A feedback loop amplifies whatever is fed into it. In Galatians 6, Paul describes a community where the Spirit dwells and grace is produced, ever increasing — but only when the self gets out of the way. Austin Pfeiffer looks at specific ways the self breaks the loop: through self-righteous wish dreams of community, through a la carte theology, and through expecting to be served rather than to serve. The answer isn’t a program or a principle. It’s the cross — where Christ let go of his throne, poured out his blood, and adopted us as sons and daughters of the King.

Small Group Questions:

Where do you find yourself curating your faith — taking what feels comfortable from scripture and leaving the rest — and what might it look like to surrender that to sound teaching and community?

What did this passage reveal about God’s character that challenges the version of Jesus you may have quietly assembled from your own preferences and experiences?

How does this passage demonstrate that the feedback loop of grace is only possible because of justification by faith alone, not because of our own effort or spiritual performance?