Last updated on November 19th, 2018 at 06:09 am
From Shaun E:
Here’s the plan for this week regarding Galatians 2!
Day 1: Watch the YouTube Video “Meet the Accidental Genius”: https://youtu.be/7H6doOmS-eM.
It is a fascinating look at a person whose life was changed through an injury to the head. A blow to the brain forced Jason Padgett to see the world differently. Jason couldn’t help but see the world differently after his head injury, and his new perspective changed the entire outcome of his life.
The Christian conversion experience could be viewed similarly but from a heart perspective. We live this wayward, rebellious life and then, BAM, God smacks you upside the head, giving us a new heart and new mind by which we perceive the world. When God takes root in our hearts, he changes our perspective, and we see clearly for the first time the meaning behind everything.
However, there are many beliefs, traditions, and circumstances that can skew our perspective back to the ways we used to see them. Dr. Darold Treffert stated, “The major question that faces us is … how can one tap that dormant potential without having a head injury?” What is something you would change today to keep you in line with who God made you to be? What is something you need to leave behind that reflects who you used to be? Are you allowing God to tap the dormant potential in you, or are you asking for another dope slap?
Day 2: Read Acts 15 – This is a great context for Galatians 2.
Day 3: Watch the YouTube Video: “Church Hunters: Episode 1” and “Church Hunters: Episode 2”.
What are the church experiences that have the most meaning or are the most moving to you?
Where have you seen you seen the body of believers fail others by trying to add something that is unnecessarily resistable?
Day 4: Read Galatians 2:1-10
What was the perspective of the Christians in Jerusalem?
If there were people that held Jewish law in such high regard, why did they become Christian at all?
What arrangement did the early church leaders come to as to how to grow the church?
Day 5: Watch the Sermon “There Are Many Ways to God”: https://www.theporch.live/messages/4874
Day 6: Read Galatians 2:11-19
Why were Peter and Barnabas tempted to not eat with Gentiles?
Why is Paul so adamant about dying to the law if it’s God’s law?
Have you ever held back from giving of your finances, influences, skills, or time because you didn’t want your gifts wasted on someone who didn’t deserve it?
Questions for Saturday Morning:
- When was the last time you heard something in church that you completely disagreed with and what was it about?
- Galatians 2:1-2: Paul had been gone from the churches in Jerusalem for 14 years teaching among the Gentiles, and even had a Gentile leader with him, Titus. With what was Paul trying to address the church leaders in Jerusalem?
- Galatians 2:3: Why do you think circumcision was a such a big deal?
- Galatians 2:4-5: What exactly is Paul trying to preserve here? Why is he fighting so hard against well-intentioned, God-fearing people? Why isn’t their way of life worth preserving?
- Galatians 2:11-13: How do you perceive the behavior of Peter and Barnabas? Shouldn’t they have known better? What do you think they were afraid of?
- Galatians 2:14: One way you could interpret what the church in Jerusalem was doing was a form a hazing. The Jewish Christians may have wanted the Gentile Christians to endure some sort of rite of passage before they could truly know what it meant to be a Christian. Why is it so hard for us to accept that God’s grace is really for everyone? Why do we enjoy making the Christian life out to be a chore, a badge of honor you have to earn? Do we actually behave like every person should get the same access to God that we do? If not, why?
- Galatians 2:15-16: Were the Jews justified by faith or by works before Jesus came? Why can’t I be justified by works
- Galatians 2:19: What does it mean to die to the law? What is the evidence that we’ve died to the law?
- Galatians 2:20-21: If the law was good, why did Jesus replace it? Why isn’t living according to the old testament sufficient?
- How do you determine if a person is a good person? How does God determine if a person is good? Does God act fairly?
- How do you determine if someone is a good Christian or not? Is that the right question to ask?
- How do you measure the value of a person? Do you have equal value to Billy Graham? Does the lazy, pot-smoking guy down the street who’s just milking the welfare system and beating his third wife have as much value as you? How does Christ measure the value of someone?