Bethlehem North Women’s Bible Study

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Colossians 1:1-14, Week 2, Abigail Dodds

October 9, 2020

Gospel Gratitude

Galatians 6:11-18 A Grace-filled, Cross-Centered Gospel Goodbye, Pam Larson (4-24-2020)

April 23, 2020

A Grace-filled, Cross-Centered Gospel Goodbye

CONTEXT:

Paul’s grace-filled greeting (Gal 1:1-5) introduced us to the gospel that is from God and for God’s glory.

Paul defended his authority and the one true gospel in chapters 1-2.
He explained the gospel of grace and the glorious freedom it brings in chapters 3-4.
And in chapters 5-6, he applied the gospel by commanding us to love and serve one another in everyday life.

Paul ends this letter (Gal 6:18) with “ … the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers.”

STRUCTURE:

The cross is the center of this passage, and it has been a central theme in Galatians.

V12-13 The cross and circumcision (notice circumcision 3x in v12-13)
V14 The cross- our only boast
V15 A new creation not circumcision (notice circumcision 2x in v15)

OUTLINE:

1- The Cross Exposes Our Motives

The Motives of the Judaizers (6:12-13) SELF-boasting
- Their pride
- Their persecution-avoiding
- Their Pharisaical actions
The Motives of Paul (6:14-17) CROSS-boasting
- The power of the cross
- The purpose of the cross
- The Person of the cross

2- The Cross Defines Our New Life

Galatians 6:1-10 Burden-bearing, Pam Larson (4-10-2020)

April 10, 2020

Galatians 6:1-10

Burden-bearing: our spiritual life as a believer, under grace not law, is evidenced by loving one another and persevering in doing good.

A. The Dangers/warnings are stark.
Temptation v1
Deception v3
Pride v3-4
Boasting v4
not sowing to the Spirit v8
weariness v9

B. The Commands are many:
1-Watchfully and gently restore v1
2-Lovingly and humbly bear one another’s burdens v2
3-Test your own work v4
4-Share all good things with your teachers v6
5-Sow to the Spirit v8
6-Do not grow weary; do not give up v9
7-Do good to everyone v10

C. The Stakes are huge according to verse 8:
We reap what we sow!

Galatians tells us what Jesus purchased for us on the cross. It is because of Jesus we have:
DELIVERANCE
FREEDOM
JUSTIFICATION
REDEMPTION
ADOPTION
THE SPIRIT!
IDENTITY: IN Christ

How specifically are we to be like Jesus in this passage?
GENTLY-RESTORING: Because Jesus has restored us
WATCH-KEEPING: (temptation): Because Jesus suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.
BURDEN-BEARING: Because Jesus bore our burden at the cross and has given us the Spirit, we can care for one another, by bearing others’ burdens and doing good to all.
HUMILITY: Phil 2
SHARING & GIVING: Because Jesus gave His very life, we are to share with one another. Sacrificial giving, like Jesus gave.
DOING GOOD: Because Jesus is good, always good, we will seek every opportunity to do good.
NOT GROWING WEARY: Because Jesus never grows weary, we can turn to Him for more grace when we feel like giving up; Heb 12; 2 Cor 12:9

Benediction from Heb 13:20-21
Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.

North MOMS: How to Teach the Gospel During a Pandemic, Barbara Reaoch (4-7-2020)

April 6, 2020

Barbara's original title was "Teaching the Gospel to Children." Sadly, many of us are not clear about the difference between moralistic behaviorism and gospel-centered teaching. We would never teach an adult that God’s acceptance of us is based on our behavior. But we often apply the Bible to children in this way. How easily we twist the beauty of the gospel of grace into the subtle deception of moralism. Come hear how to keep the gospel central as you talk with, discipline, and teach the children in your life.

As the corona virus pandemic swept the globe, Barbara adjusted her message slightly, "How to Teach the Gospel During a Pandemic!"

Galatians 5:13-26, Our Freedom, Our Fight, Our Flesh and God’s Fruit in Our Lives, Pam Larson, 3.27.2020

March 27, 2020

Our Freedom, Our Fight, Our Flesh and God’s Fruit in Our Lives

Galatians 5:13-26 | Pam Larson | 3.27.2020

1-Our Freedom (13-15)

Free FROM…
Freedom TO...

2-Our Fight (16-18)

HOPE for the fight … 3 reasons ...
- 1-Because of A promise! the Spirit’s help! (16)
- 2-Because the battle is real and is hard!- but we have the Spirit (17)
- 3-Because if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. (18)

So we have the Spirit living in us, we WALK in the Spirit, we are led by the Spirit and we plead for the Spirit’s help in fighting the battle.
We also need the Word, God’s promises, to fight this battle against the flesh.

3-Our Flesh (19-21) (Paul contrasts our flesh with the fruit of the Spirit in our lives.)

The works and a warning
- our past
- our present

4- God’s Fruit (22-23)

Love, joy and peace all are “gospel overflows” of the saving grace of Christ in our lives
Those lead to the sweet ways we then interact with others around us...with patience, kindness and goodness
As the fruit of the Spirit ripens, our radical transformation manifests in faithfulness, gentleness and self-control...becoming more and more like Jesus.

Our Ongoing Fight (24-26)

An imperative- walk by the Spirit/keep in step with the Spirit
An indicative- Because you are crucified with Christ, and have crucified the flesh, keep crucifying those fleshly desires, walking by the Spirit, living by the Spirit, keeping in step with the Spirit

We are free from sin and death, free to love, fighting our flesh in the power of the Spirit and walking, living, being led by the Spirit. This means we are continually directed by and influenced by the Spirit, and His fruit.

North MOMS: The False Gospel of Feminism, Adrien Segal (3-17-2020)

March 16, 2020

The False Gospel of Feminism (ADRIEN SEGAL)

How does our having our identity rooted in Jesus give us the tools to discern and confront the subtle worldly influences that surround us? Adrien will share how she has grown in understanding the Bible’s high calling for women and the joys promised to us.

Galatians 5:1-12 Christ is All or Christ is Nothing (Pam Larson)

March 13, 2020

AIM: See the clear choice—Christ is all or Christ is nothing! We can’t add to Jesus’ work on the cross.

The math:

Christ + anything = NOTHING
Christ + nothing = EVERYTHING

1--Christ is nothing

A. IF-- Circumcision accepted (v2-4)

No advantage (2); obligated to keep the whole law (3);
severed from Christ (4) and fallen away from grace

B. THEN--Continued warnings (v7-12)

hindered you from running well (7)
NOT from him who calls you! (8)
leaven (9) is legalism ...clean it out! “Cast out” (4:30) the false gospel of legalism.
will face penalties!
And a word of hope here: Paul is persuaded that the false teachers will NOT ultimately win the Galatians over to their view….why? Paul has His confidence in the LORD!!)
troubling you (10) … the false teachers will face penalties!
Persecuted you (11)
take away the offense of cross by preaching salvation is Jesus plus circumcision (11)
Unsettled you (12)
emasculate themselves (12)

2- Christ is all! (v5-6)

through the SPIRIT
by FAITH
HOPE!
in CHRIST
only FAITH

G.R.A.C.E.—God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense

G.R.A.C.E.—God’s Rescuing And Caring Exertion (John Piper)

Cross-references: 1 Corinthians 15; Romans 5; Romans 11:29; John 8:31-32; Jeremiah 32:40; 1 Corinthians 1:8–9; Philippians 1; Jude 24; 1 Thess 5:23-24; Romans 8:30; 1 John 2:19; Hebrews 3:14

Galatians 4:21-5:1 Children of Promise, Stand Firm (Jacque Boldt)

March 5, 2020

Galatians 4:21-5:1

My aim for us this week is that we would understand our identity in Christ as children of promise, and that because we know our identity we would walk in the freedom that Christ purchased for us on the cross.

vv. 21-23: Paul engages the Galatians with a contrasting analogy related to Abraham
vv. 24-30: Paul explains the analogy to the Galatians
1. vv. 24-25: Hagar represents slavery to the law
2. vv. 26-28: Galatian believers are free/children of promise
3. vv. 29-30: Like Isaac, the Galatian believers are being persecuted by those who are born according to the flesh
4:31-5:1: Paul encourages the Galatian believers by reminding them of their identity and exhorts them to stand firm in grace/freedom.

Galatians 4:12-20 Become as I am!! In Christ … Christ in you! (Pam Larson)

February 27, 2020

Become as I am!! In Christ ... Christ in you!

1- IN Christ (Become as I am! … I am IN CHRIST.)

How? (12)
Why? (12c-14) Remember…..
- 1- He was WEAK (13)
- 2- But they WELCOMED him (14)
- 3 theories
What? (15-16) But now? …..
Contrasting motives (17-18)
Motherly pain (19-20)

2- Christ in you (Until Christ is formed in you!)

“Christ being formed in us is the same as our being formed in Christ. For we are born that we may be new creatures in him. And he, on the other hand, is born in us so that we may live his life.” (Calvin, John, John Calvin's Commentaries On St. Paul's Epistles To The Galatians And Ephesians, p86)