The Fruit of the Spirit: Becoming the Person God Wants You to Be

The elusive ""fruits of the Spirit"" are not character qualities attainable only by the holiest among us, according to authors Trask (general superintendent of the Assemblies of God) and Goodall (an AG administrator who is executive editor of the Pentecostal journal Enrichment). They write that Bible meditation, prayers and ordinary persistence in developing godly habits are the practical measures Christians assume as they model their daily lives after that of Jesus Christ. Both men assure readers that God desires an intimate relationship with them, and that within that relational framework the Holy Spirit tenderly transforms people's minds, emotions and actions so that their lives consistently evidence spiritual fruit. The co-authors (The Battle, The Blessing, The Choice) effectively use personal anecdotes and everyday scenarios in their 11-chapter text to demonstrate how those rich in spiritual fruit are able to overcome life's most adverse problems. Each chapter discusses a different fruit from Galatians 5:22: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Exactly what does God's fruit look like? The authors highlight ""People fruit"" (those we have introduced to Christ), ""Giving fruit"" (gifts of time, energy and money), ""Gospel fruit"" (sharing the gospel of Christ) and ""Praise fruit"" (worshipping God). This text is an excellent road map of hope and direction for anyone who wants to experience a deeper Christian spirituality. (Aug.)