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The Gospel Is Received, not Earned
Galatians 2:1-3
Our text today details the second time Paul visited Jerusalem as a Christian, fourteen years after his conversion (1). It took Paul three years from his conversion to finally make his first trip to Jerusalem to meet Peter and James (1:18-19). But after that visit, it took another eleven years or so for him to go back.
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What Did Paul's Gospel Produce?
Galatians 1:10-24
Last week, we examined Paul's testimony and saw the evidence for why Paul's gospel was legitimate. The second question we will explore today from this passage is: What did Paul's gospel produce in Paul? Are there things that happened to Paul that we could hope would happen to us?
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Why Is Paul's Gospel Legit?
Galatians 1:10-24
The book of Acts tells the story of Paul's conversion three times. He was a persecutor of the church and was on his way from Jerusalem in Israel to Damascus in Syria to imprison and kill Christians when Jesus appeared to him in a bright light, knocked him down, and confronted him with the truth. And Paul believed!
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What's Wrong with Adding to the Gospel? Pt. 2
Galatians 1:1-9
Last week, we began studying the book of Galatians and heard Paul’s urgent message that adding to the gospel is dangerous — it is abandoning Jesus. A second reason adding to the gospel is dangerous is because it is destructive.
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What's Wrong with Adding to the Gospel? Pt. 1
Galatians 1:1-9
The next book we’ll dive into, beginning today, is Galatians. The theme word for our study of *Galatians* is *"fly."* The end of Paul's letter to the Galatians describes a life in flight — a life that has taken off and is soaring in God's best, God's grace.
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3 (More) Reasons Jesus Was Crucified
Mark 15:16-47
Last week, we studied three reasons from Mark 15 that Jesus was crucified: to fulfill God’s plan, to save us, and to consume our darkness. Today, we will continue looking at three more.
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3 Reasons Jesus Was Crucified
Mark 15:16-47
In our passage today, we will observe "Jesus Christ and him crucified" (1 Cor. 2:2), a stunning event. Christianity is not centered upon tenets, doctrines, beliefs, or behaviors but on the events of Jesus Christ's death, burial, and resurrection. These events lead to tenets, doctrines, beliefs, and behaviors, but the events are the starting place. Without Jesus' cross, there is no Christianity. Without his resurrection, there is no hope.
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God's Plans Will Succeed
Mark 15:1-15
In our final movement of Jesus’ trials by the Jews, the religious leaders had to pawn Jesus off on Pilate. Rome did not allow the Jews to execute people, so the Sanhedrin needed to bring a charge against Jesus to Pilate. So, early on Friday morning, they delivered Jesus to this Roman prefect.
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God Can Help Us Be Faithful
Mark 14:66-72
This second movement of the events of the cross takes us back to Peter. Jesus had shown Peter a prophecy from Zechariah that indicated Peter would scatter from him that very night (14:27). Peter didn't like it and told Jesus he would die before denying him. But Jesus told him he'd deny Him three times before the rooster crowed twice (14:30). This episode shows us the fulfillment of that prediction.
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God Must Open Eyes
Mark 14:53-65
Our previous passage led us to Jesus’ arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane. All his disciples fled from him (50). Jesus was left with only his captors, and here we learn they took him directly, in the dead of night, to the high priest.
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