SCRIPTURE: Galatians 2:11-21 OBSERVATION: Paul even challenges Peter for acting contrary to the message of grace. He explains that the life of faith is a life of freedom to follow Christ’s leading within (Christ lives in me, 2:20). Christ is not to blame when we sin again, we are. But He frees from focusing on religious…
July 22 — Galatians 2:1-10
SCRIPTURE: Galatians 2:1-10 OBSERVATION: Paul was raised to measure people by their status and religious performance, but God’s free love has transformed him. He now realizes that God does not measure people by these things, but loves all people (Jews and Gentiles, rich and poor). He confirms that this was Jesus’ message with Peter and the…
July 21 — Galatians 1:11-24
SCRIPTURE: Galatians 1:11-24 OBSERVATION: Paul explains his anger about how the message of Jesus is being perverted. It is not his own message, or the message of the other apostles, it is Jesus message, revealed to him directly by Jesus. This is a very bold claim! He mentions the other disciples (Peter, James and the churches…
July 20 — Galatians 1:1-10
SCRIPTURE: Galatians 1:1-10 OBSERVATION: Paul is very upset about what has happened to the Galatian believers. He is “astonished” that they are “deserting” God, that someone is “confusing” them by “perverting” the message of Jesus. Then twice he declares those who do this “eternaly condemned”. He does not care what they think, because he serves God…
July 19 — Obadiah 1:1-21
SCRIPTURE: Obadiah 1:1-21 OBSERVATION: Edomites were descendants of Esau, Jacob’s brother (Israel). Their gloating and cruelty at Israel’s fall will be punished. ‘Do unto others’ is a two-sided coin, the other side is, ‘It will be done to you as you have done’ (v.15). Even if God’s people deserve punishment, those who gloat or mistreat them…
July 18 — Acts 12:18-24
SCRIPTURE: Acts 12:18-24 OBSERVATION: People can scheme, but the Lord’s purpose will always prevail in the end. The Lord frustrates the plans of the wicked. His purposes are contrasted with ours through what happens to Herod. This is not the first time someone ”did not give praise to God”, but the Lord makes an example of…
July 17 — Acts 12:1-17
SCRIPTURE: Acts 12:1-17 OBSERVATION: The Lord is able to dramatically intervene in the crises of His followers (Peter), but He will not do it all the time (James). He often waits to the last minute to step in (night before trial). These believers show us how hard it really is to trust the Lord for what…
July 16 — Acts 11:19-30
SCRIPTURE: Acts 11:19-30 OBSERVATION: The message of Jesus is spilling over beyond the Jews to all the nations. The persecution fulfills Jesus commission to be His “witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). The Lord confirms His purpose to bless all nations by granting huge success…
Sermon Discussion: How to do the Impossible!
How To Do The Impossible Next Sunday (July 22) our message will be based on John 15:5 (read John 15:1-17). As our SERVANTS share how God worked in and through them, I will reflect on how God takes the ordinary efforts of His servants, and multiplies their results. Please read through this passage, and answer this question:…
July 15 — Acts 11:1-18
SCRIPTURE: Acts 11:1-18 OBSERVATION: Here we have the first of many internal battles in the church about religious protocol. In this story the believers listen to Peter and celebrate the manifestation of God’s grace, but throughout history there have been huge conflicts and divisions that resulted in very un-Christ-like actions and attitudes. How do we explain…