Lamplight Missionary Baptist Church

09/07/2026

Week 49 The Fruit Inspector

Day 5: Inspect What You’re Serving
Scripture 2: Timothy 2:15 (KJV)
Study to shew thyself approved unto GOD, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

Devotional Thought:
A fruit inspector doesn't examine the basket just to decide whether the fruit looks good. Somebody is going to eat from it. That makes inspection a responsibility. Paul told Timothy to be a workman who could rightly divide “the word of truth.” Timothy was entrusted with something that would spiritually nourish other people, so he needed to handle it faithfully. The same principle reaches beyond the pulpit.
What are we serving through our words, advice, conversations, teaching, and example? Something can sound good and still not be good nourishment.
Something can be popular and still not be biblical.
Something can make people feel good and still leave them spiritually hungry.
Before we put something into somebody else's basket, we should ask:
“Does this agree with the Word of GOD?”
Because when GOD entrusts us with the opportunity to feed somebody else, we are responsible for what we serve.

Today’s Challenge:
Before giving advice, repeating something you've heard, or speaking into someone's situation today, pause and ask:
“Is what I'm about to serve consistent with GOD's Word?”
Don't just make sure it sounds good. Inspect it before you serve it.

Prayer
FATHER, help me handle YOUR Word faithfully. Give me wisdom to recognize truth and humility to reject anything that does not agree with YOUR Word. Guard what comes from my mouth so that what I give to others will strengthen, encourage, correct, and nourish them according to YOUR will. In JESUS’ name, Amen.

Words Matter
Pastor Stanley A. Johnson

09/06/2026

Week 49 The Fruit Inspector

Day 4: Don’t Confuse Bruised with Rotten

Scripture: Ephesians 4:31–32 (KJV)
Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:

And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as GOD for CHRIST'S sake hath forgiven you.

Devotional Thought:
Yesterday we learned that bruised doesn't mean useless. But a good fruit inspector must also recognize when something harmful is being allowed to remain. Sometimes we are quick to distance ourselves from someone who stumbled, while allowing bitterness, anger, gossip, unforgiveness, and harmful attitudes to remain in our own basket. Paul doesn't tell us to manage these things.
He says:
“Let all…be put away from you."
That's an important inspection. The person who failed may be healing.
The person who stumbled may be growing. The person we remember for yesterday may already be changing.
Meanwhile, something harmful may be growing unnoticed within us. Don't throw away bruised fruit while protecting what is spoiling the basket. Before inspecting somebody else's condition, ask GOD to show you what needs to be removed from your own heart.

Today’s Challenge: Ask yourself: “Am I holding onto something GOD has told me to put away?”
If HE reveals bitterness, anger, harmful conversation, unforgiveness, or malice, don't protect it. Remove it from the basket.
Prayer
FATHER, search my heart and reveal anything I have allowed to remain that does not please YOU. Help me extend grace to those who are growing while refusing to protect bitterness, anger, unforgiveness, or harmful attitudes within us. Clean our heart so that our lives can nourish rather than contaminate others.
In JESUS’ name, Amen.

Words Matter
Pastor Stanley A. Johnson

09/06/2026

Sunday Morning At The Light
Sermon: How
Scripture Text: Lamentations 3:22-34
Preacher: Pastor Stanley A Johnson
(We do not own the rights to the music in this post)

09/06/2026

09/05/2026

Week 49 The Fruit Inspector

Day 3: Bruised Doesn’t Mean Useless

Scripture: 2 Timothy 4:11 (KJV)
Only Luke is with me. Take Mark, and bring him with thee: for he is profitable to me for the ministry.

Devotional Thought:
John Mark had stumbled earlier in ministry. He left Paul and Barnabas during their missionary journey, and later Paul did not want to take him again. But Barnabas was willing to give Mark another opportunity. Years later, something had changed.
Paul now says:

“Take Mark, and bring him with thee: for he is profitable to me for the ministry.”

What if Mark had been permanently judged by his worst moment? People sometimes get bruised by failure, poor decisions, immaturity, or difficult seasons. We should never pretend the damage isn't real. But bruised doesn't mean useless. GOD can restore. GOD can mature. GOD can develop someone beyond the place where we last saw them. Be careful about permanently labeling someone by something GOD may only be using as part of their growing season. Today's bruised fruit may still become tomorrow's nourishment.

Today’s Challenge:
Think about someone you may still be viewing through an old mistake. Ask GOD to help you see who they are becoming, not only who they used to be.

Prayer
FATHER, thank YOU for not defining me by my worst moments. Give me grace to recognize growth in others. Help me encourage restoration rather than hold people captive to their past. Use our failures, corrections, and growing seasons to make us profitable for YOUR Kingdom.
In JESUS’ name, Amen.

Pastor Stanley A. Johnson

09/04/2026

Week 49 The Fruit Inspector

Day 2: Handle the Fruit with Care
Scripture: Galatians 6:1–2 (KJV)
Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.
Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of CHRIST.

Devotional Thought:
Spiritual maturity isn't demonstrated by how quickly we can see someone else's fault. It is revealed in how we handle them after we see it.
Paul says, “restore such an one.”
The goal is not embarrassment. The goal is not gossip. The goal is not proving that we were right.
The goal is restoration.
Watch this, Paul tells us who should do it: “ye which are spiritual.” Then he turns right around and tells the spiritual person to use meekness, and take a look at himself. In other words, maturity doesn't make us high minded. Maturity makes us careful. When GOD allows us to recognize something in another person's life that needs attention, we should handle that person the way we would want someone to handle us, with truth, humility, patience, and love.
Good fruit inspectors don't bruise the fruit while examining it.

Today’s Challenge:
If you recognize a weakness in someone today, resist the urge to criticize or discuss it with others.(Gossip) Instead ask:
“How can I help without hurting?”

Prayer
FATHER, give me wisdom in how I handle YOUR people. Keep me humble when I recognize weakness in someone else. Help me speak truth with love, restore with meekness, and remember that I also need YOUR grace. Make me an instrument of healing rather than hurt.
In JESUS’ name, Amen.
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Pastor Stanley A. Johnson

09/03/2026

Week 49 The Fruit Inspector
Day 1: Inspect the Inspector
Scripture: Matthew 7:3–5 (KJV)
And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?
Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?
Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.

Devotional Thought:
Before JESUS teaches us to recognize others “by their fruits,” HE first deals with the person doing the inspecting.
It is easy to notice what is wrong with somebody else's fruit while overlooking what is growing in our own lives.
JESUS isn't telling us to ignore what is wrong. HE tells us to make sure we can see clearly before trying to help somebody else.
The beam in our own eye can be pride, jealousy, bitterness, personal preference, or an unforgiving spirit. If we don't deal with it, we may call something bad simply because we don't like it, or overlook something harmful because we do.
Before inspecting the fruit, inspect the inspector.
Clear vision allows us to help rather than hurt.

Today’s Challenge:
Before examining anyone else's words, actions, or spiritual growth today, ask:
“LORD, is there anything in me that is keeping me from seeing clearly?”

Prayer
FATHER, search me before I examine anyone else. Remove anything in my heart that distorts how I see others. Give me humility, wisdom, and clear spiritual vision so that when I help someone, I do it with truth, mercy, and love.
In JESUS’ name, Amen.

Pastor Stanley A. Johnson

08/31/2026

Week 48 Now Look for the Fruit

Day 7: The Fruit Is for HIS Glory
Scripture: John 15:7–8 (KJV)
If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
Herein is my FATHER glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.

Devotional Thought:
We started this week with JESUS, and we're ending with JESUS. We stayed connected to the Vine.
We trusted the Husbandman. We endured the pruning. We remained planted through the season.
We examined what was growing. We looked for the fruit of the Spirit. Now JESUS tells us why the fruit matters:
“Herein is my FATHER glorified.”
The fruit was never intended to make the branch famous.
Everything GOD produces in our lives should point beyond us and bring glory to HIM. So when somebody sees more love, more patience, more mercy, more faithfulness, or more self-control growing in us, we don't brag about the branch. We give glory to the FATHER who tended it, remain connected to JESUS the Vine, and thank the Holy Spirit for producing the fruit.

Today’s Challenge:
Look back over your life and identify one area where GOD has produced genuine growth. Don't take credit for it. Thank HIM for the fruit.

Prayer
FATHER, thank YOU for every evidence of growth in my life. Keep me connected to JESUS and surrendered to YOUR Holy Spirit. Continue producing fruit in me, not for my recognition, but so that my life will glorify YOU.
In JESUS’ name, Amen.

Won't HE Do It
Pastor Stanley A. Johnson

08/31/2026

Week 48 Now Look for the Fruit

Day 6: Now Inspect the Fruit
Scripture: Galatians 5:22–23 (KJV)
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

Devotional Thought:
Now we know what to look for. Paul doesn't say “fruits” of the Spirit. He says “fruit.”
Love. Joy. Peace. Longsuffering. Gentleness. Goodness. Faith. Meekness. Temperance. This isn't a spiritual fruit basket where we choose the qualities that fit our personalities. As we surrender to the Holy Spirit, HE produces CHRIST-like character in us. So today's inspection isn't about how gifted we are, how long we've attended church, or what position we hold.
Look at the fruit. Is the Holy Spirit changing the way I live?

Today’s Challenge:
Read Galatians 5:22–23 again slowly. Don't examine anybody else. Ask GOD to show you which area needs more surrender to the Holy Spirit.

Prayer
FATHER, search me. Help me surrender every area of my life to YOUR Holy Spirit. Produce in me the character that pleases YOU, so that my life increasingly reflects CHRIST.
In JESUS’ name, Amen.

Words Matter
Pastor Stanley A. Johnson