Freedom in Christ | Galatians 5:1-4
It was for FREEDOM that Christ has set us free. This is the rallying call of the Apostle Paul to the Galatians that they would resist the temptation to enslave themselves to the Law, but would rather stand firm in the freedom that Christ has purchased for us on the cross.
An Allegory from Hagar and Sarah – Children of Slavery vs Children of Promise | Galatians 4:21-31
Sometimes in Scripture, there is a story behind the story. A deeper spiritual reality that is being played out through people and events in the Old Testament. The apostle Paul reveals one such allegory in Galatians 4 with the story of Hagar, Sarah, and their children who represent two covenants. One of slavery; and one of freedom. The question becomes, who is your mother? And then, what do we do with the one who causes so much trouble?
Hear My Heart | Galatians 4:12-20
Having made a powerful argument over the past chapter and a half as to why all Christians, those of Jewish and Gentile birth, are free from the Law to now live under the Spirit. The Apostle Paul commands them to be free, through an appeal of his heart for them. He contrasts how the Judaizers only want to use them for their own personal glory, while Paul wants to see them grow in their faith with Jesus.
The End of Man’s Religion | Galatians 4:8-11
We are all, by definition, religious people. But not all religions are equal. All of man’s religions are essentially the same – we do our best to earn blessing and favor from the god of our choosing through our sacrifice and adhering to the right rituals and performance. But it only ends up in bondage and failure because those gods cannot provide the fulfillment and contentment that we deserve. In this message, Pastor Ross helps us discover what is the pure and undefiled religion of God that comes from knowing the love God has for you.
Christ Came at the Fullness of Time | Galatians 4:4-5
The timing of Jesus’ birth was not an accident. It was the exact moment to fulfill the prophecies of God. But it also was the exact moment that would allow the church to grow as quickly and easily as it did in the decades after Jesus’ resurrection. Pastor Ross shares a Christmas message from the book of Galatians.
The Adoption of Sons | Galatians 4:1-7
Adoption in first century Roman times was very different from how we understand adoption today. Back then, adoption was the time when the father recognized that their son was mature and no longer needed the child guides that they were in bondage to. The Apostle Paul uses that analogy to show that we have graduated from being under bondage to the Law so that we could be sons of God with the Holy Spirit as our new guide.
The Kind of Church We Want to Be | Welcome to New Life Fellowship
Pastor Ross shares the kind of church that New Life Fellowship aspires to be. – We want to know nothing else except Jesus Christ and the Cross. – We want to be a Community of Grace. – We want to be a church that focuses on Monday thru Saturday first. – We are a church where each person is part of the Priesthood of Believers that lives this life out everywhere we go. – We want to see the exercising of all the spiritual gifts, especially words of prophecy. – We are a church that cares about people over programs. – We want worship that connects with your soul and magnifies Christ. – We are a church that believes in prayer.
Sons of God with Authority | Galatians 3:26-29
Through our faith in Christ, we have been baptised into Christ and therefore become sons of God with authority and power. This applies to all believers, Jews and Gentiles alike, slave and free, men and women – all are one in Christ.
The Surprising Purpose of God’s Law | Galatians 3:19-25
God didn’t give the Law through Moses as a template for us to follow. Instead, it was meant to show us that we could never live up to those standards on our own. And that there would have to be another way to Him – faith in Christ Jesus. But now that we have Jesus, we no longer need the Law. For it has done its purpose in leading us to Jesus by showing us our failure. Now, we live in and from Jesus Christ.
Before Moses, God made a Covenant with Abraham and Jesus | Galatians 3:15-18
The Apostle Paul understood what the Judaizer in Galatia did not. Hundreds of years before God made a covenant with Israel through Moses at Mount Sinai, He had made a covenant with Abraham and Jesus. A covenant that came into effect on the cross, giving us an inheritance in Christ that is greater than you can ever imagine. Pastor Ross teaches from Galatians 3: 15-18 and explains what we have received in the will.