the mayor of coffee

Galatians 5:16-24- But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 

So I’m doing pretty good today: it’s about 11:00AM, I am sitting in a coffee shop sipping an incredible cup of coffee from Burundi and as much as I like this cup of coffee I have made the active choice NOT to bow down in front of it and start singing its praises. It’s really good though, so I might get tempted later. So, Im doing great at not worshiping Idols this morning. I’ve put down this cup of coffee and a breakfast burrito and nothing else really - so I am also doing pretty great at avoiding drunkenness today too. Sorcery hasn't been an issue for me all day, although if there was a spell to enable me to make coffee this good I might actually consider it. There’s a cute chick a couple tables away that has a couple interesting tattoos that keep catching my attention but so far I have been free from impure thoughts and any sexual immorality.  I have been 100% free from rivalries all day today (but I haven't spent much time on Facebook today with Drew Harkins and that trash-talking group of weak hockey players at Grace Bible). Peter, the barista, got my order perfect so I have not had any fits of anger yet today. Orgies have yet to be a temptation in my life. So, as I said, I am doing pretty good today. I haven't done any of the things on that list of stuff to avoid in that passage…   but (and this is a true story) after I sat down my friend Steve walked into the coffee shop and came over and said hi. Steve went to some things with our youth group when he was in high school and now is really connected at another church in town. He is just a really cool guy. After he says hi to me he sits down by himself and another guy jumps over to his table and start talking to him about a book he is reading, I hear them saying something about Jesus and Prayer or something… just seems like a cool conversation with someone that Steve knows. Then the door opens and the next guy says “hey Steve”, Steve knows this guy. One more comes in, 2 strangers had already sat at Steve’s table so they talked with him a little bit, and now another guy comes in and sits at Steve’s table. Meanwhile Steve has pulled out his computer, a nicer Macbook then the one I am using… it’s official : I’m jealous of Steve today. Dang it. I had been doing so good at that list, I had worked so hard at not breaking any of those things on that list, and I blew it over a friend with a cooler computer that happens to be the mayor of this coffee shop today. Oh well.

It’s pretty ridiculous to try to go through life that way right? Proud of myself for not dabbling in sorcery at all today, thats silly. Life is not about a list of things that I don’t do. This passage makes that so clear, it’s about walking by the Spirit. When we do that, then we don't have to worry about falling into that other stuff. Focus on being filled with Love and patience and kindness and God will take care of the rest.

Answer This:

1. What is something that you have worked so hard to avoid only to fall for it again and again?   What would happen if you took the opposite approach and first tried to work on a positive option instead?

2. Think about the people that you look up to, the ones that you go to when you have an issue…  what is it about them that attracts you to them so much? Is it the things that they DON’T Do, or is it the things that they Do Do?   (yes, I know I said do-do)

3. “But I say, walk by the ________, and you will not ____________ the desires of the flesh.”

Take a minute and journal your thoughts.

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Written by Jeff Harkins

that's what Cleck said.

Galatians 5:16-24- But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 

Have you ever been conflicted? We all have. We know something is right, but want to do the opposite. Maybe it’s something small, and you are willing to push aside that little voice in your head telling you not to, or maybe it’s something big, but it’s all the same to God.

Paul writes about this subject in Galatians 5:16-24. He says, “walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh.” There is no compromise between the two: either you follow what the Spirit wants or you do what the flesh wants.

The “sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, stifle, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these” that Paul mentions often seem very appealing and are frequently easier than resisting them. The rewards however, are very different. By indulging in these acts, you may feel happy or relieved for the time being, but by opposing them, and allowing the Spirit to lead you, you will gain eternal rewards. 

I remember one of the first messages that Pastor Cleck preached. He entered the sanctuary dragging behind him the large wooden cross that now resides in the library. He talked about how, that as Christians, we must always bear our own cross. The problem is that some of the places we go or relationships we enter have very small doors that our crosses will not fit through. We must then decide if we want to leave our cross at the door and go in or stay away and follow our cross. 

I know that we don’t actually carry giant crosses around with us, but the idea is the same. There will be many times in each one of our lives when the Bible will contradict what we want to do. Paul goes on to say that, “the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” We should not feel like we have to sacrifice our lives in order to fulfill these fruits, but should be delighted to do so. God sacrificed his Son so that we could spend eternity with Him, and as Paul said, “Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.”

 1.   In what ways are you giving in to the wants of the flash?

2.   Which fruit of the Spirit do you need to work on the most?

3.   How do you plan to make this change in you life?

4. Take a minute and journal about this passage.

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Written by Hannah

two turn tables and a microphone

Galatians 5:13-15- For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. 14 For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 15 But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another.

When I went to college music was a big issue for Christians. There weren’t really many solid Christians that were making good music that was getting radio time… guys like Mat Kearney, Switchfoot, Owl City (Christian guys that just make good music) were really rare. So there was a huge divide between “Christian Music” and “Secular Music”. At my Christian college probably 90% of us students went through a “Purge my music collection” phase of life where we just threw out all of our “Secular” music (that’s anything that is not overtly Christian music). We would actually sit and take songs by guys that love God and we would judge if the song was “Christian enough”, it’s really embarrassing to think about it now… Imagine: Kyle Davis’ company is a “Christian owned” construction company (General Contractor actually) but imagine we sat around and looked at the work they did last year and judged “well, this church they built over here works for me, but that bank they built over there is just not Christian enough”. Eventually, I began to realize that Jesus does not require me only to listen to music that quotes Bible verses… Jesus has made me free to listen to what I want to listen to … however, the Bible reminds us that even though something is “lawful” (OK to do) it might not be “profitable” (the best thing for us)…  so, I opened up my music collection and kept my Christian stuff and then brought in one or two regular albums (“Secular” is the buzz word from back then), but soon I went from reading the lyrics and deciding if it was “profitable” for me, to a spot where I was just forgetting about the lyrics and just picking any music that sounded good to me…  One day I’m driving around with a friend in my car and a Madonna song comes on (hey, don’t judge me!) and I’m singing along (seriously, quit judging me!) and the girl I’m with in the car just says “Hey can we change this song, I’m not a fan of this song, I was listening to it the night I lost my virginity - not a good memory.” and the lyrics of the song then became so alive to me and they were so very inappropriate. Jesus gave me the freedom to listen to music, my music didn’t have to have Bible verses in it… but I took that freedom and kept going so that it now was actually hurting other people… even though I didn’t mean it - I still hurt my friend that was listening.

DJ Ben Berry

I think music gets a bad rap though…  most illustrations about music end up like my story here. “I was given a freedom and I misused it”… but that’s not always the case - don’t run away from music. God uses music to stir emotions in people and we are all very emotional beings. My friend Ben Berry was big into music as a teenager, then he went to Liberty University and still had a passion for music. Some people at that time were saying that Christians shouldn't get involved in Hip Hop or rap music… but Ben knew that he had freedom given by God to engage with music and see how it can be used to stir souls.  Eventually Ben was DJ’ing radio shows and traveling across the country to DJ for top quality artists that were using music to fire people up about Jesus. Don’t be afraid of music we are free to use it to glorify God… in fact we are free to pursue whatever God has gifted you in, find your gifts and use them to glorify God! 

Answer This:

1.   What freedom have you been guilty of abusing? What have you taken advantage of in the name of “freedom”?

2. What “freedom” will I choose not to engage just because I know it will hurt someone else around me.

3. “Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.”

4. Take a minute and journal about this passage.

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Written by Jeff Harkins

put a rock in it

Galatians 5:7-12- You were running well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth? 8 This persuasion is not from him who calls you. 9 A little leaven leavens the whole lump. 10 I have confidence in the Lord that you will take no other view, and the one who is troubling you will bear the penalty, whoever he is. 11 But if I, brothers, still preach circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been removed. 12 I wish those who unsettle you would emasculate themselves!

I ran track for one season in high school, I was a complete novice. I had no clue how to stretch correctly or what any of the coaches meant with their track jargon. I remember one practice we were running uphill sprints the whole time (I hated these practices). About halfway through the practice I felt a little pebble in my shoe, it was annoying but I thought nothing else of it so I just ignored it and kept running. After every practice the team would go and see the school trainer to get ice or to get checked out for injuries. The trainer asked me how practice went and I told him I had a small blister he should look at. Well, when I took off my shoe the blister was a lot worse than I thought! I felt so dumb to have to tell him why. He told me that if I were to keep running on it I could possibly be out for another week or even the rest of the season. I ended up missing the track meet that week because of that tiny rock. But I learned my lesson: never run with a pebble in your shoe!!

I'm finding this to be true with a lot of things in my life. Often it's the little things over time that cause the most damage. For instance, if I am ever snippy or sarcastic with my mom it would be best not to let that go for a few days but rather to apologize and take care of it right away before it gets ugly like a blister.

What's the pebble in your shoe? What or who is distracting you?

Right where you are ask God to show you and ask him to help you find a solution.

"You were running well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth?" V. 7

Answer This:

1. What does the whole rock in the shoe illustration point to?

2. What is a rock that you have experienced, what have you left in your “shoe” until it became a bigger problem in life?

3.” You were ______________ well. Who hindered you from obeying the ___________? “

Take a moment and journal about this. 

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Written by Kyle Ryan

rise up!

Galatians 5:7-12- You were running well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth? 8 This persuasion is not from him who calls you. 9 A little leaven leavens the whole lump. 10 I have confidence in the Lord that you will take no other view, and the one who is troubling you will bear the penalty, whoever he is. 11 But if I, brothers, still preach circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been removed. 12 I wish those who unsettle you would emasculate themselves!

Paul cares so much for these people, in verse 19 he describes his pain for them as “labor pains,” now that is some serious pain. The encouraging part is he is not trying to change these people with his own power, he knows he’s no match for the power of the devil and false teachers. He believes in God because he knows God is in control. (Verse 10, “I am trusting the Lord to keep you from believing false teachings.”) Paul describes these false teachers as the yeast that spreads through the whole batch of dough, I don’t know if you know much about baking, but when you bake dough only a little tiny bit of yeast goes in.

- I had the privilege of working in the bakery at Word Of Life Bible Institute my first year of college, which was an awesome experience. They bake everything except for the bagels, so I got to make lots and lots of breads and pastries. Now when we bake we are baking for around 400-500 people so you can imagine how much bread we have to make. In doing one kind of bread we would make it in portions up to 50 pounds, that’s really heavy bread! Just kidding we would then section them into loaves before letting them rise. But what I’m getting at is out of those 50 pounds, we would only put in maybe 1 pound of yeast. That little bit of yeast would work its way through all those pounds and make it rise and settle to make full, perfect, delicious bread. But what would happen if that yeast was old and moldy? Then all 50 pounds of that bread would be wasted even if it’s a little bit of yeast.

-Morel of the story: be careful what you’re putting into your body, ears, eyes, brain… Etc. One bad piece of information could ruin a lot more information already in your head than you think.

Phil. 4:8-9

8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. 9 What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

Answer This:

1.  Are you listening to trashy, foul language, false teaching, worldly music?

2.  Are you using foul/dirty/filthy words that you hear just because it’s cool and everyone else says them? (Think about your words before they come out of your mouth)

3.  Whatever goes in must come out. Are you aware of what you are allowing yourself to hear and be influenced by?

4. Take a minute and journal about what you read. 

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Written by Sarah Davis

you using that chair?

Yo, so true story - One day Breanna was walking and bumped into this chair that said, "Do Not Touch." She didn't seem to think anything of it, there seemed to be no reason to not touch it. So she leaned on it while texting, but when she went to walk away, she was stuck to it. No matter what she tried, she couldn't free herself. A short time later, Hannah is walking by and sees Breanna. She tries to pull Breanna off the chair, but can't and in the process touches the chair. Now they're both stuck. Along comes Elliott and Lauren. Upon seeing some damsels in distress, Elliott tries to be a knight in shining armor. Again, the attempts are unsuccessful and Elliott and Lauren both manage to get stuck on the chair too. Out of no where, Max comes flying in with some ninja moves, assesses the situation, and like those who've gone before him, winds up stuck to the chair. Christy was out for a run and finds the group all stuck to the chair. Instead of helping, she starts taking pictures of them, including a selfie (don't believe me? ask her to show you this picture!). But she can be a little clumsy and stumbles into the chair, getting herself stuck too.
Next Natalie comes walking by. She's a little smarter than the others. Rather than getting herself stuck, she actually manages to get everyone unstuck!

Galatians 5:1-6 For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. 2 Look: I, Paul, say to you that if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you. 3 I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law. 4You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace. 5 For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness. 6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love. 

Now say one of them decided that they really liked the chair. They didn't really mind being stuck to it, they actually kind of liked it. Although they've gotten unstuck from the chair, they want to continue staying stuck to it. How would you respond to them? What would you do if you saw Max or Hannah walking around with a chair stuck to them?

It would be silly for anyone of us to want to stay stuck to a chair, but that's silly skit is an analogy to the way that we live life. There are so many ways where we opt to stay stuck (submit ourselves to slavery), instead being unstuck (free because of Christ).

Check out the chorus of this song by Hillsong: "Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is freedom! Where the Spirit of the Lord is chains are broken, eyes are open. Christ is with us." I don't know about you, but I want that freedom Christ is offering. I don't want to live enslaved.


1) What's an area in which you see you are stuck to a chair?
2) For freedom Christ has set us _____________; stand firm therefore, and do not _____________ again to a yoke of slavery.
3) What's a practical step you can take this week to experience the freedom Christ offers?

4) Take some time and journal about this passage:

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Written by Amber

Father Abraham Had Many Sons

Galatians 4:28-31           

²⁸ And you, dear brothers and sisters, are children of the promise, just like Isaac. ²⁹ But you are now being persecuted by those who want you to keep the law, just as Ishmael, the child born by human effort, persecuted Isaac, the child born by the power of the Spirit.

³⁰ But what do the Scriptures say about that? “Get rid of the slave and her son, for the son of the slave woman will not share the inheritance with the free woman’s son.” ³¹ So, dear brothers and sisters, we are not children of the slave woman; we are children of the free woman.

Isaac was Sarah’s child, in verse 26 it describes Sarah as the “heavenly Jerusalem; the free woman”. Ishmael was Hagar’s child, in verse 24 it describes Hagar as “Mount Sinai.” (where people received the law that enslaved them) In other words Hagar was the slave and Sarah was free. Now look at our passage for today, in verse 28 it says we are “children of the promise, just like Isaac” who was born of the free woman, even though we are being persecuted like Ishmael who was born of the slave. Ishmael was born  in attempt to bring about the fulfillment of God’s promise but Isaac was born as God’s own fulfillment of His promise. (Explained in verses 22-23)

Paul is saying that all those who have come to God through faith in Christ are the sons of Abraham through Sarah. Men who approach God through their own righteousness, of law/works, are really sons of Hagar, (slaves under bondage.) Once again in graphic terms, Paul has pressed the point of the superiority of faith over works, of the promises made to Abraham over the temporary restraints of the law. Faith is everything, works is nothing.

1. Would you say faith is more important than works? Explain your answer:

2. Explain faith:

3. Explain works:

4. Do we ever put our works above faith? How do we find ourselves doing these things?

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Written by Sarah

Brooks Was Here

Have you ever watched The Shawshank Redemption? There's an old guy in the movie his name is Brooks. He's been in the prison for 50 years and has figured out life in the system. He's a guy that's important; he’s respected by many of the prisoners (he runs the library among other things). He is given parole but is scared to leave. He leaves and gets a job and place to live. Brooks ends up hanging himself because he can't handle life outside of the prison. He's lived in prison so long that is has become his identity and he fears the freedom and newness of life outside of prison.

Galatians 4:21-27

21 Tell me, you who want to live under the law, do you know what the law actually says? 22 The Scriptures say that Abraham had two sons, one from his slave wife and one from his freeborn wife. 23 The son of the slave wife was born in a human attempt to bring about the fulfillment of God’s promise. But the son of the freeborn wife was born as God’s own fulfillment of his promise.

24 These two women serve as an illustration of God’s two covenants. The first woman, Hagar, represents Mount Sinai where people received the law that enslaved them. 25 And now Jerusalem is just like Mount Sinai in Arabia, because she and her children live in slavery to the law. 26 But the other woman, Sarah, represents the heavenly Jerusalem. She is the free woman, and she is our mother. 27 As Isaiah said,

“Rejoice, O childless woman,

    you who have never given birth!

Break into a joyful shout,

    you who have never been in labor!

For the desolate woman now has more children

    than the woman who lives with her husband!”

I've read this passage numerous times this past week. The phrase, "you who desire to be under the law" jumped out at me this time and made me want to scream "NOOOO!"

This is the struggle of the Early Church is having. They have lived their whole lives under the Law. It's what they know; it's what makes sense. It is part of their identity (think about the Pharisees). They don't know how to live under the freedom that the grace of the new covenant brings, so they desire the Law. Just like Brooks who wants to return to prison cause it's what he knows.

Can you relate to that? Feeling like it's easier to stay in a current situation because the new is unknown and scary.

This past weekend I was at a Beth Moore conference. She talked about the Israelites grumbling and complaining about how great it was in Egypt and wished they had stayed. But they were slaves in Egypt!  They were choosing slavery over freedom!

She also talked about the story of Peter walking on water. Peter could've stayed in the boat. The boat was a good, safe place from where they could see Jesus. However, stepping out of the boat brought Peter to a place that was scary, yet closer to Jesus.

God wants us to have abundant life (Jn 10:10). He doesn't want us living in Egypt or staying in the boat. Christ died so we could live for so much more! Don’t choose to live under the Law when you can live under grace.

Put your fears aside. Trust God enough to move forward in your relationship with Him. Don't desire the Law; experience the abundant life that grace brings.

Questions:

1) Can you relate to Peter, the Israelites, or the early church? In what way do you need to choose freedom over slavery?

2) "you who _______ to be under the ______."

3) From what you know of Abraham and his two sons, held to the verses about them relate to this idea of grace/law and the old/new covenants?

4) Take some time and journal about this passage.

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Written by Amber

If I hadn’t gotten sick…

Galatians 4:12-20

12 Dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to live as I do in freedom from these things, for I have become like you Gentiles—free from those laws.

You did not mistreat me when I first preached to you. 13 Surely you remember that I was sick when I first brought you the Good News. 14 But even though my condition tempted you to reject me, you did not despise me or turn me away. No, you took me in and cared for me as though I were an angel from God or even Christ Jesus himself. 15 Where is that joyful and grateful spirit you felt then? I am sure you would have taken out your own eyes and given them to me if it had been possible. 16 Have I now become your enemy because I am telling you the truth?

17 Those false teachers are so eager to win your favor, but their intentions are not good. They are trying to shut you off from me so that you will pay attention only to them. 18 If someone is eager to do good things for you, that’s all right; but let them do it all the time, not just when I’m with you.

19 Oh, my dear children! I feel as if I’m going through labor pains for you again, and they will continue until Christ is fully developed in your lives. 20 I wish I were with you right now so I could change my tone. But at this distance I don’t know how else to help you.

Have things ever just not gone the way you planned? Maybe you thought you were going to get the chance to hang out with a friend, but something came up and you had to reschedule. Or, maybe you were going to take a day trip to the beach, but were sick and couldn’t do so.

Well, in Galatians 4:13 Paul reveals that the only reason he preached the Gospel to the church in Galatia in the first place was because he was sick and could not continue on his journey. Paul worried that he would be a burden to the people, but they “received him as an angel of God” and did not scorn or despise him for his illness even though it was a trial to them.

Paul experienced what many of us do all the time, an unwanted change of plans, but he was able to make the best of it and preach to the church in Galatia. The people there had so much respect for Paul that he said, “you would have gouged out your eyes, and given them to me.”

The first time Paul was in Galatia the people adored him and were very receptive of his message, but something was different this time. Paul asks, “What then has become of your blessedness?” and “Have I then become your enemy by telling you the truth?” The people didn’t want to hear what Paul had to say anymore and no longer accept him.

Paul reminds the church that they should be doing good and serving God even when he  was not present and then addressed them as his little children. By doing this, he lets them know that he feels responsible for them and wants what is best in a way similar to that of a father.

We should, unlike the church in Galatia, be careful not to only do good when we are in church or around a certain person, but live our lives for God all the time and not change our personalities or actions depending on the situation.

Questions:

1.   Are you living more like the Galatians the first or second time Paul visited them?

2.   What changes do you need to make in your life in order to become more the church during Paul’s first visit?

3. “Oh, my dear children! I feel as if I’m going through ________ pains for you again, and they will continue until Christ is fully __________ in your lives.”

4. Take some time and journal about this passage.

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Written by Hannah

If Your Friends Jumped Off That Bridge …

God wrote the Bible, but He used humans to do it, so sometimes we run into complications while reading the Bible. Paul can be pretty confusing in his writing, but it is still God's word. We need God's help and wisdom to help us read the Bible. Take some time to pray.

Read Galatians 4:8-20. I will be focusing on verses 12 to 20, but reading 8 to 11 will help us to understand what Paul is saying.

Galatians 4:12-20

12 Dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to live as I do in freedom from these things, for I have become like you Gentiles—free from those laws.

You did not mistreat me when I first preached to you. 13 Surely you remember that I was sick when I first brought you the Good News. 14 But even though my condition tempted you to reject me, you did not despise me or turn me away. No, you took me in and cared for me as though I were an angel from God or even Christ Jesus himself. 15 Where is that joyful and grateful spirit you felt then? I am sure you would have taken out your own eyes and given them to me if it had been possible. 16 Have I now become your enemy because I am telling you the truth?

17 Those false teachers are so eager to win your favor, but their intentions are not good. They are trying to shut you off from me so that you will pay attention only to them. 18 If someone is eager to do good things for you, that’s all right; but let them do it all the time, not just when I’m with you.

19 Oh, my dear children! I feel as if I’m going through labor pains for you again, and they will continue until Christ is fully developed in your lives. 20 I wish I were with you right now so I could change my tone. But at this distance I don’t know how else to help you.

Here's just a little explaining and back story to the verses. Paul is writing to the Galatians because he fears they are falling away from Christ. The Galatians are a perfect example of the Israelites, and sadly an example of us. Even though we were once slaves to the world and rescued by Christ, we sometimes want to go back to our old ways. So many times, God's chosen people wanted to go back to slavery or live like the other nations. In the same way we sometimes want to return to our sins and to the world.

We've all heard the expression : "if your friends jumped off a bridge, would you jump too?" Even though it's a bit of a ridiculous question, Paul raises a very powerful point in verses 12 through 20. Paul talks about how the Galatians received him as an "angel" then Paul says something so crazy! Vs. 15 "... If possible, you would have gouged out your eyes and given them to me." What!?! Are you serious, that's insane! The Galatians would have jumped off a bridge if Paul did. The Galatians were not focused on God, but they were focused so much on Paul. They were not listening to God. It's not that Paul was a bad person and shouldn't be listened to, it's that they were not looking to Jesus on how to live. They were looking to Paul.

I have read some awesome devotional books, but I recently read a few chapters of one that I didn't agree with. There were a few things that the author said that just didn't seem right. Some of his thoughts were focused on what we want God to do, and how God should do things for us. I don't believe we should live like that, thinking of God that way, I needed to make the decision to hold on to what I believe in, or accept someone else's belief.

Advice is a good thing. Especially from someone who is wiser and cares for you. But what is more important? What someone says, or what God says? Having Godly examples is good, and role models too. But what's more important? Being like those people, or being like Christ? Paul expresses that he is in anguish for them, because of the way they are living. When we look up to someone, make sure we see the characteristics of Christ in them, so we can strive to be more like Christ. When we hear advice or someone's beliefs, look for Biblical truth in that so you can decide to believe it or not to believe it. We need to use the example of Christ to discern what is right and wrong. Sometimes we are gonna hear things that we might not believe, whether in school, church, books, whatever, we need to look to Christ for the answer. Why strive to be like a imperfect person when we have the perfect person to follow.

QUESTIONS:

1. Think of someone you look up to and consider a role model

2. What Godly characteristics do they have? Now strive towards those characteristics that Jesus has, not what the human has. Christ is our ultimate role model and perfect example of how to live.

3. Use the beliefs that you have, think about what you have learned from the Bible, think about what Jesus has said: is there anything in my devotional book that you don't believe? Is there something that you believe that is different from what I've said? I hope there isn't but I am imperfect and there might be something wrong. Be honest with yourself and with me.

4. Take some time and journal about this passage

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Written by Max

Where’s the Beef?

Galatians 4: 8-11

8 Before you Gentiles knew God, you were slaves to so-called gods that do not even exist. 9 So now that you know God (or should I say, now that God knows you), why do you want to go back again and become slaves once more to the weak and useless spiritual principles of this world? 10 You are trying to earn favor with God by observing certain days or months or seasons or years. 11 I fear for you. Perhaps all my hard work with you was for nothing.

So the other day I’m driving home from New York and I need gas so I pull off the highway and I notice a new restaurant in this town that I had gotten gas in before. Now this was not just any building, this was the home of some of the most delicious morsels that could ever touch your lips. If being friends with Frankie has taught me one important thing, it most certainly is this: don’t sleep on the Louisiana Lickers at Quaker Steak and Lube. 

You see years ago Frankie told me about these chicken wings they are sold at a gas station themed restaurant in western PA called Quaker Steak and Lube. I got the wings on my trip to Pittsburg that year, I bought some for Frankie and brought them home… and I’ve never looked back. To this day, those are some of the best wings that I know of - and I try wings everywhere, from the home of the original Buffalo wing at the Anchor Bar in Buffalo, to this little greasy hole in south jersey that I will one day dedicate my first heart bypass to - I have eaten my share of wings!

So there I am off the highway ready to get gas when I see this old familiar sign that calls to me in a voice I can not argue with… I wasn’t hungry at all, but once I saw that sign I knew I was getting wings (and I’d be getting a bucket for Frankie and bringing them to his house and hoping that he was home)… so I go over and order my wings, and I drive over to get gas at the Wawa next door while they are making my wings. And then I notice something else, a building in between the Wawa and Quaker Steak, one that I would not normally ever walk into because of the shame that I would feel to have to admit that I even walked into this place, it is not a place that I rank high on my list of top places to eat ..  it was a White Castle.

We are not so familiar with the tiny square experience called White Castle in this area and for good reason… I swear to you that this is true: I once offered a homeless man a lunch and he was excited until he realized I was talking about a bunch of White Castle burgers, he turned me down. These are burgers that a homeless man turned down. To be fair there are many people that do love White Castle burgers, but if you get talking to them they always have the same reason… those burgers remind them of a day long ago when they used to eat those burgers as a kid…  a day when taste simply didn’t matter.

These White Castle burgers are cute though, they come in their own little box, they are about a quarter the size of a normal burger, the tiny little patty of thin greasy grey meat is actually a square and comes with holes in it…  and the longer you leave them in the little box inside that paper bag they become soggier and soggier with the steam and moisture generated.  By the time you get home you have a ridiculous number of small, cold, sorry meat squares on wet slider buns. Sounds great huh?

Well I grabbed some White Castle burgers for my daughter who loves burgers and I wanted her to see what these were like, I knew she would think they were cute. And she did, they were cute and she loved it… until she took a bite.  No more of that! She didn’t eat them. So later that night I find myself nice and hungry and I head to the kitchen to get me some of those delicious wings from Quaker Steak…. I could almost taste the sauce on my tongue as I entered the kitchen…   then, after a series of inner battles and choices that I simply an not proud of… I found myself eating the soggy, cold, now old, little gray slabs of square meat on really wet slider buns… I had the Quaker Steak wings in my grasp but for some dumb reason I went for the White Castle burgers that my 6 year old had rejected.

Then later when I should have been going for more wings I was actually going for the Pepto to try to convince my stomach that I wouldn't die after eating those square slabs of greasy shame.

Thats what this passage is talking about… these Gentiles know God, they have met Him and experienced the life changing awesomeness that comes with a life with God… but still they were choosing to go back to their old ways, their unsatisfying ways that simply would not leave them happy. Yet they would choose it anyway.

It’s easy for you to judge me and my lack of self control as I shamefully devoured those tiny grease filled burgers … and we even look at the Galatians and judge them because they went from knowing about the real God to choosing to worship a statue that they made. I judge them. I look at them and say they are so dumb for what they did, they should have known better…  but then I turn around and do the same thing… not to a golden statue that I made, but to some other objects in my life that I choose to spend more time with then the time I spend with God… I reject God every day for things that really will never leave me fulfilled. When I have the Creator of the heavens and the earth right at my fingertips, instead I choose greasy little burger meat squares.  yuck.

Questions:

1.      What is an area in life that you settle for second best and you could have the best if you really wanted it?

2.      What is your spiritual example of the greasy little burger - where do you choose not to lean on God?

3.      “why do you want to go back again and become _______ once more to the weak and useless __________ principles of this world?”

4.      Take a minute and journal about this passage.

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Written by Jeff

Ahora on Telemundo

Galatians 4:1-7

Think of it this way. If a father dies and leaves an inheritance for his young children, those children are not much better off than slaves until they grow up, even though they actually own everything their father had. 2 They have to obey their guardians until they reach whatever age their father set. 3 And that’s the way it was with us before Christ came. We were like children; we were slaves to the basic spiritual principles of this world.

4 But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law. 5 God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children. 6 And because we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, “Abba, Father.” 7 Now you are no longer a slave but God’s own child. And since you are his child, God has made you his heir.

So there was this guy that lived in Brazil. His name was Amador Aguiar. He built a bank and started making money, and more money. Along the way he has a family and adopts 3 children, all of them girls. He is an older man and near the end of his life he is a Billionaire he ends up marrying his secretary, she happens to be 40 years younger then him…   seriously, everyone says that this real life story is like a Latin American soap opera…

So finally he dies.

They family is called together to have the will read because that is what they do in soap operas… and his daughters are there to learn what they have inherited and his super young wife as well. As it is read it becomes apparent that the former secretary turned very young wife is going to receive everything, all of the Billions of dollars and his 3 daughters will not receive anything! The problem is that the man’s Lawyer steps in and says that this is not the Will that he set up with the man. Amador Aguiar had drafted a will giving a lot of his money to his daughter and some to his wife, but after he went into the hospital and was dying and on medication for some reason he decided to change the will and all of his money went to the wife, oh yeah, and the wife was the only one that knew anything about this new will. Straight up soap opera!

So the daughters, who have been daughters to this man have now been cut out of the will for the secretary that convinced a dying man 40 years older then she is, to marry her, and then rewrite his own will and give her everything… she is getting all the money. The daughters naturally argue this and take it to court and the courts want to give some money to the daughters…  so the young wife fights back saying that they are not really his daughters he had adopted them…    she even paid to have the man’s body exhumed (dug up) and tested for DNA just to prove that they were adopted and not really his birth children. The tests were accurate - he was not the birth father, he had simply adopted them.

When the court ruled, they ruled in favor of the girls, as they should have… because they are his daughters. You see, in Brazil the rule is that when you are adopted you really become part of that family, so what would rightfully belong to a daughter also rightfully belongs to an adopted daughter. And the girls got their Billions, to this day they are listed as some of the richest woman on earth, but there was a time when that money was theirs, but they couldn't spend a penny of it.   They were rich but they couldn't buy a cup of coffee because the money was still being controlled by someone else and they had not actually received their inheritance. The law that held up their money was so powerful that it held their money away from them. But the relationship that they had with this man, their father, that is what eventually gave them the right to have every penny of that money, the inheritance of their father.

It’s just like that with God. Just like it says in these first few verses of today’s passage that before Jesus came we were like those children, who’s money was being held up as a result of a law…  but eventually Jesus came and it is because of our relationship with Jesus that we can now lay our hands on the full inheritance.

Even though we are adopted children of God, we have access to the full inheritance and it is free to us now that we have the ability to have a relationship with Jesus. This passage is a great reminder that the law is a good thing to obey, but it does not bring freedom, the true freedom that we find in life is by having a relationship with Jesus.

Questions:

1.      Have you ever has something that was rightfully yours but had to be held up by some rule, system, or restriction like that until a certain time?

2.      How would our life with God be different if we were still “slaves” to the law?

3.      “And that’s the way it was with us before ________ came. We were like children; we were __________ to the basic spiritual principles of this world.”

4. Take a minute and journal about this passage.

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Written by Jeff