Paul wanted the Galatians—and us—to fly up into a life of freedom and love, and he knew that the gospel message could take us there (Gal. 5:13). But as we’ve seen, the Galatians were in danger of destroying the gospel message by adding to it, so Paul wrote this letter to defend the message of the gospel of grace. Today’s passage details a third, less peaceful interaction of defending his message.
Read moreArchival Post: Gleanings From Paul's Conversion Account (Acts 9)
Each week, the Calvary Monterey church staff meets for Bible study, worship, and prayer. Right now, we are making our way through the books of Acts. Recently we inspected Paul’s conversion (Acts 9). We gleaned a handful of principles from his story which would help us in modern-day ministry work. What follows are those points:
Read moreThe Gospel Is Versatile, Not Rigid (Galatians 2:6-10)
In our final segment of Galatians 2:1-10, we learn that the beautiful, acceptable gospel is versatile, not rigid.
Read moreArchival Post: Samson And The Good Shepherd (Judges 16:30)
In his younger years, he never would have said it. Samson, though gifted and called by God, was a self-willed as they come.
Read moreThe Gospel Brings Divine Freedom, not Human Control (Galatians 2:4-5)
Last week, in Galatians 2, we saw how the gospel is received, not earned. The next movement of this passage reminds us that the beautiful, acceptable gospel brings divine freedom, not human control. While Paul was in Jerusalem, false brothers were secretly brought in, perhaps even into his meeting with the apostles!
Read moreArchival Post: Released From The Law (Romans 7:1-6)
Paul demonstrated how the word of God is meant to interact with the body of Christ to build it up for a life of ministry. Much of this ministry is to one another. How long will this Christ-designed method continue? “Until we all attain,” is how Paul puts it, listing various elements which ought to grow within the church. The word must interact with us until these elements are realized.
Read moreThe Gospel Is Received, not Earned (Galatians 2:1-3)
Our text today details the second time Paul visited Jerusalem as a Christian, fourteen years after his conversion (1). It took Paul three years from his conversion to finally make his first trip to Jerusalem to meet Peter and James (1:18-19). But after that visit, it took another eleven years or so for him to go back.
Read moreArchival Post: The Maximal Functionality Of The Church (Ephesians 4:13-16)
Paul demonstrated how the word of God is meant to interact with the body of Christ to build it up for a life of ministry. Much of this ministry is to one another. How long will this Christ-designed method continue? “Until we all attain,” is how Paul puts it, listing various elements which ought to grow within the church. The word must interact with us until these elements are realized.
Read moreWhat Did Paul's Gospel Produce? (Galatians 1:10-24)
Last week, we examined Paul's testimony and saw the evidence for why Paul's gospel was legitimate. The second question we will explore today from this passage is: What did Paul's gospel produce in Paul? Are there things that happened to Paul that we could hope would happen to us?
Read moreArchival Post: Release Yourself From The Pressure To Be Expert (Psalm 131:1)
The psalmist stated his commitment. He would not concern himself with matters too great or too awesome to grasp. He knew he was not God, would never be God, and could not replace God. In his infinite wisdom and knowledge, God can handle thoughts regarding all matters, but we are not him, so we cannot.
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