One Gospel
A Series in Galatians
Freedom to Boast
November 26, 2017 • Pastor Bill Riedel
This is the summation of the letter and a final charge from the Apostle. At its center, Paul has a curious statement on his grounds for boasting - in the cross of Christ alone. We're going to take some time together to remember the major themes of the letter, and to see how we are called to boast and given freedom to boast.
Freedom to Bear Burdens
November 19, 2017 • Pastor Bill Riedel
This is a critically important passage if we are going to understand what it looks like to live together as a spiritual family in the church. The law of Christ will compel us to act in love toward one another, bearing each other's burdens and walking alongside one another in sorrow and celebration. At RHC we often use #churchasfamily. This week will help us to better understand what that actually means and how it is lived out.
Freedom to Walk in the Spirit
November 12, 2017 • Pastor Bill Riedel
The letter to the Galatians has turned to full-on application at this point. This Sunday's text shows us that the reality of our hearts will show up practically in our lives. In alignment with Jesus' teaching that a tree will be known by its fruit, we see the fruit of our hearts will show up in how we live. The fruit of the Spirit is as clear as the fruit of selfishness and sin.
Freedom to Love
November 5, 2017 • Pastor Bill Riedel
This section is a turning point in the letter. Paul moves from establishing the theological foundation of the gospel toward its outworking in our lives. If we have come into the family of God by grace through faith, it will show up in our lives. The four Sundays remaining in this series will look at the practical outworking of salvation in our lives as individuals and in the life of our church. The primary thrust of this week's passage is that the gospel frees us to love.
Freedom from Slavery to Promise
October 29, 2017 • Pastor Bill Riedel
We continue our series in Galatians with the most difficult and confusing passage in the letter. Paradoxically, it also may be the most important, the climax of the theological argument Paul has been building through the first four chapters. Galatians 4:21-5:1 presents a contrast between Hagar and Sarah, Ishmael and Isaac. Paul uses this Old Testament reference to provide an allegory, or illustration, of a broader theological principle. Ultimately, there are only two ways to follow God. One is to believe fully on the promises of God. The other is to believe fully on the promises of God, aided with our own help to work them out. Only one of those brings freedom and life.
Freedom from Idolatry
October 22, 2017 • Pastor Bill Riedel
In this passage we see the issue of idolatry addressed head-on. The idea of idolatry can be confusing to us - most of us don't have issues with bowing to actual statues. It's important for us to understand that, as Martin Luther said, "Anything on which your heart relies and depends, I say, that is really your God." We all have an idolatry problem, and our worship will show up in our lives. Ultimately, anything other than Christ will enslave us and lead us to destruction. Our text this week helps us to see that Jesus frees us from slavery to false gods.
Freedom from Slavery to Sonship
October 8, 2017 • Pastor Bill Riedel
In a world that is broken by division, injustice, and hate, there is hope for us in Christ. His people have the opportunity to be part of God's work in healing and restoring this world. We will take time to have a clear-eyed look at the brokenness around us both in our nation and in the American Church. All of this, though, will point us to hope and practical action to be part of God's work in healing and reconciliation.
Freedom from the Curse
October 1, 2017 • Pastor Bill Riedel
This passage breaks down the life of Abraham and the relationship of God's promises to Abraham with the Law given through Moses. Ultimately all of this relates to Jesus Christ, who brought the culmination of all of God's plans and promises.
Freedom from Perfectionism
September 24, 2017 • Pastor Bill Riedel
Over the past two Sundays we have explored a major conflict between the Apostles Paul and Peter. Paul confronted Peter because the issue of justification was at stake - how we achieve right standing before God. Galatians 2 clearly establishes the importance of our righteousness coming by grace alone, through faith in Christ alone. This Sunday the letter turns back to the churches in Galatia and to the issue of sanctification - how we are made holy. Once we have been given the gift of right standing before God, there are implications for how we live. This Sunday will be intensely personal and practical for us.
Freedom to Right Standing
September 17, 2017 • Pastor Bill Riedel
In Galatians 2:15-21 the beauty of justification is on brilliant display. Every one of us chases righteousness, right standing. That is shown in the guilt and shame that we all experience as we fall short of it. There is hope in Jesus Christ. I can't wait for us to gather together to celebrate it!
Free to a New Community
September 10, 2017 • Pastor Bill Riedel
After learning about the unity that developed between Paul and the other Apostles, we read in Galatians 2:11-14 about a public confrontation between Paul and Peter. This was a watershed moment for the early church. It teaches us about the critical foundations for the new community that Christ established, and what is worth defending in the church.
Freedom from Religious Chains
August 27, 2017 • Pastor Bill Riedel
Paul continues to fill in gaps in the story of his early years as a follower of Jesus Christ. This Sunday we will focus in heavily on 2:4-5. People in the early church slipped in to spy on Christians who exercised different freedoms than those to which they were accustomed. They couldn't believe that other Christians thought differently, or practiced different things - all while clinging to the One True Gospel of Jesus Christ. So, they tried to drag them backward into slavery to unhelpful rules and regulations. Whoa! The same thing happens today. We all can fall victim to it, and to perpetrating it. Let's figure out what real Christian freedom looks like as we dig in together!
Freedom from People-Pleasing
August 20, 2017 • Pastor Bill Riedel
We all want to be liked, recognized, appreciated, and loved. When people believe false things about us it messes with our minds and can seep deeply into our hearts, so we slide into self-protection. Last week we saw the firm foundation in the gospel of Jesus Christ, and that there is no other gospel. This week we will see that the gospel frees us from people-pleasing.
No Other Gospel
August 13, 2017 • Pastor Bill Riedel
October 31, 1517. A monk in a small town in Germany with a troubled soul and much trepidation attempted to invite a theological debate within the church. He didn’t realize that this spark would set off a building powder keg of tensions that would explode and change the course of history. The Protestant Reformation followed. This fall marks the 500th anniversary of that day. Join us this fall as we take the next few months in a study of Galatians. One of the letters that was vitally important to the Reformation. As we do, we will do so with an eye toward the original context the Apostle Paul’s first letter to the first churches he had planted and an eye toward the Reformation.