Galatians 5:17

If You’re Tired of Sinning

09/09/2023

I wish I wouldn’t sin. I long for the day when I’m perfected in Christ’s image. How about you? Do you ever tire of your impatience, bad habit, or perhaps careless word? The fact is, as long as we’re in our earthly bodies, we’ll contend with our sin nature.  As a matter of fact, not only will we contend with it, Galatians 5:17 says “the  flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; that they’re in opposition to one another…” So we have this little, um, big war going on inside of us. Here’s the wonderful news recorded in 1 Thessalonians 5:23. God in His grace has chosen to SANCTIFY us, to set us apart for Himself as holy, without blame. Think about it! What we can’t do for ourselves, God has done and will continue to do.  We who call upon the name of the Lord will one day live in heaven completely holy because of Christ. Does knowing that cause you to want to lift your voice in praise to God?

Heavenly Father, Sanctifier, thank You for setting us apart for Yourself and for taking it upon Yourself to sanctify us completely and without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. We are so ready!

“Now may the God of peace Himself SANCTIFY you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

1 Thessalonians 5:23

Friends, I’d love to have you join me on Wednesdays or Thursdays for our weekly Bible Study of John. Click here for more info.

Live outside of the Texas Hill Country? No problem! My weekly teachings and Listening Guides will be added HERE each week so you can follow along or use it for a group study. 

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When You’re At the End of You

08/12/2023

FRIENDS, Are you FAMILIAR with my UPLIFT MINUTE BLOG? I send it out ONCE A WEEK rather than daily. You can GET BOTH or CHANGE YOUR SUBSCRIPTION TO GET UPLIFT. 365 DAYS OF PRAISE highlights a CHARACTER TRAIT of GOD. UPLIFT MINUTE is 60 SECONDS of ENCOURAGEMENT. Which is your FAVORITE? Check out UPLIFT MINUTE.

“I can’t be the Christian I’m supposed to be. I can’t overcome this sin.” Have you ever said those words?  If we sometimes feel incapable of being the Christian we want to be, we’re not alone. The Apostle Paul, who was instrumental in helping spread Christianity, once referred to himself as the chief of sinners. Here’s the good news. God knows that we can’t live the Christian life by self-effort. That’s why He reminds us in Galatians 3:5 that He’s provided us with His Holy Spirit. We don’t please God by trying to improve our old selves. We please God by learning to walk by His Spirit who is in us. Instead of saying we can’t live the Christian life or we can’t accomplish what God’s called us to do, we can ask Christ to fill us and accomplish His work through us. Then, we can practice walking by the Spirit. Will we walk by the Spirit perfectly 100% of the time? No, because our fleshly nature will oppose the Spirit. (Galatians 5:17) and we’ll struggle against spiritual forces of darkness/wickedness (Ephesians 6:12). But we can practice walking by Christ’s Spirit, confident that God is at work in us, perfecting us. 

Lord, thank You for PROVIDING us with Your Spirit by whom we can walk. 

“…does He who PROVIDES you with the Spirit and works miracles among you, do it by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith?”  Galatians 3:5

Friends, we’re excited to share with you our updated 2 Peter study: Living by the Divine Nature Instead of Our Fallen Nature with videos for your fall Bible study! 

 

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If You’re Tired of Sinning

09/29/2021

I wish I wouldn’t sin. I long for the day when I’m perfected in Christ’s image. How about you? Do you ever tire of your impatience, bad habit, or perhaps careless word? The fact is, as long as we’re in our earthly bodies, we’ll contend with our the sin nature.  As a matter of fact, not only will we contend with it, Galatians 5:17 says our flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; that they’re in opposition to one another…” So we have this little, um, big war going on inside of us. Here’s the wonderful news recorded in 1 Thessalonians 5:23. God in His grace has chosen to SANCTIFY us, to set us apart for Himself as holy, without blame. Think about it! What we can’t do for ourselves, God has done and will continue to do.  We who call upon the name of the Lord will one day live in heaven completely holy because of Christ. Does knowing that cause you to want to lift your voice in praise to God?

Heavenly Father, Sanctifier, thank You for setting us apart for Yourself and for taking it upon Yourself to sanctify us complete and without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. We are so ready!

“Now may the God of peace Himself SANCTIFY you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

1 Thessalonians 5:23

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When You’re At the End of You

09/01/2021

FRIENDS, Are youFAMILIAR with myUPLIFT MINUTE BLOG? I send it out ONCE A WEEK rather than daily. You can GET BOTH or CHANGE YOUR SUBSCRIPTION TO GET UPLIFT. 365 DAYS OF PRAISE highlights a CHARACTER TRAIT of GOD. UPLIFT MINUTE is 60 SECONDS of ENCOURAGEMENT. Which is your FAVORITE? Check out UPLIFT MINUTE.

“I can’t be the Christian I’m supposed to be. I can’t overcome this sin.” Have you ever said those words?  If we sometimes feel incapable of being the Christian we want to be, we’re not alone. The Apostle Paul, who was instrumental in helping spread Christianity, once referred to himself as the chief of sinners. Here’s the good news. God knows that we can’t live the Christian life by self-effort. That’s why He reminds us in Galatians 3:5 that He’s provided us with His Holy Spirit. We don’t please God by trying to improve our old self. We please God by learning to walk by His Spirit who is in us. Instead of saying we can’t live the Christian life or we can’t accomplish what God’s called us to do, we can ask Christ to fill us and accomplish His work through us. Then, we can practice walking by the Spirit. Will we walk by the Spirit perfectly 100% of the time? No, because our fleshly nature will oppose the Spirit. (Galatians 5:17) and we’ll struggle against spiritual forces of darkness/wickedness (Ephesians 6:12). But we can practice walking by Christ’s Spirit, confident that God is at work in us, perfecting us. 

Lord, thank You for PROVIDING us with Your Spirit by whom we can walk. 

“…does He who PROVIDES you with the Spirit and works miracles among you, do it by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith?”  Galatians 3:5

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When You’re At the End of You

08/25/2020

“I can’t be the Christian I’m supposed to be. I can’t overcome this sin.” Have you ever said those words?  If we sometimes feel incapable of being the Christian we want to be, we’re not alone. The Apostle Paul, who was instrumental in helping spread Christianity, once referred to himself as the chief of sinners. Here’s the good news. God knows that we can’t live the Christian life by self-effort. That’s why He reminds us in Galatians 3:5 that He’s provided us with His Holy Spirit. We don’t please God by trying to improve our old self. We please God by learning to walk by faith in Him. We’re not short on godly provisions. Instead of saying we can’t live the Christian life or we can’t accomplish what God’s called us to do, we can ask Christ to fill us and accomplish His work through us. Then, we can practice walking by the Spirit. Will we walk by the Spirit perfectly 100% of the time? No, because our fleshly nature will oppose the Spirit. (Galatians 5:17) and we’ll struggle against spiritual forces of darkness/wickedness (Ephesians 6:12). But we can practice walking by Christ’s Spirit, confident that God is at work perfecting us. 

Lord, thank You for PROVIDING us with Your Spirit by whom we can walk and fulfill all You’ve entrusted us to do. 

“…does He who PROVIDES you with the Spirit and works miracles among you, do it by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith?”  Galatians 3:5

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If You’re Tired of Sinning

10/12/2019

LISTEN

I wish I wouldn’t sin. I long for for the day when I’m perfected in Christ’s image. How about you? Do you ever tire of your impatience, bad habit, or perhaps careless word? The fact is, as long as we’re in our earthly bodies, we’ll contend with our the sin nature.  As a matter of fact, not only will we contend with it, Galatians 5:17 says our flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Sprit against the flesh; that they’re in opposition to one another…” So we have this little, ummm, big war going on inside of us. Here’s the wonderful news recorded in 1 Thessalonians 5:23. God, in His grace, has chosen to SANCTIFY us, to set us apart for Himself as holy, without blame. Think about it! What we can’t do for ourselves, God has done and will continue to do.  We who call upon the name of the Lord will one day live in heaven completely holy because of Christ. Does knowing that cause you to want to lift your voice in praise to God?

Heavenly Father, Sanctifier, thank You for setting us apart for Yourself and for taking it upon Yourself to sanctify us complete and without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. We are so ready!

“Now may the God of peace Himself SANCTIFY you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Thessalonians 5:23

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When You’re At the End of You

09/15/2019

LISTEN

“I can’t be the Christian I’m supposed to be. I can’t overcome this sin.” Have you ever said those words?  If we sometimes feel incapable of being the Christian we want to be, we’re not alone. The Apostle Paul, who was instrumental in helping spread Christianity, once referred to himself as the chief of sinners. Here’s the good news. God knows that we can’t live the Christian life by self effort. That’s why He reminds us in Galatians 3:5 that He’s provided us with His Holy Spirit. We don’t please God by trying to improve our old self. We please God by learning to walk by faith in Him. We’re not short on godly provisions. Instead of saying we can’t live the Christian life or we can’t accomplish what God’s entrusted to us to do, we can ask Christ to fill us and accomplish His work through us. Then, we can practice walking by the Spirit. Will we walk by the Spirit perfectly 100% of the time? No, because as long as we’re in our human bodies, our fleshly nature will oppose the Spirit. (Galatians 5:17) and we’ll continue to struggle against spiritual forces of darkness/wickedness (Ephesians 6:12) because Satan is the ruler of this world. (John 14:30) Practice walking by Christ’s Spirit knowing that God is at work perfecting us. 

Lord, thank You for PROVIDING us with Your Spirit by whom we can walk and fulfill the work You entrust us to do. 

“…does He who PROVIDES you with the Spirit and works miracles among you, do it by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith?”

Galatians 3:5

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If You’re Tired of Sinning

10/10/2018

LISTEN

I wish I wouldn’t sin. I long for for the day when I’m perfected in Christ’s image. How about you? The fact is, as long as we’re in our earthly bodies, we’ll contend with our the sin nature.  As a matter of fact, not only will we contend with it, Galatians 5:17 says our flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Sprit against the flesh; that they’re in opposition to one another…” So we have this little, ummm, big war going on inside of us. Here’s the wonderful news as recorded in 1 Thessalonians 5:23. God, in His grace, has chosen to SANCTIFY us, to set us apart for Himself as holy, without blame. Think about it! What we can’t do for ourselves, God does for us.  We who call upon the name of the Lord will one day live in heaven completely holy because of Christ. Does knowing that cause you to want to kneel in awe, stand with arms lifted in praise, or sing His praises?  Whichever, give Him praise now.

God, we praise You, our SANCTIFIER. Thank You for setting us apart for Yourself and for taking it upon Yourself to sanctify us complete and without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. We are so ready!

“Now may the God of peace Himself SANCTIFY you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

1 Thessalonians 5:23

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