Beware the Dogs!

Dennis McCallum
Philippians 3:1-9

Paul exhorts the Philippians to beware the dogs, the false circumcision, who want to return believers to the shackles of the Law. Paul and Jesus reserved their harshest condemnation for those who tried to introduce legalism into the believing community. The worst thing about legalism is the negative, untrue picture it paints of God. Under legalism, God is a hard-to-please grump, who is looking to find fault in his followers. That image could not be further from the truth!

Joy's Greatest Enemy

Scott Risley
Philippians 3:1-9

Legalism or living under law is the greatest enemy of joy. Paul reserves his harshest words for anyone who weighs down believers with the false burden of legalism. As believers, we live under the law of grace where we do not work to secure our salvation but instead live with the reality of forgiveness, freedom, peace, rest and joy.

Arguing for Truth (Part 2)

Chris Hearty
Galatians 3:27-4:31

Galatians 3 and 4 form one of the Apostle Paul's greatest arguments for grace by faith in Christ. In Part 2 of this study, we round out the final three arguments Paul makes to show that legalism is incompatible with following Christ.

Willing to Fight for Freedom

Chris Hearty
Galatians 2:1-21

Paul was unwilling to compromise on the freedom given by the grace of Jesus. He's even willing to start a fight with Peter over it! This chapter of Galatians is packed with deep and personal application for your life.

From Legalism to Liberty

Chris Hearty
Galatians 1:10-24

In this passage Paul shares some details of his life. He wants us to know how God has changed him and how God can change us also.

Galatians: Freedom Manifesto

Dennis McCallum
Galatians 1:1-12

The book of Galatians was Paul's counterattack against the legalists who were trying to ruin new groups in the region of Galatia. It explains the freedom Christians can enjoy if they seek to understand it.

What's Wrong with Religion?

Dennis McCallum
Mark 12:38-44

Jesus' final confrontation with the religious leaders was the most furious one. What is Jesus so upset about that he resorts to name-calling?

The Heart of the Issue

Conrad Hilario
Mark 7:1-23

In this passage, we will look at a passage where Jesus confronts the religious thinking of his day that prevented people from seeing their problems clearly and experiencing God's grace. Not surprisingly, we see the same religious thinking pervading the thinking of our own day. Join us as we study this passage and examine parallels it contains today.

Mature Faith in Action

Ryan Lowery
James 1:1

The book of James is often misunderstood and many argue that James and Paul contradict one another. However, a close reading of James--one that keeps in mind his audience and cultural context--reveals that James and Paul believe in the same gospel, but are writing to two different groups for very different purposes. From the book of James, we learn what a mature Christian faith looks like in action.