NO LONGER SLAVES, BUT WE ARE FREE! For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. —Galatians 5:1 For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. —Galatians 5:13 And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. —Galatians 6:9                Jesus has set us free from the power of sin, Satan, slavery, fear of death and saved us to a freedom in Himself.  He has given us that freedom…

 HEAVEN… RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD… MADE ONLY POSSIBLE THROUGH THE RIGHTEOUSNESS BY FAITH IN JESUS! …just as Abraham “believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.” —Galatians 3:6 Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for “The righteous shall live by faith.” —Galatians 3:11 For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.” —Romans 4:3 No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. That is why his faith was…

BELIEVE THE GOSPEL— BEWARE OF THOSE WHO WOULD PERVERT THE GOSPEL! I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed.   As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed. 10 —Galatians…

BEWARE OF SATAN’S SCHEMES! But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ. —II Corinthians 11:3 And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds. —II Corinthians 11:14-15 For we cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the truth. —II Corinthians 13:8             Paul had a real concern that Satan would impact the Corinthians and lead them “astray from a sincere and pure devotion to…

GOD LOVES CHEERFUL GIVERS! The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.  And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. As it is written, “He has distributed freely, he has given to the poor; his righteousness endures forever.” He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase…

HAVING PLENTY TO HELP THOSE IN NEED! For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich. —II Corinthians 8:9 For I do not mean that others should be eased and you burdened, but that as a matter of fairness your abundance at the present time should supply their need, so that their abundance may supply your need, that there may be fairness.  As it is written, “Whoever gathered much had nothing left over, and whoever gathered little had no lack.” —II Corinthians 8:13-15             I have often thought…

THE BLESSED AND THE WICKED Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous; for the LORD…

FOCUS ON THE ETERNAL, NOT THE TEMPORAL! You yourselves are our letter of recommendation, written on our hearts, to be known and read by all. —II Corinthians 3:2 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. —II Corinthians 3:17 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. —II Corinthians 4:6 For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen…

COMFORT OTHERS WITH THE COMFORT GOD HAS COMFORTED YOU WITH! Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. —II Corinthians 1:3-4 Let the godly exult in glory; let them sing for joy on their beds. —Psalms 149:5             How has God comforted us in the past?  How is He comforting you now?  He is available at all times to comfort anyone who is going through difficulties—…

FOCUS ON THE WORK OF OUR VICTORIOUS LORD! And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain… And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins… And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied. But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as…