Galatians on Power

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Power is for Service

Author

Keywords

Scripture

Luke 22:27, Matthew 23:11, Philippians 2:5-7, Galatians 5:13, John 13:14-15, Mark 10:45

The way most of us serve keeps us in control. We choose whom, when, where and how we will serve. We stay in charge. Jesus is calling for something else. He is calling us to be servants. When we make t...

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Grace and Self-Reliance

Author

Ruth Chou Simons

Keywords

Scripture

Genesis 11:1-9 , Exodus 16:, Jeremiah 17:5-8 , Luke 18:9-14 , Galatians 2:20-21, Psalm 127:1-2

We might not say we believe a Jesus-plus-our-efforts idea of the gospel, but when we place our performances on the pedestal of personal progress, we’re not relying on the grace of God. We’re worshipin...

lectionary

Ninth Sunday after Pentecost

Author

Scott B. Bullock

Keywords

Scripture

Ephesians 3:14-21, Colossians 1:16, Luke 11:2, Psalm 95:6, Galatians 5:null, Ephesians 2:19-22

Preaching commentary Questions for Consideration What does a prayer reveal about a person? What do you most often pray for/about and what might that reveal about you? A Beautiful and Compel...

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The Cross Was The Devil's Mousetrap

Author

Os Guinness

Keywords

Scripture

1 Corinthians 1:18, 1 Peter 2:24, Galatians 3:13, Revelation 5:9-10, Isaiah 53:

The cross, Martin Luther wrote, was the devil’s mousetrap. The devil smelled cheese, and wham, felt steel. Thus, we see a little baby lying defenseless in a crib at Bethlehem, and a tortured man hangi...

scripture guide

Scripture Guide Ephesians 3:14-21

Author

Scott B. Bullock

Keywords

Scripture

Ephesians 3:14-21, 2 Samuel 11:1-15, Psalm 14:, Ephesians 2:19-22, John 6:1-21, Colossians 1:16, Luke 11:2, Psalm 95:6, Galatians 5:

Questions for Consideration What does a prayer reveal about a person? What do you most often pray for/about and what might that reveal about you? A Beautiful and Compelling Gospel Prayer The...

liturgy

You go nowhere by accident.

Author

Richard Halverson

Keywords

Scripture

Luke 10:1-20, Galatians 2:20, Genesis 50:20, Genesis 37:50, Romans 8:28

You go nowhere by accident. Wherever you go, God is sending you. Wherever you are, God has put you there. God has a purpose in your being right where you are. Christ, who indwells you by the power of...

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Aesop's Fables: The Power of Unity

Author

Mia Levetan

Keywords

Scripture

Ecclesiastes 4:12, 1 Corinthians 12:12-21, Ephesians 4:3-16, John 17:21, Galatians 6:2, James 5:19-20

In one of Aesop's familiar fables, an old man has several sons who are always fighting among themselves. He had often, but without success, exhorted them to live together in harmony. One day, he c...

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God's Power for World Healing

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Scripture

Acts 1:8, Matthew 5:14-16, Galatians 6:9, Isaiah 61:1-3, James 1:27, Romans 8:26-27, Nehemiah 2:17-18

Almighty God, the brokenness of this world is so vast that we doubt what we can do. Forgive us for giving up and leaving brokenness alone. Help us remember and rely on the power of the Holy Spirit to ...

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You are present among us because You

Author

Austin D. Hill

Keywords

Scripture

Ephesians 1:13-14, Matthew 3:16-17, Galatians 5:22-23, Romans 8:14, John 14:26

You are present among us because You have poured out Your Spirit in us. We praise You today for the gift of the Holy Spirit. Through Your Spirit we are empowered to live out the calling You have place...

liturgy

May the God of hope fill us with all

Keywords

Scripture

Romans 15:13, 2 Thessalonians 3:16, Galatians 5:22-23, John 14:27, Philippians 4:7, Romans 15:13

May the God of hope fill us with all joy and peace in believing through the power of the Holy Spirit.

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Heavenly Father, You shower Your love

Author

Austin D. Hill

Keywords

Scripture

1 Samuel 1:9-20, Acts 2:1-4, John 4:1-26, Luke 15:11-32, Psalm 23:6, Galatians 5:22-23

Heavenly Father, You shower Your love on us throughout every stage of life. We praise You for Your steadfast love. Through Your Son we see the extent of that love while through Your Spirit we experien...

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Starting a Car with No Engine

Author

The Pastor's Workshop

Keywords

Scripture

John 15:5, Acts 1:8-9, Ezekiel 36:26-27, 2 Timothy 1:7, Romans 8:11, Judges 16:20, Zechariah 4:6, John 14:26, Romans 8:26, Galatians 5:22-23, Acts 2:38

A news article from the Associated Press in Glasgow, Kentucky, shared a rather frustrating story. Leslie Puckett, after struggling to start his car, lifted the hood only to discover that someone had s...

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Author

John Owen

Keywords

Scripture

Romans 8:11, 2 Corinthians 5:17, Galatians 2:20, Ezekiel 36:26-27, John 3:5-6, 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

Every time we say we believe in the Holy Spirit, we mean we believe that there is a living God able and willing to enter human personality and change it.

liturgy

When the day of Pentecost came

Author

Trinity Lutheran Church, Lisle, Illinois

Keywords

Scripture

Joel 2:28-29 , Exodus 9:16-19 , Ezekiel 37:9-10, Acts 2:1-4, John 14:16-17, Psalm 104:30, Isaiah 6:11, Galatians 5:22-23, Ephesians 5:18, 2 Timothy 1:6-7, Romans 5:5

Pastor: When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. ...

liturgy

Holy Spirit Let us not lose ourselves in tedium

Author

Jack Levison

Keywords

Scripture

Romans 8:26-27, Galatians 4:6, Psalm 131:2, Isaiah 30:15, 1 Kings 19:11-12, Ezekiel 37:9-10

Holy Spirit Let us not lose ourselves in tedium Errands Obligations Holy Spirit Still us once in a while Stop us sometimes Let us breathe now and then Holy Spi...

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The Climber and the Phone

Author

The Pastor's Workshop

Keywords

Scripture

Proverbs 26:11, Galatians 5:1, Philippians 3:13-14, 2 Peter 2:20-22, Psalm 103:4, Isaiah 43:1, Colossians 1:13, Romans 2:4, Lamentations 3:22-23

A climber recently had to be airlifted off Japan’s Mount Fuji due to altitude sickness. That alone would have been a dramatic enough story. But four days later—still recovering—he climbed back up ...

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C. S. Lewis and Despairing in Sanctification

Author

C. S. Lewis

Keywords

Scripture

1 John 1:9, 2 Corinthians 12:9, Philippians 1:6, Psalm 51:10-12, Galatians 6:9, Jude 1:24

As we try to live a life in obedience to God, the stubbornness of our sins can discourage and frighten us. If we are supposed to have a new heart, why are we still so broken? C.S. Lewis struggled with...

liturgy

God of mercy, we come before you with open hearts

Author

Keith D. Schroeder

Keywords

Scripture

Galatians 6:9, 2 Corinthians 4:1, Isaiah 40:31, Psalm 80:3, Matthew 16:18, Isaiah 43:19

Leader: God of mercy, we come before you with honest hearts. We bring not only our praise, but also our pain. We confess that at times we have lost heart. Hear now our lament, and kindle in us your ho...

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The Inuit and the Wolf

Author

The Pastor's Workshop

Keywords

Scripture

1 Corinthians 10:13, James 4:7, Hebrews 2:18, Matthew 6:13, Galatians 5:16, James 1:13-15

In the vast, frozen wilderness of the Arctic, an Inuit hunter used a clever technique to trap a wolf. He took a sharp knife and carefully coated its blade with layers of animal blood, letting each lay...

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Christian Geese

Author

The Pastor's Workshop

Keywords

Scripture

Isaiah 40:31, Romans 13:11, 1 Corinthians 3:1-3, Galatians 4:9, Hebrews 5:12; 12:1, 1 Peter 2:9

The Danish philosopher and contrarian Soren Kierkegaard once compared Christians of his time to a flock of geese in a barnyard. Every week, they listened to an eloquent speaker who recounted the stori...

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Author

A. W. Tozer

Keywords

Scripture

Luke 24:49, 1 Thessalonians 1:5-6, Romans 15:19, 1 Corinthians 2:4-5, Galatians 5:22-23

If the Holy Spirit was withdrawn from the church today, 95 percent of what we do would go on and no one would know the difference. If the Holy Spirit had been withdrawn from the New Testament church, ...

liturgy

Creator God, our Source and our Home

Author

Steve Garnaas Holmes

Keywords

Scripture

Matthew 5:3-12, Luke 4:18-19, Galatians 5:22-23, Genesis 1:1-2 , Isaiah 61:1-3, Micah 6:8

Leader: Creator God, our Source and our Home, we belong to you. All: We praise you, and we gather to worship you and give our lives to you. Living Christ, you establish justice, overthrow the ...

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Pastors Experience Success from Status

Author

Tony Campolo

Keywords

Scripture

Matthew 23:12, Proverbs 16:18, Galatians 1:10, Jeremiah 9:23-24, Philippians 2:3-4, James 4:6, John 12:43

If we lack money and power, we can still feel successful if we have the respect of our peers. As a young minister without wealth or power, I loved being called “Reverend.” It was an ego trip for me wh...

liturgy

God's Blessing Through Holy Spirit

Author

Trinity Lutheran Church, Lisle, Illinois

Keywords

Scripture

Acts 2:1-4, Romans 15:13, Ephesians 3:16-17, John 14:26, Galatians 5:22-23, Romans 5:5

Pastor: Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of the faithful, People: and kindle in us the fire of your love. Alleluia. Pastor: Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust i...

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Author

John Rawls

Keywords

Justice

Scripture

Galatians 3:28, Isaiah 56:1, Proverbs 31:8-9, Leviticus 19:15, James 2:1

The fairest rules are those to which everyone would agree if they did not know how much power they would have.

liturgy

We confess, loving God, that all too

Author

Chip Hardwick

Keywords

Scripture

John 14:26, Acts 8:26-40, Acts 9:1-19, Galatians 5:25, 2 Timothy 1:7, Romans 8:26-27

We confess, loving God, that all too often we do not open our lives to the power of your Holy Spirit. We tend to ignore the Spirit rather than call on its fire to burn within us and strengthen us for ...

lectionary

Fourth Sunday after Pentecost

Author

Darren Pollock

Keywords

Scripture

Galatians 6:1-6, 7-16, 1 Corinthians 9:24-26

preaching commentary A Tough Way to Start Ministry You don’t have to spend much time on Twitter or Facebook to be reminded that schadenfreude (taking joy from another's misfortune) is alive a...

lectionary

Trinity Sunday

Author

Stuart R. Strachan, Jr.

Keywords

Scripture

Romans 8:12-17, 1 Corinthians 6:, Galatians 5:18, Matthew 7:9-11

Preaching Commentary Context Matters If you have ever taken an introduction to exegesis course, you may remember one of the most important rules for properly understanding a given text: look at wha...

lectionary

10th Sunday after Pentecost

Author

Gabe Fung

Keywords

Scripture

Ephesians 4:1-16, Galatians 5:22-23, Psalm 68:18, Philippians 2:5-11, Romans 12:3-8, 1 Corinthians 12:4-11, 1 Peter 4:10-11, Acts 14:4, Romans 16:7, 1 Corinthians 15:7, Galatians 1:19, 1 Thessalonians 1:1, 1 Thessalonians 2:6, Romans 12:3-5, 1 Corinthians 12:14-27

Preaching Commentary Background to the Letter and Passage Paul’s letter to the Ephesians was probably intended for wider distribution and use among the various churches around Ephesus. As such, the...

lectionary

Third Sunday after Pentecost

Author

Stuart R. Strachan, Jr.

Keywords

Scripture

Galatians 5:1, 13-25, Ephesians 2:null

Preaching Commentary Context of Galatians I still remember my intro to New Testament class in college and the professor discussing Paul’s letter to the Galatians. All of Paul’s other letters begin ...

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