'I just wasn't thinking!'

Have you ever uttered those words? Maybe to the Police Officer who pulled you over for speeding. Perhaps when you inadvertently backed into a stationary object in the car. When you spoke words in a situation that you immediately wish you could take back or clicked on a link that you instantly regret. We have all made stupid decisions, some that we can laugh at later, but some that we can never erase…when we have been foolish, acted foolishly or were just not thinking. Paul accuses the Galatians of foolishness, of not thinking when it comes to our relationship with God because they were shifting their eyes away from the perfect gift of Christ and thinking they had to prove themselves, their value and their perfection to God. The consequences of that are horrendous and so Paul encourages them and us to living exclusively by faith. We will explore that today

#3 in series: Living Exclusively

Having you ever noticed your car pulling to the left or right when braking? Have you ever noticed a shudder in the steering wheel when applying the brake? Have you ever noticed uneven wear on your tyres? If so, you probably should get a wheel alignment. Hitting a pothole or kerb at force can cause your wheels to go out of alignment. The settings are so precise and sensitive and need to be done in parallel, that if one part is even 1/6 of a degree off, your wheels can be out of alignment, which can cause huge damage. That's why it is important to have a regular wheel realignment.

The same is true of the Gospel...it is so easy for the bumps forces and sudden jolts of life to cause a misalignment of our hearts, our minds and our behaviours. And when left unchecked it can do serious damage to our faith, our relationships and the fulfilment of God's purposes in the world. So today Paul pulls tells us to pull into Christ's workship and let him do a Gospel realignment of our hearts and lives so they run straight, true, and free and we can arrive safely at the destination God has prepared for us. So today we look at what it means to live exclusively in Christ.

#2 in series: Living Exclusively

Gin AND tonic. Scones, jam AND cream.

Some things are MEANT to be added together.

Some…are not. They are enough in and of themselves.

Jesus. To add anything is to lose him. Over the next 7 weeks we’ll be reminded of that fact by Paul as he speaks pointedly & sternly to the church in Galatia…and to us.

Add ____ lose your faith.

Add ____ squander your security.

Add ____ forfeit your identity.

Add ____ surrender your destiny.

(need to fill in the blanks…? Law, rules, rituals, human/cultural approval…status, power…?)

Only in Christ do we have full access to the freedom the Father desires us to enjoy as his children. Only by the Spirit do we receive the fullness of blessing the Father seeks to make flourish in our lives. Today we explore what it means to live exclusively by the Gospel.