First Presbyterian Church

When you were young, who influenced your faith? If you grew up in the church, perhaps it was a Sunday School teacher or a youth leader or a parent or grandparent. I can remember my grandmother singing along joyfully to Gospel music blaring in the kitchen as she prepared dinner. It’s a precious memory now.

Timothy, one of Paul’s missionary associates and trusted friend, came to faith through his grandmother, Lois, and his mother, Eunice. Timothy’s parents did not share the same beliefs, as his mother was Jewish and his father a gentile. Yet his mother and grandmother passed along their Christian faith to Timothy (2 Tim 1:5). What a blessing to be born into a home where the Christian faith is shared and then embraced by the next generation.

King David was another grandparent who shared his faith. When he wrote Psalm 37 he was an old man, and he had a track record with God. He passed along that knowledge freely to the next generation. Do you openly share your faith with your children and grandchildren or nieces and nephews? You have the perfect inroad to do so. But we need to prepare to share! So for Sunday,

• Read Psalm 37
• Recall a time you knew God was there with you. Then look for an opportunity to share the story next week with a child.

Picture in your mind visiting relatives you don’t see very often. It’s time to go and you won’t see them again for a long time. As you climb into the car to leave you roll down the window and speak final words of encouragement and remind them of those things you don’t want them to forget.

Paul closes the book of Galatians with one more reminder of the fact that we must trust in the work of the cross and make that our identity, no matter how others might see it. Further, the work of God results in bringing forth a new creation. How amazing. Only God could accomplish such an incredible thing.

Read Galatians 6:11-18. You will get a sense of Paul’s entire theology in a short summary paragraph. It meant so much to him that he even left out his usual greetings. So we need to listen up. His message is very important.

• How would you share the essence of what we have learned in Galatians with someone in a sentence or two?
• Then, on a personal note, what do you do to give space in your life for that new creation to blossom and grow?

Remember, spiritual maturity comprises both inward and outward growth. We must grow deeper inwardly by nurturing our relationship with God, and then let that bubble forth outwardly to others as we share what we believe.

Read the Sermon:   It’s All About Being New!