This Sunday, as we are able to gather together to learn the skills needed to attend to the mission the Gospel calls us to, we’ll be reading Galatians 3:1-5.

Paul continues expressing his dismay at the Galatian church for allowing themselves to be intimidated into submitting to the Law of Moses. He frames his argument around several rhetorical questions. He first demands an answer as to how this journey of faith started for them, through the law or through faith in what Jesus did on the cross. Then he makes a stark contrast between obedience to the Law and life in the Spirit. One thing you may want to do is go through and notice how often a word gets repeated in a section of Scripture. That will often indicate what the writer’s emphasis is. How many times does the Holy Spirit come up in contrast with obedience to religious laws? What emphasis do you discern from this?

Paul also pointed to their own history as evidence of how God is working in their lives. What are the experiences of grace that you can look back on that reinforce the reality of God’s power to change your life? What are some of the turning points you’ve gone through? What were the circumstances around them? It can be a helpful practice to keep a written record of the many ways in which God has shaped and redeemed your life.

Hope to see you or that you can join us online!

We’re having our first in-person meeting at the Eastgate building since March! We’ll still be streaming live on Facebook and YouTube for those who can’t be there.

We also don’t want to forget the important message we considered last week – about our goal to be an unshakable church in this world. We still want to consider the questions posed then: Is my attendance and participation in a weekly church service the main way that I live out my Christianity? If meeting in a building was no longer an option, what would I be doing instead to show the world around me my hope as a Christian? Does our idea of a church meeting need to be restructured to better match God’s calling for us as Christians?  My hope is that we will continue praying about these and seeking God’s guidance concerning our function as a church. We are currently working on a list of the micromissions that are already happening with Eastgate, and others are beginning to develop, which really gets me stoked! If you didn’t hear the conversation last week, you can find it here: An Unshakable Church, starting at the 28 minute mark. I really encourage everyone to listen to it.

This Sunday we will be continuing our study in Galatians, reading 2:11-21.

In this section of the letter, Paul recounts a confrontation he had with the Apostle Peter…one of the very big names of the early church. Paul had been in Antioch promoting the Good News, which is the message of a new world through God’s grace. Peter’s actions in v12 were undermining that message, and Paul called Peter out on it. In the last part of v12, what is the reason Paul gives for Peter’s behavior? If we want to promote God’s grace like Paul did, what do we have to overcome in order to do that?

Underlying this controversy is Peter’s removal of himself from people who were deemed by others as “less-than”. This is key to Paul’s reaction. What does it tell us about the mission of grace in this world? Who are the “less-thans” we tend to withdraw from? How can an appreciation for God’s grace correct that tendency?

Paul, in V19-20, gets to the heart of his position. Keeping religious laws is not sustainable in order to be right with God. What is his focus then? How can we promote God’s grace by sharing that same focus?

I think this will be a provocative study, and I believe we’ll find useful clues as to how we can go about our mission as the church in this world. Hope you can join us, Sunday at 9AM.

Hey Eastgate – we’re going to continue our study in Galatians this Sunday – and we’ll be reading Galatians 2:1-10.

This section is still part of Paul’s autobiographical statements made in defense of the gospel he preached to the gentiles. One of the major emphasis’ of Paul’s letters is about unity. We have such a propensity to fragment into tribalism as the human race.  As you read over Paul’s words – keep the idea of unity in mind.  In v 2 we read about Paul submitting his teachings to Peter, who was a big name in the early church. Why does he say he did that, and what do you think this says about Paul? What key to unity can we find in his attitude?

In v4-5 he describes people who wanted to enslave Paul and Titus – what did he see that enslavement as being? Why did he not give in to that according to v5? Who was he resisting for? What key to unity might be seen in this section?

V7 has Peter’s evaluation of Paul. What did they come to as a resolution in v8? How would it encourage unity? How can we follow their example as we interact with believers who hold different traditions from our own?

Hope you can join us online this Sunday at 9AM. Also – it will be another virtual communion – so have your symbols of sustenance ready!

Hey Eastgate – I trust everyone is staying safe. We had a great time last Thursday partnering with A Hand Up ministry and Truth Fellowship for a pop-up food pantry distribution. A lot of people were helped, and God was glorified. We’ll hopefully be doing that again sometime, it was a deeply edifying experience…despite the face-melting heat.

This Sunday we’ll be having our online only service on Facebook and YouTube – and we’ll be continuing our study in the book of Galatians – Libertas Ex Christo, remembering the freedom we have through Christ. This Sunday we’ll be reading ch1:10-24.

All too often the concept of freedom and grace become misconstrued for lawlessness – living with no moral compass and relying on God’s grace to excuse it. But a careful reading of Paul’s letter to the Galatians makes it clear that Paul didn’t live by that notion. In fact, as we read in our text for this Sunday, Paul has quite a bit to say about the difference Jesus made in his life. As you read over the text, what stands out to you about Paul’s pre-Christian life and his life of following Jesus? In what ways can you observe changes in your own life – in terms of values and priorities – that have happened as a result of committing your life to Jesus?

Far from living any old way he pleased, Paul describes a fundamental re-shaping of his life to the point that people were stunned at his reversals. This will prove to be a challenging insight into his example – hope you can join us!

Hey Eastgate! Been a while since I’ve updated Wonderwhat – but since we’re starting a new series, I thought it would be good to fire this thing back up. We’re going to start a study in the book of Galatians. I realize that I’ve already taught Galatians – but I’ve learned a lot since then and I’d like to pass that along. This Sunday we’ll be reading chapter 1:1-9 for our introduction and first look.

I’d really like to encourage you to watch the Bible Project’s video on the book of Galatians. You can find it HERE. The latest podcasts also deal with how we are to read the New Testament letters and they are super-informative. If you’re a podcast listener, you can find them HERE.  I know it seems like I push the Bible Project a lot, but seriously, I consider it the most important thing to be coming from the American church right now.

In our study of Galatians we’re going to be considering the core of Paul’s argument concerning the Good News – what it is and what it aint. I think this letter is going to be powerful and timely, given the state of our world right now. It’s important to get to the basics – and I think we need that right now more than ever.

Jesus Christ….and nothing else. Sounds easy…but it actually becomes a challenge.  When you read the first 9 verses, what do you think Paul’s demeanor is? What does his inflammatory language in v6-9 stir in you as you read it? Why do you think he’s speaking so strongly to the Galatians?

As we’ve been doing – our services are going to be online only – streaming on Facebook, and hopefully YouTube at 9 AM. Hope you can join us!

Hey Eastgate – We will be continuing to do our online service at 10 AM on Sunday, streaming on Facebook and YouTube. We are exploring possibilities for how we can meet together in person, we’ll keep you posted as the details of that become more clear. In the meantime, we can be patient, the main thing is to do whatever we do in a way that is safe for everyone and in cooperation with our State guidelines as well as the CDC.

This Sunday we’ll still be studying Job – and we’ll be covering a lot of chapters – chapters 29-27 – but don’t panic, we’ll do an abridged version.

Job has a fourth friend who has been silent until chapter 32 – but he says some things that offer a more nuanced look at the dialogue that unfolded through chapters 4-27. It will be interesting to read – and there are some very timely and thought provoking questions that will emerge from that text.

I hope you are all doing well – I know that we all miss being with each other – but don’t forget, we are connected through Christ, and that connection doesn’t depend on a building or a meeting – it just requires that we stay close to Him. Hope you can tune in on Sunday and be refreshed in God’s word!

We’ll be continuing our online services this Sunday – watch at 10 AM on Facebook or YouTube. This Sunday we’ll be reading Job 28 in our study of that book. We’ll also be observing Communion – so be prepared with bread and wine, or juice…or any symbolic form of sustenance. We’ll be sharing that “together” at the end of the teaching.

Job 28 marks a shift in the focus of the book. We stated last time that the case which the Challenger brought against God (that real righteousness doesn’t exist because it comes with a reward, thus making people mercenaries in their pursuit of goodness) was lost when Job confessed a determination to pursue righteousness regardless of reward or cost. 

Chapter 28 comes in like an interlude. It doesn’t appear to be Job, nor any of his friends doing the talking, and we’re left to assume it is the narrator, bridging us to the next section with a poem. What is the subject matter of the poem? What does that tell us about how things will resolve from here?

What was the main concern and point of emphasis for Job and his friends (think of the triangle we showed)? How does that differ from the point of this poem?

I really like this chapter and because of its overall context, the message behind it is profound. Hopefully it will inspire some good discussion in the Q/A at the end of the service. Hope to “see” you on Sunday!

 

This Sunday we’ll be resuming our study in Job – we’ll be covering an abridged version of chapters 22-27 – but you can read the chapters in their entirety HERE.

This section finishes the three cycles of dialogue between Job and his friends, and contains the climax of those cycles. The main thrust of this section will center on the idea of righteousness for righteousness’ sake, not for reward or benefit. That’s a compelling concept, one we might mentally assent to, but on further introspection, may find difficult to realize fully in our own motivations.

It will be an interesting and challenging study – hope you can join us online at 10 AM, on Facebook as a live event and on our Youtube channel. Hope you are enduring in His grace during these days – I pray for you always.

We have been experiencing an unprecedented time of global crisis. It feels like we get pressed by bad news on every side, and that begins to take a toll on us mentally and emotionally. If there’s one thing the resurrection of Jesus speaks to us, it is of a profound hope which springs right out of the darkness.

After our live event Sunrise Service, we’ll have our regular 10 AM service online as well – we’ll take a short break from Job, and we’ll reflect on the encouragement we can receive from John’s account of the resurrection. Resurrection challenges us to defy the encroaching darkness, and find the ability to overcome through the Risen Christ.

I hope you can join us, Sunday 10 AM, on Facebook Live as well as YouTube.

Be at peace, you Children of God!