You Are Not Alone With Debbie & Greg Gold
As a mother and son team, Debbie and Greg come together to talk about the realities and struggles we all face in today’s world. They cover a wide array of topics from mental health to current events to teaching on topics that will help you do life. As Christians, they know there is one thing that brings peace, hope, and encouragement to anything life throws our way, and that is a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. You don't know what you don't know, so come along on the ride. Your life and heart will be changed forever!
You Are Not Alone With Debbie & Greg Gold
The Journey Through Fruits of the Spirit: Forbearance, Kindness, and Goodness
What does it mean to walk by the Spirit in our everyday lives? This question stands at the heart of our continuing exploration of the fruits of the Spirit, focusing specifically on forbearance, kindness, and goodness.
We begin with a heartwarming story about a five-year-old's innocent yet profound understanding of prayer: "You have to pray every day or you will shrink, and when you pray, you grow." This simple childlike wisdom captures the essence of spiritual growth and our need for constant connection with God.
Diving deeper into Galatians 5:13-24, we examine the stark contrast between living according to the flesh versus walking in the Spirit. The internal conflict between these two forces often feels like those cartoon depictions of an angel and devil sitting on our shoulders, constantly pulling us in opposite directions. Yet the scripture offers a clear path forward - when we choose to live by the Spirit, we naturally begin producing spiritual fruit that transforms our relationships and responses to life's challenges.
Forbearance (patience) emerges as far more than passive waiting; it's an active choice to maintain composure during difficult circumstances. Kindness reveals itself as the compassionate heart of God working through us, creating spaces of warmth and acceptance. And goodness stands as a beacon of moral integrity that reflects God's nature in our everyday interactions. Through personal stories and practical examples, we explore how these spiritual qualities can be cultivated and expressed even in challenging situations.
Whether you're just beginning your spiritual journey or seeking to deepen your relationship with Christ, this episode offers both encouragement and practical guidance. Join us as we discover together how the Holy Spirit equips us to live transformed lives that reflect God's love to a world in need. Have you experienced the difference these spiritual fruits make in your daily interactions? We'd love to hear your story at youarenotalone@debbieandgreggold.com.
Hello, this is Debbie and Greg Gold, and welcome to the you Are Not Alone podcast, where we cover topics that will help you navigate life, and, as Christians, we know that we can't do it alone. We need Jesus. We encourage you to join us on the journey that will help you begin or deepen your walk with Christ, no matter where you are.
Speaker 2:Welcome back to another episode of you Are Not Alone with Debbie and Greg. This week we're going to continue our discussion on the fruit of the Spirit and if you remember the last episode, we talked about the fruits love, joy and peace. But first back to the highlights of the week. So what was yours?
Speaker 1:So what was yours? Okay, so I know our last episode. We were talking about prayer and being connected with God and all that, and my friend Michelle and her grandson Ryder, who's five and a half. They listened to it I know he corrected me, they listened to it and, as the writer was listening, he goes. And again, I was talking about prayer and some other things on how you stay close to Jesus, but he goes. I wrote this down because it was the cutest thing. She texted me. Writer said to Michelle you have to pray every day or you will shrink, and then, when you pray, you grow. And I was talking about how, with prayer, you grow in your faith. And so that was his um takeaway his little interpretation of that.
Speaker 1:From that, it was just adorable no, that is really cute.
Speaker 2:so I love when kids think like that, so they don't fully understand it, but they kind of morph their own way about it.
Speaker 1:Exactly, and it really. Then I went yeah, I mean yeah.
Speaker 2:In a way.
Speaker 1:That's really it. If you don't pray, you shrink, and if you pray, you grow.
Speaker 2:Grow with your faith. There you go.
Speaker 1:So I don't know if that helps, but yeah, and then how? About yours.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so mine was Chase's graduation. So last Friday, was it last Friday, mm-hmm? Yeah, last Friday Vandegrift had a huge graduation at the HEB Center, because it was like, didn't you say, 655 kids. It was either 600 or 700, but whatever, at that point you don't even it doesn't matter, but yeah, I mean it almost took around two hours and, um, I think it was really interesting seeing like someone chase his old friends from like flag football and stuff you know, walking across the stage. We were like wait a minute.
Speaker 2:I remember that name yeah, so like someone, they don't hang out anymore but, they kind of grew up together and yeah one stage of their lives or they were like middle school together or something like that and then to see the parents and, yeah, it's pretty cool yeah, it was great to see him walk across the stage and, um it was, it was packed. I thought it was going to be half full, but it was like a completely full stadium. So took up the whole yeah yeah, only downside is that me and you were just freezing inside there it was very cold it was very cold because I mean it is part-time ice rink too so yeah, the hockey for the texas stars yeah, thank you so?
Speaker 2:yeah it was really cool to see all his friends walk the stage and then get some good photos afterwards. And he did a cool backflip and his boots and jeans somehow landed.
Speaker 1:Yeah, Chase does this thing where he's usually in tennis shoes and shorts, but he will, from a standing position, do a backflip.
Speaker 2:And this time he was in boots and jeans, and this time he had jeans and boots on. And his cap and gown. And his cap and gown.
Speaker 1:Yeah, maybe not the gown or the cap, but the gown.
Speaker 2:But the full outfit? Yeah, he had a lot of baggage there, exactly, and somehow he made it so glad he did.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it was a pretty special night, for sure.
Speaker 2:Mm-hmm. So yeah, there's my highlight of the week, Okay.
Speaker 1:Well, we had some good stuff.
Speaker 2:All right.
Speaker 1:And on another note, we're looking to bring our message to more and more people, and so we've added a listener support option that is located at the bottom of all our show notes, where you can donate to support us. And by supporting us, you're being the hands and feet of Jesus. And by supporting us, you're being the hands and feet of Jesus and your generosity will help us to help others come to Christ and to continue to grow in that relationship with him. So God bless you for your consideration and I hope you take a little bit of time to pray about that. For sure. I think one of the things we're working on now is trying to get our social media sort of aligned.
Speaker 2:More out there.
Speaker 1:More yeah and need some support and looking for someone that can help us do that, or we'll probably have to pay somebody, and so that would be where that money would go to, for sure. All right, and so last week we said the holy spirit lives in us, and the scripture we read was galatians 5, chapter 5, verses 13 through 24, and then we looked at the first three fruits of the nine spirit, or the first three of the nine fruits of the Spirit.
Speaker 2:There we go.
Speaker 1:And so, anyway, today we're going to look at fruits four through six, but first we thought we'd break down the scripture to help our listeners better understand it. So let's go ahead and get started on that. So if you are able to open a Bible at this point, please don't do that if you're driving. And so we're going to start with Galatians 5 and just verses 13 through 15. And I'll go ahead and read that. You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free, but do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh. Rather, serve one another humbly in love, for the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command Love your neighbors as yourself. If you bite and devour one another, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other. I love that. That just to me.
Speaker 2:Love thy neighbor, one of my favorite verses in the Bible?
Speaker 1:Yeah, exactly.
Speaker 2:I love that neighbor. One of my favorite verses in the bible so, yeah, exactly, I love that.
Speaker 1:Love that neighbor as yourself. So so paul is the author of galatians, apostle paul, and in the bible he frequently makes it a point to mention that christian's life is a life of liberty. And this freedom is not a license to indulge in the sinful natures of ourselves, or the flesh, as we call it. Instead, it's the opportunity to serve each other selflessly and express love, reflecting the teachings of Christ. True Christian liberty is found in choosing to do what is right and godly, not simply following our fleshly impulses. All right, and so then, moving on to Galatians 5, 16 through 18. So I say walk by the Spirit and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. The flesh desires what is contrary to the spirit and the spirit what is contrary to the flesh? They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want, but if you are led by the spirit, you are not under the law. So here we're being encouraged to walk by the spirit and not according to our human desires or impulses.
Speaker 1:Yes, and that the spirit, the holy spirit, and our flesh is in conflict with one another constantly. I always think of that. Like you remember the, like the little cartoons maybe. Maybe you don't but the angel and the devil on each other.
Speaker 2:Yeah, exactly that's exactly what I think when I process this.
Speaker 1:So, in other words, let's be sensitive, or mindful, to the influence of the Holy Spirit. And because the flesh really desires the opposite of that and we really have to it's so much easier to do what the flesh wants to do right, and so we really have to be mindful that that Holy Spirit is in us and we have other choices to make that are more pleasing to God. And you can always tell when someone is walking in the Spirit, because they will act and they will speak much like Jesus. All right, and then, moving on to Galatians 5, 19 through 21. So here we go. We're going to compare the acts of the flesh versus the acts of the spirit or the fruit of the spirit. The acts of the flesh are obvious Sexual immortality, impurities, debauchery. Immortality, impurities, debauchery, idolatry and witchcraft, hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissension, factions and envy, drunkenness, orgies and the like. And I warn you, as I did before, that's move on to verses 22 through 23. It says joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
Speaker 2:Oh, I like that part so much better. Sounds way better.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so really, the takeaway here is that the fruit of the Spirit is in us and it's all that. All these things that we talk about are in us. The goal is to keep our mindset on the fruit instead of living our fleshly ways.
Speaker 2:All right. Now we're going to look at fruits, four through six, which are forbearance, kindness and goodness. So forbearance, often referred to as patience or long-suffering in different Bible translations, is a profound quality that speaks to the ability to endure challenges, frustrations or adversity with grace and composure. This fruit of the spirit is not about passive waiting, but an active choice to exercise restraint and maintain peace even in the face of trials. So let's talk about some forbearance and action.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I just sorry. I want to interject here, go for it.
Speaker 1:I feel I've had some trials today and I don't feel, I feel like I let my fleshly self take respond to those challenges. And, you know, just sitting here looking at it, I try to process well, wait a minute, what could I have done differently? How could I have been living in the fruit? You know, where did I, um, where did I really drop the ball? Um, because, honestly, right now I'm just, you know, kind of upset about it and had I been living more in the fruit of the spirit, I would not be feeling how I am right now.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so let's talk about forbearance and action. So this virtue enables individuals to bear the weight of difficult moments without giving into anger or despair. It calls for patience when circumstances are slow to improve or when people test our limits. Forbearance is the strength that allows us to trust in God's timing, knowing that his plan is perfect even when it requires waiting.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that is. That's like such a good reminder for me, because it's like, okay, I'm praying, I'm, you know, knowing there's stuff coming. I feel like the Holy Spirit has spoken to me, but I'm like, how much longer that's why they call it faith. Yeah, right, Exactly, and so, but remembering that his plan is perfect even when we're waiting. So yeah, it's always a bit of a challenge, right?
Speaker 2:Yeah, and then the fifth fruit is going to be kindness. So, kindness, the fifth fruit of the spirit, is a beautiful attribute that reflects the compassionate and tender heart of God. While seemingly simple, it often requires intentional effort and spiritual guidance to embody fully. Kindness goes beyond more friendliness it is an act of concern and care for others, even when circumstances make it challenging.
Speaker 1:Yeah, circumstances make it challenging. Yeah, I'm just uh when you talk about kindness, I'm reminded of um mom gold, your grandma, my step step or my mom um mother-in-law. You know her phone calls. She's just so caring and she's concerned she checks in on us. Yeah, she does and she gives advice and she'll say you know, take it or leave it, and sometimes you know there's financial gifts, um, but she just clearly cares and puts others first.
Speaker 2:Yeah, she always puts others first.
Speaker 1:She just has this heart. That's truly amazing. And by the way, she's 90.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:But she truly is an example of the fifth fruit, which is kindness.
Speaker 2:She's pure kindness. She always looks out. I mean she has three sons and she always looks out for all of them, always calls them constantly, right.
Speaker 1:She's like. I wish I could just see my grandkids more.
Speaker 2:She's always saying that. I know she's always trying to book flights out here. It's not going to work.
Speaker 1:You can't, they won't let you come.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you're too old.
Speaker 1:She's like I want to. I'm like I know, and it's like how you doing honey, yeah, she's sweet.
Speaker 2:She is so. Kindness in action. So to practice kindness is to extend grace, patience and understanding to those around us, including those who may be difficult or unkind. It's about lifting others up, offering encouragement and creating an atmosphere of warmth and acceptance. True kindness often leads us to acts of generosity and selflessness, reminding us of the unconditional love that God has shown us. And this fruit calls us to rise above petty grievances and human shortcomings, demonstrating instead the divine love that resides within us. Through kindness, we draw closer to God and reflect his character to the world, creating spaces where healing, connection and love can flourish, and I've experienced this myself, and I'm sure you all can too and have to.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's funny how, when you go into that space of just you know being kind and helping you know others and being generous and selfless that it puts you into, you know a godlike image and you feel really good about yourself you feel so much better yeah. Yes, yeah, anyway, I was pondering a thought, but I think I'm going to skip it. Oh yeah, Anyway, um, I don't.
Speaker 1:I was pondering a thought but I think I'm going to skip it. Oh yeah, it's okay. Um, the sixth fruit is goodness, and goodness it's like a beacon of moral integrity and virtue, and I love this because I think it's so important to be living a life of integrity, always doing the right thing, because it is a reflection of God's own nature within us. And goodness calls us to live out our faith authentically, showing the kindness, the honesty and the genuine concern for others. And when we practice goodness, we mirror God's love by being a light in the lives of others. And when we practice goodness, we mirror God's love by being a light in the lives of others. So, god, you know he needs us to step up and be that image that he is and to demonstrate that and to show that and to do even when it's not easy like that is the hard part.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:It is. It's like when you got someone that you're struggling to love or someone that you're you know feel did you wrong, but that's, that's in us and we can do it. We just need to remember to to do it that way. Mm hmm, greg, I have a question for you. Can you share like an example of how practicing goodness has drawn you closer to god and deepen your relationship with other people? You can make that a two-part question or a one-part question, yeah I mean, I always want to check up on my friends.
Speaker 2:I always see how they're doing. You know, um, honesty is a big one for me too. I always try to be honest in everything I do. Um, just being kind too. You know you want to be as kind as possible, um, and then, yeah, you said you want to make it a two-part question maybe. Um, how has it drawn me closer to god?
Speaker 2:um, I, I think, just doing those things every day, and then reading the word of God too, and then also me joining that small group a while back, the freedom group the freedom group and then having that relationship with those guys and then just checking in on each other too, cause, like we send each other verses in the in the group chat every like four to five days or two days, we check up on each other. Yeah, scripture and we check up on each other.
Speaker 1:Little updates and stuff is that through text, or, yeah, it's through a big group chat that we have set up, nice, so um.
Speaker 2:And then I've just been reading the bible a lot more and then reading some other books that are, you know, supportive of that too yeah reading that jesus confidential book too.
Speaker 1:That's really good so um sandy fourth sandy, fourth, scythe fourth scythe fourth scythe yeah, um well, what do you think about? How can we, as followers of christ, ensure that goodness permeates every aspect of our lives? What do you think about that? How can we, as followers of christ, ensure that goodness permeates every aspect of our lives? What do you think about that? How?
Speaker 2:can we?
Speaker 1:as followers of christ, ensure that goodness permeates. How do we live all? Living christ-like I mean living close to the word.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean following the fruits of the spirit.
Speaker 1:So yeah, I think my, my struggle is I like I get it in my head and then I'm good for a while and then you know, I don't know something, I'm not paying attention, and then all of a sudden I'm back to my old sinful nature.
Speaker 2:You got to stay in it, yeah.
Speaker 1:Not that it's evil, but I mean, it's just the things we do and say that really aren't very God-like.
Speaker 2:Right.
Speaker 1:So well, I don't know, greg, I know that you've done this freedom group, I did the freedom group, but I have seen your self-confidence just shoot through the roof. Um, yeah, and, and this is all just in a matter of months, and you're just much more outgoing, and people have noticed these changes in you and they've mentioned these changes to me Really, so, yeah. So I just want to say that I'm really proud of you, thank you, and you've taken a deep dive into your faith in the last five months, six months, whatever and what you're doing is showing it's really showing.
Speaker 2:Yeah, well, thank you.
Speaker 1:Yeah, um, okay, so let's do our little wrap up with takeaways. Uh, so for forbearance, we need to pause and reflect, and when faced with a frustrating situation, I just take a moment to say I have to step away from this situation right.
Speaker 1:Take a moment. I like to go to the bathroom and just hide and shut the door, be to myself, take a moment to breathe and then just consider a calm response rather than that reactive impulsivity, right? So that's one takeaway there for forbearance and then for kindness. Let's be kind to everyone, even those who are difficult or unkind to you, and then, goodness, let's show kindness, honesty and a genuine concern for the people around us. So they're really kind of basic things.
Speaker 1:It feels like these are things maybe like a young child, before they even get to ever get hurt or ever anything. They're just like these good little people, you know, because there's just been no damage. And anyway, it's one of the things I think about. So, I guess, call to action, email us at youarenotalone, at debbieandgreggoldcom, and tell us what you want to hear us talk about and how you might be struggling right now. We'd be happy to look at what your needs are and see if we can help you out there for sure. Secondly, follow us on Instagram, and that is at youarenotalone, all spelled out, underscore gold, and again, consider the listener support. That would really help us out.
Speaker 1:And just pray about that, and I guess that is our show for today. Got anything else, greg? I don't think so. If you haven't already done so, go see our website, debbieandgreggoldcom. Subscribe there, follow us on Instagram, like I said earlier, and then we'll see you back here next week as we wrap up this whole series on Fruit of the Spirit. Thank you, god for this episode and remember Jesus is always with you.
Speaker 2:You are not alone.
Speaker 1:All right, we love you and have a great day.