Love, joy, peace, patience...

Day 2: Pleasing God

2008-11-16T13:27:00.000-08:00

Read Galations Ch. 1

Principal Question: What are four major reasons Christ died for us?
Gal. 1:4, 1 Pet. 3:18, John 3:16, Rom. 5:8

Major Characteristics that make us easy targets for false teachings as the were the Galations:
1. 2 Pet. 2:1-2 We can't recognize a lie if we don't know the Truth. Ignorance of God's Word.
2. 2 Cor. 11:3-4 Boredom with the Christian life.
3. Gal. 1:10 Trying to win the approval of others.

Personal Discussion Question: For you, what would it mean to seek only God's approval?

Moore states, "Approval and servanthood are connected because we become immediate slaves to the persons from whom we seek approval. Only ONE cares for you with a perfect and unconditional love. Only ONE can make 'all things work together for good' (Rom.8:28). Only ONE can safely, yes, gloriously enslave you!"

Today's Treasure: "Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ." Gal. 1:10

Post in comments your thoughts.

Free at Last! Many Hardships (week 1, day 1)

2008-10-29T11:01:00.000-07:00

Edited:
Scriptures: Acts chapters 13 and 14

Focus on the region of Galatia and the types of people to whom Paul wrote.

Moore asks, "How do you use the fearful gift of influence? At its best, it teaches, nurtures, encourages, exhorts, evangelizes and disciples. At worst, it cripples and kills. Influence is so easy to use (as the women of Antioch stirred up a mob). Maybe its the reason God exhorts us to 'gentle and quiet' spirits. We need to think before we speak and act. The warnings in Scripture are not provided because we are so lowly, but because we possess such an awesome gift.

Principle Question:

How did Paul respond to persecution in the city of Lystra?

Personal Discussion Question:

Do you think you would have responded the way Paul and Barnabas did in Acts 14: 2-3? Why or why not?

Today's Treasure:

"Then they returned...strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. 'We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,' they said."

Please check comments for follow-up discussion on this study.

Exploring the Fruit of the Spirit

2008-10-29T07:53:00.000-07:00

Hello! Let me start by explaining how this will work. We are studying Beth Moore's Living Beyond Yourself: Exploring the fruit of the Spirit. To join this Bible study you do not need to purchase the book though you will benefit more from this if you do. Each posting will summarize one day of the bible study. This bible study is divided into 10 weeks with 5 days per week. Each day has a title which will be the title of each new posting. This is pretty in depth and I don't know about you but I don't have a lot of spare time, so my idea is to try to tackle 1-2 days of the study per week. I hope you'll each share in the comments section what God is teaching you, prayer requests, and your thoughts and ideas pertaining to the study. Don't worry about length. Feel free to invite friends to join our discussions. So, I'll get started with the first bible study, posting the scriptures and summarizing what Beth Moore has to share. Then throughout the week after you've read the scriptures feel free to post comments. Can't wait to hear from you! >>> Darcy