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“Fallen From Grace”?

Posted on 2017/11/10 by Shawn Thomas

“You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.” (Galatians 5:4)
For many years Galatians 5:4 has been quoted as a “proof text” by those who believe that a Christian can lose their salvation. But this verse makes SO much more sense when you see it in the context of this section, and the whole message of Galatians. Continue reading →

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When It’s Time To “Change Your Tone”

Posted on 2017/11/09 by Shawn Thomas

“But I could wish to be present with you now and to change my tone, for I am perplexed about you.” (Galatians 4:20)

Everyone in a position of authority or leadership has experienced times when they had to “change their tone” like Paul indicates here. Continue reading →

Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Uncategorized | Tagged admonition, change your tone, Galatians 4:20, leadership, parenting, rebuke, tone, warning | 2 Comments

A Picture of Discipleship

Posted on 2017/11/08 by Shawn Thomas

“My children, with whom I am again in labor until Christ is formed in you.” (Galatians 4:19)

Here in his impassioned message to the church he had planted at Galatia, Paul shows us some important things about the nature of Christian disciple-making: Continue reading →

Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Discipleship, Uncategorized | Tagged costs of discipleship, disciplers, disciples, discipleship, discipling relationships, Galatians 4:19, goal of discipleship, relationship | Leave a comment

Serving God In Your Bodily Illness

Posted on 2017/11/07 by Shawn Thomas

“But you know that it was because of a bodily illness that I preached the gospel to you the first time …”. (Galatians 4:13)

So the Apostle Paul had a “bodily illness” which was hindering him as he sought to serve the Lord. But as we see in Galatians 4, he didn’t let that stop him from serving. Continue reading →

Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies | Tagged Galatians 4:13, II Corinthians 12:9, illness, service, sickness | Leave a comment

“Jesus’ Warning Against False Religion” (Matthew 7:15-20 sermon)

Posted on 2017/11/06 by Shawn Thomas

Last Monday, WWOK tv in West Virginia reported a scam that has been going on in Kanawha Country, in which someone posing as a local deputy calls and demands a fine to be paid over the phone. The county said this is a total scam; that their deputies never make calls to collect fines, and their fines are only paid in court, and never over the phone.
Of course, there are SO many scams like that going on; you just have to be very careful, and very wary all the time.

But we also need to realize that the biggest dangers we face are not from scams over the telephone, or even on the computer; the biggest dangers we face are from spiritual imposters. Because false religion will not merely hurt your pocketbook, but can send you to hell for eternity.

As Jesus begins to bring the greatest sermon ever preached to a close, He issues a series of warnings to His followers: first, He tells us to avoid false WAYS, (which we looked at a couple of weeks ago; He said there is only one way, and that is through Him); then He tells us to beware of false prophets (which we will look at today) and then next week, we will see how He warns us against false professions of faith. But today our focus is on false prophets of religion. Jesus warned:

“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So then, you will know them by their fruits.” Continue reading →

Posted in Doctrine/Theology, Matthew sermons, Sermons | Tagged 5 Solas, antichrist, Atlantic magazine, Baptist Faith & Message, Benny Hinn, celebrity Christianity, creative worship, creativity, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, disguise, doctrine, Eugene Peterson, faith, false prophets, false religion, false teachers, fruit, fruit of the Spirit, Galatians 5:22, Grema Wormtongue, heresy, heretics, I John 4:1, II Corinthians 11:14, J.R.R. Tolkien, Litrugy of the Ordinary book, Lord of the Rings, Mark Driscoll, Mars Hill Church, Matthew 24:11, Matthew 7:15-20 sermon, novelty, pastor, preaching, relevant, repentance, salvation, same-sex relationships, Satan, satellite churches, scams, sermons, Shepherd, teaching, theology, Tish Warren, video churches, worship, you will know them by their fruits | Leave a comment

How Is It That You Turn Back Again?

Posted on 2017/11/06 by Shawn Thomas

“But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how is it that you turn back again to the weak and worthless elemental things, to which you desire to be enslaved all over again?” (Galatians 4:9)

Paul raises to the Galatians a question which could be addressed to many of us today:

He says “you have come to KNOW GOD” — what an amazing thing this is! God designed us to be fulfilled by knowing Him, and walking in a personal relationship with Him. Following Adam & Eve, we all separated ourselves from that fellowship with God, by our sin. Amazingly, God still loved us, and sent Jesus to save us, that we could have eternal life, which John 17:3 tells us the essence of is knowing God. Amazing grace! Incredible privilege!

In light of this, Paul says, how could we “turn back again to the weak and worthless elemental things, to which you desire to be enslaved all over again?” And his question applies to more than the Judaism of the Galatians. They turned from the privilege of salvation by faith in Christ, to legalism. We today may turn to other “weak and worthless elemental things”:

— perhaps drugs or alcohol

— maybe immorality or sensuality

— the popularity or fear of other people

— or material things

Israel saw the living God on the Mountain — how could they turn back to a Golden Calf? They saw God part the Red Sea; how could they want to turn back to Egypt?
In the same way, we have KNOWN GOD! How can we turn back, to a “comfortable, middle class life” like everyone else has, when there is the adventure of knowing God, and walking with Him by faith, and serving His kingdom and doing His will; a life invested in eternal things as opposed to one spend on temporal things which will perish with our own short lifetime?

In what areas of life are you tempted to settle for less than His blessing; to “turn back again” to things far less than the incomparable treasure God has for you: knowing Him?!

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A Test of Salvation

Posted on 2017/11/02 by Shawn Thomas

“Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, ‘Abba! Father!’” (Galatians 4:6)

Are you really a Christian? How can you know? The Bible gives us a number of “tests” of salvation. Paul indicates one such test here in Galatians 4: Continue reading →

Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Uncategorized | Tagged assurance, Ephesians 1:13, Galatians 4:6, Holy Spirit, mark of salvation, salvation, sealed with the Holy Spirit, test of salvation | Leave a comment

The Gospel in a Nutshell

Posted on 2017/11/01 by Shawn Thomas

“But when the fullness of time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.” (Galatians 4:4-5)

Here in two little verses in Galatians 4 we find one of the best explanations of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and what it does for us: Continue reading →

Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Uncategorized | Tagged adoption as sons, Christ, Christ deity, Christ humanity, Christology, Galatians 4:4-5, gospel, gospel in a nutshell, John 1:12, Old Testament prophecies, salvation | 1 Comment

“The Way of Pain”

Posted on 2017/10/31 by Shawn Thomas

“See if there be any hurtful way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way.” (Psalm 139:24)

“Hurtful way” here is literally, “way of pain.” Our sinful, or ungodly ways, are “hurtful”, “painful” to ourselves and to others. They are not merely violations of some arbitrary rules which God decided to give us. He gave us His commands because they encapsulate the way that is best for us. He wants us to worship and trust Him because He designed us to do that and it is healthy for us. When we do not trust Him, and when we violate His commandments, we enter “the way of pain” which brings harm upon ourselves and others: Continue reading →

Posted in Devotions/Bible Studies, Uncategorized | Tagged adultery, anxiety, business, cost of sin, ethics, hurtful way, pain, Psalm 139:24, sin, the way of pain, theology, trust, way of pain | Leave a comment

Only Remember The Poor

Posted on 2017/10/30 by Shawn Thomas

“They only asked us to remember the poor — the very thing I also was eager to do.” (Galatians 2:10)

This statement is so significant. When Paul appeared before Peter, James, and John in Jerusalem and presented his gospel to them, they found that there were NO significant theological differences between them. Paul was “on the same page” with them theologically. But they did ask him one thing: Continue reading →

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