Northeast Christian Podcast

In this message, Damian Thompson continues our study of Galatians with the topic of Perseverance. 

Persevere through your storms.

To persevere through the difficulties in life is a reminder that God is good, his mercy endures, and he is faithful. Damian reminds us that if the problem made it to you, that’s how you know you can endure it. Because God has already tested it, and He proved that you’re able to bear it. So just hold on.

Be proud of who God called you to be. Stay faithful to his word. And don’t let anybody try to disqualify you from walking according to his plan. Because if God called you, he also will perfect you. Patiently wait for him to bring you out of your storm. You just simply have to persevere.

Terrence continues in our series “A Journey Into Captivity - A Study of Galatians” focusing on Reconciliation.

Reconciliation is a state of being. It’s a reality that you live in. It's living in a restored state and renewed practices of relating to one another. It's the sense that reconciliation requires a group of people to embody their shared identity and walk together toward the same goals and outcomes. And that is established through the finished work of Christ.

Jesus says, pick up your cross and follow me. And saying yes to Jesus is crucifying yourself daily for His purposes and His way. There is nothing significant about us except for the cross of Christ. There’s nothing we have to offer or that brings more meaning, purpose, and value to the life of a believer except the cross of Christ. Living in reconciliation with one another is embracing new creation - identity. It’s making much of the cross and little of our preferences, preoccupations, and presumptions.

Mark Moore continues in our series “A Journey Into Captivity - A Study of Galatians” focusing on Mortification.

There is a truth of life that applies in many areas, and that by limiting our freedom we are more free.

We are most free when we are most dead.

Mark highlighted three practices and challenged us to take on one of them this week as a way of combatting the flesh:

Fasting—Skip three meals one day this week. This is a sacrifice of pleasure. This counters the lust of the flesh.

Generosity—give something away that is important to you. This is a sacrifice of material goods. This counters the lust of the eyes. (Story of the Pulpit Commentary)

Service—Dedicate 3 hours of your week to offer a skill you have that you could use to Love the Ville in a tangible way this week. This is a sacrifice of time. This counters the boastful pride of life.

“Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, and greed, which is idolatry.” - Colossians 3:5

Lent and this prayer and worship service offer us all the same thing… opportunity. What might it mean for us as individuals, but also as a congregation and as a community, to look deeply into the reality of our souls and be reminded why Good Friday and Easter had to happen? Easter is a season of celebration, but it is also a season of reckoning. It's a time when we come face to face with the reality that Jesus had to die because humanity didn't have the capacity to die to ourselves. One had to die so that many could have life. Even in that truth, today we have the privilege to live on the other side of the resurrection.

On Sunday, Tyler continued our study of Galatians by focusing on Sanctification following Galatians 5:16-23. Paul explains that the Holy Spirit is present to guide us and produce fruit in our lives as we depend on Him. We must trust in the Holy Spirit for guidance, since following our heart can let us down.

 

How can we tune into the voice of Holy Spirit so that He will be our guide?

In this message, Tyler continues our study of Galatians with the topic of liberation. Not only has the Holy Spirit freed us from the Law, He also guides us into the new law; the law of other-focused love. We are warned to not chain ourselves or others back to the old law (Legalism) and also to not selfishly indulge in our freedom found in Christ (Antinomianism). Which extreme do you tend to lean? How can you fix your eyes on your new identity in Christ as a freed prisoner as well as someone who submits to the Spirit?

Tyler continued our Galatians series this weekend, focusing on the topic of Adoption. He reminded us that we are all trapped in the slavery of sin with orphan hearts. But, God wants to restore our hearts and break the chains of bondage. He has already paid the debt and set us free. So, will you remind yourself of your identity today? That you are already adopted by the Most High, the One who claims, protects, nurtures, and parents you. You are no longer a slave but God’s own child. Galatians 4:4-7; Galatians 3:26-29

Tyler continues in our series “A Journey Into Captivity – A Study of Galatians” focusing on Justification.

Are you living in an awareness of God’s grace?

We are all guilty of sin and deserving of punishment. We try to justify ourselves but find that we can’t. But we have been justified through faith in Christ. And through faith, Jesus’ perfect righteousness is credited to us. What’s true of Jesus (his crucifixion and resurrection) becomes true of us. Salvation is received, not achieved. We don’t have to prove we’re not bad… we’ve been pardoned. We don’t have to prove we’re special… we’ve been declared righteous. We don’t need to earn peer affirmation… we’ve been given a family.

It’s all GRACE!

We know that a person is justified not by the works of law but through faith in Jesus Christ. – Galatians 2:16

In this message, Terrence Turman continues in our study of the Book of Galatians, focusing on "Revelation". A revelation is the idea of removing a veil to see things clearly. In Galatians, we hear from Paul, a man who experiences a personal unveiling, allowing him to see Jesus as his savior. Paul went from persecuting the Church to proclaiming the sovereignty of Jesus. Seeing Jesus clearly changes everything, allows us to submit to His will, and produces a life of transformation. “Where do you see God pointing and revealing himself to you?”

 

Tyler kicked off the first Sunday of January with a bible study weekend walking through Galatians.

The goal is to better understand the historical circumstances underneath all the doctrine. It turns the book into real life, not just telling you what’s going on, but giving you the story beneath the story.

This letter from Paul to Galatia is a specific vision for a new creation community. He says it's a multi-ethnic, no jew, no gentile, slave or free, male or female. It’s a multiethnic, nonprejudicial, family-like community that's prioritizing faith in Jesus and learning to follow the spirit. Living in the freedom of love, that's safeguarding the integrity of the true gospel, and that is sharing it with everyone, no matter their country, color, class, or culture. Over the next 11 weeks, we’ll spend 9 weeks journeying through the book of Galatians and we hope you’ll join us!