Galatians: Gospel Matters
Pleasing God in a Pleasure-Filled World
Obsessed with the Cross
July 12, 2020 • Matt Simpson
What is truly important is being a “new creation.” Works don’t please God, power, acclaim doesn’t please or impress him, what he wants from us is to become a new creation in Christ. If that is how we can summarize Galatians, then we should be concerned about knowing what a new creation is!
Fruits of the Spirit
June 28, 2020 • Darrell Cook
When looking at the fruits of the spirit, we must realize that resisting the desires of the flesh is not about willpower or our own strength, it is about our faith in God and love for God, and the fruits that come of it. This passage is not about effort- the point is not to "try harder" or to "do better", the point is to allow the Spirit to produce the fruit.
The Offensive Cross
June 14, 2020 • Matt Simpson
Galatians 5 shows how the cross was not politically correct when Paul was writing to the churches of Galatia, just as it is not politically correct now. Society still wants us to add different cultural movements to the gospel, but if we are following the true gospel, it is only Jesus. What are we adding or taking away from the message of the cross?
Freedom!
June 7, 2020 • Jeff Noble
This message examines the promise of freedom that Jesus gives those who follow Him and examines the temptation to align oneself with causes and movements (even good ones) that distract us from the one, true gospel. Christians must hold out the hope of Jesus alone for the problems of our world and culture today.
Fight Against Fear
March 15, 2020 • Jeff Noble
This sermon examines Galatians 2, and how we as people of God, should hold to the truth of the gospel in times of fearfulness. In these days of social distancing, we need to remain intentional about staying in people's lives, even if virtually, in order to keep the gospel "peopled". When we could succumb to fear, it is imperative that we remember the gospel, and grow in our love of Jesus, which compels us to a love of people.
A Family of Royalty
May 10, 2020 • Jeff Noble
This sermon examines how as we grow in faith and in love for Jesus, it is sometimes all too easy to slip into a pattern of legalism, in which we believe that it is our works that justify us rather than our faith. But the patterns of evil in this world should tell us that humanity will always fall short of upholding a law. So then, in the face of life's most daunting hardships, we should be reminded of our absolute need for Jesus, and for the grace that has been extended to us by Him.
What Do We Do With the Law?
May 3, 2020 • Matt Simpson
Truths to be reminded of: 1. No one has ever been justified by works. Ever. 2. God doesn’t change. Ever. 3. The Law exposes that on your best day, you are as desperately wicked as your worst day. Always. 4. The Law did not give life and your laws will not give you life. Ever. 5. Life comes only through Jesus. Always.
A Curse for Legalists
April 27, 2020 • Jeff Noble
Jeff Noble preaches on how those who have been saved by faith will live by righteousness, but a life of righteousness requires complete perfection- no sin, at all. We do not have to attempt to achieve this perfection through legalism, because Jesus became sin for us and makes us righteous by his sacrifice.
True, Trusting Faith
April 19, 2020 • Jeff Noble
This sermon looks at how the people of Galatia were tempted to find their identity and their salvation in the works of the law, and how they believed that that was synonymous with faith. True faith however, comes from a love relationship with Jesus, in knowing who He is, and knowing that our identity is not rooted in how successfully we adhere to the law or volunteer at church, but in who He says we are.
Bewitched: Christian Stupidity
March 29, 2020 • Jeff Noble
This sermon takes an in depth look at what Paul describes as the "foolishness" of the Galatians, in that they made little of the cross by tying themselves and their faith to legalism. We know that because of the cross we have the tomb, and because of the tomb we have we have the resurrection. Jesus defeated our sin, defeated death, and as we prepare for Easter, we remember that He has risen.
The Beauty of Justification
March 22, 2020 • Jeff Noble
In this sermon, Jeff examines the doctrine of justification, and the idea that if we do not understand that we are made righteous by Christ rather than ourselves, than we are rendering the cross useless. To fully know Jesus, we need to understand that there is nothing we can do on our own to live a life that is pleasing to God, and that our salvation is dependent on a faith in Jesus and a love for Jesus.
Fight for Freedom
March 8, 2020 • Jeff Noble
This sermon examines how when we love Jesus and profess Him as our savior, we are saved by His grace for eternity. That is how simple the gospel is. If we allow worldly things to cloud that message or overcomplicate it, we will forget how important it is to contend for the gospel. Because the gospel is so simple and yet so profound, we should want to fight for its message, as Paul did in the New Testament.
Paul's Story
March 1, 2020 • Jeff Noble
Jeff Noble preaches on the apostle Paul's autobiography, and why a list of events 2000 years ago matters in our spiritual walk today. Paul's story of being a legalistic persecutor of the church, and becoming a firm believer who taught multitudes encourages us that despite our stories filled with sin, God chooses to use us to glorify him in his perfect plan.