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Bible Study

Ruth: God’s Hand in Our Lives

The book of Ruth is often seen as a love story. And Yes, it is that. But, it goes so much deeper that just the story of a man and a woman. As we begin chapter two, Ruth and Naomi have moved to Bethlehem and are looking for ways that they can get food.

Ruth 2:1-9 New International Version (NIV)

Now Naomi had a relative on her husband’s side, a man of standing from the clan of Elimelek, whose name was Boaz.

And Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi, “Let me go to the fields and pick up the leftover grain behind anyone in whose eyes I find favor.”

Naomi said to her, “Go ahead, my daughter.” So she went out, entered a field and began to glean behind the harvesters. As it turned out, she was working in a field belonging to Boaz, who was from the clan of Elimelek.

Just then Boaz arrived from Bethlehem and greeted the harvesters, “The Lord be with you!”

“The Lord bless you!” they answered.

Boaz asked the overseer of his harvesters, “Who does that young woman belong to?”

The overseer replied, “She is the Moabite who came back from Moab with Naomi. She said, ‘Please let me glean and gather among the sheaves behind the harvesters.’ She came into the field and has remained here from morning till now, except for a short rest in the shelter.”

So Boaz said to Ruth, “My daughter, listen to me. Don’t go and glean in another field and don’t go away from here. Stay here with the women who work for me. Watch the field where the men are harvesting, and follow along after the women. I have told the men not to lay a hand on you. And whenever you are thirsty, go and get a drink from the water jars the men have filled.”

I hope that reading the book of Ruth will touch your hearts and make you fall in love with the beautiful, provisional exchange between Ruth and the beyond merciful man of God named Boaz. I have always prayed that God would help me raise Jackson to become a man like Boaz. I was blessed and given my own Boaz, in my husband Daniel. The way this wealthy man treats his workers and then Ruth demonstrates a genuine life lived for God and others. Boaz is the God initiated positive shift in this story that born out of the deepest suffering.

As I was blessed with a Boaz and desire my son to be like him. I also aspire to have the character of Ruth. She is a model of grace, humility, tremendous work ethic, resourcefulness, and selflessness. I am motivated by her strength and inspired by her undaunted attitude. She Reminds me of the woman described in Proverbs 31. You might even want to put your hands to work for God with renewed commitment and fervor after reflecting on her life.

Or God might be telling you, you have been more of a Naomi. Who ended chapter 1 in hopeless and bitterness, but who now is beginning to see the mercy of God break through in her life after a long period of darkness. Her return to Bethlehem not only signified a return to her people, but also a return to her God. If you’ve been in a season of darkness that has left you far from God, I pray that your heart will be softened as you watch Naomi’s transformation this week.

But oh, more than anything, please don’t miss our great God in the details.

It’s not a coincidence that Naomi returned Bethlehem.

It’s God that lead them there.

It’s not a coincidence that Ruth “happened to come”to a certain field.

It’s God who placed Ruth in Boaz’s field

It’s not a coincidence that Boaz had leftover harvest to glean in his fields.

It’s God who has a heart for the poor and the widow – Leviticus 19:9-10; James 1:27

God’s intention isn’t for us to simply focus on the love story of Ruth and Boaz, or admirable human strength, resilience, or effort. Throughout Scripture, God longs for us to see Him as the loving God whose hands direct our lives.

Now it’s your turn. Where have you seen God go before YOU?

Seek Him in your suffering, don’t miss His whisperings in the waiting, and look for His provision as you unpack His faithfulness in each new day.

And then don’t forget to speak of His glory and goodness to those He has put in your path! .

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Bible Study Uncategorized

Ruth: Get Bitter or Get Better

Many people find it almost impossible to have hope when you are filled with pain and loss. Naomi has lost her husband and both her sons and her dreams of having a large family had been shattered. In most of our lives we have felt pain and loss. It may not be on Naomi’s scale, but the struggle is still real for us. At one point in my life I was bitter and angry at how I thought God was treating. It turns out i was bringing this destruction on myself, but I was young and naive and very selfish. During this time, I spoke with a very god- centered preacher, Bobby Tucker. He said to me, “Missy, You have one choice. You can be bitter or get better.” Those words have often come back at me many times since that conversation. Although it is difficult to believe that God is near, His sovereignty never sleeps. When our pain is the deepest and our doubt the greatest, God remains with us.

Ruth 1:19-22 New International Version (NIV)

19 So the two women went on until they came to Bethlehem. When they arrived in Bethlehem, the whole town was stirred because of them, and the women exclaimed, “Can this be Naomi?”20 “Don’t call me Naomi,[a]” she told them. “Call me Mara,[ because the Almighty has made my life very bitter. 21 I went away full, but the Lord has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi? The Lord has afflicted me; the Almighty has brought misfortune upon me.

22 So Naomi returned from Moab accompanied by Ruth the Moabite, her daughter-in-law, arriving in Bethlehem as the barley harvest was beginning.

In this passage, Naomi is facing a crisis of faith. Returning to her homeland, Bethlehem, the home of her God, her faith, and her people should bring feelings of hope. However, Naomi is left empty and in despair. Naomi, in Hebrew means pleasant. After all that has happened, now wishes to be called Mara, which means Bitter

Naomi believes that God is punishing her. When everything seems to be tossed upside, do you get like Naomi or do you choose to cry out to God and get better. My Mother and father -in- law have have a rough 5 years. My father- in-law has battled prostate and bone cancer. My mother-in-law has battled stomach, uterine and brain cancer. Yet, they refuse to be bitter. Going into her brain surgery my mother-in-law looked at me and said, “It’s okay. Either way I win. I beat this and get to spend more time here with you or I don’t and I get to spend eternity with Jesus. Either way I win.”

God does not just extend the fullness of His grace and overflowing love during the good times in our lives. That Grace and Love are present in the bad as well, you just have to stop wallowing in you grief long enough to see God. We get so focused on me, me, me that we forget this story your starring in is all about God. God will use our doubts, our fears, and our pain for His glory. Nothing is wasted or without purpose. We can be assured that all of our struggles and our pain are in the loving hands of a loving Father.

Naomi, in her pain, called herself Mara, because she failed to recognize God’s grace. However, God, in His grace, blessed Naomi with a loving husband for many years. In His grace, Naomi and her husband birthed two strong sons who were then able to support and care for her after her husband’s death. In His grace, her sons were married, her daughters-in-law, who honored and respected her despite their Moabite upbringing. In His grace, Naomi was able to return to her home and her faith, in Bethlehem, after God had delivered the land from a severe famine.

In God’s grace, Naomi was never alone. She possessed the love and devotion of her daughter-in-law Ruth who shared her same struggles with pain and loss. In His grace, Naomi would become grandmother to Ruth’s first-born, Obed, and share in the majestic ancestry of the lineage of her Messiah, Jesus Christ. God’s grace is exceedingly more abundant than our circumstances, our past, or our pain.

God’s grace pours out love, kindness, favor, and forgiveness all over the place, to those who trust in Him. His grace changes everything. Our plan for our life is often drastically different from God’s purpose for our life. The challenge for believers is to filter our every experience through the love of Jesus Christ and trust His perspective, not our own. Grounding our lives in God’s promises in His Word gives us the confidence to trust His will and His plan for our lives.

But I trust in Your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in Your salvation. I will sing the Lord’s praise, for He has been good to me. – Psalm 13:5-6 

Naomi thought she had lost everything. She thought God had afflicted her. Naomi was wrong. Everything she believed had been lost and perished was restored as a part of God’s plan because of His great love. There are no insignificant people or circumstances in God’s story. Even when we doubt it, God’s love for His people is eternally perfect, unconditional, and inexhaustible until the end of ends.

Have your circumstances derailed your faith in God? How might your emotions be limiting your ability to recognize God’s grace in your life? How might God be using your trials to strengthen your faith and reveal His glory?  How can we pray for you as you seek out God’s grace in your life?

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Bible Study

Ruth: Loyalty in Relationships

Having spent many years working with teenagers, I been evolved in some lively conversations. We have talked about Everything from games and memes, I have no idea about, to food, to shoes, but when you hang in there long enough, the topic of relationships almost always rises. One thing I have noticed through the years is that the kids bring up the seeming lack of loyalty in relationships around them. It’s no secret that changes throughout the teenage years can often result in self-focus, fickle feelings, shifts in friendship groups, and short-lived romantic interests. Unfortunately, the absence of loyalty isn’t just exclusive to the teenage years.

The world we live in has distorted views on loyalty. The more and more people I talk to the more convinced I am that most peoples loyalty lies in their own needs not the others in the relationship. I am not only speaking of marriage, but also friendships, jobs, churches and ministries. With staggering divorce rates, decreasing job longevity, and even a trending lack of commitment to the local church, the priority the world places on personal convenience and fulfillment the evidence of out lack of loyalty is staggering. Ruth chose to be loyal to a mother- in -law and shows us how we can put others needs above our own desires.

Ruth 1:8-18 New International Version (NIV)

Then Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go back, each of you, to your mother’s home. May the Lord show you kindness, as you have shown kindness to your dead husbands and to me. May the Lord grant that each of you will find rest in the home of another husband.”

Then she kissed them goodbye and they wept aloud 10 and said to her, “We will go back with you to your people.”

11 But Naomi said, “Return home, my daughters. Why would you come with me? Am I going to have any more sons, who could become your husbands? 12 Return home, my daughters; I am too old to have another husband. Even if I thought there was still hope for me—even if I had a husband tonight and then gave birth to sons— 13 would you wait until they grew up? Would you remain unmarried for them? No, my daughters. It is more bitter for me than for you, because the Lord’s hand has turned against me!”

14 At this they wept aloud again. Then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law goodbye, but Ruth clung to her.

15 “Look,” said Naomi, “your sister-in-law is going back to her people and her gods. Go back with her.”

16 But Ruth replied, “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. 17 Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if even death separates you and me.” 18 When Naomi realized that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped urging her.

That’s why the story of Ruth is so captivating.

In the first chapter, right smack dab in the middle of personal tragedy, Ruth introduces us to a kind of loyal love that can be a rare find in human relationships. The Hebrew word for Ruth here is hesed, and it’s become one of my most precious words in the Bible. Hesed is difficult to translate to English because there is no single word in English that encapsulates all its meanings. to define hesed we us words such “kindness,” “loving-kindness,” “mercy,” “sacrificial love”, “loyalty,” and “steadfast.” Hesed is one of the richest, most powerful words in the Old Testament. It reflects the loyal love that people committed to the God of the Bible should have for one another. It is not a “mood.”Hesed is not something people “feel.”  It is something people DO for other people. The word hesed is displayed throughout the story of Ruth where it is usually translated “kindness.”  Love is something we do, not primarily something we feel.

On the way, when Naomi was returning to her homeland, her daughters-in-law must make the difficult decision to stay or to go with the old woman they have grown to love deeply. It would make more sense for Ruth and Orpah to stay in Moab – their family ties were in the place they had called home their entire lives, and their chances for remarriage were greater there. In Israel it was doubtful that the young widows would find husbands, and to be a childless widow during this time was considered to be among the lowest of social classes.

Orpah ultimately makes the heart-wrenching decision to stay in Moab, but Ruth clung to Naomi as she promised that Naomi’s people would be her people and Naomi’s God would be her God. From the world’s perspective, Ruth had nothing to gain and everything to lose, but bold faith and loyal love often require a walk down a unfamiliar road.

As we study the book of Ruth together, be on the constant lookout for the depth of God’s loyal love as He orchestrates events and details in lives as only He can. Chapter by chapter look for His overwhelming, grace-filled, consistent, fully-redeeming, unconditional love to those who had initially strayed from Him.

My prayer is that we would be open to let God’s hesed toward us change us from within, like Ruth, and cause us to pass onto others what our loving Father has given to us.

Strive everyday to be loyal and more hesed to those that God has given us the pleasure to be involved in their lives.

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Bible Study

Ruth: Wanting God’s blessings, but not His Discipline

Welcome to the first day of our Ruth Bible study! We’ve all been there wanting God’s blessings but not His discipline. When life gets hard and things don’t seem to get better, we tend to look around. Is the “grass greener” over there? Foreign lands and new opportunities tempt us when we are looking to escape the “famine” in our lives. Naomi and Elimelek waiting on God’s blessing in a famine was much better than living in a bountiful land of unbelievers.

Ruth 1:4

1 In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land. So a man from Bethlehem in Judah, together with his wife and two sons, went to live for a while in the country of Moab. The man’s name was Elimelek, his wife’s name was Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Kilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem, Judah. And they went to Moab and lived there.

Now Elimelek, Naomi’s husband, died, and she was left with her two sons. They married Moabite women, one named Orpah and the other Ruth.

The book of Ruth takes place during the time of the Judges, a time when Israel had no king and everyone did what was right in his or her own eyes (Judges 21:25).

As the book of Ruth begins, the Israelites were living in unbelief, disobedience, and simply for themselves. Because of their choices, they were not enjoying the benefits of God’s blessings. Knowing this information is important as we begin reading the book of Ruth. It is in this setting that we see Elimelek make the choice to move his family from Bethlehem to Moab.

We also need to understand that the Moabites descended from Lot. They are the result of an incestuous affair between Lot and his oldest daughter. Genesis 19:30-38. When the nation of Israel was wondering in the wilderness, Moab was frequently causing them harm. Deuteronomy 23: 3-6 says:

“No Ammonite or Moabite or any of his descendants may enter the assembly of the Lord, even down to the tenth generation. For they did not come to meet you with bread and water on your way when you came out of Egypt, and they hired Balaam, son of Beor from Pethor in Aram Naharaim to pronounce a curse on you. However, the Lord your God would not listen to Balaam but turned the fuse into a blessing for you, because the Lord your God loves you. Do not seek a treaty of friendship with them as long as you live.

Knowing a little of the history between the two nations makes the move seem more significant. Elimelek was literally moving his family into enemy territory.

He was not placing his faith in God and God’s provision but instead decided to move from God’s land of protection and out of His will.

We see from this story that it is still better to be in the land of God’s will – even when you are experiencing discipline and “famine” – than it is to seek relief outside of His will while trying to escape discipline. I spent years trying to run from God and trying to find greener pastures. The greatest thing I learned from that is that it is better to feel discipline from a loving God that to feel acceptance from an uncaring world. And we get it, don’t we? When we feel like another land can provide better opportunities, a better future for our families, or wanted relief from the “famine” in our lives, we are tempted to leave God’s promised land and His provision.

We are tempted to live like Elimelek, focused on what we see rather than Whom we trust.The land of easy and abundance is always tempting when we are weary, hungry, and seeking relief.

I’d love to encourage you if you’ve been tempted like Elimelek lately and the “land” you are in seems to be experiencing a famine. Trust God. Stay where He has you right now and trust Him to provide for your needs. We will see later in Ruth Chapter 1 that God does come through for His treasured children. He does come to their aid.

Have you ever chased green lands? What have you learned about God when you chose to stay in the “famine” and wait for God’s provision?

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Bible Study Freedom

Freedom: Live Free

Today we are finishing up our study in Galatians and I wanted to review a little of what I learned. Here are the major lessons we’ve learned:

Trust Christ’s death on the cross and grace. Our works will never get us anywhere.

It’s not about what we do, but who God is and what He will do through us.

Don’t seek rules. Walk in the Spirit by seeking God, and He will lead you to where you need to be. As long as God is directing you, you never have to worry if you’re doing too much or not enough.

Galatians 6:15

“Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is the new creation.”

The Galatians didn’t need to do anything to be saved. They already were. They were already made new by their faith in Christ. From their example, we learn we don’t need to work for what we already have.

When Jackson was a baby, I fed him with a bottle every morning when he woke up or during the day we he was hungry, he would cry for me to feed him because he was unable to get food on his own. Now that he is a teenager, he can get up and get food on his own. He still asks me for breakfast, snacks and supper. I still have to remind him that he is free to get food when he likes. Sometimes as Christians we need reminding that we are free. We get bogged down with traditions as the Jews were and we forget we are free to worship and serve God. We are free from the wages of sin. We are free to live our life for God to the fullest.

That’s the reminder I hope this series gave you. You have freedom with God’s grace. If you are saved by faith, you are free. My hope is that now you are empowered to go out and live free.

It doesn’t matter what church you go to, if you feel the spirit move and you wanna raise that hand do it. If you wanna thank God for his presence in your life, testify. We are free from traditions and rules people put on salvation. God says if you call on his name and believe with your heart your will be saved. You don’t need a class or a special service. You need one on one time with God.

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Bible Study Freedom

Freedom: to Carry Each Others Burdens

A month or so ago in Sunday School, the question was posed what do we do when we see someone giving in to temptation or being worn down from temptation. These verses in Galatians 6 came to my mind. The problem most of the time with me is fear. I do not want to damage the relationship and in the back of my mind I am thinking, “I sin too! I just sin differently.” And I don’t want the people to think I am judging them. But Paul tells us how to do this and help others.

Galatians 6:1-6 New International Version (NIV)

6 Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. If anyone thinks they are something when they are not, they deceive themselves. Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else, for each one should carry their own load. Nevertheless, the one who receives instruction in the word should share all good things with their instructor.

When I see someone being ensnared by sin, I normally speak to my husband. We talk about our burden for them. Daniel(my husband) is very non- confrontational. So when ever this comes up he always says pray for that person and I am like, “what about restoring them?” This is a really tough balance. Gently restore without being judgy or condemning.

For the last three months, I have been dealing with just this. Daniel and I have been praying our hearts out for a friend who is on a slippery slope that will only lead to destruction. We have been trying to find the time and manner to address the problem and we have been praying that God would open a door for us to talk or change that persons heart. We are carrying this person’s burden and I don’t think they even know.

Paul begins with a situation where a person is caught in any transgression. We should begin by observing that Paul is not reserving this discussion for what we would classify as a “serious sin.” Rather, if anyone is caught in any transgression. Please also consider that Paul is not saying that we are catching people in their sins. Rather, the person is caught or trapped in sin. They are ensnared by sin. We are witnessing a Christian who has been overtaken by sin.

Paul says that we must not standby and do nothing. We are not to despise the person or condemn them in our hearts. We are not to gossip to others about the person. We are called to restore the person. This Greek word that we have translated into English as “restore” was a word used in secular Greek for setting a fractured bone. The word means to knit together. Our concern must immediately be the restoration of the person. This is exactly what Jesus taught in Matthew 18:15-17.

“If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother.

Who is supposed to do the work of restoration? Paul says, “You who are spiritual.” Who are the spiritual? I believe our context would direct us back to Galatians 5:16-26 where the spiritual are those who are walking by the Spirit and that walk is observed by the fruit of the Spirit in their lives. The spiritual are those in whom the fruit of the Spirit is seen. These are the ones who should see the opportunity and take responsibility to go to a brother or sister in Christ who has been captured by sin.

Paul also tells us how we are to go restore someone who is captured by sin. The spiritual are supposed to go to that one in a spirit of gentleness. Gentleness is one of the characteristics we read that reveals the fruit of the Spirit. We are coming to them with our emotions and words under control. A lack of gentleness is a sign of immaturity and is why the spiritual are commanded to go restore a fallen believer.

Warning. Paul also includes a warning for this process. The one who is spiritual who is trying to restore the brother or sister must keep watch on himself or herself. There is a temptation to sin in this process. Spiritual pride is a great temptation in trying to restore another. We must be mindful that anyone can fall and no one is above temptation. Even in trying to do the right thing, Satan will tempt us to sin in this process.

Bearing one another’s burdens is described as fulfilling the law of Christ. Christ is the ultimate example of love and serving, who bore our burdens of sin so that we could be restored to him. We are commanded to love others as Christ loved us (John 13:34; Ephesians 4:32). Bearing burdens is one way we follow in the footsteps of Jesus. Remember what Paul taught earlier in Galatians 5:13-14 that through love we serve one another and thus are fulfilling the law.

This command implies that we have relationships with each other. We cannot help each other unless we are in relationship with each other and have fellowship with each other. This means we must open up to each other and welcome deeper relationships as family than just cursory, obligatory conversations. We must spend time together and speak to each other about spiritual things if we will have any opportunity to help each other grow and be able to restore each other.

This is a beautiful picture God has given us. If we walk by the Spirit, we will love one another more, and in loving one another more, we will bear one another’s burdens. In desiring to bear one another’s burdens we will attempt to restore anyone who is caught by a transgression.

But again Paul must warn us about the proper way about how we can help each other and bear one another’s burdens. Paul must caution us against a temptation to pride. “For if anyone thinks he is something, then he is nothing, he deceives himself.” It is important that we read this explanation carefully because it will help us in our fight against pride. The middle of the statement is what we need to hear. Before God we are nothing. Therefore, you must not think you are something because you are deceiving yourself.

The gospel is to create in us a new self-image. My sin and God’s grace humbles me. Yet his grace empowers me because all that matters is the praise and honor that comes from God. My value is not in myself but in God who loves me and gave himself for me. This is the new image we are to possess that the gospel creates in us. Jesus’ approval of me is what matters! What I think of myself is not important because I am likely wrong. We are nothing of ourselves but made valuable in Christ.

“But let each one test his own work.” This is not a competition. We are not here for comparison. Keep your eyes on God, not others, when looking at your own work. Comparison wrecks us. Look at your own work before God and take joy in your work. Do the work given to you. Take joy in your own work that you have granted to you by God.

“For each will have to bear his own load.” This is not a contradiction to the command in verse 2. The point is to just carry your load. Stop comparing your load to others. Stop worrying about how you are doing in comparison to others. This is the same message as the parable of the talents. Each of us have been granted different loads and different responsibilities. What matters is what you do with what has been granted to you. In this, there is no room for pride because we are nothing before God, carrying our loads, and helping each other when we are caught in a transgression.

I needed this study now more than ever. Hear is what I learned: We need to care about each other. We must care enough to act when we see one another struggling spiritually. We must attempt to help with a spirit of gentleness, watching ourselves so that we are not tempted into pride because we are nothing. But God has made us his chosen possession by His grace. Look at your own work. Do not compare your load to others but carry your load, enjoying the work God has given you.

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Bible Study Freedom

Freedom: To Be a Little Fruity

One of my husbands favorite songs is “The Fruits of the Spirit.” The fruits of the spirit are important to every saved believer and we are free to be fruity. But we can not forget the section of verses above and below it.

Paul explains in the last parts of chapter 5 that the freedom that we have in Christ does not mean that we just do whatever we want. It is that we desire, especially if we desire to sin. This freedom calls us higher. It’s a freedom that empowers us to do what God called us to do, and it frees us from being ruled by our sinful desires. We should use our freedom in Christ not to indulge in our desires, but to serve and love and be the women that God has called us to be. God’s freedom is from the desires of our flesh so we can be free to do God’s will.

Galatians 5: 13-26

13 You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh[a; rather, serve one another humbly in love. 14 For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself. 15 If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.

16 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever[c] you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

19 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.

If we want true freedom, we must walk by the Spirit. When you give your life to Christ you receive God’s Holy Spirit. And it is His Spirit in you that convicts us and lead us to be more empowered and shows you God’s will. Walking in the Spirit means giving your spirit what it needs to survive, which is the complete opposite of what your flesh wants. Either you will feed your Spirit or you will feed your flesh, and the one you feed more will win. Feeding your spirit will lead to freedom. Feeding your flesh will lead to sin and slavery.

You’ve heard the phrase: “You are what you eat.” If you put in lust, unfaithfulness and lies what do you expect to come out? If you put in looking at others, jealousy will arise. If we put in fear, hate will come. If we put in gossip, we will produce confusion. However, if we put in hope and truth, there will be peace. If we put in prayer, there will be power. If we put in fasting, there will be freedom from sin. If we put in Bible reading and studying, there will be clarity and direction.

I’m not telling you how or when to do all of this, but not doing it will starve your flesh and the slavery to sin it brings. Pray to the Lord about which ways to best feed your spirit and do it for freedom’s sake. as you read above, Galatians 5:19-23 says:

Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality,idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions,envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

First, I want to point out the difference between the acts of the flesh and the fruit of the Spirit. The works of the flesh represent a lack of trust in God and what we think we can do apart from Him. Works represent what we do and not trusting what God can do. All mistrust of God leads to sin. But the fruit of the Spirit represents a reliance and dependence on God, like roots to a vine, that produces a God-glorifying life. We cannot control the production of fruit, but when we are connected to God and walking in the Spirit, fruit will grow.

When we walk in the Spirit we will experience all the fruits of the Spirit that Paul lists in Galatians, about which he also says, “against such things there is no law.” That means when the Spirit is leading and producing these fruits in your life, you don’t have to worry about if you’re doing enough for God. When we are worried about what we do, if we’re doing too much or not enough, we’re concerned about the flesh and what we can do. It’s all about works. But when we are lead by the Spirit, we know God is leading us in the right direction. No law or rules can trump that.

God is not holding back His will, waiting to see if we can guess it correctly. He speaks to us through His Holy Spirit to let us know which way to go. So we can live in freedom—free from doubt, insecurity, and fear. We can go in full assurance that His Spirit will never lead us where we are not to go. So we don’t need to stress out about figuring out what’s the right thing to do. We just walk by the Spirit, and He will lead us to be very fruity,

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Bible Study Freedom

Freedom: To Stand Firm

Throughout this study in Galatians one shining fact has rang true,we cannot work for our salvation, but God gave us a gift of salvation by His grace through faith. In Chapter 5, Paul reminds use that we are free and not to get bogged down with slavery.

Galatians 5:1 (NIV)

“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.”

We know that we are already free from sin and condemnation. However, Paul tells us that we need to stand firm in this freedom. If we do not, we will easily become burdened by living in the lie that we have to work for God’s love and forgiveness. How do we actually do that? How do we stand firm in the freedom that Christ died for us to have?

Galatians 5:4 (NIV)

“You who are trying to be justified by the law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace.”

It’s the word “alienated” that got to me. It means a separation or a destroyed fellowship. If we are putting our faith in anything other that salvation through grace, we are separating ourselves from God. Why do we cheapen grace in such a way. Are we so prideful and arrogant to think that we could work enough, and fight long enough, and hustle fast enough to come close to what God has done for us. You can’t! Salvation is based in Grace. Don’t waste your lives trying to get something that God gives for free. Our trying to work for God is the very thing that distances us from God.

So how do we not lose the freedom that we already have? We stop trying to work for it or change it. We place our faith in the finished work of Christ, and we rest in the truth that God’s grace is enough. Do we mess up? Yes. Do we still need to turn away from sin? yes! But God’s grace is sill there to cover our sins and hisa mercy forgives us when we repent.

I don’t know about you, but I want it all. I don’t want to be alienated from anything that is rightfully mine in Christ. So we must stand firm. We must live like we are loved and accepted and we must not allow any person, system, or thought to allow us to believe otherwise.

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Bible Study Freedom

Freedom: From False Teaching

In the world today we have to be diligent when studying the Bible. There are many “Preachers” and teachers out there teaching for there own agenda. More and more do we see people turning away from the Gospel of Christ which tells us that we are sinners and Christ is the only way to everlasting life. There are false teachers that are simply motivational speakers. One of the major reasons Paul wrote his letter to the Galatians because they had encountered false teachers who have told them their faith and God’s grace is not enough for salvation. So I want to take some time and help you to be able to recognize false teaching.

Galatians‬ 4:17‬ (NIV‬‬)

“Those people are zealous to win you over, but for no good. What they want is to alienate you from us, so that you may have zeal for them.”

The number one thing false teachers do is lead you to become more dependent on the teacher and less dependent on Christ. They want you to only listen to their teaching. I have seen this in people who hero worship some “Preachers” (and I use that term loosely). They take everything the speaker says as gospel and does not check for themselves or study the bible to make sure the teaching is sound. It’s very controlling and not freeing like the gospel of Jesus Christ is.

A false teacher will be zealous for you. They will build you up, not to grow your relationship with the Lord, but to grow your loyalty to them. It’s all about them and their ego and what they can get from you to build themselves up, not the Kingdom of God. So they will tell you what you want to hear, even if it does not align with God’s truth. It will seem like they want to help and care about you because they are telling you all these good things. But true love does not tell you what you want to hear. True love tells you the truth. False teachers will lure you with flattery, and they will speak to the desire of your flesh more so than the things of God and the gospel of Jesus Christ that gives all honor to Him and not our works.

False teaching will look really religious. As we see with the Galatians, they were told to do all these religious things in order to be saved. But the true teaching of Jesus Christ focuses on the finished work of Christ and not what we can do for Him. Always Check for yourselves. Study they word and let God show you His gospel.

If you find yourself being drawn in by one of these false teachers, remove yourself from that situation. God is not going to lead you to a church that is not teaching his word. If you have the opportunity and feel safe, let them know why you’re leaving and why you believe their teaching is false. If they’re unwilling to change, you’re going to have to dust your hands off and find a good Bible-teaching church that stays true to the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Do your homework and study the Bible. Be grounded in your faith in God and not faith in a teacher or a church building. If you know what you believe you are like a old tree with deep roots in the word, unwavering. If you aren’t rooted in the word, any gust of wind could uproot you and blow you away.

When Jesus died on the cross, He opened the door for everyone to know Him personally. When you accept Him as your Lord and Savior, you receive the Holy Spirit to help guide you in your walk with Him. Use those things to dig into the Bible and start growing roots.

I strongly believe in joining a local church, but I also believe in seeking the Lord for yourself and not always relying on someone else to pray for you, understand God’s Word, and hear from God. God wants a personal relationship with you, not some secondhand relationship through someone else.

So, as a quick review, false teachers:

Want you to be dependent on them, not dependent on Christ.

Are not focused on Jesus’ finished work on the cross, but on our works.

Use flattery to build loyalty only for the purpose of building themselves up.

Tell people what they want to hear, even if it means not telling the truth.

There are many Bible believing preachers and teachers out there, do not get me wrong. But as long as Satan in prowling around looking for those he can devour, unfortunately some people are going to fall in his trap.

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Bible Study Freedom

Freedom: Never Stop Trying

The last post in Galatians, was about no longer being slaves. Paul continues today asking why we turn back to be slaves of sin. So many times, I myself have fallen into that pit. Not because God didn’t know me but because I let my sinful fleshy self win. Knowing God and Him knowing us gives us the freedom to fight that temptation. Having a relationship with God is what being a Christian is all about. To know God personally and intimately, is the way we grow and change. This is why we can never stop trying to fight sin, trying t o know God, trying to be an example and trying to do God’s will

Galatians 4:8-9,

8 Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods. But now that you know God—or rather are known by God—how is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable forces[a? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again?

Before the Galatians were saved and accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, they gave in to their sinful nature or “weak and miserable forces” as Paul described them. Like many unbelievers at this time, they worshiped false gods, lived immorally, and allowed their lives to be ruled by their sinful nature. They wanted to live their lives and do anything they desired. Paul calls this slavery because because sin ensnares you and pulls you down. We do not have to be slaves to our old selves. So for the Galatians to be going back to our old selves or giving into our sinful desires is slavery.

So Paul reminds them: not only do they know God, but more importantly, God knows them and has already imparted all the righteousness of Jesus Christ on them because of their belief. So why do we keep giving into our sin and desires. The Galatians already have what they need to fight them. God knows them, and they already have His love, acceptance, and approval. No need to go back into slavery.

What does this mean for us today? This means we don’t have to give into ourselves God is there with us to help us fight temptation. We don’t need to try to face it alone. God’s love and power is more that enough to help us stay out of slavery for good.

So if you are being tempted or have fallen into temptation, remember it is never to late to repent and turn around. God will help you and hold you while you find your way back. Sin is never the answer and will only consume you from the inside out.