BVOV Magazine 2013 - present

Our church is in a neighborhood that, at times, has been a bed of gang activity. We didn’t shut the gangs out and pray they’d go away. Instead, we found the leaders and said, “Your entire gang is welcome here. C’mon in and get clothes for everyone. Get some food. We even have places you can get help for your addictions. If you’ll let us, we’re here to love you.” We saw a need and were willing to act. When those gang members saw character welcoming them in, it made a difference. When we discovered we had a community of single mothers who had lost their jobs, we reallocated money. We defunded the choir and moved money over to get food to those hungry mamas. The last thing they need to worry about is feeding themselves and their babies. God works through the local church by working through us, the Church. When COVID hit and churches had to close, much of the Body of Christ didn’t know how to be the Church outside their buildings. They only knew how to be the Church when they stepped into a building. It shouldn’t have taken a pandemic to teach us how to be the Church outside our buildings. The way I see it, if you close your church and your community doesn’t miss you, something’s wrong. It’s time we rethink what we do and how we do it. It’s time we lead with character. A Natural Product Our Christian character can be summed up by the fruit of the spirit: “But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things” (Galatians 5:22-23, "NLT"). Notice Paul says that the Holy Spirit produces this fruit in our lives. Why did he use the word fruit here? Because it’s a natural product of a living thing. This fruit is a natural product of the Holy Spirit living inside us. It’s not produced by us; it’s produced by Him. So often we try to produce these things in our lives, and we completely ignore what the Holy Spirit is producing in us. This fruit naturally manifests out of us as we mature and grow in Him. Like physical fruit needs time to grow, the fruit of the spirit also needs time to grow. Growing in the Lord isn’t based on how long we’ve been born again or how many Greek words we know. Maturity is based on our relationship with Him. Instead of freaking out when times get tough and creating another to-do list, it’s being able to say, “I am now at rest when I used to be stressed because I trust Him. What He has done is enough.” God Is Not Through With You This is an exciting time to be alive. The Body of Christ is discovering the power of growing in our character above all else. As we mature in Him, I believe God is going to work through us in miraculous ways. He’s going to work through us at our homes. He’s going to work through us on the job, and in the street. Get ready because God Almighty is going to show Himself strong through His Body like no one’s ever seen before. I believe in you. I believe amazing things are about to take place. I believe we can walk in greater love than we’ve ever walked in. We can have greater impact than we’ve ever had. No matter what has happened in your life, God is not through with you. You may want to quit, but He’s not going to let you quit. You have the godly character it takes to do everything God has called you to do. You have the Holy Ghost living on the inside of you! It’s your time. Take a deep breath and recall what you’ve been called to do. Then do what’s right. Do it because it’s right. And then, do it right! As you continue to develop your character, I believe you’re going to be amazed at what God is able to do as a result of your trust in Him! V Creflo Dollar is the founder and senior pastor of World Changers Church International in College Park, Ga., as well as a Bible teacher, best-selling author and sought-after conference speaker. For more information, visit creflodollarministries.org. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Watch Creflo Dollar on VICTORY Channel™ Mon.-Fri. 7:30 a.m. | 3 p.m. | 10 p.m. ET ___________________________________ BVOV : 11

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