Forgiven Therefore Free: Confidence in the Lord

October 15, 2020 Galatians 5:7-15 Paul did not have confidence in the Galatians nor in the people around Galatia.  He had confidence in Christ. Paul reminds the Galatians that they were running well.  They were obeying the truth.  They had confidence in Christ.  He encouraged them not with who they are but with who Christ …

Forgiven Therefore Free: Stand Firm

October 14th, 2020 Galatians 5:1-6 90’s country music is a treasure chest of hidden gems.  I was born in ‘85, in the midwest, and spent a large amount of time on my grandparents dairy farm, so when I hear people talking about standing for something, a song begins playing: “You’ve got to Stand for something”, …

Forgiven Therefore Free: Children of Freedom

October 14th, 2020 Galatians 4:21-31 When Sarah can’t see the work of God what does she do?  She does it on her own.  She gives her husband the slave girl to sleep with, to bear a child with. What was she thinking?  She was thinking God had promised her and her husband a child, and …

Forgiven Therefore Free: Child Live Free

Paul is concerned about these people he is writing to.  In this letter, he is worried about where the gospel has gone.  He asks them “What then has become of the blessedness you felt?”  He reminds them they would have gone as far as to gouge their eyes out for him. He is worried about …

Forgiven Therefore Free: Galatians 4:12-5:15

Read Galatians 4:12-5:15 The fruit of the Spirit: Love Joy Peace Patience Kindness Goodness Faithfulness Gentleness Self-Control against such things there is no law And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires Galatians 5:22-24. Over and over again Paul makes it clear that the good stuff we do …

A Bunch of Gomer’s

October 8, 2020 Read Hosea 1:1-3:5 Gomer is a woman who finds herself in slavery more than once. God calls on Hosea to marrry this woman who is less than reputable. He marries her, they have children and Gomer leaves him to go back to a life of slavery. It is what she knows. When …

Back to Slavery

October 7, 2020 Galatians 4:8-5:1 Why?  What are you thinking?  These two questions come up frequently when we look at the actions of the Israelite's.  These are the same questions I ask my children.  When one of them has a scissors going after our leather couch.  When one of them sneaks the computer into their …

Heirs Not Slaves

October 6, 2020 Galatians 3:23-29 Paul wants to make sure we are not held captive under the law; we are not prisoners but we are free through faith.  We are Christ’s. We are heirs, not slaves. More than once, my children have accused me of being a slave driver and themselves the slaves.  They have …

Why then, was the law given at all?

October 5, 2020 Galatians 3:19-29 David was the man who is called “a man after God’s own heart.”  In the Psalms, he speaks about loving the law of his Lord. (Psalm 119:97)  How was David a man after God’s own heart?  Because Christ began a good work in him and Christ was going to see …

Forgiven Therefore Free: The Promise Came First

October 1st, 2020 God gave his people a promise.  Four hundred and thirty years later, God gave the law. The promise came first.  The gospel promise was not a backup plan; it was always the plan.  The people of the Old Testament looked forward to when the promised Messiah would come, while we look back …