Galatians 5:7-15

Galatians 5:7-15 
English Standard Version (ESV)

  Again, Paul gets passionate here, because he cares so much about these faith communities that he's invested in.  Think for a second -- what was the last thing you got mad about?  What fires you up?  What raises your blood pressure?  When you think about the things that got you fired up over the last few weeks, if you're getting upset over little things and not getting upset about important things, that's helpful to know.
  Once we wade through Paul's indignation, we get to this beautiful passage about freedom.  Remember, the Law has been fulfilled, but Paul, just as Jesus was always doing, raises the standard.  The freedom that we've been given isn't just for us to indulge ourselves, but rather it's an opportunity to serve as we've been served, to love as we've been loved.  Our freedom is a gift, and we can enlarge that gift by sharing it with one another.  It's not just about us -- it's an opportunity to invite others into the community and be enriched by watching others experience the same freedom that we've been freely given. 
  There's a recent story about Kareem Abdul-Jabbar auctioning off his championship rings.  He doesn't need the money, but rather he sees these rings he has as an opportunity to bless others, and he's more excited about what that opportunity might mean for someone else than what it means to him.  No one can take away the memory of the rings or the championship that comes with them -- but he can use them as a way to bless others, and that brings him joy.
  Similarly, no one can take away what Christ has done for you.  That's yours, forever.  You've been bought with a price.  What we now have is the chance to use that freedom to bless others.  Think about it -- you have nothing to fear, ever.  You cannot be destroyed.  What can you do for others?

Galatians 5:1-6

Galatians 5:1-6 
English Standard Version (ESV)

  Paul is setting up a choice -- you can be completely dependent upon yourself, or you can completely depend on Christ.  To Paul, there is no middle ground -- you can't rely upon yourself but use Christ as a backup plan.  You can't have Christ because you like some things but aren't a fan of others.  You can depend fully upon him, or you can choose your own way -- but it's a clear choice, one way or the other.  You can't have both.
  It sounds harsh in some ways, but remember what is being offered -- Christ has offered to us, FOR FREE, eternal life that we cannot earn.  The other option is to try our hardest (and fail) at getting this for ourselves.  Which would you choose?  Let's say I was going to offer you a choice -- you could have $1 billion tomorrow, no strings attached as a tax-free gift, or you could have $1 billion in twenty years if you were completely perfect for the entire time, which would you choose?  You'd take the free gift, right?  Why try and earn what we cannot earn when Christ offers it to us for free?  To Paul, it's clear what is better -- Christ has offered himself on the cross to do for us what we could not do ourselves.  The depths of God's love have never been more clear.  We are so treasured that we have been bought at the ultimate price so that we might dwell with God forever.  You are beloved -- and the only thing that counts is allowing your faith to steer your life as it works itself out through love.  THAT IS ALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!  How great is the Father's love for you, and how treasured you are. 

Galatians 4:21-31

Galatians 4:21-31 
English Standard Version (ESV) 

  So Paul is expecting his readers to be well-schooled in their knowledge of the Old Testament.  He's setting up a contrast, and he does so utilizing a story that most of the Galatians would have known.  Abraham and Sarah were married, and God had promised Abraham many offspring in Genesis 15.  Well, by Genesis 16, they were tired of waiting on God to fulfill God's promises, so Sarah thought she could secure God's promises through her own methods -- she convinced Abraham to have a child with her servant, Hagar.  As you can imagine, this doesn't go well.
  So Hagar, the servant, bears a child, but through the efforts of Abraham and Sarah to obtain God's promise on their own.  This child, Paul says, represents one choice.  This child is not the child of the promise that God assured Abraham would come.
  The other child, the miraculous child that Abraham and Sarah had in their old age, the child that came in God's time -- that is the child that Paul is referring to as the free child, the other path for the Galatians to follow.  This is the way that Paul is inviting the Galatians on -- a way that is free and a gift from above, not earned or grasped, but received with gratitude.
  Faith is a gift, to be received and lived with gratitude.  We don't figure it out on our own or earn it -- we receive it, regardless of how unworthy we may be, and let gratitude transform us.  God is good, and blessings are poured upon us.  So don't beat yourself up for not figuring out your life in faith -- take a deep breath, remember that it is a gift, and spend some time in prayer thanking God for what God has done for you.  We're all struggling to know just how to live best, but God is still calling us, still loving us, still receiving us.  We are a work in progress, but God has pronounced the final word over us when God ascended the cross and died to save us from our sins!

Galatians 4:12-20

Galatians 4:12-20
English Standard Version (ESV)

  So it's clear that Paul was detained in Galatia due to some sickness or injury.  I like how it's no big deal to the Galatians.  It's like the saying that it's a procedure when it's performed on someone else, but it's surgery when it's performed on you. 
  So God uses this medical condition to have Paul show up and preach the Gospel to the Galatians.  If Paul hadn't been ailing, how would the Gospel have been preached?  It's important to remember that God can use everything in our life to proclaim the Gospel -- this doesn't mean that God causes everything, or that God wants bad things to happen, but that when bad things happen, God continues to be at work in our lives, providing opportunities for the Gospel to be proclaimed.  It's certainly not easy to look for those opportunities when we're ailing or hurting, but that's part of our call.
  Paul continues, talking about hard truths.  He is telling the Galatians hard things, and they don't like it, whereas others are telling them easier things and luring them away.  This is where we are called to be discerning -- to pay attention to what we're hearing and not discard the harder challenges and lean towards the easier things.  The path of discipleship is sometimes difficult, and we endure through rough patches to reach the ultimate reward.  When we choose, may we do so with faithfulness and discernment, paying attention to the community, that we may grow in discipleship.
 

Galatians 4:8-11

Galatians 4:8-11 
English Standard Version (ESV)

  Often, we read Paul and wonder why he's so frustrated, but I like to take a charitable view of Paul.  Paul takes these matters so seriously that it grieves him to see people he loves turn away from the Gospel, especially those who have previously responded positively to the Gospel.  Paul has spent years pouring into these communities, and then he sees so much of his work torn down by divisive debate and rival preachers who don't preach the pure Gospel of Jesus Christ.  Paul taught them about the beauty of salvation through Christ alone, and then others have come along and started adding requirements to that, leading the Galatians away from the simple beauty of what Christ has done for us.  If there are any requirements beyond faith in Jesus Christ, then we negate what Christ has done, because we are saying that people need to do more, and salvation doesn't depend on what we do -- it depends on what Christ has done, and you are saved by his love and his power and his mercy and his grace.
  This matters deeply to Paul, and it matters to us.  We need grace through faith, because we can't seem to get it right on our own.  Fortunately, we don't have to -- God saves us because God loves us, and there is nothing the world can do to take that away from us!

Galatians 4:1-7

Galatians 4:1-7
English Standard Version (ESV)

  I'll admit it here -- I don't spend much time following the British royal family.  I know that there are countless publications that follow their every step, but I can't bring myself to be interested.  But think about one of the newborn children -- they have been born into something amazing, but they haven't fully realized the depth of the promise just yet.  They're an infant, unaware of their place in the world, not realizing fully who their father is, not seeing the glories of the throne that await. 
  In the same way, sin clouds our vision.  Paul here is talking about how those who were under the Law, but think about what sin does to your own vision -- we lose focus on God and God's Kingdom, and we instead get so lost in smaller things.  We fail to care properly in the ways God would have us care, and we often end up investing our time and energy in things that don't truly matter. 
  But God has sent a cry into our hearts that beats for our heavenly Father.  We are heirs to the promise through Jesus Christ, and though our sin prevents us from fully realizing the depths of God's love for us, we were created for more -- we have been saved by grace, redeemed from sin and death, and though we do not deserve it, eternity is within us, urging us to claim our true identity as God's beloved children. 
  You are an heir to the promise because of what Christ did for you!!  God's Kingdom has not come in its final victory over sin and death yet, and so we do not fully realize the depths of the promise, but God continues to remind us of the wonders that are to come!

Galatians 3:21-29

Galatians 3:21-29 
English Standard Version (ESV)

  Not all technological upgrades make our lives better.  For example, Caleb can clearly read the speedometer in the van from the backseat, and he also knows what the speed limit signs on the side of the road mean.  He has become quite adept at noting the occasional difference between the two numbers. 
  Think about it -- if it weren't for the speed limit signs, would you know that you were speeding?  If the law didn't exist, would you recognize some of your behaviors as inherently dangerous toward yourself or others?  Would you realize how dangerous it might be to drive in the rain without your headlights on?  Traffic laws remind us that some behaviors are dangerous and exist to help keep us safe.
  The Old Testament law was a gift to us, meant to guide and direct our every action so that God would be glorified.  We, however, failed to keep up our end of the bargain, so the sacrificial system was ordained to repair our relationship with God.  Unfortunately, our ability to sin was greater than our ability to sacrifice, so we accumulated debt faster than our ability to pay it off.  Like a teenager at the mall with a credit card, we ran up too much debt with too little ability to pay.  The law still reminded us, however, that we needed intervention if we were to repair our relationship with God. 
  God had always planned for a Savior.  God rescued us from our condition, delivering us into salvation, redeeming our souls from hopelessness.  God saved us through faith.
  And what's amazing is that we all stand equal before God.  Think about how radical this is for the time -- slavery was abundant, men were considered more worthy than men, the world was divided between insider and outsider, and here comes Paul, reminding us that God is not concerned about the color of our skin or our cultural status -- we are loved equally, and we are all worthy before God.  We are equal in Christ, and there is no status in church -- the rich and poor, the insider and outsider, the free and enslaved, they all come before Christ and are loved because they are hand-crafted wonders of God.

Galatians 3:15-20

Galatians 3:15-20 
English Standard Version (ESV)

  I was listening to a podcast by the White Horse Inn the other day and they made an excellent point -- the Law reveals to us how high the standard for perfection before God is, and the impossibility of it, and so makes our need for Christ all the more apparent.  The Law reveals our desperate need for the Gospel, and God, in God's infinite grace, grants us a path forward despite the prison we build out of our own sinful choices.
  The Law, and all of the Old Testament, points forward to Christ.  The Old Testament is itching in anticipation of the Savior that will deliver us, and the New Testament is declaring the joy that we have in Christ and inviting all into the covenant community.  You have been delivered from the demands of the Law into the kingdom of grace - may the love of God that sought you out and seeks you still remind you of the fact that God's wrath at sin is not directed at us, but instead God chooses to pour out love and favor upon God's creations.

Galatians 3:10-14

Galatians 3:10-14 
English Standard Version (ESV)

  Rachel and I were talking last night about how natural it is to try and rely on the self.  It feels right and proper to do everything on our own, finding strength or willpower or ingenuity within ourselves to chart the best path.  When things get rough, we'll naturally turn outward, but in times of smooth sailing, self-reliance has the least inward obstacles.
  What is great about Paul's writing is that he knows himself well enough to know not to trust himself completely, and he's seen God change enough about his life, opening his eyes to the wayward ways of his previous path, that he trusts God before he trusts himself.  Faith is the best path forward, because faith can help us see where our self-deception is blinding us. 
  The best part of the Good News is that we don't have to figure out a way to fix all the mistakes in our past -- God has done that in Jesus Christ.  God has solved the problem of sin so that it might no longer condemn us, and we are now free to hope.

Galatians 3:1-9

Galatians 3:1-9
English Standard Version (ESV)

  It's fun to watch my kids try and do things on their own.  Sometimes I sit back and admire their dedication, watching as they master some new skill or attempt again something that challenges them.  Other times... well, sometimes we're rushing out the door and I'm tying their shoes for the 300th time while not letting them practice because we're in a hurry.  I'm not perfect over here...
  As a culture, we have an inherent bias towards admiration of those who figure out how to do it on their own.  We love and admire those who build something from nothing -- we tell their stories over and over again. 
  As a faith, though, it's important to remember that it is Christ who has done the most important work.  The Galatians forgot this, and they focused on what they were doing.  As a church, it's vital that we remember that it is faith, and faith alone, that opens our eyes to what God is doing and calls us forward.  We are justified by faith, and just as Abraham believed, we, too believe.  We who have heard are transformed by the Spirit -- not by our own doing, but by God's.
  As someone who messes things up quite often, this is a relief, right?  It doesn't depend on me!  Hallelujah! 

Galatians 2:15-21

Galatians 2:15-21 
English Standard Version (ESV)

  If I hire someone to move my couch, and when they arrive, they spend the entire day sitting in a recliner, watching as I struggle to move my own couch, then why did I hire them?
  Or what if I use an Uber, but when the Uber arrives, I get in the car and drive and have the Uber driver sit in the backseat?  What's the point of having an Uber driver if you do that?
  This is the argument that Paul is making.  If it were possible for us to be saved through the Law, then Christ would not have been necessary.  It is faith in Christ that saves us, and Christ is absolutely necessary for us to achieve salvation.  Therefore, we live by faith, fully dependent on Christ (and Christ alone) for our hope beyond the grave.  We have been joined with him in his death, and are therefore joined with him in his resurrection, so we look forward with excitement.  Let us, therefore, depend on him and him alone, without adding burdens to those trying to live by faith.

Galatians 2:11-14

Galatians 2:11-14 
English Standard Version (ESV)

  One of the hardest things that we deal with is when people or organizations don't have integrity between what they say and what they do.  We can maybe handle it if there's discrepancy in a little thing once or twice, but that starts to erode trust, and the larger the discrepancy gets, the harder it is for anyone to trust us again.
  The church has this problem -- the church will show up in public scandals, where something that was kept under the rug for decades will suddenly be exposed in the light, and suddenly there are thousands who can no longer trust the church.  While it would certainly be better if the church never dealt with some things, the reality is that the church is made up of people, and people are broken and often do thoughtless and hurtful things.  What the church needs to do in these situations is publicly repent and admit that it's dealing with some hard things.
  The church needs to do this on the big things, and we as church members need to do it on the smaller scale as well.  This doesn't make people turn from us -- what it instead does is make us more attractive, because people outside the church see the people inside the church as real people, struggling with everyday life issues, trying hard to be perfect but failing most days, relying on the grace that covers us.  I'll admit that I struggle putting God first in my time and in my finances -- I deal with greed issues, as I want more.  That stems from how I have a hard time trusting God to provide -- I try and do it on my own, unable or unwilling to completely fall into the perfect and reliable arms of God.
  I'm not perfect, and yet there is a place in the church for me and the rest of the imperfect people in this world.  God's grace and mercy, what Jesus Christ did on the cross, is what makes us acceptable before the throne.  God loves us and comes to us as we are, in all our imperfections, and comforts us, encouraging us, calling us forward to grow in faith.

Galatians 2:1-10

Galatians 2:1-10 
English Standard Version (ESV)

  So I was driving home yesterday in a snowstorm, and all of a sudden, my right wiper blade snapped in half at the base and I couldn't use my wipers anymore, as the metal head would have scratched my windshield.  Driving in the snow without wipers is... an adventure.  But I hadn't replaced that wiper blade for years, as I don't look through that side of the windshield to drive.  I neglected it, and after a while, it broke and caused problems larger than expected!
  Conflict in the church isn't all that different.  We often neglect it for years, allow issues to fester.  We ignore it to the point that we forget about it, and all of a sudden it bursts out of nowhere, and issues we had ignored suddenly cause great stress and trouble in the body of Christ if we don't know how to deal well with it.
  Here in Galatians, Paul and a number of other Christian leaders get together to talk about how to deal with proclaiming Christ to the uncircumcised.  They're debating what kind of conditions should be added to church membership -- is belief in Christ enough, or is there more?  And it had been 14 years, so clearly this was a long time coming.
  What's wonderful is the way it was handled.  They came together and when they realized God was at work, they offered blessing to their fellow Christians and sent them out to serve.
  May we be as gracious when we disagree in the church.  May we look for how Christ is at work, remembering that there is often much about God's work that we don't understand, and may we offer blessing as others go out to serve.

Galatians 1:18-24

Galatians 1:18-24 
English Standard Version (ESV)

  I like to think that I've done a good job of encouraging people to try my favorite restaurants.  But recommending a restaurant can be a nervous thing -- what if they don't like it?  Even worse, what if they get sick?  I'd feel personally responsible, as though it was my fault that they tried something new based on my recommendation and it didn't work out.  (Yes, I take things too personally.  It's a problem.  I know.)  So I always am a little nervous when I send someone to a place I've enjoyed a good meal -- But I'll still readily recommend my favorite places, because I want to share them.
  That's what Christianity is like as well.  We should want to share this, because we've been given an amazing treasure!  Paul's life and preaching gives wonder to others -- and in what is simply an amazing sentence, they glorify God because of Paul!  He points others to the cross, and they find their way to God!
  Now, I'm sure that everyone's experience wasn't perfect.  Paul didn't promise them a life of ease and wealth.  No, he promised them something greater -- peace that is unobtainable anywhere else, and a deeper joy than any material thing can provide.  He promised riches, but that doesn't necessarily mean money!  Life wouldn't be easy, and it wouldn't be clean, but the rewards are well worth any sacrifice.  Paul's life is a testament to hardship, but also to the surpassing glory of the heavenly kingdom that pulls us onward in faithfulness. 
  May others see our lives and give glory to God!

Galatians 1:11-17

Galatians 1:11-17 
English Standard Version (ESV) 

  A few important things to point out here.  First, Paul talks about how he received his faith.  It wasn't something he achieved or something he figured out.  He didn't advance far in a certain class and become qualified for Christianity 101.  No, Paul was lost and on the wrong road, persecuted the church when he received his faith.  Christianity is not about who you are and what you've figured out along the way -- it's about what God has done in Christ.
  Second, notice how Paul's zeal is for the wrong thing -- he's zealous for his father's traditions, but not for his faith, and not for God.  As a member of the throng that just watched the Super Bowl, it's always interesting to think about the passion that the country can find for football, but that is so often placed for sports.  Someone much smarter than I talked about how if an alien came to this planet, they'd assume that Saturdays were for worship based on the passion the crowds have for the games.  Maybe your zeal isn't for football, but take a moment and think about the last 5 things you were really excited about.  Now, don't think for a second that it's bad to get excited about things other than the church.  It's great that we get to be a part of a wonderful world where we have amazing things!  But let's make sure we're still putting God first and thanking God for the opportunity to enjoy a great meal or a beautiful park or a football game -- those things don't have to interfere with our worship of God.
  Finally, note that Paul takes the time to say that God set him apart before Paul was born.  The same is true of you -- God made you, and God knew you completely before you were born.  That means that God knew about the mistakes you were going to make and the highs and lows, and God still made you and claimed you and redeems you from the pit.  There is nowhere you can go that God is not already there.

Galatians 1:6-10

Galatians 1:6-10 
English Standard Version (ESV)

  There are a lot of Christian preachers out there, and each one has a slightly different understanding of the Gospel.  Some of them are faithful to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, while others have drifted, be it intentional or not, and preach a distortion of the Gospel.  None of us are perfect, but some are farther from the truth than others.  The prosperity Gospel is a perfect example of this -- there are preachers out there in today's world who allege that your material blessings (or lack thereof) are a sign of God's favor (or lack thereof).  It's wrong, but it's very popular, mostly because people believe that if they can get their faithfulness straightened out, they'll be rich and buy a boat.  And who doesn't want a yacht?
  I'm not perfect, either.  I try and preach faithfully, but like every other preacher out there, my sin gets in the way.  This is why it's so critical that you read and understand the Gospel for yourself, and that you are part of a religious community that creates room to ask questions.  If you don't feel comfortable asking your pastor tough questions, please find a new pastor who has the humility to accept that they don't know everything.
  The most important thing is this -- Jesus Christ died for you, so that your sins might be forgiven.  God loves you unconditionally and is willing to pay any price to ransom you from the prison of sin and death, and you have been set free by what Christ has done for you.  There is no other name by which we are saved, and there is nothing more we can do that will add to what Christ has done.  You are loved as you are, invited into the Kingdom of God through the grace of Jesus Christ.  This is the Gospel.  Believe it, drink it in, live in its wonder, and be accepted and made whole through the love of God.  You are precious in God's sight.

  In our modern divisive age, in which we're constantly surrounded by negativity and conflict, please here this message -- you are beloved, and you are saved by grace through faith because of what Christ has done. 

Galatians 1:1-5

Galatians 1:1-5 
English Standard Version (ESV)

  Paul's writing to the church in Galatia at an important time in the life of that church -- they're adding new believers, and the new believers coming in are different than the current church.  The church is wrestling with how they have to change, and there's a sizable faction that wants to make the new believers follow the old Jewish laws.  Paul, however, is reminding the entire church that the Gospel means that Christ is sufficient for salvation -- there is nothing else that is needed to be done.  He starts clearly here -- that Christ gave himself for our sins to deliver us, and it was by the will of God.
  Thousands of years later, the church still wrestles with bringing in new believers.  Often, these believers want to change things, and the church is often busy telling the new believers how they need to change.  There is lots of change involved on both sides, as God refreshes the church and transforms the new believers.  What's important is that we remain open to change, that we allow the room for God to work on our hearts and our lives, that we might not woodenly remain the same, because we then develop blind spots to how God is at work.
  So I'd invite you to find some articles on trends in the church.  Notice what's happening in the larger church world.  Some of these may make you uncomfortable.  Try and understand the motives.  See what is happening.  Some of it may be wrong, and needs to be corrected.  Some of it may be a helpful learning area, and it could help rejuvenate the church in its outreach.  All of it can teach us and help us understand what we believe, why we believe it and how we can be in conversation with the larger world. 
  Personally, I think Christianity Today is a great source.  I'm also a big fan of the folks over at White Horse Inn.  There are countless other sources -- just read, or listen, and see what is out there.

1 Corinthians 9:24-27

1 Corinthians 9:24-27
English Standard Version (ESV)

  So that Super Bowl was terrible.  The ads weren't that great as well.  And I doubt that too many people were eager to see Tom Brady win yet another ring -- but his excellence and perseverance are admirable.  He has endured in a league that is commonly referred to as 'Not For Long'.  He has maintained his abilities and somehow finds a way to win -- the longer that game went on, the longer it stayed close, a Patriots win felt inevitable.
  Tom Brady's Super Bowl rings will fade someday.  They'll last longer than many trophies, but one day they will be forgotten.  What if I told you that you will receive a ring of glory that will not fade, that will not pass away?  What if I told you that God wants to give you something of far greater value than a Super Bowl trophy?  What if the riches and glory of the heavenly kingdom could be yours, and the price has been paid by someone else?
  I think all of us would be willing to work harder if we were offered the chance to win Super Bowl-level glory.  God offers us something infinitely more valuable, and he offers it as a gift.  Paul urges the Corinthians to press on, to claim the prize and revel in the grace of God.  May we do the same, disciplining ourselves to receive what God freely offers us and living into the wonder of God's Kingdom!

Romans 7:15-20

Romans 7:15-20 
English Standard Version (ESV)


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  So the 1-3" of snow last night turned into 5-6", which made the commute pretty tricky this morning.  I'd point my car in one direction, and it mostly went that way.  But even when I was trying my hardest, the conditions on the road were dictating that it was slow and uncertain progress.  Trying to go faster on my own would have been foolish -- so I went slowly and was patient, remembering the blessing of having a car with a working heater and a job to go to.
  In our spiritual lives, so often we want to blast forward in a straight and direct line to the objective, which is a mature and developed relationship with Christ.  In reality, the conditions in the world around us, and the brokenness within us, dictates that it is slow and unsteady progress.  Sin is constantly diverting us, and while we continue to move forward, it's not always a straight line.  Just like the overpass I was trying to climb today, covered in slush, sometimes the wheels spin and the car doesn't go anywhere until it finds some grip and patiently climbs what was once an insurmountable obstacle.
  It's easy to be jealous of those who make it look easy.  Some people with all wheel drive can get around on the snow pretty well.  Someday, with the help of the Holy Spirit, I'll be there, trusting in God and better able to overcome the obstacles.  Until then, I'll slowly push forward, looking for opportunities, counting my blessings, and keeping my eyes on the prize.