To ‘live by the Spirit’ is not a subjective, do what you think is best, relativistic way of life. Instead, Galatians 6:1-10 gives one example after the next of what it looks like on the ground, in everyday relationships. From restoring others with gentleness to doing good to those around us, we’re given the shape of a Spirit-led life.

We all have a lifestyle, a particular way we go about decision-making in everyday life. Everyone is deeply motivated by a driving force or power of some kind. When Galatians 5:16-26 calls followers of Jesus to “walk by the Spirit” and to be “led by the Spirit," it’s calling us to a lifestyle of surrender - a way of life shaped by the Spirit’s presence and power. But what does that lifestyle look like, and what does it produce?

Imagine investing everything into someone's freedom, only to watch them willingly return to what enslaves. That's the angst and heartbreak we discover in Galatians 5:1-15. Are you truly living in the radical freedom Jesus brings, or are you subtly allowing old patterns, or even new teachings, to drag you back into slavery?

In John 21 the resurrected Jesus, the King of the universe, the one with all power and authority is sitting on a beach serving breakfast. His presence on that shoreline, his radical love and hospitality, sets the stage for the restoration he brings. It’s a story that puts God’s character front and center; it confronts our misconceptions and fears and invites us to experience the restorative love of God.

Sometimes what we think will lead to freedom actually has the opposite effect. It can be hard to see things as they are, but Galatians 4 brings clarity when it comes to our relationship with God and others. God is calling us to real freedom in Christ, not the illusion of the world.

Galatians 4 reveals King Jesus went to great lengths to make us legitimate, full-fledged children of God, granting us an unshakeable inheritance—a secure birthright to be enjoyed now and one that no one can take away.

Oftentimes we find ourselves judging how we compare with others. We silently and even subconsciously create a ranking of people’s status. This is a problem that has plagued every society in various ways. Galatians 3 shows us that there is a different way. The social and cultural walls that bring division come crashing down when we are one in Christ.

An update on Local Church St. Pete's partnership with Next Stepp.