i'm all about the grace, bout the grace

When you first go to kindergarten, you learn the very basics: the alphabet, numbers, colors, shapes. You then progress to reading, adding & subtracting, and they start teaching you geography and science. By the time you're in high school, you're so far advanced beyond those basics that you hardly ever even give them much thought. The alphabet, numbers and colors are so ingrained into your thinking that you probably don't even pay that much attention to them.

[Galatians 2:20-21: I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.]

Christianity is different. We learn the basics and as we progress and learn new things, we can't forget the basics or we've lost the point.

Reread those verses. These are some pretty powerful statements that Paul is making.

God loves you. God loves you when you feel unlovable. God loves you when you are deep in sin. God loves you. God loves you so much that He sent Jesus to die for you. He knows that we can’t follow the Law. He humbled Himself and came to earth to live a perfect life to take on our sins. What an amazing way to show His love for you!

There’s more… He loves you so much that He doesn’t want you to struggle and give in to the flesh. Christ lives in you. He is always with you. He hasn’t saved us and then left us to fend for ourselves. He helps us live out our faith.

The other thing Paul addresses in these verses is the grace of God. That’s another thing that is so basic, but we can’t forget about it. As we read our Bibles, we learn more and more of what it means to follow Christ. There are things we should and shouldn’t do. It’s easy to start to focus on those should’s and shouldn’t’s and make them matter. When we do that, we start to become judgmental and legalistic of others because we’ve created a new law. We take grace out of the picture and then Christ died for no purpose. We need grace and Christ’s death! Don’t forget the basics!

1. Do you have a tough time believing God loves you? Do you ever feel like you don’t deserve His love?

2. I live by faith in the Son of God, who _______________ me and gave himself for me.

3. What can you do this week to help you focus on Jesus and the cross so that you don’t live as if He died for no purpose?

4. Take a minute and journal your thoughts about this passage:

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These are devotionals written for the teens. A handful of us are taking turns writing, so it may seem like sporadic passages. It all flows nicely for the teens in their devo books though.

Is that the finish line up there?

Ever watch White Wolves? For those of you that haven't had the privilege, a group of teens and their leader go on a backpacking trip, very much like us, with less canoeing. Their goal is to get to the top of Eagle Rock. They eventually make it to the top and disaster strikes! Their trip turns into a rescue mission. Before that happens they have a little encounter with a bear. Kara doesn’t want to hang the food in a tree and a bear sniffs it out and eats it. If you’ve ever done a wilderness trip, you know how important it is to plan out your food carefully. You don’t want to eat too much or too little so that it lasts for the duration of the trip. A bear eating your food makes all that planning seem to have been done in vain.

[Galatians 2:1-2: Then after fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus along with me. I went up because of a revelation and set before them (though privately before those who seemed influential) the gospel that I proclaim among the Gentiles, in order to make sure I was not running or had not run in vain.]

In the last few verses of chapter 1, Paul has explained why he has any power to speak about this whole issue regarding the Gentiles and circumcision and the Law. Now the beginning of chapter 2, he’s telling us what he did about the situation. There are two things that standout to me.

The first thing is the parenthetical comment in verse 2. Paul went to Jerusalem to talk and he sought out the people who were influential and talked to them privately. He didn’t go make a scene and get into a huge public debate. He didn’t protest and post on facebook to get supporters for his cause. No, he went privately to address the issue. I don’t know about you, but I don’t always just go quietly and talk to people who are influential in a situation I have issue with. I think Paul’s honest and humble approach to the situation is something we could all learn from.

The second thing that stands out to me is Paul explaining why he’s doing this in the end of verse 2. He wants to make sure that the effort he has put forth in proclaiming the Gospel to the Gentiles hasn’t been in vain. If he’s got this whole thing wrong, he’s been preaching a false gospel for the past few years and so he wants some clarification.

We all want to have purpose. We want to know that out lives matter. We don’t want to spend years of our lives doing something to find out it was all in vain.

Paul’s life was radically different because of his encounter with Christ on the road to Damascus. He’s been running the race of life proclaiming the Gospel. He runs with purpose. We should do the same. Make sure the things that you are focused on are the things that truly matter. Don’t run in vain.

1. How do you generally handle situations in which you disagree with someone?

2. …in order to make sure I was not _______________ in vain.

3. Are you running in vain or are you running with a purpose?

4. Take a minute and journal your thoughts about this passage:

She's Got Issues- Anger

Sunday School: “She’s Got Issues”    by Nicole Unice                                              March 1, 2015

Anger

These are not the things that get discussed at Mother's Day teas and women's retreat. Bitter, forceful anger? From nice Christian girls? Anger might turn women into wild things. Then again, anger causes some women to turn to all kinds of secretive behaviors to vent their true feelings. Anger has the power to change lives. Many of us know what it's like to be on the receiving end of rage in the form of emotional or physical abuse. Many of us also know what it is to speak and act from a place of anger ourselves. Yet anger can also change lives for the better – if it is harnessed and transforms into a power for good. (180)

I wonder if these women, like me, are recalling the last time they lost their temper. What they said and how they said it. What they squeezed, slapped, or threw in anger. I wonder if some of them are thinking about the space in their souls were unresolved anger lives, how they hide it and suppress it and try to ignore it, all the time wondering how and why they have such strong, seemingly irrational feelings, a force they can't quite reconcile with their concept of what it means to be a sweet Christian woman. (181)

There's another kind of woman altogether. She's the one who claims to never get angry. These women worry me even more. True, they aren't inflicting damage on anyone else with their words or actions. But studies consistently show that women who repress their anger tend to have that poison leak into many areas of physical and mental health. In fact, one definition of depression is "anger turned inward." The truth is that every woman I've ever met has some good reasons to be angry, as well as many completely irrational reasons to be angry. (181-182)

Anger is a God-created emotion! 14 times in the Old Testament, God himself is called angry. (182)

We should not fear the emotion itself, nor should we attempt to live a life devoid of anger. (182)

powerful forceful anger has two benefits:

1- it can serve as a warning light when something is wrong. It is a signal that all is not well and something is going on in our hearts that needs to be examined. 2- anger can be the power that activates us to work for good. Anger's force can provide get–up–and–go we need to stop being apathetic and instead fully engage with life. (182)

[take quiz]

Anger is expressed in three distinct ways, the first two, rage and resentment, are destructive ways to deal with anger. The third, indignation, is a constructive loving expression. (184-185)

If you answered mostly true to statements 1, 5, or 6, you have used rage as an outlet for anger. (185)

Lashing out is a great way to release that powerful emotion – because it works! Like the calm that follows a severe storm, our bodies often return to a peaceful state after we arrived. But, oh, the destruction are rage leaves behind! Not only can we create permanent damage to the object of our anger – whether through violent actions or words – but we also create permanent damage in our own hearts. That's because anger often leads to another powerful emotion – shame. (186)

If you answered mostly true to statements 2,3,7,8,11, you may vent your anger through resentment.

Ball in pool- rage punts ball, resentment tries to hide it under the surface.

It keeps popping back up as sarcasm, grudges, unresolved conflict – so it demands continuous emotional energy causing us to miss out on enjoying life.

Or we choose a passive–aggressive response by not responding as a method of making our point.

Resentment is closely related to the issue of control and often causes us to act out in manipulative ways. Because we haven't learned to deal directly with our anger, this monster begins to control us. (188)

If you answer mostly true two statements 4, 9, 10, you've experienced the power of anger used for good.

Every time Scripture describes Jesus as being angry, it was for a real evil that kept people from experiencing God's kingdom. (189)

Richard P Walters notes "among Christians there is a fear of rage, a surplus of resentment, and a shortage of indignation." (190)

[watch video]

Jerry bridges says: "we need to realize that no one else causes us to be angry." (196)

The way I respond to things is my choice. Including the choice to respond in anger.

Matt 5:3- "blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." commentators point out that the Greek rendering for affairs implies exclusivity meaning "blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs and only theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

When we recognize our own deficits and inability to control our issues, we are able to embrace the true reality of God's grace.

What does it mean to be poor in spirit? It means coming to the end of yourself and realizing that you are lacking – lacking love, lacking patience, lacking the energy to act like you've got it all together. It means recognizing the ugly side of yourself (anger will do that for you). It's here – and only here – that you can experience the true power of Jesus is transforming power in your life. It's here – and only here – that you can embrace the strength of the spirit moving and working within you. (197)

We can try to prevent anger or employed techniques to diffuse anger but the most important thing we can do one anger rises is to ask God to stand there with us. We can actually invite him into that ugliness. (197)

God will provide away out for my anger that doesn't involve screaming or sarcasm. God can replace my anger with love. (198)

When God gets involved in the solution, he always, always, always softens our hearts with love. (198)

But the "poor in spirit" verse isn't a free pass to stop trying or to wash our hands of all responsibility. Rather Scripture tells us that "since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the spirit" (Galatians 5:25). Jesus says the person who "listens to my teaching and obeys me is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock " (Matthew 7:24).

Often you want to justify our bad behavior with the litany of reasons why we lost it. We were tired. We were stressed out. We had a headache. We hadn't yet reconciled after our last argument. We are preoccupied with other emotional stress. In fact, it can be helpful to step back and list what mental, physical, or emotional conditions are likely to predispose us to losing it. (199)

We need to recognize the healthy outlets we have to release our tension and anger, and then we must get honest with ourselves before God about the reasons for our anger. (201)

There are preventative measures we can take to help control our anger – getting enough sleep, eating better, being aware of the time of the month, etc. run, read, rest..

But, reality is that nothing – not rest, not reading, not a girls night out, not anything – can bring peace to my soul like Jesus’ words. (204)

Words are powerful. We can all probably think of hurtful words someone had said to us...

We must take her word seriously. Once they are sent out, they cannot be taken back. (205)

-our talk shouldn't be unwholesome.

-our words should be used to build others up.

-our words should be used according to the receiver's needs.

-we pay attention to our words because they are a thermometer to our hearts. Jesus said “whatever is in your heart determines what you say” (Matthew 12:34). When our hearts are right with God, we naturally reflect that in the way we speak. And when things aren't so good? The words that spill forth from this place are often the first sign of a true heart sickness.

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We are studying the book She's Got Issues by Nicole Unice with the teen girls in Sunday School. These are my notes from the book. Just about none of it is my words-it's almost all quotes and paraphrases. I would recommend you read the book!!

Bless Us, O Lord...

I feel like a terrible person for admitting this, but I kinda chuckle at certain people when they pray because I know what they're going to say. When I was a teen, one of our youth leaders always started her prayers with "Lord God, our Father and Savior." Another person I know always starts his prayers thanking God for Jesus and the salvation we have through him. My dad ends his prayer for dinner with, "bless this food to our bodies and us to thy service." Jeff always closes with "I/we love you, God. Amen."

But you know what, as I'm chuckling at the predictability of these prayers, I'm overlooking the powerful things being said. These people praying are addressing God in a way that reminds them of who God is and shows our need for Him. 

[Galatians 1:3-5 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.]

Did he just say... ??

You ever overhear a comment that seems completely bizarre, but once you hear what the people were talking about it's not so strange?

This week we are going to begin studying the book of Galatians. In order to understand what's being said, it's important for us to know who wrote it, to whom it was written, and to understand the reasons for why it's written. Otherwise it might seem like some bizarre comments being made.

[Galatians 1:1-2: Paul, an apostle--not from men nor through man, but through 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:]

Who's the Gaffer?

Do you ever pay attention to the credits at the end of the movie? How about the author’s acknowledgements at the end of a book? Or the legal jargon at the end of business emails?

I really don’t. I watch the movie, but I don’t care who did the make-up and stunts, and if I want to know who an actor is, it’s easier to find it online. Books, half of you probably don’t read books, let alone anything extra at the end, right? ;)

[Philippians 4:21-23: Greet every saint in Christ Jesus. The brothers who are with me greet you. All the saints greet you, especially those of Caesar's household. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.]

Along with skipping credits or acknowledgements, how many of you skip genealogies? How about the final greetings of Paul (or Peter or John)?

The book of Philippians was actually a letter Paul wrote the church in the town of Philippi. The words Paul writes were intended for real people. He wrote to teach them, encourage them, disciple them. The things he said were inspired, so they are just as relevant to us today. Through them we are also taught, encouraged and discipled.

In the verses in this chapter, we see some personal comments from Paul towards a specific person or two. Today we read his final greetings. There’s not a sermon with a 3 point outline based on these couple of verses. I don’t have some awesome application of these verses to our lives.

But God had Paul write them for a reason.

It’s easy for me to think that people had it easy in Bible times. I mean they didn’t have facebook or tv or all sorts of distractions like we do today. But these letters were written to people who had their own issues. Sometimes they got along, sometimes they didn’t. Sometimes they did what was right, sometimes they didn’t.

When you are reading the Bible, remember these people are real. They read this letter from Paul and had the option of whether to believe and obey what they read or not. You have that same choice. As we are finished reading through Philippians, are you going to choose believe and obey what you’ve read or not?

1. Skim through chapter 4 and find the names of some of the specific people Paul directs comments towards. Anything interesting jump out at you?

2. The ______________ of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.

3. Take a minute and journal your thoughts about this passage:

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These are devotionals written for the teens. A handful of us are taking turns writing, so it may seem like sporadic passages. It all flows nicely for the teens in their devo books though.

Are You Content?

Pete aka “Drug Lord Pedro” aka Lauren & Michael’s dad, whatever you prefer to call him, used to be my youth leader back when I was in middle school. One day Jeff, Pete and I were reminiscing about those days and I said one of the few things I remember from then was Pete standing in the stairwell on the bus on the way to the Superbowl refusing to look at Christmas lights because it was before Thanksgiving. Pete was a little crushed that the one thing that I remember was so trivial and not some great lesson he taught or anything. 

[Philippians 4:10-13: I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity. Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.]

That’s a hard passage to swallow! Whether he's rich or poor, Paul's learned to be content. What does it mean to be content?

Contrary to what I may have led him believe, I actually do remember something Pete taught. He was probably teaching on the very passage you just read. He was explaining what it means to be content. Pete said, “Being content is desiring what you have.”

I don’t know about you, but I don’t always desire what I have. I don't desire day to day subbing or snowy, icy weather. I desire a real teaching job, a husband, a warm place to live. 

So what's the secret to being content that Paul discovered? "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." If I can be content with Christ – if I can desire my relationship with Him, the rest kinda falls into place. Not that life suddenly becomes perfect but if Christ is our focus, it doesn't matter whether we've got a lot or a little. 

1. Are you content with your life?

2. I have learned in _____________________ situation I am to be _____________________.

3. What is one practical step you can take this week to help you be content?

4. Take a minute and journal your thoughts about this passage:

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These are devotionals written for the teens. A handful of us are taking turns writing, so it may seem like sporadic passages. It all flows nicely for the teens in their devo books though.