Craig Cooper

Proverbs is a unique book among those found in the Bible. This book contains pithy, memorable sayings encouraging people to pursue wisdom. Proverbs deals with the most fundamental skill of all: practical righteousness before God in every area of life. Put another way, the purpose of Proverbs is to give instructions on right living. One of the areas this fantastic book advises us on is friendship. In the Bible, we do not find, a concise definition of “friend” or “friendship.” What we do receive is a significant amount of teaching throughout the Old and New Testaments on various aspects of friendship. The Bible book that references friendship the most is Proverbs. Nearly every occurrence either cautions against unhealthy friendships or commends the virtues of true friendship.

A simple definition of friendship is “a close, trusting relationship between two people.” The book of Proverbs has much to say about friendship and the way we are to treat one another. The intimacy involved in friendship involves influence. Friends influence one another. That is why it is so important to choose our friends wisely and to be a wise friend. As I explore Proverbs three truths about friendship rise to the surface.

First, who our friends are say much about us. For instance, we find in Proverbs: “Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm” (Prov 13:20). We must be careful about who we allow in our inner circle. Those closest to us have the greatest influence on our thinking and decision-making. It is challenging to walk the right path if those around you are not. On the flip side, it becomes more likely that you will choose to walk the right path if those around you are doing so. We also read: “One who is righteous is a guide to his neighbor, but the way of the wicked leads them astray” (Prov 12:26). A person committed to living rightly does not just accept anybody as a friend. Let me clarify, I am not talking about “friend” in the generic term, “Hey friend!” When I write “friend,” I am talking about someone who is close and trusted – A person who is a real influencer in your life. A person committed to living rightly chooses friends carefully.

Secondly, Proverbs teaches that loyalty is a true test of friendship. We discover: “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity” (Prov 17:17). The main point of this verse is not to differentiate between friend and brother, except to say that both are to be valued. The real point is that a true friend is not a “fair weather” friend. They are there for you and with you through all the highs and lows of life. This is emphasized by the fact that a brother’s love is especially seen in adversity. This type of friendship is quite significant. We observe in Proverbs:   “A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother” (Prov 18:24). The point being made is that people, who have numerous friends chosen indiscriminately, may find themselves in trouble. It’s better to have one true friend than many unreliable companions.

Then, thirdly, Proverbs teaches that a friend ought to make others better. For instance, we find in Proverbs: “Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another” (Prov 27:17). When iron is rubbed against another piece of iron it shapes and sharpens it. It’s in a similar way people can aid each other in improving themselves through their discussions, suggestions, and ideas.   The success we experience in life is in part determined by our growth. Our growth is in part determined by those we allow to speak into our lives. Therefore, we ought to choose them carefully.

I realize that what I have shared could be misunderstood as a lesson on snobbish living. It certainly is not meant to be such. However, we are fooling ourselves if we do not accept the fact that whom we let into our inner circle influences us and as a result influences the type of person we will be. On the flip side, we need to be the kind of person whose friendship will benefit others.

Friends either help people become better people, or they don’t. Even worse, a reckless friend may tear down or lead us down the wrong path. What I am saying could easily be expressed this way: “Friends Make or Break People.” As I look at the picture Proverbs gives of friendship I am personally challenged. It would be easy to begin to evaluate my friends, but I have to begin with me. I have to ask myself, “Am I the friend God has called me to be?” Only after prayerfully evaluating myself am I then free to evaluate those friends I have let into my inner circle. I need to seek the Lord to help me be a good friend and seek His wisdom in determining whom I allow to speak into my life. Friendship is a close, trusting relationship between two people. I want to be sure that this trusting relationship is beneficial to both of us.

I am grateful to be able to call each of you friends in Christ. Let us encourage each other to be a person others can trust as well as chose to place trustworthy people in our inner circles. Lastly, if any of us still have any question what a good friend looks like all we need to do is look to the amazing example found in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

One of the books of the Bible I find myself digging into more often than not is that of Proverbs. Unlike many books of Scripture Proverbs does not have a storyline. The book is a collection of wise advice intended for us to follow. We are taught that the first step in learning is to love, respect, and worship God (see: Prov 1:7). This is the foundation of wisdom. The book builds on this foundation and is filled with proposed actions intended to lead to right living accompanied by good outcomes. It is important to note that Proverbs is not a book of promises, but probabilities. In other words, the adages found in Proverbs encourage and equip us to pursue wisdom, but do not make guarantees that in doing so we will always avoid hardship. However, those who walk in wisdom will flourish, in all the spheres of their lives, including their work.

Although all too often in our culture work has become a four-letter word. Many relate to Jonny Paycheck who in 1977 sang, Take this job and shove it. God intends for us to enjoy work. God created us to enjoy meaningful work. Before sin (all the wrongness in the world and in our own lives) ever entered into the world God gave man meaningful and fulfilling work to do. God entrusted to Adam and Eve the administration of all creation. Through the Fall (when sin entered the world) Satan seized mankind’s rule over all creation and became the god (small “g”) of this age. H. Wayne House in his book, Living Wisely in a Foolish World, further explains: “Not only did Adam and Eve loose meaningful work, but they also lost the ability to obey God perfectly. The presence of a sinful nature perverted the experience of work. Work became burdensome and filled with toil.” Here lies the problem or paradox. We have been created with a desire to experience fulfilling work, but sin has warped that desire. As a result, for many of us, our jobs or careers do not offer fulfillment. Proverbs has many teachings to help us put work into a perspective that leads us to fulfillment. In other words, the instructions on work in Proverbs help us work in ways that honor God and moves us to a place to experience the blessing of God, even in our jobs and careers.

Fulfillment in our jobs and careers is found when we understand that only God brings true completeness to our life. We read, “Better to have little, with fear for the Lord, than to have great treasure and inner turmoil” (Prov 15:16). This passage is not teaching against work that provides a generous income. What it is teaching against is choosing a career as a status symbol. No job has the power to complete your life. Only God can bring you wholeness. A difficult problem develops when people expect from their job what only God can do for them. No career or vocation can make you complete; only God can do this fantastic work.

Fulfillment is found when we commit our work to God. The old sage proclaims, “Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established” (Prov 16:3). Our work is not for our own glory. All we do is for the glory of God. We need to hand over our jobs and careers to God. The Lord needs to be a part of every area of our lives. When we commit our work to God, even the most mundane work assignment can have tremendous implications.

Fulfillment is found when we understand that our jobs and careers are a means for growth and impact. Here we look at two proverbs. First, “A slack hand causes poverty, but the hand of the diligent makes rich” (Prov 10:4). Then, “The earnings of the godly enhance their lives, but evil people squander their money on sin” (Prov 10:16). God uses our work to teach us life lessons. He also uses our work to impact the lives of people around us. Could it be that what we do is not as important as the opportunity what we do provides for our growth and ability to minister to others? When we take our jobs and careers and give them to the Lord, they prove to be a remarkable means of growth and impact.

Fulfillment is found in realizing our jobs and careers are not secular but sacred. We read in Proverbs, “For a man’s ways are before the eyes of the Lord, and he ponders all his paths” (Prov 5:21). We also read, “Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the heart” (Prov 21:2). Not one book of the Bible differentiates between a secular (something apart from God) and a sacred (belonging to God) job. The main reason for this is that there truly isn’t anything that is apart from God. In fact, as we explore Proverbs, we note that this amazing book treats work as something to be used for serving the Lord. As a result, we are to work in a manner pleasing to God, with a godly attitude. Knowing that our very vocation is sacred has a profound influence on what we choose to do for a living and how we do it. Our work is a means of serving God. Our work is a ministry and we, who are in Christ, are all ministers no matter what we discover written on our employment job descriptions.

Our careers offer us opportunities to exercise our faith, to put what we believe about our Lord into practice. Our work is a place to test our obedience to the Lord. Where we work and what we do provide the opportunity for spiritual growth and impact. Our very jobs are to be looked upon as sacred, set apart for God’s glory. These are profound truths. In fact, this scriptural reality of our jobs ought to have a profound impact on how we view our work. Let me encourage you that our jobs and careers are sacred, belonging to God. When we give our jobs and careers over to God extraordinary things happen in our lives and in the lives of those around us, and we find fulfillment. In Christ, we can take our job and love it.

What a privilege to serve alongside each of you. I pray that right here and now, perhaps for the first time, maybe as a recommitment, that each of us will commit our work to the Lord and be fulfilled in Him. Ask God to work in and through you at your workplace.

Recently I saw a beautiful sunset. It was truly glorious. When the word glory is used about God, we are speaking of God’s infinite beauty because of who He is in His perfections. God puts His glory on display as He manifests Himself through creation and redemption. Furthermore, glory is the brilliant splendor that radiates from God’s revelation of His character and mighty acts.  God really put His glory on display with that sunset.

Truth be told, God is speaking to us continually. God is relational. He does not always use words, but speaks to us, for instance, through a jaw-dropping sunset. Beyond a doubt, God uses nature to speak softly in the depths of a believers spirit. The apostle Paul writes:

            “For God’s invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse” (Rom 1:20).

Paul expresses that the natural world bears witness to God through its magnificent beauty, complexity, design, and usefulness. He declares that God’s revealing Himself through nature leaves all of us “without excuse.” In other words, no one can rightly complain that God has left insufficient evidence of His existence and character because among other things nature puts God’s glory on display.

The psalmist David, I assume inspired by nature, writes:

O Lord, our Lord, your majestic name fills the earth! Your glory is higher than the heavens. You have taught children and infants to tell of your strength, silencing your enemies and all who oppose you. When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers—the moon and the stars you set in place—what are mere mortals that you should think about them, human beings that you should care for them” (Psa 8:1-4)?

David declares that God’s name is majestic in all the earth, even if not all people acknowledge it. The psalmist is overwhelmed that the God who is powerful enough to make the heavens takes notice of him and cares for him. To look at the world our creator has made could lead one to mistakenly believe God is distant from us, but in truth, God is close to us.

God is glorious, and yet, we can find Him by merely opening up our hearts. He is continually speaking to us, but we must be willing to listen. Perhaps, we need to ask God to sharpen our eyes and ears. Possibly we ought to practice looking and listening to God’s voice. I know in my life when I do I become more aware of God’s presence, more in tune with His voice, and better placed to respond appropriately.

There is no doubt as the song declares:

 “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Day to day           pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge” (Psa 19:1-2).

God reveals Himself through nature. As I gazed at the beautiful sunset, I could not help, but think what a mighty God I serve. My God created the sunset as well as me. I was left speechless by the sunset, but even more by the thought that the God who spoke the world into existence chooses to know me. I hope the sunset drew others into a wonderful awareness of God and His love for them. I know through the sunset He was revealing Himself for that very purpose.

I am so blessed to do life with each of you. As we move throughout the day, let’s take time to pause, take in God’s creation, and listen to our loving creator.

I have an interest in the origins and validity of phrases. I know, that sounds exciting. But, stick with me. Here is a phrase I was thinking on the other day: “One rotten apple will spoil the whole bunch.” I wondered if this was accurate. Interestingly, it is a true statement. As apples ripen, they release ethylene, a hormone that is a ripening agent. Over-ripened apples release the hormone in high amounts, causing other apples stored nearby to ripen faster and rot sooner. So, it’s true that one bad apple can ruin the whole bunch. (Fun tip: Want to ripen an avocado? Stick it in a paper bag with an apple overnight.)

In Matthew’s Gospel, we discover a conversation Jesus had with His disciples. Earlier the Pharisees and Sadducees (religious leaders) had asked Jesus “to show them a sign from heaven.” Jesus responds by explaining that they have failed to see the sign present in His person walking among them. We are told that Jesus and the disciples leave and head across the Sea of Galilee. Once they arrive on shore, they discover that they have forgotten to bring bread (Matt 16:5). Then we read: “Jesus said to them, ‘Watch and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees’” (Matt 16:6). The disciples miss Jesus’ point. Matthew reports that the disciples begin to frantically discuss their failure in packing some bread. Jesus, aware of their conversation, addresses them:

“O you of little faith, why are you discussing among yourselves the fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive? Do you not remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many baskets you gathered?  Or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many baskets you gathered? How is it that you fail to understand that I did not speak about bread? Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees” (Matthew 16:8-11).

 I can totally see myself, like the disciples, dealing with the same misunderstanding. Jesus is speaking of how the negativity and falsities of the Pharisees can infiltrate and corrupt and ruin what is good. After Jesus’ explanations we read: Then they understood that he did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees” (Matt 6:12).

 I picture the Pharisees and Sadducees as rotten apples and Jesus warning the disciples not to get bundled up in their spiritual decay. The Pharisees and Sadducees did not believe in Jesus, in part, because He did not fit into their mold. Their negativity and falsities could begin to undermine the disciples growing belief in Christ. Jesus warns the disciples to not allow these bad apples to ruin the bunch.

 As I chew over this account, I come to a realization. I don’t want to be a bad apple. I want to make sure I am a positive force for Christ and immersed and representing His truth. I don’t want to do anything that would disrupt a person’s journey with Christ. I don’t want to be rotten and certainly don’t want to contribute to anyone else’s spiritual decay. I will be watchful and cautious of bad apples and committed to placing myself in God’s hands so I will have fresh faith. Empowered by the Spirit, I want to bear good fruit.

 It is a privilege to serve alongside each of you. Together let’s avoid the influence of the bad apples in our life as we trust the Lord to give us an invigorated spirit. I trust God will be faithful to us as we place ourselves in His capable hands so He can bless us as He continues to use us to bless others.

Once, when I lived in Wisconsin, a friend, Kevin, brought all his frying gear to my house and fried up some freshly caught fish for our small group. It was fantastic and to this day some of the best fish I have ever eaten. I really enjoy a good fish fry and will even travel a good distance to partake of one. We discover in Scripture that one of Christ’s most famous miracles is a fish fry of sorts where He feeds five thousand men, plus whatever family members were with them. Jesus had been healing the sick and preaching about the Kingdom of God. John tells us that, “a large crowd was following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing on the sick” (John 6:2). The day was growing late and the evening was approaching. It had been some time since any of the crowd, including Jesus and His apostles, had eaten. Jesus seeing the large crowd and knowing that they are hungry, asks, “Where are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat” (John 6:5)? He uses this situation as a teaching moment. Some tell Jesus to send the crowd away. Others point out the absurdity of finding the resources to feed all the people. Finally, “One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him, “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are they for so many” (John 6:8-9)? Humanly speaking, one can understand the apostle’s dilemma. If each of the men had brought their wife and a child, there would be 15,000 people to feed. This is no small task, but they had not added Jesus to the equation. Could the one who could heal the sick miraculously feed the hungry mass, too?

Jesus instructs the disciples to bring the loaves and fish to Him. He then has the apostles have everyone sit down and prepare for a meal. Jesus gives thanks for supplying their needs and has the loaves and fish distributed, and everyone ate their fill. The apostles gather up the leftovers, which filled twelve baskets. Jesus lovingly met and satisfied the physical hunger of the crowd. Jesus shows His love and ability to meet our needs easily and with plenty to spare. The people realize that Jesus was extraordinary and proclaimed, “This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world” (John 6:14)! Jesus makes a quick exit, “Perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, He withdrew again to the mountain by himself” (John 6:15). Jesus crosses to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, partly on foot (see: John 6:16-21). On the next day, the crowd noticed Jesus and the apostles had left, and they hopped into some boats and went looking for Him. When they find Him Jesus declares:

“Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. 27 Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal” (John 6:26-27).

The people ask, “What they must do?”  Jesus answers, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent” (John 6:29). Then we read:

“So they said to him, “Then what sign do you do, that we may see and believe you? What work do you perform? Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat’” (John 6:30-31).

Jesus responds:

“Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world” (John 6:32-33).

They ask Jesus for this bread, and He declares that He is the bread of life and whoever partakes of Him will never hunger or thirst. But the people, “grumbled about him, because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven” (John 6:41)

We discover that some of the crowd knew Jesus and His family and questioned His claim to a heavenly origin. Jesus shares that the road to paradise is open to all. Jesus clearly states that “whoever believes in Him will have eternal life” (John 6:47). He explains that the manna, which the Israelites ate in the wilderness, was miraculously given, but was not the true heavenly bread because those who ate it died. However, those who believe in Him will live forever, and that opportunity is open to the whole world. Jesus then declares, “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh” (John 6:51). This statement of Christ is not to be taken literally but is meant to convey that unless we participate fully in Christ as the complete sacrifice for sin; we cannot realize the benefits of His salvation. Here is the response to Jesus’s teaching: “When many of his disciples heard it, they said, “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it” (John 6:60)? It was difficult teaching to receive because Jesus must die and they must identify with His death to receive eternal life. Jesus, knowing this offended some, encourages them that they may be discouraged by His suffering, but they would rejoice at His resurrection and ascension. The Spirit gives life through Christ and trying to understand them through mere human insight is useless, the Father enables each of us to have the opportunity to hear, understand, and respond.

We find the result of this proclamation in one of the saddest verses in the Bible. We read, “After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him” (John 6:66). We also, find a great profession of faith. Jesus asks the twelve if they too are going to leave. Peter responds, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God” (John 6:68-69). We discover that many in the crowd simply liked the show, but Jesus was offering more than a fish fry and Peter understood it and speaking for the other apostles declares we are here to know the Savior. Peter wanted more than free food, He wanted Christ and everything He has to offer. He was not a consumer, but a participant with Christ.

I hope all of us want more than a fish fry, a miracle here and there from Jesus. I pray each of us wants Him and everything He has to offer by believing and participating with Christ as a true follower. Together let’s believe in Christ, learn what it means to belong to Him and His church, become the people we have been created to be, and as those blessed bless others.

I grew up in a fishing family where we owned a canoe. I always looked forward to going fishing with my Dad. Our family spent most of the summer outdoors. We made the most of the beautiful summer weather and savored all God’s creation has to offer. There is something majestic about drifting down a river, casting a line, and just taking in the movement of the water, the fish rising to the surface and animals playing on the riverbanks. I think it’s my experience in nature and my enjoyment of it that causes a spirit of awe to rise up within me whenever I read the creation account found in Genesis 1. The first verse found in the Scripture reads: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Gen 1:1). This is a foundational fact of the Bible. God brought into existence all that we know of the physical universe. God spoke and out of nothing God brought into existence the cosmos and our world and filled it with birds, vegetation, fish, animals, and people. It is clear from the creation account that God delights in His creation.

What is interesting is that when Moses wrote the opening Chapters of Genesis his overarching intent was merely to inform us of God’s creative work but to prepare God’s people for the mission we have been created to fulfill in partnership Him. The first chapter of Genesis is more than the introduction to the first book in the Bible. It is the opening chapter of God’s redemptive plan for His creation that consists of four parts: Creation (the way things were); Fall (the way things are; Redemption (the way things could be); and Restoration (the way things will be). When we look at the whole gospel, we not only discover the Fall and Redemption but God’s original good creation and His future restoration of it. If we see the gospel as only Fall and Redemption, then we can quickly fall into the trap of seeing our salvation as a bus ticket to paradise and believe that what we do while waiting for the bus doesn’t matter all that much. God calls and empowers us to live on mission, and that mission is to know Him and make Him known by identifying as His people in His world for His glory. In short, God has called us to participate in His restorative mission.

In the first chapter of Genesis, we read God’s purpose for creating us. God declared, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness (see: Gen 1:26-27). Through God’s creating of humanity we discover that God is relational, and this quality has been imprinted on each and every one of us. We have been made to be in a relationship with God (to know Him) and with the rest of creation (to make Him known). We have been made in God’s image and as such made to be relational.

We also discover in Genesis 1 our mission. We read: “And God blessed them. And God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it” (see: Gen 1:28-30). Genesis 1:28-30 is commonly called the “cultural mandate.” Here God calls us to partner with Him in His work. The cultural mandate calls us to fill the world with God’s images and “subdue it.” We are to develop healthy social environments through building families, churches, schools, cities and the like. We also are to develop healthy natural environments through planting crops, building bridges, composing music, while caring for the natural world. We are called to create cultures and care for creation for God’s glory.

God presents Adam and Eve with a job description of sorts for them and their descendants (us), “God blessed them. And God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it.’” The unfortunate reality is because of sin introduced during the Fall, people have abused their stewardship of God’s creation. Today believers stand in the same place Adam and Eve did before the Fall knowing God’s purpose for creating us and our mission, but they are also filled with the Holy Spirit and have the resources of heaven at their disposal to fulfill this calling. Believers are now called and empowered to properly care for God’s creation.

I guess when I think back on the times I went out fishing with my Dad I recognize that something inside of me identified with God’s purpose for creating me as His image bearer. I have grown to desire to echo the words of the elders found in the book of Revelation: “Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you create all things, and by your will they existed and were created” (Rev 4:11). Floating down the river fishing nature gave witness to God who created me to know Him and the beauty of His creation cried out for me to care for her for His glory.

It is a privilege to do life with each of you. As image bearers of the living God let us rejoice in knowing Him and encourage one another to make Him known by developing healthy social and natural environments.

If you have grown up in a family that fishes or have a friend that’s a fisherman, then you have heard a fish tale. Every fisherman has a fish tale or two. Usually, they center on a dynamic event where either a big fish is caught, or one got away. There is even a technique of taking a picture while holding a fish that will make the fish you are holding look bigger than its actual size (yes, I have done this). In many ways, fish tales are a part of our culture, but not as much as we find in the lives of those mentioned in the Bible.

Throughout Gods Word, we discover fish tales. In fact, Jesus compared the marvelous ministry His disciples would partner with Him in using fishing imagery. Jesus exclaimed, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men” (Matt 4:19). As one explores the true tales that mention fish, found in Scripture, we discover that many of them empower us to partner with Christ, becoming a more effective spiritual fisherman.

So strong is this identification of believers with fish that the early church identified a fish as a symbol of our faith. This symbol is frequently found carved on the walls of the catacombs beneath the city of Rome by these early Christians. The Greek word for “fish” is ichthus, and each letter represented a word (I = Iesous – Jesus; ch = Christos – Christ; th = theou – of God; u = huios – son; s = soter – savior). In a time when public expression of faith could cost you your life the fish became sort of a code word to express one’s faith in Christ: “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and my Savior.”

Others, besides Christians, commonly used the fish as a symbol in the Roman Empire so it could be displayed without causing unwanted attention. Often this symbol was used by Christ-followers to mark meeting places and tombs. It has been reported that when a Christian met a stranger on the road, the Christian sometimes drew an arc in the dirt. If the stranger drew the other arc, making the ichthus symbol, then both knew they were in the presence of a fellow believer. Today’s practice of placing the ichthus symbol on business cards and on the trunk of a vehicle recalls this early practice.

Besides the meaning attributed to the term ichthus, the fish has plenty of other biblical overtones. Jesus fed 5,000 with 2 fish and 5 loaves and as mentioned He called His disciples to be “fishers of men.” Some have even suggested that water baptism, usually practiced by immersion, created a parallel between fish and believers. The second-century theologian Tertullian noted: “we, little fishes, after the image of our Ichthus, Jesus Christ, are born in water.”

Whether you personally identify with the ichthus symbol or not, every believer can celebrate the affirmation that someone is a believer in Jesus Christ, the Son of God and our Savior. Whether or not you feel it’s a good idea to place the symbol on business cards or on the trunk of a vehicle, there is no denying that fish tales are found throughout God’s Word and that it is good to identify ourselves as followers of Christ. I would caution that placing the ichthus on a business card or on a vehicle does make a mark that ought to be supported by reflecting Christ.

I am so thankful we are able to publicly express our belief in Christ who makes His followers “fishers or men.” I am blessed to serve our Lord who can multiply fish and loaves. I celebrate knowing Him and making Him known in partnership with each of you and together in partnership with Him.

You may recall the name, Robert Courtney. He was a pharmacist out of Kansas City, MO who intentionally diluted cancer medications to make millions of dollars. He was caught and pleaded guilty in 2002. His actions were illegal and immoral. He is currently serving a 30-year prison sentence and was ordered to pay over ten million dollars in restitution. His actions had horrific consequences on those he served. Similarly, too many times the true gospel gets watered down by messages of try harder or adopt this formula of rules and regulations resulting in a counterfeit gospel that is devoid of power and harmful to human souls.

The true gospel is a gospel of freedom empowering us to live in freedom. Paul writes to believers: “So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God” (Gal 4:7). We have been offered great freedom, and where there is great freedom, there is great responsibility. Faith in Christ and His finished work on the cross brings freedom, and by relying on the Holy Spirit, we can live free bearing the Spirit’s fruit in and through our lives.

The life of freedom we have been offered in Christ we live in partnership with Him as well as in partnership with other believers. Freedom brings with it community. It has been said, “If you want to go fast go alone, but if you want to go far go together. Paul’s understanding of gospel partnership is why he paints a picture to the Galatians of the community built by the true gospel of freedom and grace. The simple truth is that gospel convictions bring gospel community.

The gospel of freedom not only empowers us to journey together but as believers, we are responsible for growing together. In Galatians 5:26-6:1 Paul makes it clear that we are responsible to one another. He even declares that we have a responsibility to those caught up in sin. We are to “restore them in the spirit of gentleness” (v. 1). The word used to describe those in sin is the Greek word prolemphthe, which means “overtaken.” The word suggests a certain level of surprise. We discover that without awareness and accountability, we can easily drift and become overtaken by harmful practices. Therefore, we need authentic community with fellow believers and a commitment to walk in reliance on the Spirit. We need to pursue relationships with other believers who are willing to lovingly confront visible and revealed sin in our lives as a means to becoming more like Christ.

Believers also have a responsibility to carry one another’s burdens. When we see someone carrying a burden, we don’t just put him or her on a prayer list, but we stop and help. Sometimes it means we need to humbly ask help of others. It is important to point out that there seems to be a contradiction between Galatians 6:2 and 6:5. Verse two instructs us to carry one another’s burdens, while verse five calls us to carry our own burdens. In verse two Paul uses the Greek word baros for burden. This word speaks of a particularly oppressive experience. It is a burden too heavy for any one person to carry. Whereas, in verse five Paul uses the Greek word phortion that refers to a person’s individual luggage or backpack. In this sense, Paul is telling us to carry our own backpack. There is a significant difference between the two burdens as well as our responsibility. In short, we have freedom and responsibility to help each other with our burdens (I help you, and you help me) as together we grow in Christ.

We also have a responsibility to persevere. In Galatians 6:7-10 we are encouraged to not “grow weary in doing good.” Paul knows how easy it is to grow tired of doing the work of the gospel. Doing good can start out being exciting and fulfilling, but can grow old. In Christ, we have had our burdens taken up, and through the Spirit, we can continue and persevere. You may be in a situation where you can’t see the fruit of your labors. You started out full of hope and enthusiasm. You worked the field of a relationship or addiction or whatever you are working on, but now you don’t see a change in the relationship or deliverance from addiction. You seem to be running in place or even losing ground. Don’t give up, persevere for the time of reaping is still ahead. Trust in the Lord and rely on His Spirit to bring about spiritual fruit from your Christ-partnered workings.

Really when you boil down the whole point of Galatians, it is to encourage believers to keep the main thing the main thing. We are to know God and make Him known. We have been set free to live free. False teachers were diluting the gospel. The Galatians had once understood the true gospel of freedom but had allowed it to get diluted, and they had added things to it. Paul writes to keep centered on Christ: “But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world” (Gal 6:14). This verse is reminiscent of Paul’s words back in chapter two of Galatians: “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” In other words, just like Jesus was crucified we have died to the stuff of this world. We are united with Christ and His kingdom priorities empowered by His Spirit upon whom we fully rely. We have been set free to live free.

It is an honor to live this life of freedom. I am so grateful to be in partnership with Christ and thankful to be in community with each of you. Let us keep the main thing the main thing as Christ releases us to reach this region and beyond.

I think all of us have attempted to master something by trying and trying and gave up because in the end we were left frustrated and running on empty. Over the years I have spoken with people who have stopped going to church because they felt as if they were failing at life and the message they heard was, “just try harder.”

The message of Galatians can be summed up this way: You have been set free to live free. We have been set free to live differently. However, we could easily fall into the trap of thinking this means we simply need to try harder. Nothing could be further from the truth. Think of it this way. We have been set free to live differently and living differently is not about trying, but relying. We are to rely on the Holy Spirit. We need to stop trying and start relying.

Paul loves the Galatians, and he wants them to experience the joy of their freedom by living in the power of the Holy Spirit by relying on Him. Paul asks this question: “Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh” (Gal 3:3)? Living by self-empowerment and by the law of works does not produce the right fruit in our life. It’s like having a power-strip with four plug-ins. You plug in your computer, your printer, your phone, and then you use the fourth plug-in to plug into itself. Obviously, nothing works, because there is no power. When we try to do life through self-empowerment, we don’t have the power to live as we desire. I mean we try and try, but end up with the wrong fruit and greater frustration. We need to stop self-generating.

In Galatians chapter five Paul uses a fruit metaphor to shows what happens when we plug into the Spirit. Paul even explains that when we live by the Spirit, we can love and serve others (Gal 5:13-14). Interestingly, in verse 13 as Paul describes what freedom looks like he uses a Greek verb (douleuete), which means “to serve” or “to obey.” Ironically, Paul describes our freedom from slavery to the flesh as something that should lead us to become servants to one another through humble love. In other words, the biblical picture of freedom is not that of autonomy. Rather, freedom and servanthood go hand in hand. True freedom is found in humbly submitting ourselves in loving service to one another as Christ did for us (Mark 10:45).

Paul even paints a picture of what life looks like when we simply try harder. He lists things like immorality, jealousy, and fits of anger (see: Gal 5:19-21). We don’t want to have any of these things describe us. But, we have all tried by our own power to no avail. Living differently is not about trying harder, but by living by the power of the Holy Spirit. We need to rely on God.

In Galatians 5:16-17 Paul speaks of the fruit of the gospel in our lives. He explains, “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do” (Gal 5:16-17). Paul is not presenting a picture where we are sinless, but where we walk in the Spirit-empowered to sin less and less. The fruit of the gospel in our lives is that we are free of the power of sin. We can’t try our way out of sin. We need to rely on the Holy Spirit. We need to plug into the Holy Spirit.

Paul explains the fruit we will have when we plug into the Holy Spirit. He writes: “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law” (Gal 5:22-23). These verses describe the kind of life we want to live. How do we live it? Paul asks a question: “Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith” (Gal 3:2)? The Holy Spirit’s power is available to all who believe. Too often this wonderful gift is going unopened and unused. It’s like having a new car with no gas. It looks impressive but isn’t going anywhere. Too many believers put on a good façade, and they try harder and harder in their own strength and end up on empty. There is a better way. Paul declares: “If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit” (Gal 5:25). We live in the Spirit by acknowledging Him every day throughout the day.

When we acknowledge the Spirit and rely on Him, His fruit grows in our life. For me, it means taking the time throughout the day to just take a breath and recognize that God is with me and His Spirit is at work. I ask Him to continue to work in and through me. I partner with Him aware that He is the senior partner.

What power we have in the Spirit. We have been set free to live differently and do so by relying on our Lord. Together let us live dependent on the Spirit. Let’s live the life of freedom.

I have always found it curiously odd how children look toward adulthood impatiently, while many adults longingly long for the days of childhood. A legal definition of adulthood is a person who by virtue of attaining a certain age, generally eighteen, is regarded in the eyes of the law as being able to manage his or her own affairs. In most cases, an adult is no longer under the care of a guardian.

At the end of the third chapter of Galatians Paul calls believers to a mature faith. Such maturity is not found in returning or turning to a religiosity of mere rule following, but in the true gospel of freedom. In Galatians 3:23-25 we are told that before Jesus the law “was our guardian,” protecting us and preparing us for the good news of the true gospel of freedom. Now in Christ, we have everything we need. In Christ, the law is our mirror now, not our master. It helps us to clean our faces, our consciences. The law does not condemn us. In Christ, we have been set free.

Paul writes: “For in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith” (Gal 3:26). In Christ, believers have been adopted into a freedom that allows us to live in relationship with Him and others as full heirs of God. Our adoption brings blessings today as well as into the never-ending future (see: Gal 3:23-25). In fact, we have been redeemed into Sonship. Redeem is a word that comes right out of the slave market. To be redeemed is to have been purchased into freedom. Our Redeemer, Jesus Christ, God’s own Son, sought us and paid the price in full on the cross.

We have not only been redeemed but also adopted as God’s son. Paul explains: “And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, ‘Abba! Father!’ So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God” (Gal 4:6-7). First, Paul uses an Aramaic word “Abba” to communicate two aspects of our relationship with God. The term “Abba” can be translated “Daddy” or Papa” showing the intimacy we have with God through Jesus Christ. Second, the term has been found in ancient legal documents in the process of sons claiming an inheritance from their departed father. “Abba” describes the open access we have been given into the heart of God.

Paul throughout Galatians ties Sonship with being an heir. Some might be quick to interpret son as child or son and daughters, and certainly, this would be appropriate in the sense that Paul means that all people are given the opportunity to be adopted as God’s child. However, Paul uses the term “son,” because in ancient times heirs were mostly male, so the term “son” became somewhat synonymous with “heir.” He wants us to understand that we have been fully adopted by God in Christ and made full heirs. Christ redeemed us from the curse of sin; in Him, we are adopted as God’s child, and as God’s son we are joint heirs with Jesus. The simple truth is that God will honor all believers as He has honored His one and only Son.

You can tell Paul’s deep concern for the Galatian believers when he reprimands them by basically expressing as their spiritual parent, “I taught you better.” He is addressing their exchange of freedom for slavery by turning from the true gospel of freedom and accepting the counterfeit gospel of law and works (see: Gal 4:9b-11). He even uses a well-known story from Judaism to make a point in refuting the Judaizers who are preaching the counterfeit gospel. He speaks of Abraham, Abraham’s two sons, and Abraham’s son’s two moms to declare that we are like Isaac who miraculously was brought into a forever family (see: Gal 4:21-31). Paul exclaims, “Now you, brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise” (Gal 4:28).

Paul’s encouragement to believers to mature in the faith is expressed at the end of chapter four with a challenge. Since we have been redeemed, no longer identified as a slave, but as a free son, live like it. The gospel of freedom provides a new identity and we ought to live under that new identity. We are no longer a slave to sin we are a child of God.

We have been offered so much in Christ. We have been set free! Yet, it is so easy to live like we are still slaves. Let’s encourage one another to mature in our faith and live the life of freedom, fullness, and faithfulness we have been so graciously granted in Christ.