Day 11 - Galatians 4:17-23

17 Those false teachers are so eager to win your favor, but their intentions are not good. They are trying to shut you off from me so that you will pay attention only to them. 18 If someone is eager to do good things for you, that’s all right; but let them do it all the time, not just when I’m with you.

19 Oh, my dear children! I feel as if I’m going through labor pains for you again, and they will continue until Christ is fully developed in your lives. 20 I wish I were with you right now so I could change my tone. But at this distance I don’t know how else to help you.

21 Tell me, you who want to live under the law, do you know what the law actually says? 22 The Scriptures say that Abraham had two sons, one from his slave wife and one from his freeborn wife. 23 The son of the slave wife was born in a human attempt to bring about the fulfillment of God’s promise. But the son of the freeborn wife was born as God’s own fulfillment of his promise.


Tori's Comments:

This is something I need to monitor in my own life, evaluating the reasons behind my actions constantly. (vs. 18)

What does it mean to have Christ fully developed in my life?

Word study:  
"Oh, my dear children!" (vs. 19a) The word 'teknion' can also be translated to infants or little children and is used 9 times in the bible


Terrie's Comments:

It is WORD STUDY WEDNESDAY again!

I was intrigued by the word "developed" in verse 19

morphoō means to fashion (figuratively) or form.  From the same Greek word as morphe which means to shape figuratively form.  Morphoo is only in the Bible once and Morphe only appears 3 times.


I get that Paul wanted those whom he felt responsible for to come to full maturity in their faith.  He didn't want them to get sidetracked with religion or by turning back to their old "gods".  He was going to keep pressing on with them until they were shaped and formed into the image of Jesus Christ.  He didn't want them getting confused by people "adding" religious traditions to the pure gospel of Jesus.  

I love the image of the slave wife vs the freeborn son.  It is such vivid imagery of what we have in Jesus Christ and what happens if we are following the law or living by faith.  Human attempt vs God's own fulfillment.  

Take our personal comments or leave them. We would love to hear what stood out to you about today`s passage and how it encouraged you. Tell us in the comments below!

Day 10 - Galatians 4:8-16

8 Before you Gentiles knew God, you were slaves to so-called gods that do not even exist. 9 So now that you know God (or should I say, now that God knows you), why do you want to go back again and become slaves once more to the weak and useless spiritual principles of this world? 10 You are trying to earn favor with God by observing certain days or months or seasons or years. 11 I fear for you. Perhaps all my hard work with you was for nothing. 12 Dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to live as I do in freedom from these things, for I have become like you Gentiles—free from those laws.

You did not mistreat me when I first preached to you. 13 Surely you remember that I was sick when I first brought you the Good News. 14 But even though my condition tempted you to reject me, you did not despise me or turn me away. No, you took me in and cared for me as though I were an angel from God or even Christ Jesus himself. 15 Where is that joyful and grateful spirit you felt then? I am sure you would have taken out your own eyes and given them to me if it had been possible. 16 Have I now become your enemy because I am telling you the truth?


Terrie's Comments:

I am a Gentile... Most people I know fall into that category... so why do we as Gentile's struggle with letting go of a law that was given to the Jews?  Paul was writing begging them to become like Gentiles... who were free from the law to begin with!  Why do we struggle with the freedom from the law that Paul writes about?  We can't please God by following the law unless we follow the whole law.  Living by faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ is way easier.  As humans we tend to justify ourselves by what we "do"... with faith everything is already "done" there is nothing left to "do" we just simply need to have faith that "it is done" and rest there.


Tori's Comments:

Okay, it's now word study day, but I wanted to understand the use of "know" here because it struck me as odd. It is meant as an absolute sort of knowing, and is the same as used in John 10:14 when Jesus said "I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me". 

To me, this again confirms that we are a part of God's flock. And that means we are free from the laws, instead given the Spirit to live by. 

"my condition"?

Verse 15 is an amazing testament to their generosity, and also a rather funny way of doing so. 




Take our personal comments or leave them. We would love to hear what stood out to you about today`s passage and how it encouraged you. Tell us in the comments below!

Day 9 - Galatians 4:1-7

Think of it this way. If a father dies and leaves an inheritance for his young children, those children are not much better off than slaves until they grow up, even though they actually own everything their father had. 2 They have to obey their guardians until they reach whatever age their father set. 3 And that’s the way it was with us before Christ came. We were like children; we were slaves to the basic spiritual principles of this world.

4 But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law. 5 God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children. 6 And because we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, “Abba, Father.” 7 Now you are no longer a slave but God’s own child.  And since you are his child, God has made you his heir.


Tori's Comments:

So, first of all, I really love the meme Terrie has chosen below. Just wanted to give her a thumbs over over the internet. :)

"buy freedom" What a price he paid, too.

I am God's child! Adopted by Him-- chosen by Him! What a beautiful truth I'll never fully comprehend. A promise of love that I too often forget. But it's right here in scripture, ready for me to come back to.


Terrie's Comments:
I love that Paul is so desperately wanting us to "get" the freedom that Jesus came to give us that he is "putting it another way".  That is the heart of a true teacher... having patience to explain something many ways so that everyone will get the lesson that is being taught :-) 

We are no longer slaves to the law... we are FREE with the Spirit of Jesus Christ in us!!  How glorious it is!








Take our personal comments or leave them. We would love to hear what stood out to you about today`s passage and how it encouraged you. Tell us in the comments below!

Day 8 - Galatians 3:19-29

Why, then, was the law given? It was given alongside the promise to show people their sins. But the law was designed to last only until the coming of the child who was promised. God gave his law through angels to Moses, who was the mediator between God and the people. 20 Now a mediator is helpful if more than one party must reach an agreement. But God, who is one, did not use a mediator when he gave his promise to Abraham.

21 Is there a conflict, then, between God’s law and God’s promises? Absolutely not! If the law could give us new life, we could be made right with God by obeying it. 22 But the Scriptures declare that we are all prisoners of sin, so we receive God’s promise of freedom only by believing in Jesus Christ.

23 Before the way of faith in Christ was available to us, we were placed under guard by the law. We were kept in protective custody, so to speak, until the way of faith was revealed.

24 Let me put it another way. The law was our guardian until Christ came; it protected us until we could be made right with God through faith. 25 And now that the way of faith has come, we no longer need the law as our guardian.

26 For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have put on Christ, like putting on new clothes. 28 There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And now that you belong to Christ, you are the true children of Abraham. You are his heirs, and God’s promise to Abraham belongs to you.


Terrie's Comments:
-The law was given along side the Promise to show people their sins
-The law was only designed to last until Jesus came
-The law kept us in protective custody until Jesus and the way of faith was revealed 
-And once Jesus came and we could be made right through faith in Jesus Christ we no longer need the law as our guardian.
-We are all children of God through our faith in Christ Jesus
-Once we put our faith in Jesus Christ we are children of Abraham and heirs to God's promise!


Tori's Comments:

I like analogies! Thanks, Paul. 

I have "put on" Christ. Interesting, interesting. Verse 28 though, is so beautiful and should be more of a motto for us than it is. We see each other as nothing more than brothers and sisters in Christ, putting little emphasis on our outward appearance.

And we are heirs! How cool is that! You can't have trouble with self confidence after God tells you you're his heirs!




Take our personal comments or leave them. We would love to hear what stood out to you about today`s passage and how it encouraged you. Tell us in the comments below!

Day 7- Galatians 3:10-18

10 But those who depend on the law to make them right with God are under his curse, for the Scriptures say, “Cursed is everyone who does not observe and obey all the commands that are written in God’s Book of the Law.” 11 So it is clear that no one can be made right with God by trying to keep the law. For the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.” 12 This way of faith is very different from the way of law, which says, “It is through obeying the law that a person has life.”

13 But Christ has rescued us from the curse pronounced by the law. When he was hung on the cross, he took upon himself the curse for our wrongdoing. For it is written in the Scriptures, “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.” 14 Through Christ Jesus, God has blessed the Gentiles with the same blessing he promised to Abraham, so that we who are believers might receive the promised Holy Spirit through faith.

15 Dear brothers and sisters, here’s an example from everyday life. Just as no one can set aside or amend an irrevocable agreement, so it is in this case. 16 God gave the promises to Abraham and his child. And notice that the Scripture doesn’t say “to his children,” as if it meant many descendants. Rather, it says “to his child”—and that, of course, means Christ. 17 This is what I am trying to say: The agreement God made with Abraham could not be canceled 430 years later when God gave the law to Moses. God would be breaking his promise. 18 For if the inheritance could be received by keeping the law, then it would not be the result of accepting God’s promise. But God graciously gave it to Abraham as a promise.


Tori's Comments:

It is amazing how much the Lord requires of us... to believe! That's it! That's all! Doesn't that blow your mind?!

And believe it's done. That's all. Whoa.


Terrie's Comments:

Faith was God's original plan for us.  The law came because of the human race choosing to live according to their sinful nature instead of by faith in God.  We are to believe in Jesus Christ by Faith so that we who were sinners could be made right with God and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit!  This is awesome.


Take our personal comments or leave them. We would love to hear what stood out to you about today`s passage and how it encouraged you. Tell us in the comments below!

Day 6 - Galatians 3:1-9

Oh, foolish Galatians! Who has cast an evil spell on you? For the meaning of Jesus Christ’s death was made as clear to you as if you had seen a picture of his death on the cross. 2 Let me ask you this one question: Did you receive the Holy Spirit by obeying the law of Moses? Of course not! You received the Spirit because you believed the message you heard about Christ. 3 How foolish can you be? After starting your new lives in the Spirit, why are you now trying to become perfect by your own human effort? 4 Have you experienced so much for nothing? Surely it was not in vain, was it?

5 I ask you again, does God give you the Holy Spirit and work miracles among you because you obey the law? Of course not! It is because you believe the message you heard about Christ.

6 In the same way, “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.” 7 The real children of Abraham, then, are those who put their faith in God.

8 What’s more, the Scriptures looked forward to this time when God would make the Gentiles right in his sight because of their faith. God proclaimed this good news to Abraham long ago when he said, “All nations will be blessed through you.” 9 So all who put their faith in Christ share the same blessing Abraham received because of his faith.


Terrie's Comments:

NOTHING we can ever do will ever save us!  We are given the free gift of eternal life, the gifts of the Holy Spirit and everything else that God provides through our FAITH in Jesus Christ.  When we try to follow the law or any man made traditions to achieve perfection in life we are disregarding our faith and the righteousness that has been given to us already by God through our faith in Jesus Christ.  

We are just simply called to BELIEVE!  We are given the Holy Spirit to guide us, teach us, empower us, work wonders and signs and miracles through us.  We are just called to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit in our lives.


Tori's Comments:

And really, what does it come down to but that we forget just what God did for us. (vs. 3) It is such an amazing freedom that the world tries to drown out and force our focus elsewhere.

Also: BELIEVE!!! :)


Take our personal comments or leave them. We would love to hear what stood out to you about today`s passage and how it encouraged you. Tell us in the comments below!

Day 5 - Galatians 2:11-21

Today is December 1st.  As we enter into the month when we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, I thought it would be appropriate to add an image to each blog post to keep our focus on Jesus this year.  

But when Peter came to Antioch, I had to oppose him to his face, for what he did was very wrong. 12 When he first arrived, he ate with the Gentile believers, who were not circumcised. But afterward, when some friends of James came, Peter wouldn’t eat with the Gentiles anymore. He was afraid of criticism from these people who insisted on the necessity of circumcision. 13 As a result, other Jewish believers followed Peter’s hypocrisy, and even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy.

14 When I saw that they were not following the truth of the gospel message, I said to Peter in front of all the others, “Since you, a Jew by birth, have discarded the Jewish laws and are living like a Gentile, why are you now trying to make these Gentiles follow the Jewish traditions?

15 “You and I are Jews by birth, not ‘sinners’ like the Gentiles. 16 Yet we know that a person is made right with God by faith in Jesus Christ, not by obeying the law. And we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we might be made right with God because of our faith in Christ, not because we have obeyed the law. For no one will ever be made right with God by obeying the law.”

17 But suppose we seek to be made right with God through faith in Christ and then we are found guilty because we have abandoned the law. Would that mean Christ has led us into sin? Absolutely not! 18 Rather, I am a sinner if I rebuild the old system of law I already tore down. 19 For when I tried to keep the law, it condemned me. So I died to the law—I stopped trying to meet all its requirements—so that I might live for God. 20 My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 21 I do not treat the grace of God as meaningless. For if keeping the law could make us right with God, then there was no need for Christ to die.


Tori's Comments:

"afraid of criticism" This actually has a comforting effect on me, that I'm not the only one to struggle with this. But if we stand on the truth and for the truth, we have nothing to fear. 

Interesting that trying to live by all the laws' requirements actually hindered living for God.

Verse 19-21 is sort of like a mantra for the Christian faith. 

"treat the grace of God as meaningless" I am often tempted to fall back into old ways or prioritize my life over God, despite Christ being the one who lives in me.


Terrie's Comments:

Fear of man will keep us from doing the will of God in our lives.  This is a struggle every Christian will have until we fully understand who we are in Jesus Christ and learn to live in abandonment for His will in our lives.

"if keeping the law could make us right with God, then there was no need for Christ to die."  

I find it interesting that Paul had to stop living by the law and it's requirements to actually live for God.  We can get wrapped up easily in "doing" what we think that God requires of us or what other people expect of us in the church... bottom line we are to live in freedom.  Dying to ourselves and living by the guidance of the Holy Spirit in us.  

We live by Grace - unmerited favour - through Faith in Jesus Christ and His finished work on the cross.  




Take our personal comments or leave them. We would love to hear what stood out to you about today`s passage and how it encouraged you. Tell us in the comments below!