What is spiritual warfare? How should we think about the devil and demons? What are Satan's primary tactics? We need to embrace the biblical worldview of the spiritual realm and understand the ordinary forms of spiritual warfare through temptation, deception and accusation.

One of the ways that the Christian life is supernatural is through prayer. Prayer maintains our relationship with God and puts us in touch with the God of the universe. Growing in prayer means growing in relationship with God and growing in his power an presence in our life.

Jesus identifies himself to Martha, in the midst of her mourning, as the resurrection and the life. Understanding the resurrection as present and personal changes our own difficulties, transforming them through the very life of God.

Paul makes his final push to stick with Christ and not fall for the foolishness of self-salvation. The cross of Christ has changed his perspective on the worth of all things, and when it becomes our boast it will change ours as well.

Christians are called to respond to the goodness of the gift of Christ with a life of goodness and giving. When we do so we can be confident that all that we sow to the Spirit will be productive, bearing eternal fruit.

The Christian life isn't made better with people; it's made possible. Paul here calls us to live as a new family that is filled with the spirit, committed to restoration and humble. When we do this we become the community that Jesus promised to use to bring others to his kingdom.

So Christian's are called to freedom from sin but how does that work? Paul here reminds the Galatians (and us!) that God has given us his Holy Spirit and that gives us new desires and ability to obey God and overcome the flesh. The gospel doesn't end with forgiveness, but continues on to the practical making of righteous disciples.

Jesus Christ has set us free from the law. But here in Galatians Paul calls us to the proper use of that freedom: to love and serve one another. In doing this we reflect Jesus' own love for us and the world and live as the community God desires us to be.

What does it look like to grow in Christ? Paul is adamant that it doesn't come through circumcision and the law. It is not anything in addition to Christ at all that we need for growth. Instead, we grow through faith in Christ, by the Spirit as we produce more and more love in our lives.

Why is our world simultaneously defined by deception, lies and falsehoods and at the same time a world full of people who claim that they are committed to the truth? Underlying all the deception is our human ability of self deception. If we are going to be a people of the truth, we have to confront our own hearts.