Sermon Central
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Galatians
Contributed by C. Philip Green on Dec 31, 2008 (message contributor)
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1. Breaking Free
Contributed on Dec 31, 2008
This is the introductory message on a series in the book of Galatians, the "Magna Charta of Christian Liberty." This message encourages us to listen to and believe in the Lord when he tells us, "I am setting you free!"
Breaking Free! (Galatians 1:1-5) Tony Campolo tells the story of a town where all the residents are ducks. Every Sunday the ducks waddle out of their houses and waddle down Main Street to their church. They waddle into the sanctuary and squat in their proper pews. The duck choir waddles in ...read more
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2. The Good News Of Freedom
Contributed on Jan 10, 2009
This message encourages us not to believe a different, distorted or damned gospel, but to believe the divine gospel of freedom through simple faith in Christ.
The Good News of Freedom (Galatians 1:6-12) As I was getting ready to go to Belarus last month to teach church multiplication, I thought about getting my class handouts translated into Russian for the students to use. I had about a hundred pages of handouts, but to translate them would have ...read more
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3. Freedom's Influence
Contributed on Jan 19, 2009
This message describes how we gain the right to be heard in a pluralistic society by communion with Christ and the power of a changed life.
Freedom’s Influence (Galatians 1:11-24) Once upon a time, a man walked into a little mom-and-pop grocery store and asked, “Do you sell salt?” “Ha!” said Pop the proprietor. “Do we sell salt! Just look!” And Pop showed the customer one entire wall of shelves stocked with nothing but salt – ...read more
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4. Freedom's Threats
Contributed on Jan 26, 2009
This message encourages believers to come together in the truth and work together for the truth in order to fight the threats to our freedom in Christ.
Freedom’s Threats (Galatians 2:1-10) An Arab chief tells a story of a spy who was captured and then sentenced to death by a general in the Persian army. This general had the strange custom of giving condemned criminals a choice between the firing squad and the big, black door. As the moment ...read more
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5. Freedom's Power
Contributed on Feb 5, 2009
This message warns us not to depend on a list of rules, which only makes things worse, but to depend on the Lord, who alone can change us from the inside out as He lives His life through us.
Freedom’s Power (Galatians 2:11-21) Several years ago, the Chicago Tribune, ran an article about the religious history of the Chicago area. It began with a paragraph about Zion, a small town north of the city: “Rev. John Alexander Dowie left little to chance a century ago, when the ...read more
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6. Freedom's Spirit
Contributed on Feb 5, 2009
Through six very pointed questions, Galatians 3:1-5 reminds us that from beginning to end the secret to living the Christian life is not found in our own human efforts, but in trusting God’s Holy Spirit lavishly supplied to every believer.
Freedom’s Spirit (Galatians 3:1-5) On June 23, 2001, the Boeing company finished a labor of love—the complete restoration of the last existing 307 Stratoliner. It was the world’s first pressurized commercial airliner. A New York company used a vintage loom to reproduce the original Pan Am ...read more
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7. Freedom's Blessing
Contributed on Feb 13, 2009
This message encourages people to trust the Lord and be blessed rather than living under the curse of trying to keep the law.
Freedom’s Blessing (Galatians 3:6-14) Tim Wilson, a pastor in Colorado, talks about his days at Fort Benning, attending the United States Army Airborne School. He and his buddies were sitting on hard wooden bleachers as they prepared for their first parachute jump. Soon they would soar ...read more
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8. Freedom's Promise
Contributed on Mar 5, 2009
This message encourages us to live by promise not by law. If we want to enjoy life as God intended it, then we can’t live it trying to earn God’s blessings. We must live it in light of his blessings already given.
Freedom’s Promise (Galatians 3:15-22) It was a battle, a wrestling match, a test of wills. Every day, at exactly the same time, Margaret would go to the bathroom cabinet, open it, and take out a huge bottle of castor oil. Then she would head to the kitchen to get a tablespoon. At the sound ...read more
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9. Freedom's Relationships
Contributed on Mar 5, 2009
This message seeks to free believers from a performance mentality in their relationship with God. We are free, because we are loved. We are free from the pressure to perform, because God already accepts us as His full, adult sons and daughters in Christ
Freedom’s Relationships (Galatians 3:23-29) Danny Cox, a former jet pilot turned business leader, tells his readers in Seize the Day that when jet fighters were first invented, they “flew much faster than their propeller predecessors. So pilot ejection became a more sophisticated process. ...read more
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10. The Freedom Of Maturity
Contributed on Mar 26, 2009
This message encourages people to grow up and think for themselves. In the history of redemption, God’s people were once children in His eyes. Now, since Christ has redeemed us, we are adult sons, free from the guardianship of the law.
The Freedom of Maturity (Galatians 4:1-11) Marian Obeda, from London, Ontario, talks about a time when her husband, a pastor, was asked to officiate at a lot of weddings one particular season. During that time, they were also preparing for a son’s birthday party. When Marian asked him whom he ...read more
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11. 7 Habits Of Highly Effective Lovers
Contributed on Mar 26, 2009
This message illustrates the 7 habits of highly effective lovers through the relationship Paul had with the new believers in Galatia. In essence, if we want to be a highly effective lover, we must demonstrate grace in all our relationships.
7 Habits of Highly Effective Lovers (Galatians 4:12-20) It was tax season, and Jane Osinki decided to surprise her husband, Henry, by getting their tax information in to their CPA early. She picked up the tax package their CPA had sent, scanned the forms, and noticed that Henry had already ...read more
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12. Freedom's Children
Contributed on Mar 26, 2009
The message encourages believers to know their spiritual mother, the way of promise, and to discard the way of law. In other words, stop trying to earn your way and start enjoying your way to heaven.
Freedom’s Children (Galatians 4:21-31) Van Morris, of Mt. Washington, Kentucky, tells the story of an elderly woman from out of town who walked into a local country church. A friendly usher greeted her at the door and helped her up the flight of steps. “Where would you like to sit?” he ...read more
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13. Freedom's Enemies
Contributed on Apr 15, 2009
This message encourages believers to stand firm in their freedom by staying away from the law and the legalist who would take it away
Freedom’s Enemies (Galatians 5:1-12) One morning, during an adult Sunday school class, a pastor in San Angelo, Texas, picked up the podium and walked back and forth with it. When someone asked, “What are you doing?” he replied, “Well, sometimes you just need to take a stand.” (Rebecca ...read more
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14. Free To Serve
Contributed on May 7, 2009
This message encourages listeners to use their freedom, not to indulge themselves, but to serve others and so satisfy the law and heal their relationships.
Free to Serve! (Galatians 5:13-15) A pastor in Kansas City, Kansas, was organizing opportunities for people in his church to do small acts of kindness as a demonstration of Christ’s love in the community. He phoned several neighborhood grocery stores and Laundromats for permission to do ...read more
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15. Freedom's Fruit
Contributed on Jun 27, 2009
We win our battles against our compulsion to sin when we depend on the Holy Spirit. We must live by the Spirit to conquer fleshly desires, be led by the Spirit to conquer fleshly deeds, and walk with the Spirit to enjoy the death of the flesh.
Freedom’s Fruit (Galatians 5:16-26) Jo Guerrero’s five-year-old daughter, Barbara, had disobeyed her mother and had been sent to her room. After a few minutes, Jo (the mom) went in to talk with her about what she had done. Teary-eyed, the little girl asked, “Why do we do wrong things, Mommy?” ...read more
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16. Freedom's Restoration
Contributed on Jun 27, 2009
The church can become a place of healing for broken people if we seek to restore them spiritually, gently, humbly, and lovingly.
Freedom’s Restoration (Galatians 6:1-5) Tell me: If you were caught for drunken driving, and the headlines in the Advocate or the Observer said, “So-and-so Arrested for Drunken Driving,” would you go to church the next Sunday? Most people would say, “No,” because they’d be too ...read more
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17. Freedom's Harvest
Contributed on Jun 27, 2009
This message on giving encourages believers to share, reap, and share some more because of our freedom in Christ.
Freedom’s Harvest (Galatians 6:6-10) On the wall of President Lyndon Johnson’s White House office hung a framed letter written by General Sam Houston to Johnson’s great-grandfather, Baines, more than 100 years earlier. Baines had led Sam Houston to Christ. Houston was a changed man, no longer ...read more
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18. Freedom's Cross
Contributed on Jun 27, 2009
If we want to be free from the pressure to perform, we cannot seek to impress others with ourselves. Instead, we must be impressed only with what Christ did for us on the cross.
Freedom’s Cross (Galatians 6:11-18) Once upon a time an old man and his son were on their way to market. The old man was leading a donkey and the boy was walking behind when they went through the first village. There, the people called the old man a fool for not riding the donkey. So he ...read more