So as always it was really good to be reminded that I am united with Christ. I just have a few questions I thought we could each answer along with prayer requests and updates.
1. What in this lesson did you specifically need to be reminded of again? How does that point to your fallen condition?
2. What do you personally need to meditate on or claim in your life about being united with Christ.
I'll post my answers here since I'm already writing.
1. I needed to be reminded that I am not an orphaned child but a beloved daughter of the King. I see how much I act like an orphaned child and I'm convinced it must break God's heart. I liked how the answer in the back put it,
"You are a daughter with a new identity (Gal 3:26, 4:6-7). You now live under God's fatherly love. If God is for you, who can be against you (Rom 8:31)? You no longer need to find acceptance through the opinions and standards of others. You no longer have to fear rejection or live for approval. Because you are adopted, you can now be honest with your Father about your sins, weaknesses, and failures. Since you are loved and accepted, you now see the providence of God in terms of loving discipline and not punishment (Heb 12:5-11).
2. I think this goes along with what I shared in my previous post about fearing man. Adam and I are leaving for Colorado on Friday and I've had some anxiety at times about the summer. Who will be my friends? Will I feel left out? When will Adam and I get time together? What if I'm lonely? Thankfully after my time at Pacem I feel like I'm more in a posture of trusting instead of fearing. I'm choosing to trust God with my needs for the summer instead of living in fear. You can pray that I will continue to stand in faith this summer.
3. You can pray for Adam and I as we pack up and drive to Colorado. We'll be driving all day on Friday so you can pray for good weather and safe travels as well as easy adjustment for me. I typically have higher insecurity the first couple of weeks in a new place until we get in a routine and I know what to expect but I'm trusting God that it will be an easier adjustment this time. I'd love it if you would believe God with me for that. I think that is the biggest request this week.
After reading everyone's comments I think we will stick to one lesson a week. So this week we will do believing God and his promises. Please answer the questions above as well as share any other insight or thoughts you had in the lesson and as always give us updates and prayer requests.
Jeanette I'm so glad to hear that your Grandpa's surgery went well. I'll continue to pray for a good recovery and for support for you!
Kelly and Emily, God knows exactly what you need in terms of jobs. I will pray he provides soon.
Dana, glad you are having a higher desire for prayer. He is doing the same for me. A staff woman just gave me a prayer notebook that is kind of a guide. It is awesome. If you go to www.thefatherbusiness.com and look up prayer portions you'll see it. I've been using it everyday.
Clara hope to hear from you. I'm praying for you and your support.
Love to you all!
Hey friends,
ReplyDeleteSo, week 1 via the blog! I am so grateful to have a way to stay connected with you guys as we continue to learn and grow. Thanks for being friends who I can share all parts of my life with! :)
1: It was so helpful to be reminded that I have wonderful freedom in Christ. The quote, "Love God and do what you want" and the top paragraph on page 122 were so good to read. I realize that I often choose to live a care-filled life instead of seeking full freedom in Christ. I often worry about what I am doing and how I should be doing, and I see how that can quickly become my focus rather than simply loving God and acting out of that love.
2: I need to continue to meditate on the fact that I am called to be united with others in Christ and to battle the "hermit" mentality. Since I have been home, it has been easy for me to want to have alone time, which has been really helpful for me in transitiioning from college. Yet on the other hand, I realize that access to community and fellowship is not as easy as it was during college, and therefore, I need to be proactive about seeking out other believers. So far it has been going pretty well. I, along with my good friend Allison, decided to join a 20-some study through our church in Appleton and I am also meeting with my good friend Paula, who is like mentor to me. So, overall I have been able to find some connections with others, but I am still trying to figure out what being united with others in Christ looks like in my life outside of a college setting.
3: Please be praying for my relationships with my parents. It has been going really well living with them, but there have definitely been moments when I realize that I am just used to living on my own and almost have to re-learn the rhythm of my parents life. Also, please be praying for clear and effective communication among my parents and I.
Thanks so much, friends!
LOVE!
Oh, I forgot one last comment. I love the last little paragraph in the lesson, titled "C'est magnifique!" I reminded me of the article about the music of the Gospel and dancing becuase of the music versus trying to find the music through dancing.
ReplyDeleteLOVE!
Hi!
ReplyDeleteI agree with Dana in that I am really excited to be in fellowship with you ladies through this blog!
1. I also needed to be reminded of the freedom that I have in Christ. I feel like this is a topic that keeps coming up lately. In my college/career Bible study at church, we are going through Galatians. The whole purpose of Galatians is to confront the issue of legalism in the Church. The Gentiles were told that they need to do all these old testament traditions in order to be true followers of God. The problem was that they (Jews and Gentiles) did not see Christ as sufficient for having a right relationship with God. In my own life, I have found that I am guilty of this as well. My own fallen condition leads me to a "different gospel" where I need to work harder at reading my Bible or having a certain amount of quiet time or try to be nice to my family all day before I can come before God and look "good" for Him. Thank goodness that this is not true, since that would never work! I only need to come before the LORD as I am in Christ's righteousness.
2. Along with the idea as before, I need to meditate on Christ's sufficiency. That being "in Christ" is sufficient for what God requires.
3. My grandpas is doing pretty well! He's still recovering from his anesthetic, but he's doing well and we're so happy that it was not cancer. Thanks for praying!
Another prayer request is that I have had a hard week last week. (Part of it was from MPD. But it's picking up now). I just feel like I'm being attacked and the scary part is that I wasn't really even noticing it before. Thanks in advance for your prayers this week!
OTHER THOUGHTS FROM GALATIANS
Also, I was going through Galatians more on my own today and noticed how Paul calls himself a servant or slave of God (1:10). At first, I thought it was kind of funny considering the whole letter is about FREEDOM from sin and the law. And here he is, still a slave. But then I realized that being a servant of God looks so different from being a servant of the law or of sin. A few lines later in Galatians, Paul says that he was called by God's grace (1:15). GRACE! Meaning that he did not deserve to even be called to be a servant of God. What an attitude towards his servant position! We are servants who have been freed from a different master to serve under a greater master and with that comes freedom from the old master. One freedom from the old master that was mentioned in the study this week that made me smile a lot. It was in Hebrews where we are free from the fear and power of death!
Also, this made me think of Nichole Nordman's song "Gotta serve somebody". Part of the lyrics go:
But you're gonna have to serve somebody, yes, indeed
Serve somebody
It might be the devil or it might be the Lord
But you're gonna have to serve somebody
Hope you're all having a good week!
Much love,
Jeanette
This is such a timely conversation in my life right now. I feel so blessed by God this week. First, like Jeanette I have been studying Galatians. I started studying it about a month ago looking for answers of what it means to live under grace in light of the law. I have been battling with these ideas and it has made for interesting dialog with God. BUT this week, God completely opened up my heart and mind and just plopped down insight in to the Word and preached the Gospel to me in a whole new way. If we were sitting together with a cup of coffee in the Cru house this is the part where I would get my excited about the Bible voice...I AM FREE! Second, last week I got half of my hours cut at my second job to compensate for a lack of good pay at my internship and today the apprentiship company offered to pay me as I am doing my internship and learning under them. AMAZING. God totally provided for me, I knew He would some how but this completely shocked me. God is so good you guys, have hope and faith as you are raising support etc. that He CAN and will provide for you. He has shown me so much how I lacked in faith for most of my life, but this week I trusted in Him in a whole new way and wouldn't you know it, He showed up in a huge way for me. Wow. Okay, back to our book....
ReplyDelete1. My answers are much like Jeanettes. I think the thing I needed to be reminded of and learned in Gal as well is that He is sufficient for me. It isn't Jesus' death and then me being a good girl, it is just the Holy and mighty Blood of Christ that sets me free. It is only by His grace and love that I am saved, there is nothing I can do, but in God there is great power (Eph 1:19-20), REDEMPTION, FORGIVENESS and the RICHES of His grace (eph 1:7). I am united with Christ, I am free.
2. Eeyore, I can really get dragged down by the death in this world, in addition to that I can act like a slave and Pharisee a lot living by rules and outward appearance.
Prayer requests:
Praise God for all that He has done in my life and rejoice with me!
That God would give me a heart like His that loves people, not judging but extending grace and love to everyone I encounter.
Thanks loves, sorry if mine was long. I wish we were all face to face and talking. Love to you all
Kelly