Big Idea: Freedom is not the right to do whatever I want. Freedom is the power to do what pleases God. 1. Stand Firm in the Freedom Christ Purchased So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law. 2 Listen! I, Paul, tell you this: If you are counting on circumcision to make you right with God, then Christ will be of no benefit to you. 3 I’ll say it again. If you are trying to find favor with God by being circumcised, you must obey every regulation in the whole law of Moses. 4 For if you are trying to make yourselves right with God by keeping the law, you have been cut off from Christ! You have fallen away from God’s grace. 5 But we who live by the Spirit eagerly wait to receive by faith the righteousness God has promised to us. 6 For when we place our faith in Christ Jesus, there is no benefit in being circumcised or being uncircumcised. What is important is faith expressing itself in love. Galatians 5:1-6 (NLT2) “Can we boast, then, that we have done anything to be accepted by God? No, because our acquittal is not based on obeying the law. It is based on faith. 28 So we are made right with God through faith and not by obeying the law. Romans 3:27-28 (NLT2) • Anything that replaces trust in Christ becomes another form of bondage. 2. Don't Let Anything Pull You Away from Grace 7 You were running the race so well. Who has held you back from following the truth? 8 It certainly isn’t God, for He is the one who called you to freedom. 9 This false teaching is like a little yeast that spreads through the whole batch of dough! 10 I am trusting the Lord to keep you from believing false teachings. God will judge that person, whoever he is, who has been confusing you. 11 Dear brothers and sisters, if I were still preaching that you must be circumcised—as some say I do—why am I still being persecuted? If I were no longer preaching salvation through the cross of Christ, no one would be offended. 12 I just wish that those troublemakers who want to mutilate you by circumcision would mutilate themselves. Galatians 5:7-12 (NLT2) • What we listen to eventually shapes how we live. Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life. Proverbs 4:23 (NLT2) • The loudest voice in your life will eventually become the strongest influence on your life. 3. Use Your Freedom to Love and Serve Others 13 For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love. 14 For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” 15 But if you are always biting and devouring one another, watch out! Beware of destroying one another. Galatians 5:13-15 (NLT2) • Christian freedom is not self-centered. It is Christ-centered. So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. 35 Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.” John 13:34-35 (NLT2) Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. 4 Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. Philippians 2:3-4 (NLT2) • Grace doesn't lower the standard of love. It empowers us to live it. Next Right Steps This week, I will: Serve someone intentionally. Continue reading through the Galatians Journal. Identify one “chain” I need to surrender to God. Follow Jesus in Believer’s Baptism. TALK IT OVER Big Idea: Freedom is not the right to do whatever I want. Freedom is the power to do what pleases God. Welcome & Opening Prayer Take a few minutes to reconnect and share a highlight from your week. Icebreaker: If you could instantly be free from one everyday frustration (traffic, waiting in lines, forgetting passwords, etc.), what would it be? Transition: Everyone loves freedom. Galatians 5 reminds us that Jesus offers a much deeper freedom—freedom from sin, guilt, performance, and the burden of trying to save ourselves. Read the Passage Together: Galatians 5:1-15 Invite different members of the group to read a few verses. Family Questions (Kids & Parents) Why did Jesus set us free? Parent Help: Jesus set us free so we can love Him and follow Him. Galatians 5:1 What does it mean to love and serve others? Parent Help: It means helping people, being kind, sharing, encouraging, and treating others the way Jesus would. Galatians 5:13 What is one way you can show love to someone this week? Family Application: Let each family member share one act of kindness they can do this week. Teen & Adult Discussion What stood out most to you from Sunday's message? Paul says, “Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery” (Galatians 5:1). What kinds of "chains" do believers still struggle with today? Examples: guilt, shame, fear, legalism, people-pleasing, comparison Why do you think people are often tempted to add something to Jesus? What are some modern examples of trusting in something besides Christ? Romans 3:28 Paul asks, “Who cut in on you?” (Galatians 5:7) What voices or influences can pull believers away from the freedom of the gospel today? Follow-Up: How can we stay anchored in God's truth? What is the difference between Christian freedom and doing whatever we want? Galatians 5:13 Paul says faith expresses itself through love (Galatians 5:6). What does that look like practically in everyday relationships? Examples: family, marriage, friendship, work, church… How can you use your freedom in Christ to serve someone this week? Be specific. Who can you encourage, help, forgive, pray for, or serve? Personal Reflection: Take a few moments quietly before God. Ask yourself: o Am I standing firm in freedom or drifting back toward chains? o Am I trusting Christ alone? o Am I using my freedom to serve others? Pray for: Freedom from legalism and guilt Wisdom to recognize unhealthy influences Hearts that love and serve others