Galatians 3 - 4.12.23

Scripture

Galatians 3:3

3 Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh?

Observation

The Apostle Paul is talking about justification through faith alone, by grace alone and not through the works of the law. 

Application

Rely on the Holy Spirit to sustain our faith, not our flesh. 

The Apostle Paul can testify to the fact that we can carry out the works of the law through our flesh. He has reasons to boast about this. You can read it in Philippians 3. However, he considers all of that a loss and chooses to boast in his weaknesses instead.

“But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.” -Philippians‬ ‭3‬:‭7‬-‭11‬ ‭NIV‬‬

We point people to Christ not by showing how “great” of a person we are, but rather through what Jesus has done for us through His death and resurrection. As Pastor Levi says, “the power that raised Christ from the dead is living inside each one of us.” 

Prayer

Dear Lord, apart from You, I can do nothing. I pray that any good works as a result of Your Spirit, would always point others to You Jesus. Help me not rely on my flesh, but on the power of Your Spirit. Amen. 

-Michelle Gaddi

Galations 2 - 4.11.23

Scripture

Galatians 2:1-2

Then after fourteen years, I went up again to Jerusalem, this time with Barnabas. I took Titus along also.   I went in response to a revelation and, meeting privately with those esteemed as leaders, I presented to them the gospel that I preach among the Gentiles. I wanted to be sure I was not running and had not been running my race in vain.

Observation

Paul was concerned that different groups were preaching conflicting messages regarding the Gentiles. He knew this could cause division and fracturing in the church. He went to the apostles to share what he had been preaching and see if they could come to agreement – unity. And he presented the message he had received from God for evaluation by trusted leaders of the church. I saw two major takeaways in these verses:

1. Unity is vital for the church to accomplish its mission.

2. We all need to submit ourselves to trusted leaders/mentors for review on occasion.

Application

“Although it is true that he (Paul) got his gospel by direct revelation, this does not mean that he preached his gospel without the approval and support of the original apostles and the rest of the church. Paul is not a visionary who simply wants to protect his claim to private revelations rather than building the unity of the church. Nor is he a pioneer missionary who works in isolation from the rest of the church.” (IVP New Testament Commentary Series)

The Bible tells us over and over that we cannot be lone rangers as Christians. We are to work in fellowship with each other. We are to support, encourage, and spur one another on, and sometimes, question/redirect when someone is straying from the message. Paul was a great leader, and he received his message directly from God. But he was willing to humble himself and accept the input of others in order to promote unity in the church.

Prayer

God, thank you for the church family that you have placed me in and thank you for the reminder of how much I need them. Sometimes I let my opinions be swayed by the world. Other times it is easy to convince myself that what I think or feel is directly from God. First and always, I need to let my heart be examined by You. But you have also placed people in my life to provide wise counsel. Help each of us to be open to godly advice and direction so that we can walk in unity to accomplish your mission.

- Debbie Dunn

Psalm 37 - 4.10.23

Scripture

Psalms‬ ‭37‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭NLT

“Don’t worry about the wicked or envy those who do wrong. For like grass, they soon fade away. Like spring flowers, they soon wither.”

Observation

I love this psalm of David. In it, he reminds us to not get caught up with what evil people are doing or are getting away with. (Their time of judgment is coming)! Instead, David urges people to trust God, to serve God, and commit everything we do to God. When we are able to do that, God will surely help you, protect you, and give you everything you will ever need and more!

“Trust in the Lord and do good. Then you will live safely in the land and prosper. Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires. Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust him, and he will help you.”-Psalms‬ ‭37‬:‭3‬-‭5‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Application

In this race of life, put on your “blinders” and focus on God.

You know when I was younger and I would go to the gym, I used to catch myself comparing my physique with other guys there. I even remember going to the magazine section inside a store and comparing myself to the guys in those bodybuilding magazines. I mean here I was, in the prime of my life, eating right, exercising daily, and living a disciplined lifestyle. But the fact was I was blinded from my own personal growth and transformation because I got too caught up comparing myself to other people! I would often find myself feeling depressed, burned out, and ready to quit because of it.

The reason why I share this is because that is how we can often be in our spiritual lives. We can be living disciplined and godly lives, growing in our faith, and having a great relationship with Jesus; but the moment we notice an ungodly person having more success and living a more comfortable life than us, we totally flip out and question God! We are blinded of our own spiritual gains, and all the blessings God has given us. Instead we focus on what we don’t have and question why the ungodly have it. It may sometimes even have us questioning why we do what we do, especially if others who do what they want, seem to be the ones getting rewarded.

Well, the verse I chose today reminds me to not compare myself with other people. Whether it’s comparing myself to other Christians, or in this case, comparing myself to non-believers. Instead I need to focus on living the life God has called me to live. I need to put my “blinders” on and just focus in on God because at the end of the day, it’s about developing my own personal relationship with God because of my faith in Jesus. It’s about being the best version of me. The man God has called me to be.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, forgive me for ever questioning You and comparing myself to other people. I know that You made each person different, and each person has their own destiny, and serves their own purpose in Your grand scheme of things. I pray that I can keep my eyes solely focused on living the life that You called me to live. And may I find true joy and peace from living it. In Jesus name I pray, Amen. 🙏🏽

-Moses Gaddi