Galatians 4

Before our renewed relationship with God, we were slaves to sin. But now, we are children of God. What is the difference between slave & child? Once again it's all about relationship.

The Galatian church once welcomed Paul & the message he brought. They moved from slave to child. Unfortunately, they let others steal their joy & they are believing a lie, which makes them once again slaves. Paul is perplexed & saddened by this turn of events and he encourages the church to turn again to their relationship with God.

How are you labeled? Slave or child? Possession or loved one?

Galatians 3

Paul continues to address the false teaching the Galatians have begun to believe. I find it interesting that we still deal with these issues - the LAW verses FAITH. It is so hard for us to believe that faith is all we need. That's it, the simple believe that Jesus is God's Son, that He died on a cross for our sins, & that He rose again, breaking the curse of sin over our lives. Instead, we think we need to DO something, that we need to be better, that we can be good enough if only we just try harder. But we, in our fallen state corrupted by sin, can never climb our way out. We can never reverse the harm we've done. It takes someone bigger than us to help us out of the pit we have dug for ourselves & that person is Jesus Christ.

So, stop trying to be good enough. By relying on your abilities you are telling God that you don't need Him when you really, really do. Reach out to God, rely on His strength and find the peace & wholeness you have been searching for.

Galatians 2

This first part of chapter 2 gives more background into Paul's calling & ministry. Why does he spend so much time on this? Men claiming to be preachers & teachers of the Word, but whom have a false message have invaded the Galatian church & are wrecking havoc within the church. Paul is establishing his authority & the validity of the message he gave

Paul then reminds them that Jewish tradition, or tradition for any matter, is not the issue, so don't get caught up in it. Once again it is about your relationship with God. We are all sinners, we have all messed up - whether or not we are Jewish or Gentile, raised in the church or new to it. God does not look at our outward attempts at reconciliation (making things right), He looks at our repentant heart. So stick with the grace of God - His willingness to forgive us & call us His own, not by anything we do, but by His overwhelming love for us.

Review of James & Galatians 1

So, what did we learn from James? I think it can be summed up in a few point:

• It's your heart that matters, so focus on living in love.


• Control your tongue & you will control your emotions.


• Seek true knowledge through the Word of God & through communication with God.

Today we will move onto Galatians. Paul wrote this letter to the newly established church in 49 A.D. Paul traveled the country preaching the Word of God & helping new Christians to form churches. In order to stay in touch & continue ministering to the people, he would write letters. This letter indicated that the Galatian church had some issues they were dealing with & sought Paul's council. If you have doubts, questions, or simply don't understand something, don't just assume - ask a church leader for guidance & help. God gave us our church family so we might build each other up & help each other out.

We need to be careful who we listen too. Some "teachers" are preaching according to their human nature rather than according to God's Word. This was happening in the Galatian church & it happens now. It is human nature to twist what God has done & make it something all about man. Make sure that any teaching you receive lines up with Scripture. You do that by reading the word.

Paul gives a brief testimony that extends into chapter two. Notice that when he became a Christian, it was through an experience with God. It is the same for us. Someone might tell us about Jesus, but it is your contact with God, your relying on Him that saves you, not some prayer said by man. Paul then spent fourteen years learning and strengthening his relationship with God before he began his ministry. Does this mean that you can't witness to your friends until you know everything there is to know about God? No, share your story. Tell others why a relationship with God is so important. But - be careful in teaching others. There's a big difference between sharing your testimony and teaching others the Scriptures. Even James warned us that teachers are judged more harshly for they have put themselves in a position of authority. If what they teach is wrong & they lead others away from the Truth, they will be judged.

Don't be afraid to share your faith. Just know that it is OK to not have all the answers. If someone asks a question you can't answer, or brings up an argument that stumps you - go to your pastor or church leader & ask for help.

James 5

Today we read the last chapter of James. Tomorrow we will summarize what we have read, since it has taken me a little longer to read this than it should have.

Chapter 5 starts with an admonishment to use our riches wisely. Don't just store them up, because you can't take them with you. And don't just spend your wealth on yourself. Realize it is a gift from God to be used for the betterment of everyone. Don't let wealth harden your heart. Many of you may say, "No trouble here, I'm not wealthy." Does your family have a TV, computer, Internet, and car? Then compared to the world, you are wealthy. Use it wisely.

Finally, we have some more good advice:
- be patient. Especially when it comes to waiting for the Lord to return. I know there have been times when I just want the Lord to come & get us out of this messy world. Take a deep breath & wait. God does everything in His own perfect timing.
- Do not make promises. Simply let your yes be yes & your no by no.
- Are you:

• suffering? Pray.


• Happy? Sing.


• Sick? Have someone in authority pray over you. (Our prayer chain or altar ministry)

- Prayer is a powerful thing. Use it!

- Your church family is a powerful thing. Get involved with them!

In regard to reading the Scripture & prayer. We so often know what is good for us & why it is good for us. We can make resolutions. We can even come up with a plan for succeeding at our resolution. But we so often fail because we allow this plan to be option. If we don't feel like it, or something gets in the way, we push our plan to the side & never succeed. We just stay in the same place, unhappy & troubled. Don't allow your plans to be optional! Make them a requirement & hold yourself to it. A little bit of discipline will go a long way in making your life something worth while.

James 4

Hmmm . . . wonder why do keep doing things you don't want to be doing? It's because you're better friends with the world than you are with the Lord. The world breeds quarrels, conflicts, lust, murder, envy, etc. The Spirit brings love, patience, kindness, goodness, self-control. So who are you spending time with? You've heard the old saying, "You are what you eat." Well, James is reminding us, "You are who you hang out with." So, start hanging out with the Lord! As you draw closer to God, He will draw closer to you & it will become easier to be the kind of person you want to be.

Along with this renewed relationship with the Lord, comes renewed relationships with others. Stop judging everyone else. That's God's job. We also need to realize that God is in control, not us. So, ask Him what's going on & follow His lead.

James 3

One quick thing James says here - be very diligent when you teach others the word. Make sure you don't lead them off the mark. When you place yourself in authority, you will be judged for how you lead.

Watch your tongue!! Once again James broaches this subject. Your tongue is so very important. What you say is a window into your attitude, your heart, & your emotions. Be very careful & purposeful about your words. And realize that you need to rely on God to help you out with this one. We all know that words are so easily spoken & they can do so much damage. So, spend time in prayer and think before you speak.

Finally, seek godly wisdom from above & not earthly wisdom. How do you know which is which? Godly wisdom is pure, peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy, unwavering, & without hypocrisy. Worldly wisdom is full of arrogance, jealousy, and selfish ambition.

Woo . . . James gives us a lot to think about. But it's such good stuff, isn't it?