One of the things I have always loved about sports is that there is always a score to measure how you are doing.  One of the things I have always been frustrated about ministry is that there is no clear way to keep score.  How do churches measure how they are doing?  In our culture, we tend to use the two “B’s”, butts and bucks, to keep score.  The more B’s you have, the better you are doing as a church.  I guess Jesus wasn’t very successful, because he had very few B’s.  From my youth pastor days, I know that all I had to do to draw a crowd was announce that there would be free pizza.  Was this success?  I don’t think so.  Likewise, we can draw adult crowds to our churches with the right mix of entertainment elements and ear tickling message.  But is this success?  I think a better measuring stick is whether or not a church is fruitful.  Specifically, are they growing in their ability to manifest the fruits of the Spirit.

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

I believe this is God’s scoreboard.  It is harder to read than butts and bucks, but it is certainly more meaningful.

Here is the rest of today’s Bible reading:  Isaiah 33:13-35:10; Galatians 5:13-26;
Psalm 64:1-10; Proverbs 23:23.