Tag: Bible study

Posted in Bible study, From the Insideout, LGG Study
Posted on by

All Are In Christ

Today’s Reading: Galatians 3:24-29, SOAP: Galatians 3:28

There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 

Galatians 3:28
My Observations:

I love zeroing in on one Scripture verse, however, sometimes – if not often – we risk missing the beauty of the message. While today’s verse can definitely stand alone and packs a wonderful, life altering message – I believe the beauty is in knowing the truth it preaches wasn’t always the way that it was.

So let’s look back to the first four verses of the passage, where we read about what guarded the people before faith came into the picture. That guardian was the ‘law’, a captor. more-or-less, that made sure we knew our sin and offered a way to purge ourselves only to then reveal another sin and another. It was a hopeless cycle that kept the people fully aware that there was truly no way to escape. Until out Champion was born made a way for us to escape our captivity and the burden that the law placed upon us! No longer did we serve a law of rituals and requirements but rather a Savior who paid our penalty and set us free!

Understanding this freedom is vital to understanding and appreciating the truth that “we are all one in Christ Jesus”. No longer are we governed by our race, status in life, or gender but simply and purely by placing our faith in Christ alone. When we do this, Paul told the Corinthians, “we are a new creation, the old has gone , the new has come”, 2 Corinthians 5:17.

For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have put on Christ, like putting on new clothes.

Galatians 3:26-27

We are now identified as “belonging to Christ”, and this identity changes everything. Why? Because – now that we belong to Christ we are made His heirs, sharing in God’s promise to Abraham. Why? Because, as Paul explains:

The real children of Abraham, then, are those who put their faith in God. 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.” So all who put their faith in Christ share the same blessing Abraham received because of his faith.

Galatians 3:7-9
How Then Should We Live?
  • First and foremost we should put our faith in Christ and be saved, Rom. 10:13a
“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved..."
  • We are to measure ourselves, not by who we are or were but by the faith God has given us, Rom. 12:3 
3 Because of the privilege and authority God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us.
  • We are not to think of ourselves as greater or better or even lesser than others – regardless of our “station” in life.
  • We are to live as one with our brothers and sisters in Christ – through the Spirit
  • We should live praising God for the Savior who fulfilled the law thereby releasing us from captivity to it.
My Prayer Response:

Father – thank You for the work You have done in us through Christ. Help us as Your children, belonging to Christ, to always measure ourselves only by our faith in Christ – not by works or possessions or status. Help us, by Your Spirit’s power to live as one body for one Lord and Your glory. In Jesus’ Name – Amen!

Want More Insight?

Visit https://lovegodgreatly.com/lgg-blog/

Posted in Bible study, From the Insideout, LGG Study
Posted on by

Phoebe: Living Unique

From the Love God Greatly Study, “Beautifully Surrendered”

Today’s Reading: Rom 16:1-2; 1 Cor 12:12-26; SOAP: 1 Cor 12:12

12 For just as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body—though many—are one body, so too is Christ.

1 Corinthians 12:12 NET
Phoebe:

Ok, so before we look at our SOAP passage I think we need to at least spend a minute on Phoebe, don’t you? Here’s what we know about her from Paul, who introduced her to the Church in Rome.

  • She is a sister (in Christ) – indicating she is a believer
  • She is a servant of the church in Cenchrea, which is where she lived, and according to the NIV Study Commentary, Cenchrea was the eastern port of Corinth
  • Being new to the community she may have needed help
  • She had been a great help to many people, including Paul
My Observations:

First of all, since our verse starts with: “For just as the body …”, lets look back first to the verses preceding verse 12, where Paul has been teaching on spiritual gifts and how different gifts are given by the Spirit to each member of the body. Paul was instructing them on the gifts and their purpose because the gifts had become a source of contention among the body at Corinth instead of being the effective tool they were meant to be.

Arriving at verse 12 we hear Paul teaching that as the church, which is the “Body of Christ”, we are to live and work together as one ‘body’, which is the reason for Paul’s comparison of the human body and the body of Christ. I believe that reading verses 12-26 can be both confusing and helpful at the same time – but that they clearly make the point that we are meant to work together as one, rather than competing with one another or comparing ourselves to others. We are to unite ourselves and our gifts to accomplish God’s purpose for the church, which is making Him known through the Gospel message – God’s power for salvation.

How Then Should We Live? (the application)

If we all have different gifts and different places and purposes within the body, how then do we live and function as though we are one? I believe, as with much of Christianity, it boils down to the attitude of the heart. Perhaps this is why the second commandment that Christ mentions in His answer to a ‘teacher of the law’ concerning the ‘greatest commandment’ says, love your “neighbor as yourself”, Mark 12:29-31. If our concern is for the building up of the church and those within the body of Christ we will have a servant’s heart – using our gifts to glorify God and better the body and not ourselves – much like Paul’s description of Phoebe.

What might this look like? When we have a servant’s heart, perhaps we will

  • like Phoebe, support the ministries of others,
  • or like Paul, commend others and their gifts to the church so that they can plug in and find the help they need
  • or perhaps, as Paul requested of the Church in Rome, we will be asked to welcome and help those who are new to the body

Whatever the case, I believe verse 25 of 1 Corinthians 12 makes clear the reason for us to function as one and perhaps paints the best picture of what the body will look like –

“So that there may be no division in the body, but the members may have mutual concern for one another”.

1 Corinthians 12:25
My Response of Prayer:

Father, make me a servant humble and meek, Lord let me help those who are weak – and may the cry of my heart always be – make me a servant today. A servant like Jesus who made Himself nothing and became obedient to death – for the sake and salvation of sinners and the pleasure of You – His Father. Yes Lord, Yes – make me a servant today!

My Response of Worship:
Posted in Bible study, From the Insideout, LGG Study
Posted on by

The One Worthy of Praise!

Every day I will praise you.
I will praise your name continually.
The Lord is great and certainly worthy of praise.
No one can fathom his greatness.

Psalm 145:2-3
Praise is a choice

Praise is a choice, a way of life. It has a focus and a reason and when the focus and reason are good and right, when they are the LORD and His greatness, when they are real – then the praise will never end – for God will never cease to amaze us, even in the midst of our suffering.

How then should I live?

It is good to read and even pray through the Psalms but to truly apply them we must seek the relationship with God and the knowledge of God that the Psalmist has. Otherwise our focus will be only words on a page – quickly forgotten or laid aside because they hold no real value.

My Prayer Response

Father, truly no one can fathom, or understand, Your greatness! But from the time I was given even a glimpse of Your greatness I learned to say – with or like the Psalmist – LORD, You are great and worthy of PRAISE; and I am certain I will praise Your name and deeds forever!

Posted in Bible study, From the Insideout, LGG Study
Posted on by

Praise the LORD

Today’s Reading: Psalm 116 (SOAP verse 48)

The Lord God of Israel deserves praise,
in the future and forevermore.
Let all the people say, “We agree! Praise the Lord!”

Psalm 106:48
A Recounting

This is one of those readings that make it tempting to skip right to the soap/focus verse – but as always I encourage you to read the whole passage. It’s actually a beautifully written cliff notes version of God’s people during the exodus and the conquest. While it opens and ends with the Psalmist praising the LORD, much of the chapter focuses on repentance through a recounting of Israel’s failures. We can certainly learn a lot from it – such as failure to appreciate and remember God’s work and love for us leads to rebellion (7) and the importance of God’s reputation (8). We read of how they praised God and then would quickly forget what He had done (12-13). They resented their Spiritual leaders, Moses and Aaron (16) and did evil in the sight of the LORD – like making and worshiping idols and rejecting their true and living God (19-21). Even after His mercies were shown to them they still lived in rebellion (23-25). Because of these things God would eventually make them die in the wilderness (26-27), again and again they angered God by their hideous and rebellious deeds (29-40) so “He handed them over to the nations, and those who hated them ruled over them”(41). He delivered them many times but their attitudes were still rebellious (43). Yet, “He took notice of their distress when He heard their cry for help and relented because of His great loyal love” (44-45) – Because of the recounting of these things and because of all of God’s mighty acts the Psalmist acknowledged that God was worthy of praise now and forevermore and he encouraged the people to praise Him.

The Recounting Results

A “recounting” of God’s ‘mighty acts’ will always lead us to praise Him. Praise Him not only for the present but for the future and forever. The Psalmist not only realized that God deserved praise but he encouraged all the people to agree with him and praise the LORD.

How Then Do I Live?

I should be faithful to “recount” God’s mighty acts. I should be quick to realize and always be aware that God is worthy of my praise. I should also encourage ‘others to see and agree and praise the LORD’.

Why does it matter?

Because others will ‘see and agree’ only when we are faithful to recount and actively praise Him – sparking a fire in those around us and for generations to come.

Prayer Response

Father, help me. Help Your people to notice Your mighty acts. To remember them from days of old. And to recount them faithfully as edification and encouragement for ourselves and others to PRAISE You. For truly You are worthy, both now and always! Help us not only to learn to PRAISE You from the recounting but may the recounting also be a warning and reminder of where rebellion and discontent and grumbling and forgetfulness lead us. Thank You for Your loyal love and faithfulness to forgive – to relent. All Your deeds are praiseworthy – this we know and give you praise. Let all the people agree. – Amen!

Posted in Bible study, From the Insideout, LGG Study
Posted on by

Celebrating His Deliverance

Today’s Reading: Psalm 116 (SOAP 116:12-13)
Lord I Love you

The Psalmist declares his love for the LORD. Why? Because the Lord heard his plea for mercy and listened to him. Not only does he declare his love but he says, for as long as he lives, he is going to call on the Lord whenever he needs help. I get it. It’s an awful feeling to talk to people who you think – or worse yet – who you know don’t hear you or just aren’t listening. I get the sense by the Psalmist’s response, that this is how he had been feeling but notice how – when he realized he had been heard – everything changed.

Everything Changes When it becomes personal

When our relationship with God becomes personal everything changes. His testimony becomes one of praise and declaration of God’s mercy and fairness, of His compassion and protection. Now, because he knew, first hand, these things about God He knew he could rest in Him and what He had done. He tells how God rescued him from death, kept his eyes from tears, and his feet from the wrong path. So, in response, the Psalmist declares that he will serve the LORD and wants to know how he can repay Him for all His acts of kindness.

How Then Should I Live?

Like the Psalmist, when he truly realized the truth of all God had done, our hearts should be moved to seek a way to repay Him for all of His kindnesses and, as the Psalmist said, “to celebrate the deliverance” the LORD has given us and call on “the name of the LORD”. The LORD, our God, has delivered us from the power of sin and death and while we can never repay Him for what He has done – His word does give us a hint as to how we can show our love and appreciation. In John 14:15, Jesus said, “If you love me keep My commandments”, defining, in Mark 12:29-31, that the greatest commandment is loving the LORD our God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength. The second is equal to the first and it is to love our neighbors as ourselves. Remember, God isn’t after our burnt offerings and sacrifices, but as Samuel said to Saul, He simply wants our hearts. The same applies to us today.

May we be moved to give Him our heart.

“What is more pleasing to the LORD: your burnt offerings and sacrifices or your obedience to his voice? Obedience is far better than sacrifice. Listening to him is much better than offering the fat of rams.”

1 Samuel 15:22
Prayer and worship Response

Lord, I give You my heart! For all You have given me. For all of Your kindness. For Your deliverance from sin and death, for Your faithfulness to me through the years, Your healing hand that I have seen, Your provisions that I have needed, Your love and guidance that I would be lost without. – I will praise You and seek to walk in Your ways all of my days! – Oh yes LORD, I give You my heart! – In Jesus’ Name +

I’ll Give Him My Heart

(I do not own this song)
More Insight

Want more on this Psalm and “Celebrating His Deliverance”? Visit the link below –

Love God Greatly Blog Post
Posted in Bible study, From the Insideout, LGG Study
Posted on by

Remembering His Faithfulness

Today’s Reading: Psalm 9 (SOAP verses 10 and 11)

Your loyal followers trust in you,

for you, Lord, do not abandon those who seek your help.

11 Sing praises to the Lord, who rules in Zion.

Tell the nations what he has done.

Psalm 9:10-11 NET

“You can be an instrument through which others encounter God, but only to the extent that you encounter God.”1

The Commitment to Remember

From the beginning of this study, Trusting God in the Midst of Suffering, we have been given examples about remembering and how it helps us turn our laments into praise. In Psalm 77, we read how Moses, a man who was undeniably an instrument of God, committed to remembering the works of the LORD and we saw how it changed his whole attitude. Now we’ve arrived at the last week of the study and we see, as we have throughout, that it’s still about remembering, recalling, pondering, and talking about the goodness of God that strengthens us to walk through the valleys of this world.

I will remember the works of the Lord.

Yes, I will remember the amazing things you did long ago.

12 I will think about all you have done;

I will reflect upon your deeds.”

Psalm 77:11-12
The Impact of Remembering

Our Psalm today was written by David who, without question, was and is used as an instrument of God. From this Psalm alone you can tell that he encountered God often and in a number of ways – and his praises seem to flow endlessly, even in the midst of his laments. The impact of his words still inspire us today. His prayers teach us to cry out to God, to pray against the enemy, to trust God, to find favor in His sight, and the list goes on. Consider also the words he spoke of his encounters with God when he was petitioning Saul to allow him to face the giant, Goliath. 

But David persisted. “I have been taking care of my father’s sheep and goats,” he said. “When a lion or a bear comes to steal a lamb from the flock, I go after it with a club and rescue the lamb from its mouth. If the animal turns on me, I catch it by the jaw and club it to death. I have done this to both lions and bears, and I’ll do it to this pagan Philistine, too, for he has defied the armies of the living God! The LORD who rescued me from the claws of the lion and the bear will rescue me from this Philistine!”  His words were bold and his acknowledgement that God was with him seemed to have an impact on the decision - as we read: Saul finally consented. “All right, go ahead,” he said. “And may the LORD be with you!”

Then, when he is standing before the Philistine giant, again he remembers and uses the words almost as ammunition against the giant. Goliath walked out toward David with his shield bearer ahead of him, sneering in contempt at this ruddy-faced boy. “Am I a dog,” he roared at David, “that you come at me with a stick?” And he cursed David by the names of his gods. “Come over here, and I’ll give your flesh to the birds and wild animals!” Goliath yelled.

David replied to the Philistine, “You come to me with sword, spear, and javelin, but I come to you in the name of the LORD of Heaven’s Armies—the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. Today the LORD will conquer you, and I will kill you and cut off your head. And then I will give the dead bodies of your men to the birds and wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel! And everyone assembled here will know that the LORD rescues his people, but not with sword and spear. This is the LORD’s battle, and he will give you to us!”

You see David's words and remembrance of his encounters with God rescuing him not only impacted Saul's decision but they impacted David's courage and tenacity - and ultimately the fate of the giant.        

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Samuel%2017&version=NIV
HOW THEN SHOULD WE LIVE

Like Moses and David, we need to encounter God regularly through His Word, through prayer, and watching for His fingerprints of activity in and around our lives. We need to know that His Word says and has shown that we can trust Him in times of trouble (Ps 9:9, Nahum 1:7). We need to remember that, according to Matthew 28:20 and others, we can trust Him not to abandon those who belong to Him.

According to this passage (vs 10-11) and many in the new testament, namely Luke 9:23 – we should be loyal followers, ones who deny themselves and take up our crosses daily to follow Him. We should trust in Him not being afraid that He will abandon us. We should seek His help, sing His praises, and tell others what He has done.

23 Then he said to them all, “If anyone wants to become my follower, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me. 

Luke 9:23

Father, Thank You for showing me, in so many ways that You can be trusted. From hearing our prayers to provision of safety and not abandoning us-even in the difficult days we can trust You and praise You. We can tell others of Your good deeds so that among the “Nations” You will be praised! May You find us faithful, servants after Your own heart.

1 Priscilla Shirer (one in a million, journey to your promised land)

Posted in Bible study, From the Insideout, LGG Study
Posted on by

Turning Lament into Dancing

Today’s Reading: Psalm 30 (SOAP: Psalm 30:11-12)

A song used at the dedication of the temple: by David

David’s Response to Answered Prayer

This psalm begins with an acknowledgment that a prayer has been answered. It seems to be a recounting or a testimony of what it was all about and how David’s sorrow turned into joyful dancing. However, don’t miss the line of lament in verse 7 where David says the Lord rejected him and he was terrified. Note the progression from there, David cried to the LORD (8), David’s focus was the Lord (9), and David seeks the LORD’s mercy – indicating he knew that he deserved God’s displeasure and rejection. Suddenly David’s lament is turned into dancing and he says he can no longer stay silent. Oh that we would all respond so joyfully with praise when God answers our prayers.

You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing.
    You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy,
that I might sing praises to you and not be silent.
    O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever!

Psalm 30:11-12

In these two verses David realizes, with great joy, that his prayers have been answered and he gives God the credit. He makes his joy known and pledges to always give God thanks.

How then should we live?

When God removes or improves our suffering we should make it known. We should not be silent when God acts on our behalf. Instead, we should, without hesitation or timidity give thanks to the LORD. Our responses not only bring delight to God but they have the power to make His name known to others around us, which may in turn encourage them to pray or praise God as well.

My Response

Father, Thank You for all the times You have turned my mourning into dancing! Let me never withhold praise that is due Your name. Let me dance and sing with joy – making Your goodness, greatness, mercy, grace, and love known! And in this, may You be glorified.

Going Deeper

Don’t forget to read the LGG Blog Post lovegodgreatly.com/blog/

Posted in Bible study, From the Insideout, LGG Study
Posted on by

The Power of God’s Love

Today’s Reading: Romans 8:18-39 (SOAP – 8:38-39)

And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 8:38-39
Even If

Even in our sufferings – whatever they are, Scripture assures us that no troubles or distress, no persecution, no hunger, no dangers, or even violent death can separate us from God’s love that is ours in Christ Jesus our Lord. Even in these, we have complete and guaranteed victory through Him who loved us enough to die in our place.

How then do I live?

Regardless of what life brings, I can live in confidence. I do not have to be afraid because I know that the living God is with me and loves me and I rest secure in His love demonstrated on the cross.

I have set the LORD always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices;

my flesh also dwells secure. For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol,

or let your holy one see corruption. You make known to me the path of life;

in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Psalm 16:8-11
My Response

Father, what an important truth for Your children to remember and to truly believe – so that when troubles come – and they will- we will not be shaken! We can both stand and rest secure, and we can even rejoice because we know Your love and Your power are always with us – Of this I am convinced, in Jesus’ Name! 

Music and video are not mine - but I'm sharing because shortly after completing and scheduling this post this song started playing on my spotify  - what a perfect companion for the devo and and awesome song - I just had to share. I pray it leads you into worship and awe of how our God works.
Want to Go Deeper?

Check out today’s blog on this passage at https://lovegodgreatly.com/lgg-blog/https://lovegodgreatly.com/lgg-blog/

Posted in Bible study, From the Insideout, LGG Study
Posted on by

Trusting God’s Sovereignty

Today’s Reading: Romans 8:18-39

What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else?

Romans 8:38-39
Building up our confidence

Paul is asking what the believer’s response should be to “these things”, meaning all he has told them about in the previous verses (18-30). In other words, the adoption and redemption of our bodies (23), the hope in which were saved (24), the Spirit’s help in our weakness, His interceding for us in prayer (26), God working all things together for our good (28), being conformed into the image of His Son, so that we might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters (29), and as part of His plan – being called, justified, and glorified (30).

He goes on to ask, “If God is for us who can be against us?”. Perhaps, in light of all He has just written, this is meant to be a rhetorical question. However, either way, I believe it is good and profitable to give an answer to the question as an exercise of recalling the truths and promises that are ours in Christ. Certainly this list alone clarifies that God is for us but lets look at a couple of others that will strengthen our confidence. John 3:16 boasts of God’s love being so great that He gave us His one and only son to die for our sins, and announces that anyone who believes in his son would be saved. There’s also Paul’s words from Romans 5:8 that tell us how God demonstrated his own love for us, not just by sending Christ to die for us, but doing it while we were still sinners. Surely there is absolutely no one and nothing that can stand against us when we are loved so deeply.

HOw Then Do we live

This truth and others like it offer us hope and the confidence we need to walk victoriously through the world as a Christian. We will face suffering and deal with weaknesses, there may be times when we don’t even know how to pray and when it may seem like God is removed from us, but we can always live with the assurance that God, the creator of the universe, the mightiest of the mighty, eternal, living God is “for us” and His Spirit is always with us. He gives freely, not based on our merit but His love; and Psalm 84:11 says He withholds no good thing from those who do what is right. He has a plan for our life and is working everything together for the good of those who love Him and have been called according to His purpose and in this we can rest knowing He is a good good father whom we can trust has our backs.

Prayer Prompt

Father, thank You that You are a sovereign God, in perfect control of all things. Thank You for not sparing Your own son but giving Him up for us all so that we might, through faith in Him, be a member of Your family. Thank You for showing us such love and giving us the assurance that we can trust Your sovereign goodness. My heart is full of gratitude and praise!

Posted in Bible study, From the Insideout, LGG Study
Posted on by

Help in Weakness

Today’s Reading: Romans 8:18-39 (SOAP – 8: 26)

 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness, for we do not know how we should pray, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with inexpressible groanings.

Romans 8:26
The Holy Spirit and the Believer

Have you ever reached the point, either because of tiredness or emotions or even sin – that you just couldn’t or didn’t know how to pray? I have, more times than I can count, which is why I love the truth of this verse. Even more, I love that God has provided a way for us to always connect with Him, even to the point that He will provide the content of our conversation through the intercession of His Spirit. The Spirit plays many roles in the lives of believers and even in the lives of unbelievers, whom He convicts of their sin (Jn 16:8), Two of my other favorites are:

  • Ever feel like you can’t remember God’s Word? Well, the Spirit remembers and according to John 14:26, He has been sent to teach us all things and remind us of everything Jesus said. I don’t know about you but I forget more and more these days – so I take great delight in this role of the Holy Spirit in my life
  • I also love that He is the reason that we are able to bear fruit of the new nature God has given us. Because of the Holy Spirit we are able to show love, have and spread joy, live in and know peace, be patient in trying circumstances, be kind and good, faithful and gentle, and practice self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23)

If you’d like to know even more about what the Holy Spirit does and what it means to “walk in the Spirit” visit gotquestions.org/Spirit-walk.html and dig deeper.

The One Who Intercedes

Paul has just finished writing about hope and how big of a part it plays in the believer’s life, from salvation to strength to carry us through times of suffering. Here, he continues that same thought line only this time he says, “In the same way as the “hope” works – the Spirit works to help us in our weakness. Whether physical or emotional or spiritual, like knowing how or what to pray for – the Spirit’s job is to intercede on our behalf and according to God’s will (27) – so it’s a win-win!

How then Shall we live?

Just as I/you live in “HOPE” of the promises of God through Christ – we need to live in the power of the Spirit for all of life’s needs. We need to trust that God has provided, through the Holy Spirit, all that we need to live a godly life. (2 Peter1:3-4). Perhaps Paul’s best instruction about the Spirit is found in chapter five of Galatians where we find these helpful and inspiring words: 

 But I say, live by the Spirit and you will not carry out the desires of the flesh. 17 For the flesh has desires that are opposed to the Spirit, and the Spirit has desires that are opposed to the flesh, for these are in opposition to each other, so that you cannot do what you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity, depravity, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hostilities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish rivalries, dissensions, factions, 21 envying, murder, drunkenness, carousing, and similar things. I am warning you, as I had warned you before: Those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God!  22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,  23 gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Now those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also behave in accordance with the Spirit.   Galatians 5:16-25
Prayer Prompt

Father, thank you for the gift of the Holy Spirit. Thank you that He works in us, according to Your will. Just as You have taught us to put our hope in You, help us to live by Your Spirit and trust His guidance – in prayer, in relationships with others, in living out Your will and call upon our lives in this world. Thank you that He helps us in our weakness and empowers us to live the godly life. We are most blessed!