Lesson 164: “The Secret to Good Character”

What if my life is bearing no fruit? Does it mean I am not a Christian or that I have lost my salvation? What does it mean in John 15 when it says that the husbandman takes away such branches? And what if I am bearing fruit? Does that mark the end of pain and pruning?

Ever since the time Doug Small shared this simple message from Genesis 18 with our staff in Oak Brook, it has been a favorite, a kind of benchmark for beginning to begin to put in words the spirit of a personal prayer life. Praying is so much more than asking and acquiring answers.

Born and raised in South Africa, Keith’s early years were marked by hardship. When his father succumbed to alcoholism and changed his behavior as a result, Keith’s mother filed for divorce. The broken state of Keith’s family caused him to turn to the world for fulfillment.

“Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you” (John 6:53).  The first time you read this verse you may have thought the same thing as those who were present at the words of Jesus, “This