Galatians 3:1 You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified.

Somebody get Paul a Snickers bar! In chapter three of Galatians, Paul does not hold back because he is upset that the Judaizers within the Galatian church are trying to get new converts to put on something that's not theirs to put on. These rites and rituals are completely fine except when people think that they determine our standing with God, which is why Paul is so upset.

Paul urges the Galatians to remember the cross of Christ, the focus and center of the Christian faith. It is what God has done on our behalf rather than what we do that determines our righteousness.

We are continuing our study in Galatians! Paul writes to the Galatians the importance of surrender and submission, especially in the realm of conflict. The issue at hand in Galatia is that "Judaizers" were encouraging new converts to take on old Jewish purity rites. Paul is a little upset...because it's all about the cross! It's all about what Christ has done on our behalf, and it's not about what we do or add to the gospel.

Galatians 2:20 — I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Scholars of the New Testament have long noted that Paul's letter to the Galatians captures the apostle at his most rhetorically frustrated and annoyed. Paul is upset with the church in Galatia for going back to their old ways, trying to rely on the flesh rather than the Spirit, and he's just trying to figure out why... So this letter is corrective: Paul is trying to address divisions, call for church unity, refresh peoples' understandings of the Gospel, and remind people of who they are in Christ.

We're excited to begin this new series because it has a lot to offer to where we are today!

Psalm 91:1-2

Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust."

This week, we wrapped up our Summer in the Psalms series with a teaching from Kitty Sterns and Katherine Michael.

Throughout the Bible, God is constantly reminding His people to not fear, to not be afraid. Someone once counted 366 times that this is said — one for each day and an extra for a Leap Year.

Why do we get afraid? Maybe it's circumstances...maybe it's the season that we're in...maybe it's all the questions...maybe it's everything...But God calls us to be courageous and full of faith!

Psalm 1 — Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers...

We've been looking at the Psalms, and this is the very first Psalm, the entryway to the whole book setting the tone for how we ought to use, live, and read the Psalms. 

We all have to make decisions...where to eat...where to live...where to work...who to marry...and thankfully, the Lord has provided the means in which to make these decisions: come to Him. 

God has graciously provided us His Spirit so that we aren't alone in anything, and as we make decisions, we seek His counsel and the counsel of wise followers of God. It's very relational.

Todd Hunter, former Vineyard National Director, came and spoke to the Vineyard Southeast on the importance of rest, reflection, and re-direction. It was a powerful talk on the importance of being grounded in the love of God in uncertain times.

Special guest Bubba Justice will speaks on the importance of repentance.

This word, repentance, sometimes has negative connotations, but for the Christian, it is what we are constantly invited to do because we constantly fall short. To sin is to miss the mark of God, and in order for us to get back on the right track, we have to confess our sins to God and to one another. John writes: if we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us of all unrighteousness.

We had a special guest August 20th where David Wagner spoke on the importance of prophecy, and then he moved into giving prophetic words for folks in the audience.

Psalm 103:1 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name.

This Psalm is the story — in the form of a hymn of praise — of one who is excited about the goodness of God. God’s goodness was revealed to him in a dramatic way in a time of need. The truths that the Psalmist declares aren’t new, but the fact that they are now his truths make it so much better. What excites the Psalmist so much is the way that his personal experience, his story, is confirmed by the traditions of his ancestors. In this psalm, he both rejoices in his own personal encounter while also proclaiming the truths of his family's faith.

Psalm 46:1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

We are in a series looking at the Psalms, and this week, we'll be spending some time in Psalm 46. This incredible psalm has inspired many different songs over the years, including "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God." It's been a source of hope and confidence for believers over the last few millennia, and we're looking at it once again to stir up our faith.