Ridge Life Podcast

How are you serving those in the body of Christ? Are we serving others in the body of Christ. Christ calls all of us to serve, but more importantly He uniquely calls each of us specifically for a certain task.

The life that has been transformed by grace lives a spirit filed life. What does that life look like? A spirit filled life makes spiritual investments. What ever we sow we will reap.

In Mark 6 we see the awesome encounter of Jesus feeding the 5,000 with a few fish and few loaves. In this passage we see Jesus serving the sheep and providing for them. What do we learn from what Jesus provided and how he served His sheep?

Paul began the fifth chapter of Galatians with the command to stand firm in the liberty Christ gave us. We stand on God's grace, and we depend on His strength, not ours. The liberty and the freedom of the Gospel was under attack. The false teachers were saying that to live a life of grace you would be doing what ever you wanted to do. To live that way would produce all kinds of law breaking. As we looked at last week, Paul argues that to live in liberty it's not a license to do whatever you want to do. Instead a Gospel grounded, grace driven life will produce a type of life that seeks to obey God, not because we are trying to merit God's love or favor, but we have been called to a new way of living and we aren't abandoning the law instead we fulfill the the law by serving one another through love. As Christians, we are free, but we should use this freedom to reflect God's love. Our text this morning Paul is going to show us that one of the things we encounter when we try to live for God is a conflict. It's a conflict within. It's a conflict between the flesh and the Spirit.

Paul has been talking about being spirit filled. In this last chapter we are going to see how a spirit filled believer actually lives their life. Remember why Paul was writing these things. It's a defense of what the false teachers were saying to live a life apart from the law would lead a person into all kinds of wrong living. He however was showing them that a believer is to live by grace and those that have been transformed by grace live a different type of life. They serve one another, they don't walk in the flesh, but rather decide to walk in the Spirit and are led by the Spirit. In these next set of verses Paul is going to show us practical what the spirit filled life looks like in how they love their life.

These believers were in danger of abandoning the incredible grace they had in Christ. They had got off the course of grace. Paul's letter was an attempt to get them on course again and this section is an emotional plea for them to get back in the race of grace. How could they, and how can we, get back to running in grace?

Paul has been answering the false claim that to live a life apart from the law and only live by grace one would go into all kinds of sin. He did this by showing us that every believer has a conflict within. The desires of the flesh are at war with the desires of the Spirit. If we walk in the Spirit we will not fulfill those desires of the flesh. So we have to make a conscious daily decision to walk in the Spirit. To walk in the Spirit is not something that is mystical or taboo. Its basic Christianity 101. The Spirit is already blowing we have to put up our sails to catch the wind. We do that through basic Christian practices of reading God's Word, prayer and worship. Paul said it was important for us to walk in the Spirit and be led by the Spirit (5:16,18). The result of being led by the Spirit and walking by the Spirit is the fruit of the Spirit becomes evident in our lives. This is a result of the Gospel that has taken root in our hearts. You cannot have the fruit of the Spirit apart from knowing Christ as your Savior. As we grow and mature in Jesus, that fruit should be more and more evident in our lives as we make the decision to walk in the Spirit day by day. That's real spiritual growth.

Allan McGuire brings the message for us our of Mark 6. This is another "Markin Sandwich" where Jesus teaches His disciples in how to handle those who reject you when you preach the Gospel.

This list here today is a list of many things that can and will show up in our life when we are not walking in the Spirit. The Gospel can and will save you from these things if and only if we are walking in the Spirit. We don't have to live this way.

As we begin a new chapter here in Galatians, Paul is going to defend his belief in the Gospel and the freedom it brings. The false teachers were saying that living a life of Gospel freedom would produce a life of unrestrained behavior where one could do whatever they wanted. However Paul is going to show us that the Gospel actually produces a life where a person is free to live for God.

In Mark 6 we get a look at the life of King Herod and his actions of what he did to John the Baptist. Herod's life was marked by family dysfunction and it showed in how he had John the Baptist beheaded.

As we wrap up chapter 4 today, Paul is going to use another story from the OT to prove his point about how we are brought into our relationship with God. Paul goes all the way back to Genesis again and retells the story of Hagar, Sarah, and the birth of each of their sons. It will be thorough this story from the OT that Paul will use to help the Galatian believers see that they need to reject legalism and cling to grace.

As we look at chapter 4:8-20 today, we will see the the pastor side of Paul. As he is giving the Galatian believers truth he makes a loving appeal. He's pleading with them to remain free in grace and not attach all these laws in order to gain favor with God. With a bleeding heart, Paul begged the Galatians to stay firm in the gospel of grace.

As we finished chapter 3 last week we saw what faith is able to do. When we believe in Jesus by faith we become sons of God and we are part of the family of God. Paul is saying all these things because he is building on the relationship that we have with God because of our faith. We don't earn a relationship with God through works. What the Galatian believers were caught up in and what we sometimes find ourselves in is this idea that our relationship with God is dependent on if we do or do not do certain things. We are saved by grace through faith alone, and our growth in Christ is by grace through faith. As we look at chapter 4 today Paul is going to continue the thought about our relationship with God that we looked at last week and stress the importance of God as our Father.

As we have been working through chapter 3 Paul has been giving us point after point that a person can only be accepted by God through faith in the gospel. Keeping the Old Testament law is not necessary, and Paul has been reaching back into the OT to prove this. If you have just joined us Paul is addressing the issue of legalism that one must keep the law to be accepted by God. It's not Jesus + the law or Jesus + circumcision but rather Jesus + nothing. Pauls argument is: faith in Jesus and Jesus alone. Today, Paul is going to tell us what that faith does to us. What happens when we believe in Jesus alone by faith? When we truly believe, what happens to us?

Here in Marks Gospel we have the story of two women who were touched by Jesus. What do we learn about them and what do we learn about Jesus?

As we have been working through this letter that Paul wrote, If you haven't noticed already the big question Galatians attempts to answer is: How do we relate to God? How do we engage with Him? Do we experience God as a reward for good works? Do we gain more of an understanding of God by keeping His laws of nature, conscience or Scripture? Or do we encounter God by His grace? Do we enjoy Him through faith in His promises? How do we relate to God? Paul was arguing for that we are justified by faith and not through the law. What is the purpose of the law then? What is the difference between law and grace?

If you follow any type of Christian media, or Christian based news you've probably even heard some end time prophecy things come up or even discussions amongst other Christians or your friends. When things like these world events come up people question - is this a sign of the End? We can look at Matthew 24 for direction and simply Jesus tells us "Don't be alarmed"

Paul has been giving the Scriptural arguments of why salvation is only through grace through faith and not through works. When We believe in Jesus just in simple faith like Abraham we are blessed. What are those blessings? Paul will tell us here in Galatians 3:10-14.

Beginning in chapter 3 Paul begins giving the Scriptural arguments of why salvation is only through grace through faith and not through works. To prove his point Paul is going to call in a star witness: Abraham. Abraham and his story were the perfect way to combat the false teachers. He predated Moses by some 500 years and Paul is going to show that Abraham was justified by God not became of what he did but by simple faith in God.

What kind of authority does Jesus have? What can He do? What can He do in our lives?

This Sunday we wanted to take some time and talk about deacons. We are seeking to have a man who could serve in that official office in this church. So we, the elders, thought it would be helpful to all of us to understand what a deacon is and what a deacon does.

In this portion of the letter Paul wants these Galatian believers to once more see Christ clearly. He wants them to focus their attention back on Christ. He wants them to look again over and over and over focusing on the Gospel. They had become deceived by another Gospel. This is what we need as well if we are going to grow in Christ and not be entangled with the lies of legalism.

What does a justified life look like? The Gospel does some pretty amazing things in a persons life. Paul lets his readers know what the Gospel does not do and what the Gospel always does.

What do you fear? We all have things that frighten us from time to time. We also find that we may find ourselves in a habit of fearful living or lives that are marked by anxiety. Jesus confronts our fears with the question "why are you so fearful?"

Paul has been stressing that we are not justified by faith. Salvation comes as a result of justification and nothing that we do in our own righteousness. What is justification and what does it mean to be justified by faith in Christ?

How are you growing in your Christian life? Peter tells us that we are to be adding certain things to our faith to help us grow.

Our Lords resurrection was definitely miraculous! Never has anyone said that they would die, and then say they will resurrect from the dead and actually do it. The resurrection is fundamental to Christianity. You can say that all of Christianity rises or falls on the reality of Christ rising from the dead. If you read through the Gospel accounts of Jesus' resurrection in Luke and John you will find 7 questions that Jesus asked people that saw Him after He resurrected from the dead. We will explore two questions Jesus asked Mary at the empty tomb.

Why do you follow Jesus? On the day Jesus rode into Jerusalem there were many people who were shouting "Hosanna!" why were they calling out to Jesus to save them? Were they following Jesus for the right reasons?

Allan McGuire teaches out of Mark 4:21-34 about the several parables Jesus gave.

Grace is a free gift from God. We are saved by grace and not through good works. But do we admit that we can grow only by that same grace? Do we believe that we need His grace each and every day, as much as we did at the beginning of our relationship with Him? Peter as we will see in this passage was using grace in the wrong way and at the same time promoting a false view of grace and a false view of salvation that Paul had to correct. Grace is not a word that we can throw around to do whatever we want to do and act any way we want to act. Grace is costly and there are some things that Grace will not tolerate.

As Paul continues to help the churches in Galatia understand the importance of the Gospel, he recalls what took place in his salvation and that the Gospel is worth fighting for. How do we fight for the Gospel?

What are the differences between God's Gospel and Man's Gospel? Paul wants the church's in Galatia to how that the Gospel that he received and believed was not from man, but from God.

Chapter 4 of Mark gives us the parable of the different soils. How does the Word of God work in our lives from the Cradle to the Grave and the in-between?

In chapter 1 of Galatians Paul is going to get right to the point and the point was that these believers were not holding fast to the Gospel. They were in Pauls words “have turned to another Gospel” These were believers and yet they were wooed away by a false gospel. How can we hold fast to the Gospel so we are not carried away by the false gospels that are out there?

In this series we will be exploring the rich truths found in our salvation with Christ. In this introduction we will set the stage for our freedom that we have in Christ.

As we wrap up the last few verses out of the book of Micah, we encounter a question from Micah. "Who is like you O God?" What do we know about the only God who saves us, redeems us, and forgives us?

What exactly is the unforgivable sin? What does it look like for a person who has committed this sin?

The flavor of this chapter is completely different than the previous chapters. Throughout this book it's been a courtroom setting. God is bringing a lawsuit against his people. Chapter 7 however is different. The style of writing changes from this covenant lawsuit to more of a response of distress and lamenting. This chapter is very personal. Micah in this chapter is responding to the coming disaster.

Court is still in session, and the Lord is going to show Israel the evidence of their guilt and then pass judgement upon them.

Chapter six begins the third message of judgement which will be followed by a message of hope that goes through the remainder of the book. In this chapter it gives off a feeling of a courtroom setting. It's very personal. God is going to be the judge. The mountains and the hills, that is the earth, is going to be called as a witness or a jury to dispense either guilty or not guilty. Judah (the southern kingdom) is going to be the defendant, And God calls Micah to be the prosecutor to bring God's case against His people.

Mark 3:7-21 gives us some insights to the types of people Jesus encountered in His ministry. We see Him encountering the crowds as He healed many. We see Him calling His disciples and we see Jesus as He encounters His own family.

In the rest of chapter 5 here Micah is going to give us some details about His reign. What will the reign of Christ be like when He returns to rule and reign from the throne of David in Israel? Vs 5-6 When Christ comes He will bring peace and protection. Vs 7-9 Christ's reign will be powerful. Vs 10-15 Christ's reign will purify His people.

In this portion of Micah 5, Micah warns about Judas coming destruction and captivity, but then give some hope as concerning the coming king that will come out of Bethlehem and what the coming kingdom will look like as Jesus sits on the throne and shepherds His people with justice and peace.

The tone of Micah 4 is completely different than how chapter 3 ends. Micah tells us of a coming kingdom where the Lord Himself will rule.

The Lord will rescue the remnant, He will deliver His people and He will restore them. Micah's message out of chapter 4 is one of a coming hope and these words would have brought much encouragement to a nation that was about to go into exile for 70 years.

Geff Fisher speaks about the life of Jesus out of the book of Mark.

Micah continues his message of judgment and not only has he singled out the politicians but now he turns his judgment on the the spiritual leaders, the prophets. These prophets were giving messages only for what they could get from the people. God has some strong words for these corrupt people and this corrupt nation.

Micah is primarily giving judgement to the the northern kingdom of Israel. Although he will give some messages of judgement to the Southern kingdom as well later in his message, he primarily right now is pronouncing judgment on Samaria and their judgment would soon come to pass in 722 B.C when the Assyrian Empire would come in and destroy Samaria and take captive the people. The Southern kingdom would last a little bit longer and ultimately be destroyed and the people taken captive and led off by the Babylonian empire in 586 B.C. Why does this happen? Because they rejected the Lord and His ways. They worshiped false idols and allowed sin to rule their lives.

These last two verses are a promise of the coming king that will lead His people, if you can get the picture of what Micah is saying it's a picture of hope, restoration and victory. These people living in Samaria, the Northern Kingdom would soon be defeated by the Assyrians. Later in 586 B.C the southern kingdom, Jerusalem would also be defeated and carried off to Babylon by the Babylonians and so to be living during that time and hear pronounced judgment upon you, but then followed by a message of hope was very encouraging.

Marks gospel account is many snapshots of Jesus. We see Jesus going and doing. It really emphasizes Jesus as the suffering servant. Today we are going to see 3 snapshots of Jesus' ministry in three events. All three of these involve Jesus and the Pharisees and there are three questions that are asked of Jesus. The Pharisees question Jesus' motives, His leadership, and His authority. In these three events and questions we see one answer to the Pharisee's questions. The answer is basically that Jesus is Lord.