If we're going to boast, let us boast in the cross of Christ.  We have nothing to boast of but grace alone.

Paul suggests x necessary ingredients for life in the community of faith:

Restore sinners

Bear one another's burdens; while bearing the weight of our own responsibility.

Do not think too highly of self, but consider neighbor as important if not more important

Guest speaker Bill Wall brings a Father's day message from the great parable Jesus told about a father and his wayward son, Luke 15:11-32

Will we produce works of the flesh (5:19-21)?

or

Will we walk by the Spirit and produce fruit of the Spirit (5:22-25)?

David gives us a pattern that is helpful when we too face struggles.  David gives testimony of God's past deliverance, reflects in the present on God's goodness, and then prays for future deliverance.

Remembering how God has delivered us in the past and has been good to us gives us hope that God will be with us and deliver us in our current struggle.

May the Lord indeed pull you from the miry bog and set your feet on a rock!

In Psalm 39, David invites us to ponder the brevity of life and in doing so to make the most of our lives!

We are set free to love and serve.

And Paul in Gal. 5:15 gives us a very specific way to love and serve, by not biting and devouring one another.

Rather than bite and devour one another with our words, we are called to build each other up.

Freedom in Christ is Freedom from Legalism.  At the same time it is not license to do whatever we choose.  It is freedom to live for Christ, which is ultimately freedom to serve and love God and others.

Psalm 39 is a s Psalm about the brevity of life; but before David prays about the brevity of life, he teaches us the value of guarding our mouth!

Psalm 38 is a Psalm of Confession.

Psalm 38 also speaks of times of difficulty; and those are times we lean upon the mercy of God!