Summary of this week's sermon
Every week we want to have a 5 day devotional recapping our previous sermon so we can grow deeper together.
This Sunday Pastor Scott brought us back to our Summer Series, "You Ask the Questions"...
Day 1: From Law to Love
Devotional
Have you ever wondered why Christians don't follow all the Old Testament laws? The answer lies in understanding God's progressive revelation. The Old Testament laws were given specifically to Israel as a nation, setting them apart as God's chosen people in a particular time and place. These laws weren't arbitrary but served a divine purpose. When Jesus came, He didn't abolish these laws but fulfilled them, ushering in something new. As Galatians tells us, the law served as our guardian until Christ came. Like a child who grows into adulthood no longer needs the same rules that guided their childhood, we now relate to God through a new and better covenant. This doesn't mean the Old Testament is irrelevant. Far from it! It reveals our need for a Savior and points to Jesus throughout. But now we live under what Scripture calls 'the law of Christ' - a covenant of grace rather than a covenant of detailed regulations. Today, reflect on this beautiful transition from law to love. You're not bound by hundreds of detailed regulations but invited into relationship with the God who fulfilled the law on your behalf. This is freedom - not to do whatever we want, but to love as Christ loved us.
Bible Verse
"Before the coming of this faith, we were held in custody under the law, locked up until the faith that was to come would be revealed. So the law was our guardian until Christ came, that we might be justified by faith. Now that this faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian." - Galatians 3:23-25
Reflection Question
How does understanding the purpose of the Old Testament law as a guardian until Christ change your perspective on your relationship with God today?
Quote
The purpose of the Old Testament law is to convict people of our inability to keep the law and to point us to the need for the Messiah, Jesus Christ, as a Savior.
Prayer
Father, thank You for fulfilling the law through Jesus. Help me to live in the freedom of Your grace while embracing the responsibility to love as You have loved me. Guide me to understand Your Word more deeply and to walk in the new way of the Spirit. Amen.
Day 2: The New Covenant of Grace
Devotional
Imagine receiving a letter addressed to someone else. While you might glean insights from reading it, the specific instructions weren't meant for you. Similarly, the Old Testament was written to Israel, not directly to Christians today. Yet there's profound wisdom in understanding this distinction. The Old Covenant, with its detailed regulations and requirements, has been replaced by something better. As the writer of Hebrews explains, by establishing a new covenant, God made the first one obsolete. This new covenant isn't about following a list of rules but about a transformed heart. It's not about earning God's favor through perfect obedience but receiving His grace through faith in Jesus. The old system, valuable as it was, could never accomplish what Jesus did through His sacrifice. Under this new covenant, we're freed from the burden of perfect law-keeping. Instead, we're invited into relationship with God through Jesus, empowered by His Spirit to live in ways that honor Him. This isn't a license to sin but an invitation to serve in a new way - motivated by love rather than obligation. Today, celebrate the freedom you have in Christ. You're not bound by the Old Covenant but embraced in the New Covenant of grace.
Bible Verse
"By calling this covenant new, he has made the first one obsolete. And what is obsolete and outdated will soon disappear." - Hebrews 8
Reflection Question
In what areas of your life might you still be operating under an "earn God's favor" mindset rather than embracing the grace of the New Covenant?
Quote
Jesus made peace with the law because Jesus came to this earth and he died for us. He fulfilled the law and ushered in a new Covenant. We don't have to follow the Old Covenant at all, because we are under the New Covenant.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, thank You for establishing a new covenant through Your blood. Help me to fully embrace the freedom and grace You offer. Transform my heart so that I serve You out of love rather than obligation or fear. May I walk confidently in this covenant of grace today. Amen.
Day 3: The Simplicity of Love
Devotional
Have you noticed how complicated life can become? We often create elaborate systems and rules, thinking more structure will lead to better outcomes. Yet Jesus consistently moved in the opposite direction - toward simplicity. When asked about the greatest commandment, Jesus didn't list dozens of regulations. Instead, He distilled everything down to two principles: love God completely and love your neighbor as yourself. This wasn't a new teaching but a profound summary of what mattered most in the law. The beauty of the New Covenant is its simplicity. Rather than hundreds of specific regulations that applied to one nation in one cultural context, Jesus gave us principles of love that transcend time and culture. This makes the gospel universally applicable - whether you live in first-century Jerusalem or twenty-first century America. Of course, living by love isn't always easy. It requires discernment and wisdom. But there's freedom in this simplicity. We're not bound by legalistic interpretations but guided by the Spirit to apply love in every situation we face. Today, consider how you might simplify your approach to faith. Rather than getting caught in complicated religious systems, focus on the heart of what Jesus taught: loving God and loving others as He has loved us.
Bible Verse
"For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: Love your neighbor as yourself." - Galatians 5
Reflection Question
How might your interactions with others change today if you filtered every decision through the question: "What would love do in this situation?"
Quote
The New Covenant is actually much more simplified. He goes, hey, look, love God with everything you got and love people.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank You for the beautiful simplicity of Your command to love. Forgive me for the times I've complicated my faith with rules and regulations rather than focusing on loving You and others. Help me to see opportunities to demonstrate Your love today, and give me the courage to follow through. Amen.
Day 4: Freedom with Purpose
Devotional
Freedom is one of the most cherished human desires. We long to be free from constraints, rules, and obligations. Yet true freedom isn't the absence of structure but the presence of the right kind of structure. In Christ, we've been set free from the law of sin and death. We're no longer bound by the detailed regulations of the Old Covenant or condemned by our inability to keep them perfectly. This is extraordinary news! But this freedom has purpose - we're freed from the old way to serve in the new way of the Spirit. This new way isn't lawlessness. The New Testament still provides moral guidance, repeating nine of the Ten Commandments and offering principles for godly living. But now we follow these not out of fear of punishment but out of love for the One who set us free. The law of Christ - the law of love - actually leads to a higher standard than mere rule-following. It transforms not just our actions but our motivations. We don't just avoid harming others; we actively seek their good. We don't just perform religious duties; we cultivate genuine relationship with God. Today, embrace both the freedom and the responsibility that comes with being in Christ. You're free from condemnation, free from earning God's favor, and free to live the life of love He created you for.
Bible Verse
"But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law. So that we serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code." - Romans 7:6
Reflection Question
How can you use your freedom in Christ today not as an excuse to do whatever you want, but as an opportunity to serve others in love?
Quote
The law of Christ is the law of love. Not love, by the way the world defines it. Not love by the way you define it, but by love by the way Jesus defined it.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, thank You for the freedom You've given me through Your sacrifice. Help me to use this freedom not selfishly but to serve others and honor You. Guide me by Your Spirit to live according to Your law of love, transforming not just my actions but my heart. May my life reflect the purpose for which You set me free. Amen.
Day 5: No Condemnation
Devotional
Do you ever feel like you're not measuring up? Like no matter how hard you try, you fall short of God's standards? This feeling of condemnation can be crushing, leading either to despair or to redoubled efforts to earn God's approval through perfect obedience. But here's the liberating truth: for those in Christ Jesus, there is no condemnation. None. The law could never make us righteous - it could only reveal our sin. But God did what the law could not do by sending His Son to fulfill the law's righteous requirements on our behalf. This doesn't mean our actions don't matter. They do! But our standing before God isn't based on our performance but on Christ's finished work. We're accepted not because we're good enough but because Jesus was good enough for us. Living under grace rather than law transforms our motivation. We obey not to earn God's love but because we already have it. We follow Christ's teachings not out of fear but out of gratitude and love. This produces a different kind of obedience - not rigid rule-following but Spirit-led living that fulfills the law's intent in ways mere compliance never could. Today, rest in the assurance that in Christ, you are fully accepted. Let this freedom from condemnation empower you to live not in fear but in the confident joy of God's unfailing love.
Bible Verse
"There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death." - Romans 8
Reflection Question
Where in your life do you still feel condemned or not good enough, and how might embracing the truth that there is "no condemnation" for those in Christ change your perspective?
Quote
Good doesn't cut it. You need the blood of Jesus to cover you, and he offers that to you today.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank You that in Christ there is no condemnation. Help me to live in the freedom of Your grace rather than under the burden of trying to earn Your approval. When I feel inadequate or unworthy, remind me that my standing with You is secure not because of what I've done but because of what Jesus has done. May this truth transform how I live today. Amen.