Description
The first section of this book is made up of nine chapters – the Nine Fruits of the Vine. You will recognize them by name as the Fruits of the Spirit in the Bible: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. These fruits have everything to do with the soul. The Holy Spirit plants spiritual seed deep in the soil that bears the fruit – a clear biblical metaphor for deep in the soul. These fruits are seeded and cultivated in the soul. It starts in the soul, but it doesn't end there. Over time, even a lifetime, these fruits of the vine find their way to everything we are and everything we do. These nine essays propose that spiritual regeneration starts in the soul, and over time the workings of the soul can reconstruct the heart, mind, and will. The second section is made up of five chapters – the Five Little Foxes. These are the little varmints that impede and upend the good in life – the good that we could be to God, to others, and to ourselves. These little foxes have everything to do with the heart. The little foxes are lust, pride, envy, greed, and fear. We must chase them out of our hearts. If we don't, they will surely climb up the vine and nibble at the fruit. The foxes will scamper out of the heart when the soul is nourished and healthy. The condition of the soul determines how long these varmints hang around, nibbling at the fruit. We can prevent them from sinking their teeth in too far. The five essays in this section challenge and encourage us to chase out these little foxes and give us some ideas about how to do it.