God Centered Life

Ever hear of fake freedom? Perhaps you can bring to mind a personal experience with “freedom” that really wasn’t free. Our study of Galatians continues with Paul continuing to exhort us to understand real freedom. Galatians 5:13-15 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Set it free! If you’re referring to water, and you take the container holding that water and tip it over, you’ve set the water “free,” if you will. The problem is, that water has far less usefulness spilled out on the ground than contained and accessible for cleaning, drinking, or a myriad of other purposes. What does it mean to be “free” in a Gospel sense and how does that relate to service? We’r...

Paul tells Timothy to correct others with gentleness. And yet in this passage, Paul demonstrates a bit more of a punch in his rebukes. What’s the balance, and what's the admonition to us? We’ll explore those questions today. Galatians 5:7-12 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Boldness versus loving our neighbor. We’re heading into a passage where Paul demonstrates the use of such powerful language that some question if he even said what’s found here. What does this passage have to say regarding political correctness in our society? We’ll look at language, love, and truth in this study. Galatians 5:7-12 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoice...

On the surface, you may automatically reject the idea that “bigger is better.” But what happens if we stop and look at our value system? What if we look at how we regard those around us? Is it possible that “bigger is better” can use a back entrance and sneak its way into our thinking? Another study ahead of us today on the fascinating Old Testament character of Samson. Judges 14:1-20 Learn more a...

“No cost, nothing you need to do, free.” Is freedom an absolutely hands-off luxury? Or is there a responsibility we have to protect our freedom? We’ll look at these questions in this study. Galatians 5:1-6 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

“My freedom requires you to give up what you consider your freedom.” While you might not hear it verbalized that way, that’s the essence of what is happening around us. Our society has what could be considered a twisted view of freedom, especially when compared to the freedom that is offered to us spiritually. We’ll explore the richness of that freedom in our study today. Galatians 5:1-6 Learn mor...

Birth order studies are fascinating. Older brothers, younger sisters, only children… there's a good bit of consistency in the characteristics ascribed to each category. So, what is the spiritual equivalent to the sibling that gets blamed for everything, run over, or just plain ignored? We’ll look at spiritual family parallels in today's study. Galatians 4:21-31 Learn more about your ad choices. Vi...

Offer the phrase “identity crisis” to five different people and you will generate five different stressful scenarios. The search for identity transcends age, career, status or family. In today's study, Paul steps up and tells us believers to make sure we are clearly aware of what our identity is. Galatians 4:21-31 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Becoming a pastor is easy, right? Do some studying, find a church, and you’re good to go! Obviously that's not the case. But is it perhaps even more complicated than we might imagine? We’ll look at the complex layering making up a Gospel pastor in this study. Galatians 4:17-20 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

There is just no possible way the main character is getting out of this mess. Despite racking your brain, doom is pretty much guaranteed. But then, the most unlikely solution pops up, surprises everyone, and our hero drives away. There are a number of instances where the Old Testament character Samson fits this model. We’ll look at one of those in this study. Judges 14:1-20 Learn more about your a...

Zeal is good! But clearly, it’s not always right. Imagine you’re part of a group who are very zealous about your belief that the earth is flat. Get as zealous as you want during your monthly meetings, but the astronauts are still going to look at you sideways. Spiritual zeal also has its positives and its negatives, and we’ll look at that continuum in this study. Galatians 4:17-20 Learn more about...

Good news! You’re in! You’ve been welcomed into an incredible relationship full of joy, hope, and a future. So… why don’t you feel any joy? It's certainly a valid question. We’ll look at the diagnostics in this study. Galatians 4:8-16 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If you were shopping for a car, and upon popping open the hood, saw a gaping hole where the engine was supposed to be, the deal would lose its luster rather quickly. What are the signs that our faith might be looking good on the outside, but we’re lacking any power under our spiritual hood? We’ll offer up some diagnostic tools in today's study. Galatians 4:8-16 Learn more about your ad choices. Vi...

Is the highest form of spirituality sacrificing what we want and who we are? Or is there a component of God being worshipped when we fully use the skills and follow the ambitions He has planted within us? The question of what true holiness is will be explored in today's study. Galatians 4:1-7 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Structure is good, right? When you enter a building, you trust that it is structurally sound. But what happens when the structure starts becoming more important than the reason you’ve entered that building? Does structure make its way into how we address the Gospel? We’ll look at these questions in this study. Galatians 4:1-7 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Want to write a good fictional hero character? Make sure that character has at least one fatal flaw. Want to turn over all aspects of your life in a move of ultimate trust? Might be better to head towards a flawless record. We’ll continue our study of Sampson as we differentiate between human achievement and God's transcendence. Judges 13:1-25 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices...

You have accepted your punishment, served the time you were sentenced to, and are then released from prison. But the law that you violated hasn’t changed. It still carries consequences if you break it again. In a spiritual sense, what is our relationship to the law once we have accepted Christ's offer of salvation? Is it the same, or does it change? We’ll look at this question today. Galatians 3:2...

How are your future goals shaping up? Are you anticipating great things on your horizon? Are those goals starting to come together? When it comes to spiritual goals, is it possible that the richness of a full spiritual life already exists and it’s our job to simply move into it? Subtle but important distinctions being discussed in this study. Galatians 3:23-29 Learn more about your ad choices. Vis...

You may have heard of organizations that start the process of building you up, by first breaking you down. Indoctrination requires the sacrifice of everything you walk through that door with. Is that the purpose of the law? Is total depravity an essential reality of a true Gospel message? We’ll navigate these questions in this study. Galatians 3:19-22 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcas...

It is the dream of many a workshop owner to have a bigger tool box. And while having more tools means you’re ready when you need a certain tool, not all tools are used on all jobs. Is there a spiritual toolbox, and if so, what are those tools and when are they used? We’ll explore those questions in this study. Galatians 3:19-22 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ever tried your hand at the carnival game called “Whack-a-Mole?” Fun for a while perhaps, but eventually fatigue sets in. Ever thought about the possibility of a spiritual version of Whack-a-Mole?” Josh will introduce us to that very thing in this study. Galatians 3:15-18 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The irony is sometimes frustrating. Our God given minds have limitations as to our ability to imagine… God! We have limited scope when it comes to seeing the ways out of a problem until we remember that God is much bigger. Is there a way to live that consistently taps into a “bigger God” approach to challenges? What can we learn from Sampson that is usable for us today? We’ll explore these questio...

The Christian life is hard! Ever heard that? Ever said that? Is it possible that when that statement lands for us, it’s because we’ve taken on more responsibility for our salvation than we’re supposed to? We’ll look at that question today. Galatians 3:15-18 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

There are two kinds of gifts, those with batteries included, and those with batteries NOT included. Clearly, the joy level is higher when batteries are included… Tongue firmly in cheek perhaps, but what if we receive the gift of salvation and then are told that “batteries are not included?” More needs to be done. Our study today looks at the potential that this mindset is all around us. Galatians...