Oh, How Rich We Are

Galatians 4:1-7

“God sent him [Jesus] to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law so that He could adopt us as his very own children.” Galatians 4:5 (NLT)

What a beautiful picture it is to think of ourselves as adopted children of God. When God sent Jesus to die for us on the cross, he gave us the best, most undeserved gift we will ever receive. This act in itself is the most incredible thing anyone has or will ever do for us, yet God didn’t stop there. He chose to go a step further and adopt us into his family as His very own children, promising to love us unconditionally and never leave us. That’s how much God loves us. We were once slaves, bound to the law, constantly feeling unfulfilled and unworthy. But through Jesus, God turned that around, showing us the infinite amount of love and freedom we get to experience as His children. Because of Jesus, we have an eternal inheritance and get to experience God’s presence and promises for the rest of eternity. In a world that often chases after material wealth, this is what true wealth looks like. No matter how much money, things, or experiences we have in this life, because of Jesus, all of us are rich! <3

Dear God, thank you for being a God who goes the extra mile, who never stops showing us how much you love us. Help us to see ourselves as you see us – as your beloved children and help us to never lose sight of the great inheritance we have in you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Carmen K

Nothing separates us from each other when we have Christ in our lives.

Galatians 3:23-29

“We are no longer Jews or Greeks or slaves or free men or even merely men or women, but we are all the same-we are Christians: we are one in Christ Jesus.”

Nothing divides us from each other when we accept Jesus into our lives. Paul makes this clear and it is a theme throughout all of Galatians, that the only way is Christ and Christ alone. Nothing separates us from each other when we have Christ in our lives, we are equally yoked with Christ.

Through Christ and our adoption into the Kingdom, we have all of God’s promises as we are also true descendants of Abraham. In Genesis 12:1-3, God tells Abraham he will bless him and make him a great nation and we are that nation through Christ, the covenant.

What other promises is Paul speaking about that belong to us?

Matthew 11- Our burdens are lifted at Calvary.

John 10- Abundant life to those who follow Jesus. God will hold us securely “No one will snatch them out of my hand”.

John 4- Eternal life for those who trust Him.

Acts 1- Power from on high.

John 14- Jesus will return for us and from then on, we will be with Him always.

Hebrews 1- All of God’s promises find fulfillment in Jesus “the radiance of God’s glory.”

2 Corinthians 1- No matter how many promises God has made, they are ‘Yes’ in Christ.”

All of the above is set aside for us when we join the covenant and follow Jesus.

All united in love!  

~Nikki

The Man of His Word

Galatians 3:15-22

As a young boy, I was taught by my dad not to say “I promise” or “I swear.” Instead, he instructed me to concentrate on being a man of my word so that when someone heard me say I was going to do something then they could believe it would most likely be so. Oh, how many times since I was that young boy learning those lessons have I struggled or even failed to hold true to my word! Still yet, I seek to be a man of integrity that people can trust for my “yes” to be “yes” and my “no” to be “no”. And I’ve found I’m better suited for such things when my concentration is on THE man of His Word. Christ Jesus is the Word of God personified. On His word everyone can fully rely because He is the only One that has kept His word perfectly every time.

In our text this week, Paul writes using a human example to show the instability of man-made promises. Paul is reminding humans of our inability to keep the law which creates instability for any covenant we base on our own efforts to keep. But God is faithful and will keep all of His promises. Paul reminds us of the stability of a covenant made by God because it is based on His ability to keep the promise He has given. God is the provider for the way of Salvation that we need. Our part is to believe in Him to do it. Those who believe in Jesus as the Christ are assured of God’s blessing because He always keeps His promises. He has revealed Himself as both fully human and fully God. And at each twist and turn Jesus has fulfilled every part of God’s Law as fully human and proves Himself to be a man of His Word as fully God.

May our hearts be emboldened by the covenant God has graciously given to those who trust in His Word and Way for eternal salvation. May we walk in the promise of His blessing as we live by His Spirit. Let us be quick to turn from any religious idols or man-made appeals before God. Instead, let us concentrate fully on the only One who is able to keep His Word fully – Jesus Christ. He will do it!

Grateful & Hopeful in Christ,

Jon

Paid

Galatians 3:10-14

My first job right out of high school was as a bagger at Schnucks. Every so often someone would come through the check-out lane only to discover that they didn’t have enough money to pay for their groceries. These situations were always awkward and tense, the customer was embarrassed, the people in line behind them were frustrated, and it often made extra work for the employees. I always felt so bad for those people. More than once since then, I have been the one standing in a checkout lane coming up short—usually when I’ve forgotten that I already spent the money that I thought I had. It’s one of the worst feelings in the world sensing the eyes of the people around you as you’re caught off guard, scrambling to figure out how this happened and what you’re going to do about it.

Checkers would often say that they wished that they could just let the people who were struggling financially go through, but of course, they can’t because then their till would have a deficit. The debt has to be paid, with no exceptions. However, there are times when the person behind you, in an act of unsolicited kindness, steps in and covers your debt. It becomes hard to contain the gratitude felt for this act of grace. I have also found that when someone does this for me, I want to pass it on to the next person when I get the opportunity.

In this week’s Scripture passage, Paul makes it clear that if you’re going to try to justify yourself before God by following the Law then you have to follow ALL of the Law. God’s word teaches that the price of our sin is death, and the only way to get out from under that debt is to be sinless, i.e. following all of the Mosaic laws and commandments. Unfortunately, our sinful nature always gets in the way of obeying the Law of Moses. Simply put, on our own we can’t pay what we owe. Fortunately for us, there is someone who can, and did, cover our debt on a cross. How foolish it would be if someone found themselves in a checkout lane unable to pay for their groceries but stood there frantically trying to find a means to pay with empty pockets or a maxed-out credit card. It would be especially foolish if they continued to do so after someone offered to pay what they owed. Friends, our debt has been paid.  Let’s try to live with the joy of that knowledge and accept God’s free gift of grace.

In Christ’s Service,

Mike Solomon

Tell Me Your Church is Studying Galations...

Tell me your church is studying Galatians without telling me your church is studying Galatians…

A hot topic of conversation at our dinner table lately has been circumcision. With a house full of girls, you can imagine there are a number of questions. Notably, they are wondering, WHY DO WE KEEP TALKING ABOUT THIS AT CHURCH?! It’s a fair question, and it’s possible the Apostle Paul was wondering the same thing when he wrote his letter to the Galatians. These Gentile believers had clearly heard of the death and resurrection of Jesus for the forgiveness of their sins, trusted in Christ, and as a seal of their salvation they each received the promised Holy Spirit. They had even seen miracles worked in their midst. So why were they advocating for circumcision?

Paul tells them forthrightly they are being foolish. His frustration is evident. Is God’s grace sufficient or is it not? C’mon now! After beginning by the Spirit are you really going to try to finish by the works of the law?!

In our cultural context, all this talk of circumcision seems really odd. Less strange though, when we consider all the ways we, having begun by God’s Spirit, are still trying to please God by keeping “the law.”

“I’m not a good Christian because I …”

-Don’t pray as often as I should.

-Get really angry with my kids.

-Worry about pleasing people more than God.

-Can’t stop this sinful behavior.

-Don’t love my neighbor.

Fill in the blank. What causes you to hide from God (and others) in shame? What’s the thing that leads you to think “If I could only fix this, God would be happy with me?”

After calling them foolish (twice!) Paul gives the Galatians a plot twist. Remember Father Abraham? He “believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness”. Four hundred and thirty years before the law was given, God made a covenant with Abraham. You know what part he played in that covenant? A very little one! God was the covenant maker and the covenant keeper. Abraham slept through the whole bloody thing! All Abraham did was believe and even then, it was not his faith that saved him, but his God who saved him and accounted his faith to him as righteousness.

Brothers and sisters, if we have faith, we are Abraham’s spiritual seed. The same God who promised Abraham “All nations will be blessed through you”, has kept his promise and blessed us by sending his Son into the world, not to condemn it, but to save it. To save us!

Like the Galatians, we aren’t saved by doing all the right things, and avoiding the wrong ones. We are saved by grace, through faith, and are indwelled by the Spirit of Jesus who guides us into all truth and gives us the will and ability to crucify the desires of the flesh.

We don’t do the right things to please God. We do the right things because, in Christ, God is already pleased with us. Beloved, his disposition toward you never changes because it isn’t rooted in what you’ve done, but what he has done.

It’s all grace!

Natalie

No Longer I Who Live, but Christ Who Lives in Me

Galatians 2: 17-21

Have you ever thought of God as a big, scary man in the sky who tells you how to live? This is the view I had of God for a long, long time. I thought, “Why even try to live for God when I know I’m not going to get it right. He expects too much.” I thought I would never be good enough in God’s eyes.

All of this changed the moment I began to understand God’s grace. We are saved through our faith in what Jesus did for us on the cross and not by whether we do enough good things for God or perfectly follow his rules. Good works come as a result of our faith in Jesus, but they do not save us. I had it so twisted in thinking that my “rightness with God” had anything to do with me. It wasn’t about me. It was about Jesus all along.

Believing we can earn salvation through good works and following rules is undermining what Jesus did for us on the cross, saying it is not good enough. Jesus said, “It is finished,” so that’s it. It’s finished. We don’t have to do anything else other than trust in those words.

Of course, we still sin after we accept Christ. It is human nature to sin, and we will never be able to live perfect, sinless lives. It would be unrealistic to expect ourselves to get it right all the time. God certainly doesn’t expect us to be perfect. He knows we are going to mess up and that’s exactly why His grace exists. Because of this grace and our faith, God doesn’t hold our sin against us. We are free.

When we accept Christ as our savior, our old selves die. He transforms us from the inside out, performing a literal miracle within us and giving us new life. It is no longer we who live, but Christ who lives within us. We get to experience life in a whole new way, knowing who we are and what we were made for.

If we could become right with God through our own efforts, there would be no point to God’s grace and Jesus would have died for nothing. It’s important to note that Jesus didn’t want to die on the cross. He literally asked God to spare Him, but God said no, and He did it anyway because it was the only way. The reality is that we can’t do it on our own. We can’t save ourselves. If we could, Jesus wouldn’t have had to die.

Christ not only died for the salvation of the world, but He also died for YOU. We hear this so much in church that it’s easy to forget the weight of what it means.

This is a big deal!! Claim it for yourself and remind yourself of it every day. This isn’t something that changes day to day based on how much time we’ve spent with God or how many good deeds we’ve done. It is already done. It is God’s grace alone and our faith in Jesus that saves us. All we have to do is believe it and receive it.

Carmen K

A Liberating Rebuke

“But when I saw they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel…”

Galatians 2:11

In Galatians 2:11, Peter ate with the Gentiles when he arrived in Antioch. Still, over time, Peter gradually withdrew from that crowd, fearing his behavior would be reported to the legalist faction of Christians in Jerusalem, who believed in a Jesus-plus form of Christianity. Peter wanted to be popular.  Even worse was the way Peter withdrew; the Greek language in this text implied that it was gradual and deceptive.  Sneaky. Peter had lived like the Gentiles, modeling Christian love and freedom between Jews and Gentiles, but his refusal to do so now implied that Jewish laws and works were necessary for holiness. However, what was even worse was his discriminatory behavior. He knew God recognized no difference in nationalities, but he was implying to the Gentiles the Jewish ways were the right ways, the only way. So Paul rebuked Peter publicly to his face, calling him a hypocrite not aligned with the gospel truth.

While at the bookstore last weekend, I flipped through the pages of an actor's autobiography where he talked about his anger issues and his search through the religions — all New Age, mystic or Eastern religions — for answers, and he was still searching. All his sought-out religions were performance-based, good works scorekeeping variety and created within oneself, an inside out approach, and one will find God and peace. The truth of the gospel Paul confronted Peter with is the opposite. God came down, revealed in the flesh in Jesus Christ to pursue and seek us, and said, "Give me your burdens. Do not burden yourself, and you will find God and peace.”  The truth of the gospel is life-changing.  It is not do all these good works (or in Galatians the Jewish laws Peter went back to modeling), and then Christ will save you.  Accept Jesus Christ as your Savior, and this personal transformation leads to good works through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

C. S. Lewis teaches this gospel truth in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. Eustace, a young man immersed in the ways of the secular world, stumbles on a dragon's lair, sees the riches in the bags of gold, grabs the gold (representing the material world), and changes into a dragon.  Eustace thought it was neat for a time but eventually tried to change back to a human by tearing off the skin repeatedly himself, but to no avail.  Only when Aslan, the lion as the analogy of Jesus Christ, appears and engages Eustace deeply does Eustace transform back into a person and a better version of himself. I urge you to read and share the Narnia tales with your kids and grandkids.  This story is an imaginative telling of one of the absolute truths of the gospel —  it’s not through our works and effort that we are saved, but in Christ alone.

Verses 15 and 16 in Galatians 2 record Paul's rebuke of Peter about the absolute and unchanging truth of the gospel of grace through justification—declaring a person righteous through Jesus Christ. Three times, Paul declares that a person is saved only through faith in Jesus Christ and not through works. In a week when we celebrate freedom living in this country, this truth of the gospel should be liberating to us all.

-Dan Nickel

Culture Clash

Jesus is the Torah Laws fulfilled- Salvation cannot be earned by good works alone. There is no “Gospel plus” that equals salvation.

Galatians 2: 1-10

Sometime between 48 and 56 A.D. and some 23 years after Jesus’ death on the cross, Paul wrote this letter to ethnically mixed churches in Galatia. In this chapter of Galatians, there is a clash of cultures all coming together in the name of Jesus.

At this time, there are now just as many non-Jews as there are Jewish people all of whom are believing and following Jesus. This is great news for God’s blessings are for all people, yet some believe that to be a true Christian one must obey Jewish customs and laws of the Torah.

Paul is preaching to the Gentiles, and he also brings with him Barnabas and Titus, and they meet with the church leaders. Titus is a Gentile, and Gentiles do not practice Torah laws, such as being circumcised. Paul mentions the only reason Titus’ situation is brought up was to try and tie them up in rules to see what freedom they enjoyed in Christ Jesus and if they were obeying Torah Laws. Galatians 2:4. Paul states that the only reason he mentions this at all is to remove any confusion that salvation can be earned by being circumcised and by obeying Jewish laws.

Paul is saying it is the Gospel alone and nothing else, that can give salvation. Salvation cannot be earned by good works alone. There is no “Gospel plus” that equals salvation. Matthew 7:21-22 speaks to this, as Jesus says “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles? ‘Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!”  

Jesus is the only way to salvation. How does one have a relationship with Jesus? Romans 10:9-10 says “If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. Romans 10:12 says “For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile-the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blessed all who call on him, for “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

What do we believe in our culture today, that is an add-on to gain salvation? The “Gospel plus” idea that is imprisoning us in our faith? Paul writes in verse 10 a suggestion that we must always remember to help the poor and he says he was “eager for that.”  

May we walk with Christ in freedom and joy! May we not get bogged down with the “plus” ideas so much that it keeps us from sharing the love of Christ to the poor in spirit and helping those in need.

If you would like to take a deeper dive into the history of Galatians; the Torah and the arguments between the Jewish Messianic Movement and non-Jewish Christians, I recommend the BibleProject’s summary, https://youtu.be/vmx4UjRFp0M?si=VeN-80v5a7VfASud.  

Love~ Nikki

Before I Was Born

"Why should we listen to what Paul has to say?? He wasn't even part of the twelve that were sent out by Jesus of Nazareth!"

The shouts from the leaders of the church in Galatia would have sounded something like this.

So in his letter, Paul is going to begin telling a story. He will chronicle his years after his conversion, detailing his very limited interaction with the apostles, even getting into all the places he'd been, and the durations of time.

And all of this will prove that Paul did not receive the gospel secondhand, from Jesus's apostles. Rather, Paul himself IS an apostle, with both authority and direct revelation from Jesus Himself.

And along the way on this story, Paul is going to do something that is very classic Paul. He is going to interrupt his story to tell us about the gospel. He just can't help doing it! 

It's not a long interruption. We might call it a "gospel nugget." We see it in verses 15 and 16. 

     "...he who had set me apart before I was born, and who called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son to me..."

We are probably familiar with the account of Paul's conversion. We read it in Acts chapter 9, and then again in chapters 22 and 26 from Paul's telling himself.

The early church had perhaps no greater enemy than Paul. He was "persecuting the church of God violently and trying to destroy it." (Gal. 1:13)

And at the moment of conversion, Paul was on his way to the city of Damascus, where he hoped to find more followers of Jesus that he could persecute, throw in jail, and maybe even oversee the stonings of the leaders.

But then Jesus stepped in. He stopped Paul on his journey, blinded him with His glory, and commissioned him to go preach the good news of what He had done. 

In Acts, we read Paul's conversion from his own point of view. But in the letter to the Galatians - in this gospel nugget of chapter 1 - we in a sense read of Paul's conversion from God's point of view.

He is the Main Character.

He is the One who sets apart.

He is the One who calls.

He is the One who reveals.

1. God set apart Paul before he was born.

Think of it. From man's limited perspective, we see an enemy and violent persecutor of God's church. But all the while, God is in control. God has known Paul for decades, since he was in his mom's tummy. Actually, He's known him since eternity past.

And He has set Paul apart and chosen him. Not only to know Him, but also preach His gospel and build His church. 

2. God called Paul by His grace.

For Paul, it HAD to be the undeserved kindness of God! Yes, Paul was "advancing in Judaism" and "extremely zealous" for the father's traditions. But we know that earns nothing before a holy God.

On the flip side - again, Paul was a violent persecutor. He had fallen woefully short of God's holy standard to love his neighbor as himself.

Just like us all, Paul could only come to God based on grace.

3. God was pleased to reveal Jesus to Paul.

We should always pay close attention when the Bible clues us in to the very heart of God. What pleases him, what brings Him joy. 

And Paul says that God was "pleased" - He was happy, maybe even excited? - to reveal Jesus to Paul. 

From a human perspective, we could envision it like God "woke up" that morning thinking, "Today is the day! Today is the day I get to reveal Jesus to Paul, and turn his world upside down!"

What does this mean for us?

Believer in Jesus, these same truths that Paul says of his own conversion are true for you and your own conversion. 

     God set you apart before you were born.

     God called you by his grace.

     God was pleased to reveal Jesus to you. 

From beginning to end, God has been and will be the Main Character. He has done everything so that you could come to know Him.

May God fill our hearts with thankfulness and worship to Him!

-Joe Groppel

Dear Church

Galatians 1:6-10

During last Sunday’s sermon, we were asked to write a personal letter to someone using the words “grace” and “peace”.  On the rare occasion that I write a letter by hand, I will begin with “Dear” followed by the name of the intended recipient.  It’s easy for many to look past that “Dear” but to me it means a lot in expressing how deep my affection is for the one I’m writing to.

In our text this week, Paul expresses a very serious concern he has for the churches in Galatia – that they would not desert God and the grace by which He has called them in Christ by turning to a false gospel being preached to them about self-righteous works.  He goes so far as to say that anyone who preaches a distorted version of the gospel to the church should be damned to hell. 

Paul loves the Galatian churches and wants them to experience peace through the good news of God’s plan to fulfill the messianic covenant with mankind through Jesus as the one true Hero. Paul does not hope for any to be damned by believing or preaching a false gospel, rather he writes with a deep love for the Galatian people because they are dear to him and he knows even more so that they are dear to God.  Any distorted version of the gospel that adds a salvific condition on top of Jesus as the one true Hero clouds the Son and leads the church astray. 

Jesus has lived the perfect life that God requires, took the curse of our sin on Himself by dying on the cross once for all, rose from death to life, ascended to the position of honor and authority at the right hand of God, and sent His Spirit to seal our eternal union and empower us to live as followers of Christ.  This is the greatest thing that has ever happened in all of human history for our good and to the praise of our Heroic God! 

Droves of people are still prone to be led astray by visions and teachings that err from the gospel preached by Paul and the other Apostles.  May it not be so with His church today.  Instead, let us be amazed by the Heroic work of Jesus Christ that reclassifies us from DAMNED to DEAR in Christ.  May we be a people that share this amazing hope of salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone.  Let us do so faithfully as we are led by His Spirit to those He makes dear to us because of how dear they are to their Heavenly Father.

Grateful & Hopeful in Christ,

Jon

Reading the Envelope

Is there anything more exciting than receiving a letter in the mail? After rifling through a stack of bills and credit card offers, imagine you found a handwritten letter. What would you do first? Most of us wouldn’t tear open the envelope and begin reading mid- sentence, mid-letter. We’d first read the envelope to see whom the letter was addressed to and who sent it. When we begin studying a book of the Bible, we also need to “read the envelope”. We need to find out who wrote it, who they wrote it to, and why they felt compelled to do so. For the next few months we will be studying the epistle, or letter to the Galatians. Let’s check out the envelope together.

“Paul, an apostle—not from men or by man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised him from the dead— and all the brothers who are with me:

To the churches of Galatia. Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.”(Galatians 1:1-5)

The New Testament epistles begin in a similar format, common to letters written at the time. Unlike modern letters that are addressed to the recipient, in Greco-Roman times a letter began with the name of the sender, and was followed by a description of the recipient, and then a prayer or blessing.

So, who wrote the letter?

If you said Paul, great job! As you continue to read the envelope some additional questions may come to mind. Who was Paul? What authority did he have to write this letter? Why did he clarify that Jesus Christ made him an apostle? Was his authority being called into question, and if so, by whom? Learning the answers to these questions can give us greater context into what we are about to read.

To whom did Paul write the letter?

You’ve got it! He wrote it to the churches of Galatia. Now this is a bit different than Paul’s other letters who are typically addressed to a singular church or to “brothers and sisters”. This should cause us to wonder “What were multiple churches in the region of Galatia struggling with that led Paul to write them a letter?” And that will help us to finish reading the envelope as we ask, “Why did Paul write the letter to the churches in Galatia?”

The churches in Galatia were being infiltrated by teachers presenting a false gospel: Jesus + circumcision (or works of the law) = salvation. Paul wants the believers to understand there is no addition in this equation. Nothing is needed to complete their salvation, indeed nothing apart from Jesus alone offers them salvation.

As we read through this remarkable letter, Paul will explain what it meant for the Galatians to be free from the burden of the law, how to use that freedom for good, and how to walk by the Spirit. We will also explore what those very same things mean for us today in our context. Join us!

Natalie

Trick Question

After conferring with their team, the teens raced to write their answers on the white board. “What are two things you can do to earn God’s grace?” Repent? Believe? It was a trick question. Eddie fooled them! There isn’t one thing we can do to earn God’s grace.

Grace, by nature, is unmerited. In worship we sing “I didn’t earn it. I don’t deserve it. Still you give yourself away.” In the Bible we read “For it is by grace that you have been saved, through faith- and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God- not by works, so that no one can boast.” This is a fundamental truth of orthodox Christian faith. How then, do we reconcile this with the teaching of Jesus recorded in Matthew 25:31-46?

When he returns in glory, surrounded by heaven’s host and seated on his throne, Jesus says he will come to judge humanity. With the nations gathered before him, he will separate his sheep from the goats.

“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’

They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’

He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’

Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”

Those who inherit eternal life, the righteous ones, have something in common. They acted. Changed by grace, they extended mercy to the needy, the stranger, the imprisoned. Having received grace they could not earn they willingly gave it to others who could neither earn nor repay it.

“What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.” (James 2:14-19)

We are saved by grace, yes, but grace does not ever leave us unchanged. We repent, we believe, and we act because we have received God’s grace. It’s all grace! I pray you have been transformed by his grace and when you stand before Jesus he will see the evidence of it in your life.

Let’s be a church that shows our faith by our deeds. May we go, extending grace, living open handed, with hearts full of love for both our neighbor and the nations, until that great and awesome day.

Find us to be your faithful sheep, Lord.

Natalie

Talents a Reflection

"What would you do with $13,316,953? What would you do with it if it was handed to you by Jesus Himself?"

Matthew 25:14-30 is written by Matthew, a tax collector, who gets to witness Jesus speak about the Kingdom of Heaven and describe it in a topic Matthew knew well - finance. Who better to write about this parable than one who understands money and investments? We get a glimpse of what restoration is like, the final Metanarrative of Scripture in this parable.  

Jesus is sitting on the slopes of the Mount of Olives after visiting the Temple grounds and telling the disciples that “one day the buildings will be knocked down with not one stone left on top of another.” Mat. 24:2. Jesus had just told the disciples the Temple will fall to the ground, that the end of the world is coming, and that He, too, is leaving them for a while. Speaking of what is yet to come in Mat. 25, Jesus gives the disciples an illustration of hope about what the Kingdom of Heaven is like.

How amazing is our King, that He doesn’t leave the disciples in the dark? (He doesn’t leave us in the dark either!) Jesus tells the disciples that the Temple will fall and in Mat. 24, Jesus warns in detail what they can look out for and what to do while He is away, but Jesus doesn’t stop there in the desolation and storm. He, who is living hope, gives hope by describing the Kingdom of Heaven!

Jesus tells the story of a man traveling out of the country, leaving with his servant's talents for them to invest while he is gone, according to their abilities. A talent is a measurement of weight equal to 75 pounds. Depending on the Bible translation, the description may be of gold or a monetary sum. The first servant was entrusted with 5 talents of gold. I’m no tax collector, and while I do math daily, it is not my favorite subject. Looking at the numbers, 5 talents of gold at 75 pounds each would equal about 375 pounds. Today 375 pounds of gold is worth $13,316,953.  He gives 2 talents of gold to the next servant so about 150 pounds of gold, worth today around $5,326,781. To the last servant, he entrusts 1 talent of gold, 75 pounds at a value of $2,663,391 in today's currency exchange.  After handing out the loans, the man leaves for his trip.

The first servant receiving his responsibility gets to work immediately buying, selling, and raising his amount to $26,633,906.  The second does the same and to his ability raises his original amount to $10,653,563. The last servant dug a hole and buried his $2,663,391, not raising his amount as the first two servants had done.

The man comes home from his trip and, pleased with the first two servants and the profit they raised, gives them even more than they raised. The man also puts them in charge of many things. The servant who buried his loan, not wanting to give up his profit, had his gold given to the servant who raised the most and was thrown into outer darkness, where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth.

It seems the first two servants were excited to get to work, they trusted the man and wanted to do good for him while he was away. The third servant didn’t seem to have the same relationship. He didn’t view the man the way the other two did. The third servant viewed him as a hard man and was afraid he would be robbed of his earnings.  The third servant did not share in the joy of the work as the first two did. Why do you think that is?

What would you do with $13,316,953? What would you do with it if it was handed to you by Jesus Himself? Would you know what Jesus would want you to do with it? Do you have a relationship with Jesus that would cause you to hide what you are given out of fear and greed, thinking it will be taken from you, or would you feel encouraged to use what Jesus gives you? What has Jesus entrusted you with now, while you await His return? As I read over this chapter, I found myself humming the song “This Little Light of Mine”. I wondered, what am I hiding under a bushel that God has gifted me with to grow? What am I being lazy with? What am I letting Satan blow out or extinguish, that God is encouraging me to shine?  My prayer for us is for God’s will to be the same on Earth as it is in Heaven, and that we will continue to be good and faithful servants with all that God has entrusted us with from now until the time of Jesus' return. 

~Nikki Fiedler

“… and the door was shut…”

Matthew 25:1-13

The closing words of Matthew 25:10, uttered by Jesus Christ, carry a haunting and profound message — "and the door was shut." These words are part of a parable within the Olivet Discourse, a significant teaching by Jesus about His second coming. The parable, known as the Ten Virgins, serves as a warning to all to be spiritually prepared for His imminent return. This context is crucial to understanding the parable's relevance and its call for Preparation and Readiness.

Many interpretations of this parable in Mathew 25:1-13 include whether it is related solely to Israel and the Jewish people. The context points to the custom on the day of the bridegroom, who is going to the father's home to claim his promised spouse. Friends of the bride awaited for the wedding party to join the procession to the bride’s house, and the party's uncertain arrival could tarry for some time. Since the arrival time was unknown, the bridesmaids (the ten virgins) prepared tall lamps fueled with olive oil with limited burning capacity but also prepared a small reservoir of extra oil, just in case, for the procession to the bride's house.

In this story, the bridegroom was delayed, so all the bridesmaids carried on with their schedules, including sleep. But when their sleep was interrupted by the arrival of the bridegroom, half the bridesmaids had run out of oil. They were unprepared. By the time they had gone to get additional oil and returned, they missed the wedding feast, and the door was locked with no entrance — denial.

Do you see the parts played in this parable?

At first glance, the bridesmaids in the parable may seem identical, engaging in the same activities such as sleep. However, the presence or absence of oil in their lamps reveals a deeper truth. Many scholars interpret the oil as a symbol of the Holy Spirit and His work of salvation and regeneration. This interpretation suggests that true salvation is not a mere profession or outward appearance, but a genuine transformation of one's life through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

It's a warning where five were wise and prepared for the sudden appearance of Jesus Christ's second coming. The other five were otherwise with the tragic results of a mere formality regarding their faith and an empty spiritual life “for when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them.” [v3] The five who were otherwise failed to be ready like those now when the King comes, His return is unknown, and therefore, cannot enter His Kingdom. Disavowed and not known by the bridegroom, with a clear message in the parable is that one's salvation cannot be transferred to another person “give us your oil…go buy it yourself.” [verses 8-9]

The bridegroom is Jesus Christ, and His delay symbolizes the period between his two Advents. In verses 10-12, this telling of the bridegroom's arrival and the wedding feast fits the prophetic picture of Jesus returning for His bride, the church, and those who are saved and faithful will go with him to the His wedding feast —the new heaven and earthly reign.

The overriding truth of this parable is that the present time in your life is the only time for preparation for Jesus's return. He could come at any moment. Keep watch. Be alert. Be prepared.

IS YOUR LAMP BURNING BRIGHT AND FILLED WITH OIL?

-Dan Nickel

To Have and To Hold

Matthew 22:1-14

Wedding season is upon us and each is an occasion to genuinely celebrate.  How do you typically respond when you are invited to a wedding reception?  As I’m writing this, I’m looking forward to the weekend and rejoicing with some dear members of our church that are getting married.  I’ve also got my own daughter’s wedding on my mind as it is coming up in the Fall.  I want the experience to go along beautifully for my beloved daughter.  I hope she feels complete joy, support, and honor while she enters into this sacred covenant with her husband.  Pray for near and dear newlyweds to love like Jesus loves.

In this week’s text, Jesus tells a parable comparing the Kingdom of Heaven to a king throwing a wedding feast for his son.  The parable is definitely not a how-to guide for anyone planning a wedding reception today.  Jesus is teaching something deeper about the kingdom of heaven and the invitation we have through Him.  Some people in this parable react very strangely to the invitation for that wedding feast.  Some ignore the invitation.  Others went so far as to act violently and commit murder on those who were bringing the invitation.  Jesus tells this parable to an audience with religious leaders that are seeking to arrest and quiet Him.

What if I told you that the wedding feast symbolizes the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  What if I told you that the wedding garment symbolizes confession and belief in Jesus as the Messiah.  Then could you see how the reaction of the first invitees in Jesus’ parable might relate to the hostile individuals surrounding Jesus then or even now?  Based on what we know about human nature and our struggle with self- worship, could it be that some respond with contempt and violence because they just don’t want to honor the Son?  Is it because the attention is going to someone else other than themselves?  Is it that they don’t want to agree to another’s beck and call? 

Again, Jesus is teaching something deeper about the Kingdom of Heaven and responding to the invitation to partake with Him in it.  How will you respond today?  Pray for a receptive heart.

The wedding season is still upon us as Jesus Christ, the bridegroom, is gathering the church, His bride.  You and I are invited to join the celebration of God’s Son that is the Kingdom of Heaven by receiving the Gospel and confessing Jesus as our Redeemer and Lord.  May we not be like a runaway bride or an unrepentant bystander.  Instead let us be unified with Christ and holding dearly to the sacred covenant He has made with us to bring us graciously into His Kingdom!

Grateful & Hopeful in Christ,

Jon

Built on the Cornerstone

Matthew 21:33-46

It’s Tuesday. But not just any Tuesday. It’s the Tuesday of the most important week in human history.

Two days ago, the King came to Zion - “humble, and mounted on a donkey” (21:5).

And now, the King’s cross and His empty tomb - events that have long been out on the horizon, off in the distance - are now closer than ever before.

And one final time, the King wishes to spend this Tuesday addressing the religious leaders. The priests, the Pharisees, and the elders gathered around Him. Not to *listen* to Him, the One who is both King and Prophet (21:46). But instead, to challenge His authority (21:23).

And as He had done so many times, He would address them in parables. But these would not be cutesy, Aesop-Fable-like parables, teaching us how to live a good, moral life. No, with these parables, the Prophet-King wants to make it very plain, very clear to all: not only who He is, but also, what He knows these leaders are about to do to Him.

Among the several parables He would tell, He tells one of a vineyard Master, His Son, and the tenants. The Master would repeatedly send his servants to harvest the fruit; and repeatedly, one by one, the tenants would beat, stone, and kill the Master’s servants.

But with the Master’s Son, it would be different, right? So the Master sends His Son, saying, “They will respect my Son.” But just as with all the other servants, the tenants throw the Son out of the vineyard, and kill Him.

For the priests, Pharisees, and elders, the message is loud and clear:
“They perceived that He was speaking about them” (21:45).
They were the builders, rejecting the Stone (21:42).

Just as their fathers repeatedly did with God’s prophets, one more time, they would reject and kill - not just any prophet - but God’s one true Prophet. “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it!” (23:37).

It’s Tuesday. In three days, these leaders would hang this Prophet on the tree and kill Him.

But the Master is sovereign over it all. This would be “the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes.” (21:42). On Sunday, the stone would be rolled away, and the Stone, rejected by the builders, would become the Cornerstone of our salvation.

The question before us today is this:
What will WE do with this Prophet?

Will we be like the religious leaders - rejecting this Prophet, and what He has to say to us? Will we, like them, challenge His authority? The authority that even He has over our own lives?

Or will we receive this Prophet? Will we build our lives on this Cornerstone?

And the promise for us who will build our lives on this Cornerstone is an unshakable life in Him.

“Therefore the Lord God said:
‘Look, I have laid a stone in Zion,
a tested stone,
a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation;
the one who believes will be unshakable.’”
(Isaiah 28:16, CSB)

-Joe Groppel

"Hey, No Fair!"

Workers in the Vineyard - Matthew 20:1-16

Growing up the oldest of three, I am pretty sure my parents will agree with me when I tell you that “Hey, no fair” was one of my most popular exclamations of protest. I often felt like everything was not fair. From something as little as not sitting in the front seat, not getting as many M&M’s, or not getting to watch what I wanted to watch on TV to something as big as my siblings marrying and starting their own families before me. Life can feel unfair when I am earthly-focused and lose sight of God’s Heavenly Kingdom.

Reading Matthew 20:1-16 it seems like a lot of unfair moments. Why should someone who worked longer hours get paid the same as someone who worked less? Is Jesus talking about earthly work and earthly wages, or is He talking about God's sufficient grace and mercy? Does someone who asks Jesus into their life at a younger age get less of God’s grace than someone who finds Him at a later stage in life? Can God’s forgiveness be earned and if so, what does someone have to do to earn it? What about someone who’s dedicated their long life to serving others or a thief hanging on a cross? Luke 23. Do they both get the same pardon from God?

Jesus answers in verse thirteen, by saying “I want to give the man who was hired last the same as I gave the one who was hired first. Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous? So, the last will be first, and the first will be last.”  

Here we are reading the spoken word of Jesus Christ written by Matthew, a worker who was hired first to labor in the fields, sowing seeds of faith for the first Church. Here I am 2,000 years later, nowhere near laboring as long and diligent as Matthew. Yet we both receive the same from Jesus, eternal life, forgiveness, mercies, and grace sufficient for all. Is that fair? Luke 13:30

Carmen wrote last week; that we can forgive because we know forgiveness from Christ and have been forgiven. We can also happily celebrate each other when we come to Christ and see with heavenly-focused eyes how God’s kingdom grows! We can delight in the Lord for our neighbors, coworkers, family, friends, and foreigners across continents when they receive God’s gifts at any stage in life because there is plenty for everyone! God’s kingdom is everlasting, Daniel 7:27. From generation to generation, Psalm 145:13. Abundantly supplied, 2 Peter 1:11.

Coming face to face with our brokenness and Christ’s ability to save us opens our eyes to how amazing that grace truly is, and, in that love, we desire for others to have that too!

For He saved us, not based on deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit. Titus 3:5. My prayer for us is that we all are washed and renewed by the Holy Spirit, coming to the Father with open arms through Christ Jesus so that we can rejoice in the abundance of God’s love and mercy! Hallelujah!  

-Nikki-

Jesus Paid the Debt

Do you truly believe that through Christ you are fully forgiven? Have you ever sat in silence and thought about what this really means?

In today’s parable, we hear of a servant who owes his master an unpayable amount. His master orders that him, his family, and all he owns be sold to make up for what he cannot pay. The servant begs for more time, promising that he will eventually be able to pay what he owes. The master compassionately forgives the servant of his debt, knowing that he will never be able to pay back the full amount.

After being forgiven of this great debt, the same servant goes out and finds a fellow servant who is indebted to him (note that this is a much smaller amount compared to what the servant had owed his master). He forcefully insists that the servant pay what he owes. Just as the servant had begged his master to be patient with him, this servant begs for more time, promising that he will eventually pay what he owes. Instead of forgiving his debt as his master did to him, the servant chooses to punish him by throwing him in prison until his debt is paid.

If anyone has a right to withhold forgiveness, it would be God. Throughout time, humans have constantly chosen sin over God. He offers us everything we could ever need. He knows what will hurt us and what will keep us safe, yet we turn away from Him time and time again. Every time we do this, God is patient with us, waits for us to run back to Him, and forgives us. He doesn’t do this because we deserve it, but because that’s who He is.

God sent His son to pay the debt that we couldn’t pay – forever forgiving us of our past, present, and future sins.

If God can so easily forgive us, knowing that we are going to turn away from him again, why is it that when someone hurts us, our natural response is to be filled with resentment? Just as what the servant owed the other servant was nothing compared to what the servant owed his master, the debt owed to us by others is nothing compared to the debt that we owe God.

Knowing that we are fully forgiven through Christ should change everything about the way we treat ourselves and others. We must remember the weight of what Christ did for us on the cross. We were forgiven of a huge debt and therefore have no right to hold onto the small debts that others owe us.

In times when we find it exceptionally hard to forgive ourselves or others, could it be because we don’t believe that God has fully forgiven us?

God, I pray that you help us never lose sight of what Jesus did for us. Help us to know and believe that, through Him, we are fully forgiven. Reveal to us the people in our lives who we need to forgive and give us the courage to forgive them as you have forgiven us, not just with our mouths, but in our hearts.

Carmen K

The Pouring Out Of A Spiritual Life

I am not interested in the past. I am interested in the future, for that is where I expect to spend the rest of my life. — Charles Kettering

Joseph's decision to take his young family to Nazareth instead of returning to the land of Israel, as directed by the angel, is a backstory in this parable by Jesus. Fleeing to Egypt to avoid the killing hand of Herod after Jesus's birth, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, directing him to take the family back to the land of Israel. But in Matthew 2:22, it said Joseph was afraid to go there after hearing Herod had died and his son, Archelaus, reigned over Judea. Instead, Joseph took his young family to Nazareth.

Why mention this account for this week's parable in Luke 19:11-27?

Archeleus was chosen by his father, Herod, as successor of his kingdom, but was rejected by the people, left for Rome to have his appointment confirmed, returned, rewarded his servants, and destroyed his enemies.

In this parable of the nobleman and the Ten Minas (also pounds), scholars think Jesus used Archelaus' recent history to awaken the imagination of those listening to what Jesus was teaching. Jesus was also warning the Jewish leaders they were about to do the same thing spiritually. Jesus, himself, is the 'certain nobleman' [v. 12], who will be rejected by the people, leave for a heavenly kingdom, and then eventually return. The ten servants given Ten Minas represented His disciples who were told to "Do business till I come." [v.13]

In this parable, Jesus uses the world of business and economics as a model for the lesson of investing in a spiritual life, increasing it, spreading the Gospel, and reaping greater rewards. The unproductive are rebuked, while the productive are rewarded—risk vs. reward. The risk and privilege of sharing the Gospel and representing Jesus Christ in a hostile world leads to greater reward and spiritual growth, as the first two servants experienced, leading to the advancement of Christ's Kingdom. The rewards for the first two servants' diligence were in proportion to the increase gained from their risk-taking. Or on the other hand, one can instead choose to cling to God's blessings and gifts, play it safe, which leads to a stagnation of one's faith and spiritual growth like the last servant who held onto what he had, was rebuked, and judged accordingly. Where one is not living in anticipation of the future promises that await and paying the discipline and sacrifice, but only interested in staying in yesterday's fading light stuck in the known.

Notice in the parable that those who do nothing with what they possess, will have what they had taken away and given to those who will steward the resources and gifts of God. It's a life lesson that the more we pour out in life and in self-expenditure, the more that life pours back into us. Even a full glass of water can be refilled by pouring out what it contains so more water can be poured back in. Verses 23-24 suggest we should seriously pour out our all in everything we have and do, and steward the gifts God blessed us with by serving Jesus Christ without measure or lack of accountability, or in short order, we will lose it, and our spiritual life will depreciate.

The header in J. B. Philips's translation of the New Treatment for this parable in Luke is an excellent reminder for us and the church:

Life requires courage, and is hard on those who dare not use their gifts.

-Dan Nickel

The Jesus Prayer

When you really know Jesus Christ, you can’t help but want to be in His presence. The problem for me is that I sometimes get confused on how this is achieved. When I think it’s about me and my self-righteous works, I am in a bad spot that keeps me from seeing Jesus for who He is and what He’s really done for me. But when I think about how undeserving I really am to be in His presence and look to Him for help, I am exactly where Jesus wants me to be so that I’m ready to experience His mercies in a fresh way for each moment of the day and point others to the same.

A few years into my experience of pastoral ministry, as I was looking for healthy disciplines that would support me spending time with Jesus, I came across an ancient practice some refer to as - the Jesus prayer. It is practiced by breathing in as you pray “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God…” and then as you breathe out “have mercy on me a sinner.” This prayer is repeated over and over as I breathe in the truth about who Jesus is and breathe out the reality of my need for His continued mercy to change things. The prayer only works well as a whisper in the sense that I can’t verbalize it loudly while breathing in. But the one part I can exclaim very loudly as I’m breathing out is my desperate cry “have mercy on me a sinner.” 

In our text this week, we see some of this prayer taught in Jesus’ parable as He describes the tax collector praying, “God, have mercy on me a sinner.” In that prayer, the tax collector is justified because he sees the truth that it is only by God’s mercy that he will ever be brought into life-saving communion with God. Jesus’ parable offers a powerful reminder for those like me that have a problem with sometimes trusting in ourselves and our own work. Jesus’ reminder is that it is only by God’s mercy that anyone will ever be able to come peacefully into His presence.

May we be a people that do not trust in ourselves but in the One who is Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God. May we urgently pursue the truth of the Gospel as much as we pursue the air we need for our lungs. And may we experience the peace and mercy achieved through Jesus by which sinners like us are now called saints in His Kingdom to the praise of His glory!

Grateful & Hopeful in Christ,

Jon