08/25/2026
From the Pastor’s Desk:
This year at Grace Christian Academy, our spiritual emphasis is on the Fruit of the Spirit found in Galatians 5:22–23. While qualities such as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control are godly character traits, Scripture teaches that they are much more than behaviors we strive to achieve. They are the natural result of a life deeply connected to Jesus Christ.
In John 15, Jesus uses the illustration of a vine and its branches to reveal the process of spiritual growth. He says, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me, and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). A branch bears fruit because it remains connected to the vine receiving the nourishment and life it needs.
I remember walking through a vineyard one day while praying and deciding to put Jesus’ words to the test. I disconnected a branch with unripe grapes and laid it on the ground. When I returned a few days later, it had become dry, brown, and lifeless. It would never bear fruit because it had been separated from its source of life.
The same is true for us. When we don’t see the fruit Paul describes in Galatians 5, we should ask, “Have I become disconnected from the Vine?” Jesus is the source of our life, and He is the One who produces His fruit in us. As we abide in Him through His Word, prayer, fellowship with other believers, and daily surrender to His will, the Holy Spirit transforms us from the inside out.
Our prayer this year is that every student would grow in both academic excellence and Christlike character, bearing fruit that brings glory to God and blesses everyone around them.
-Billy Andre, Pastor at The Bridge Church & GCA’s Pastoral Director
Click the link in our Bio to hear Pastor Billy’s sermon series on the Fruit of the Spirit!
