This year, I’m still pondering my recent study of Galatians. While we celebrate Jesus’s birth at Christmas, we cannot separate it from the reason he came nor his promises for the future. Join me here as I look at each of the traditional Advent themes—HOPE, PEACE, JOY, and LOVE—found in Paul’s letter to the Galatians. Today we start with HOPE.
christianity
Galatians 6:1–18: New Creation Living
Paul begins the last chapter in his letter to the Galatians (Galatians 6:1–18) with more instructions on how to live out their freedom in Christ, especially in regard to relationship. He's already directed them to walk by the Spirit, but what happens when someone is overcome by wrongdoing? Paul calls for gentle restoration and then concludes his letter back on the topic he started with—circumcision doesn't matter. What counts is living as a new creation.
Galatians 4:8–5:12: We Are Free in Christ
In Galatians 4:8–5:12, the apostle Paul continues his defense against the Judaizers who claim that believers in Christ must also follow the law in order to be right with God. Paul pleads with the Galatians to not return to the yoke of slavery, but to live free and express their faith through love.
Galatians 1–2: Paul’s Testimony and Commission
I continue with Galatians 1:11–2:10 summarizing the message, adding same parallel passages for explanation, then asking some application questions. It’s my way of making sense of Paul’s writing and digging for his meaning and how I can apply it personally.
Galatians 1: Only One Gospel and Pleasing God
As I study Galatians with the women in my church, I'm doing something a little different than I usually do here on Pondered Treasures. I'm summarizing the passages, adding same parallel passages for explanation, then asking some application questions. It's my way of making sense of Paul's writing and digging for his meaning and and how I can apply it personally. It may only appeal to "Bible nerds" like me, but I offer it to you. May it help you in your study. I start with Galatians 1:1–10.
A Liturgy When Everything Happens At Once
Why does everything happen at once? Jesus demonstrates how to navigate times of busyness. I crafted this liturgy using the steps outlined in the new book, "Crafting Liturgies for Life Abroad" by Heather Fallis available on Amazon July 1st, 2025.
What Do We Do With the 10 Commandments?
The Mosaic Covenant was conditional and temporary—foreshadowing the new covenant that Jesus inaugurated. So, how does Jesus want us to live in his new kingdom? Do the ten still apply? I went looking for the equivalent or the greater command in Jesus’s teaching and example and in the whole New Testament. Here’s what I found:
Abide in Jesus Because His Spirit Abides in Us
Too often I treat my spiritual life like a charging station. I refuel every morning (or at least as often as possible) through a study of the Bible or a devotional reading. But then I act like I’m an electronic device and I unplug, trusting in my fuel to get me through the day. But the Lord Jesus himself has told me to constantly abide in him.
Pondered Treasures 