past few months, yet again, our second cross-country move in less than 2 years and with the unfamiliar surroundings, lack of routine and uncertainty comes two tired, cranky, fussy little boys. 

They have been driving me crazy and because I am tired and cranky myself, I end up snapping at them and the vicious cycle of non-fruit-filled-living continues.

Sound familiar?

Whatever your situation may be, I am sure that you face days where your home is less than an uplifting environment, to say the least.

Am I right?

This summer I am asking the Lord to transform my home into one free from stress, frustration, negativity and all things associated with the sin-filled life and to instead fill it with peace, harmony, love and all things that are a result of Spirit-filled living. Will you take this journey with me?

Are we going to be able to remove all sin from our lives and home? Absolutely not. In fact, once we begin our journey with Christ, we must allow the Spirit to make us more like Him (and less like the world) each and every day, however we will never actually achieve perfection until we are at home with Him in Heaven.

That being said, I feel it is our responsibility to do intentional things in our lives and homes that are God-honoring, in order to promote growth in our walk with Him and to be a living example of Christ to our children.

In fact, Cat of Cap Creations and I have come up with a plan to help us fill our homes with the Fruit of the Spirit this summer!

Every Monday, I will post a lesson on one of the Fruits of the Spirit - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. I will also give you an activity to help you put that particular fruit into action in your home that week.

Meanwhile, Cat has designed a Fruit of the Spirit tree and individual fruits, so that you can display them in your home as a reminder. Click on images to download, when they open right click and save. If you run into any problems downloading them please let her know. The tree is 8x10 and the fruits are 4x6. For our project they both need to be printed on a laser printer, so that the ink will not run. An office store can do this for you.

Go ahead and print your downloads and next week Cat will provide a tutorial showing you how to turn your fruit printables into magnets, so that you can hang your tree on your refrigerator.

If you want to go ahead and gather your supplies for her tutorial, here is a list of things you will need...

- your printed fruit
-large glass pebbles, just over 1 inch (dollar store for a whole bag)
-mod podge (elmer's glue will work too)
-paint brush
-small magnets (craft store or walmart)
-strong glue like E600 to glue on magnets
-a 1 inch circle punch (handy but not necessary)

At some point, she will also show you how to put your tree in a frame or on a wood block, so that it can be moved around your home.

After learning through our I HATE RELIGION series that Christ has set us free from the law of sin and death, I am so excited to begin exploring with you how we can use our freedom to become more like Him, not pursuing a life of sin, but a life filled with His Spirit!

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery....So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. {Galatians 5:1, 16}

Happy Summer, friends! Be sure to invite others to join us here each Monday!

About the Author: Erin Vick Franklin is the founder and director of Worthy of the Prize. Erin has a BBA in Marketing and Management from TCU and a Masters of Christian Education in Church Recreation from Southwestern Seminary. She is a published, award-winning author and poet. Purchase her book Worthy of the Prize Sports Camps: A Church's Guide to Implementing an Effective, Community-Reaching Christian Sports Camp to be used as an outreach tool for your church or mission organization. Erin is the wife of A, a Worship Pastor, and a work-at-home-momma to 2 crazy little boys, a and e.

{Hope for the Home} Linky Party: Fruits of the Spirit Summer Series!

Last summer I posted a series every Monday entitled "Making the Fruit of the Spirit Come Alive in Your Home" as part of our {Hope for the Home} series and I thought it would be fun to do it again this summer!

Every Monday, I will post a lesson on one of the Fruits of the Spirit - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. I will also give you an activity to help you put that particular fruit into action in your home that week, using the Fruit of the Spirit Tree designed by Cap Creations specifically for this series.

I will be back next week with more details, but it will be a great way for us to keep Christ the center focus of our homes this summer and will give us something fun and meaningful to do with our children each week while they are home from school!

For now, I simply want to give you this free customized chevron iPhone wallpaper designed by 517 Creations. You can display it on your phone this summer, to help you memorize the Fruits of the Spirit and keep your focus on them! Click here for the complete tutorial on how to download it to your phone.

Which Fruit of the Spirit do you and your family need the most help with? Which one do you do well?

Go here for more ways to make God apart of your everyday life and home, and be sure to link up your own ideas below!

About the Author: Erin Vick Franklin is the founder and director of Worthy of the Prize. Erin has a BBA in Marketing and Management from TCU and a Masters of Christian Education in Church Recreation from Southwestern Seminary. She is a published, award-winning author and poet. Purchase her book Worthy of the Prize Sports Camps: A Church's Guide to Implementing an Effective, Community-Reaching Christian Sports Camp to be used as an outreach tool for your church or mission organization. Erin is the wife of A, a Worship Pastor, and a work-at-home-momma to 2 crazy little boys, a and e.

{Hope for the Home}: The Secret Behind Making the Fruit of the Spirit Come Alive

15 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. ² He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes^[a] so that it will be even more fruitful. ³ You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. ⁴ Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. ⁵ “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. ⁶ If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. ⁷ If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. ⁸ This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

Hard as we try, we cannot bear fruit apart from Christ. It all begins with a personal relationship with him. We may be able to "fake" it for awhile. And by that I mean put up a good front for a short time, through good intentions of our own combined with our own effort and strength. However, it will not last...eventually we will burn out. 

We must first put our faith and trust in Jesus Christ and then rely on him daily to fill us up, making us more and more like himself until we get to heaven, at which point we will be made whole, perfect, just like he is.

So as you and your family work together Making the Fruit of the Spirit Come Alive in Your Home, remember that we cannot truly bear fruit apart from Christ and that we will never actually be perfect until we get to heaven. So try not to be too hard on your precious kiddos (talking to myself here). 

The other day my 4 year old said "Mom, I really do WANT to be good," after getting himself into trouble yet again. I just had to laugh out loud as I was reminded of Paul's words in Romans 7:14-25...

¹⁴ We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. ¹⁵ I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. ¹⁶ And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. ¹⁷ As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. ¹⁸ For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature.^[c] For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. ¹⁹ For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. ²⁰ Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.

²¹ So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. ²² For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; ²³ but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. ²⁴ What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? ²⁵ Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!

Can I get an AMEN?!

And if you have not trusted Christ as your personal savior, please take the time to read this. You never know  how much time you have left to make the most important decision of your life.

This is the final post in our Making the Fruit of the Spirit Come Alive in Your Home series. I hope you enjoyed the series, it was definitely a joy for me to learn along with you each week. Please share it with your friends!

Happy Monday, friends!

About the Author: Erin Vick Franklin is the founder and director of Worthy of the Prize. Erin has a BBA in Marketing and Management from TCU and a Masters of Christian Education in Church Recreation from Southwestern Seminary. She is a published, award-winning author and poet. Purchase her book Worthy of the Prize Sports Camps: A Church's Guide to Implementing an Effective, Community-Reaching Christian Sports Camp to be used as an outreach tool for your church or mission organization. Erin is the wife of A, a Worship Pastor, and a work-at-home-momma to 2 crazy little boys, a and e.

{Hope for the Home}: Making SELF-CONTROL Come Alive

[39] Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him. [40] On reaching the place, he said to them, "Pray that you will not fall into temptation." [41] He withdrew about a stone's throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, [42] "Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done." [43] An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. [44] And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.

[45] When he rose from prayer and went back to the disciples, he found them asleep, exhausted from sorrow. [46] "Why are you sleeping?" he asked them. "Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation."

Jesus did not have to endure the cross. He had a choice, you know. He could have saved himself, proving his power to those soldiers who mocked him. And yet, he chose to be obedient to the Father, even unto death. He did it for you and me.

In the same way, you and I have a choice. A choice as to how we are going to live our lives and whether or not we are going to follow Christ and his example.

And did you notice how he was able to do it...how he was able to endure the temptation to give in, to throw in the towel, to quit...to take matters into his own hands, disobeying the Father? He spent endless amounts of time in prayer, hours upon hours away from the world, in constant communication with God himself.

"Be joyful always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." {1 Thessalonians 5:16-18}

Family Activity for the Week...

Have each family member write down one area of their life that needs more discipline. Something that God is calling them to change or give-up or improve. An area that they need to give over to God or better honor him through. Then simply pray for one another to implement self-control in that area, claiming God's promise that we are "more than conquerors." Be sure to leave a comment to let us know how it went.

Did you do the faithfulness challenge from last week?

Don't forget to hang your {Self-Control} fruit on your Fruit of the Spirit tree and display it in your home as a visual reminder for your family this week, as you focus on self-control in your home. Go here to download the printables that go with our Making the Fruit of the Spirit Come Alive in Your Home series if you missed our introductory post. And go here  for Cat's tutorial on how to make your fruit printables into glass pebble magnets, so that you can hang your tree on the refrigerator.

Happy Monday, friends! Invite your friends to join us next week as we wrap-up our discussion of the Fruit of the Spirit!  :)

About the Author: Erin Vick Franklin is the founder and director of Worthy of the Prize. Erin has a BBA in Marketing and Management from TCU and a Masters of Christian Education in Church Recreation from Southwestern Seminary. She is a published, award-winning author and poet. Purchase her book Worthy of the Prize Sports Camps: A Church's Guide to Implementing an Effective, Community-Reaching Christian Sports Camp to be used as an outreach tool for your church or mission organization. Erin is the wife of A, a Worship Pastor, and a work-at-home-momma to 2 crazy little boys, a and e.

{Hope for the Home}: Making FAITHFULNESS Come Alive

Jesus tells the story of a master who entrusts his property to each of his servants, before embarking on a journey. To one servant he gives 5 talents of money, to another he gives 2 talents of money and to the third he gives 1 talent of money, according to their abilities. 

When he returns from his journey, he finds that the first two servants have worked hard to multiply their talents (both doubling their given amount), returning more to their owner than what they were given. Unfortunately, he finds that the third servant did nothing with the talent he was given. He simply buried it and then gave it back to his master without any return on his investment.

Obviously, the master's response to the first two servants was very different than his response to the third servant. To the first two he replied...

"Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!"

And to the third he replied...

"You wicked, lazy servant...Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents. For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

Wow. I don't know about you, but I know which response I am hoping to hear when I get to Heaven!

Which leads me to the question, "what are you doing with the resources that God has entrusted you with?"

And by resources I mean time, money, talents, people, etc.

Are you using them to further his kingdom? Or simply for selfish gain?

They are gifts from Him, after all, to be used for His glory.

Family Activity of the Week...

Gather together as a family and discuss how you can use the resources that God has given you to share His love with others. How can you use them to get the non-churchgoers in your life to come to church? How can you use them to share the gospel message of salvation through Christ alone with those who have not yet put their faith and trust in Him? Have each family member give an example of one resource they have been given and how it can be used for God's glory, to further His kingdom. Be sure to leave a comment to let us know who it went.

Did you do the gentleness challenge from last week?

Don't forget to hang your {Faithfulness} fruit on your Fruit of the Spirit tree and display it in your home as a visual reminder for your family this week, as you focus on faithfulness in your home. Go here to download the printables that go with our Making the Fruit of the Spirit Come Alive in Your Home series if you missed our introductory post. And go here  for Cat's tutorial on how to make your fruit printables into glass pebble magnets, so that you can hang your tree on the refrigerator.

Happy Wednesday, friends! Invite your friends to join us next week as we talk about SELF-CONTROL!  :)

About the Author: Erin Vick Franklin is the founder and director of Worthy of the Prize. Erin has a BBA in Marketing and Management from TCU and a Masters of Christian Education in Church Recreation from Southwestern Seminary. She is a published, award-winning author and poet. Purchase her book Worthy of the Prize Sports Camps: A Church's Guide to Implementing an Effective, Community-Reaching Christian Sports Camp to be used as an outreach tool for your church or mission organization. Erin is the wife of A, a Worship Pastor, and a work-at-home-momma to 2 crazy little boys, a and e.

{Hope for the Home}: Making GENTLENESS Come Alive

²⁸ “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.³⁰ For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Is this not the picture of gentleness? 

And honestly, after the day I've had, I am captivated by Jesus' invitation to come and rest. Drawn to it really.

Doesn't that sound lovely, refreshing? To take shelter in the calm, gentle presence of my Savior.

So, how do we do this?

First, we simply need to "come" to Him. Set aside our busyness. Carve out intentional time in our day to spend with Him. In prayer. In His word.

Second, we have to lay down our burdens at His feet. Jesus freed us from the law of sin and death when He took our place on the cross. All we have to do is put our faith and trust in Him. Let go of the things that are weighing you down, turn them over to Him. Nail them to the cross and leave them there.

Family Activity for the Week...

I challenge you to look at your schedule for the upcoming week and choose one thing to cut out. Cross it off the list. Cancel it. And in its place, gather together for a family devotion time. A time when you can read the Bible and pray together. A time to focus on God. A time to lay your burdens down. A time free from distractions. A time for rest.

Allow His gentle spirit to fill your home.

Go here for some tips/ideas on how to have a family devotion and be sure to leave a comment to let us know how it went.

Did you do the goodness challenge from last week?

Don't forget to hang your {Gentleness} fruit on your Fruit of the Spirit tree and display it in your home as a visual reminder for your family this week, as you focus on gentleness in your home. Go here to download the printables that go with our Making the Fruit of the Spirit Come Alive in Your Home series if you missed our introductory post. And go here  for Cat's tutorial on how to make your fruit printables into glass pebble magnets, so that you can hang your tree on the refrigerator.

Happy Wednesday, friends! Invite your friends to join us next week as we talk about FAITHFULNESS!  :)

About the Author: Erin Vick Franklin is the founder and director of Worthy of the Prize. Erin has a BBA in Marketing and Management from TCU and a Masters of Christian Education in Church Recreation from Southwestern Seminary. She is a published, award-winning author and poet. Purchase her book Worthy of the Prize Sports Camps: A Church's Guide to Implementing an Effective, Community-Reaching Christian Sports Camp to be used as an outreach tool for your church or mission organization. Erin is the wife of A, a Worship Pastor, and a work-at-home-momma to 2 crazy little boys, a and e.

{Hope for the Home}: Making GOODNESS Come Alive

21 As Jesus looked up, he saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. 2 He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. 3 “Truly I tell you,” he said, “this poor widow has put in more than all the others. 4 All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.”

It is no coincidence that this passage of scripture is listed in the Bible right after the following...

⁴⁶ “Beware of the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets. ⁴⁷ They devour widows’ houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. These men will be punished most severely.”

Out of the goodness of her heart, the widow gave all that she had. And sure enough, Jesus uses the opportunity to point out the "fakeness" of the pharisees. They sure knew how to put on a good show didn't they?

The LORD does not look at the things people look at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart. {1 Samuel 16:7}

So tell me, how is your heart condition?

Family Activity of the Week...

Spend time together praying that God will change your hearts. That He will give you an overwhelming love for Him and a passion to serve His children. Remember that no one will ever be "good enough" and as a result, thank Jesus for taking your place on that cross.

Be sure to leave a comment to let us know how it went.

Did you do the kindness challenge from last week?

Don't forget to hang your {Goodness} fruit on your Fruit of the Spirit tree and display it in your home as a visual reminder for your family this week, as you focus on goodness in your home. Go here to download the printables that go with our Making the Fruit of the Spirit Come Alive in Your Home series if you missed our introductory post. And go here  for Cat's tutorial on how to make your fruit printables into glass pebble magnets, so that you can hang your tree on the refrigerator.

Happy Monday, friends! Invite your friends to join us next week as we talk about GENTLENESS!  :)

About the Author: Erin Vick Franklin is the founder and director of Worthy of the Prize. Erin has a BBA in Marketing and Management from TCU and a Masters of Christian Education in Church Recreation from Southwestern Seminary. She is a published, award-winning author and poet. Purchase her book Worthy of the Prize Sports Camps: A Church's Guide to Implementing an Effective, Community-Reaching Christian Sports Camp to be used as an outreach tool for your church or mission organization. Erin is the wife of A, a Worship Pastor, and a work-at-home-momma to 2 crazy little boys, a and e.

{Hope for the Home}: Making KINDNESS Come Alive

²⁵ On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

²⁶ “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”

²⁷ He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

²⁸ “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”

²⁹ But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

³⁰ In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. ³¹ A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. ³² So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. ³³ But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him.³⁴ He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. ³⁵ The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’

³⁶ “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”

³⁷ The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”

Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.” {Luke 10:25-37}

Ah, the infamous Good Samaritan story. Isn't it interesting that Jesus used the example of a Samaritan to teach a Jewish man about kindness? Remember I told you here that the Jews despised the Samaritans?

Moreover, the passage tells us that this Jewish man was an "expert in the law" which means he was probably one of the religious leaders of the day. What an insult to have a Samaritan man exalted above himself.

And yet, I believe Jesus did it on purpose, to show that kindness and humility go hand in hand. In order to truly serve others, you must humble yourself.

Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:

Who, being in very nature God,

did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,

but made himself nothing,

taking the very nature of a servant,

being made in human likeness.

And being found in appearance as a man,

he humbled himself

and became obedient to death—

even death on a cross! 

{Philippians 2:5-8}

Family Activity for the Week...

Together as a family, or each family member individually, perform one random act of kindness this week. Do something nice for a complete stranger. Pay for the meal of the person in line behind you in the drive-thru. Make cookies and leave them on the doorstep of someone in your neighborhood. Send an anonymous note of encouragement to someone who needs uplifting. Or leave an unmarked envelope of cash in the mailbox of someone who could use a little extra money. Leave a comment to let us know what you did!

Did you do the patience challenge from last week?

Don't forget to hang your {Kindness} fruit on your Fruit of the Spirit tree and display it in your home as a visual reminder for your family this week, as you focus on kindness in your home. Go here to download the printables that go with our Making the Fruit of the Spirit Come Alive in Your Home series if you missed our introductory post. And go here  for Cat's tutorial on how to make your fruit printables into glass pebble magnets, so that you can hang your tree on the refrigerator.

Happy Monday, friends! Invite your friends to join us next week as we talk about GOODNESS!  :)

About the Author: Erin Vick Franklin is the founder and director of Worthy of the Prize. Erin has a BBA in Marketing and Management from TCU and a Masters of Christian Education in Church Recreation from Southwestern Seminary. She is a published, award-winning author and poet. Purchase her book Worthy of the Prize Sports Camps: A Church's Guide to Implementing an Effective, Community-Reaching Christian Sports Camp to be used as an outreach tool for your church or mission organization. Erin is the wife of A, a Worship Pastor, and a work-at-home-momma to 2 crazy little boys, a and e.