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Our Sunday School Lesson is publlished each weekend in the Daily News, the Washington County News and the Scott County News and is written by Daily News President and Founder Pete Dykes.
Written by Rev. Roland Hautz, St. Bernard Catholic Church!
A meditation to help you on your journey with Jesus,
Justified by Faith in Christ
Galatians 1, 2
The Galatians had been led astray from the original gospel. A group known as the Judaizers were telling people that a Gentile had to become a Jew before he could become a Christian This amounted to requiring every person to keep every aspect of the Old Testament law.
Even Peter had gone along with these Judaizers. Although originally Peter had been the first person to affirm that Gentiles could become Christians, he "waffled" on that position because of peer pressure. The apostles and elders convened a conference in Jerusalem to confront the issue.
Later on another occasion, Paul confronted Peter because he had changed his position.
Those Christians who were Jews by birth considered themselves superior to those they called "Gentile sinners."
To some of the Jewish believers, the Gentile Christians were wrong for not observing all of the details of the Old Testament law as they tried to do.
No one will ever be justified by observing the law. Paul reminded his readers that all of them had been justified when they put their faith in Christ Jesus. The same plan exists for both Jew and Gentile.
In one of the most striking pictures in Scripture, Paul declares, "I have been crucified with Christ." When we are fully identified with Christ through our baptism into Him, our old life is dead and buried in a watery grave. When we are raised, it marks the start of a new life.
Jesus described our close relationship with Him by comparing it to a vine and its branches. This helps us to understand Paul's victorious cry, "Thanks be to God - through Jesus Christ our Lord!"
Galatians 1, 2
The Galatians had been led astray from the original gospel. A group known as the Judaizers were telling people that a Gentile had to become a Jew before he could become a Christian This amounted to requiring every person to keep every aspect of the Old Testament law.
Even Peter had gone along with these Judaizers. Although originally Peter had been the first person to affirm that Gentiles could become Christians, he "waffled" on that position because of peer pressure. The apostles and elders convened a conference in Jerusalem to confront the issue.
Later on another occasion, Paul confronted Peter because he had changed his position.
Those Christians who were Jews by birth considered themselves superior to those they called "Gentile sinners."
To some of the Jewish believers, the Gentile Christians were wrong for not observing all of the details of the Old Testament law as they tried to do.
No one will ever be justified by observing the law. Paul reminded his readers that all of them had been justified when they put their faith in Christ Jesus. The same plan exists for both Jew and Gentile.
In one of the most striking pictures in Scripture, Paul declares, "I have been crucified with Christ." When we are fully identified with Christ through our baptism into Him, our old life is dead and buried in a watery grave. When we are raised, it marks the start of a new life.
Jesus described our close relationship with Him by comparing it to a vine and its branches. This helps us to understand Paul's victorious cry, "Thanks be to God - through Jesus Christ our Lord!"
“Lord, Thou Knowest that I Love Thee!”
This is how one man learned to love the Lord.
He said: one day I was thinking of our Lord’s words to Peter: “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” I wished with all my heart that I could answer as Peter did. I felt sad that I could not. Then this thought came to me: “Well, if I cannot say as much as Peter, perhaps I could turn it around a little and find something easier. So I began to think there was one thing I could not say. I could not say: ‘Lord, Thou knowest that I do not love Thee.’ And I found some comfort in that. At last, I grew bold enough to say: ‘Lord, Thou knowest that I want to love Thee.’ Then I began to think of His great love for me. I thought of His life, of His words, of his cross, and almost before I knew what I was doing, I looked up and said: ‘Lord, Thou knowest that I do love Thee! And, at that moment, I had a great feeling of forgiveness, and a new life began in my heart!”
Today, Lord, I stopped to think of all the things You’ve done;
Of all the tears You’ve dried for me, and all the battles won.
Of all the times my head hung low without a friend to care,
Now, looking back, I clearly see that You were always there.
You've heard my prayers, when no one knew the pain I felt inside,
So many times, no words would come and I just knelt and cried.
Sometimes it would be easy, Lord, to give in to defeat,
To let old Satan have his way, admitting I am beat.
But somewhere deep inside of me I hear Your gentle voice,
That circumstance is not excuse and victory is choice!
Lord, one more thing I ask of You, as I go on my way,
That all the love and blessings sent, I may, somehow, repay.
May those I meet, wherever I go, see Christ in all I do,
And may all my deeds and all my ways say,
Lord, how much I love You!
This is how one man learned to love the Lord.
He said: one day I was thinking of our Lord’s words to Peter: “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” I wished with all my heart that I could answer as Peter did. I felt sad that I could not. Then this thought came to me: “Well, if I cannot say as much as Peter, perhaps I could turn it around a little and find something easier. So I began to think there was one thing I could not say. I could not say: ‘Lord, Thou knowest that I do not love Thee.’ And I found some comfort in that. At last, I grew bold enough to say: ‘Lord, Thou knowest that I want to love Thee.’ Then I began to think of His great love for me. I thought of His life, of His words, of his cross, and almost before I knew what I was doing, I looked up and said: ‘Lord, Thou knowest that I do love Thee! And, at that moment, I had a great feeling of forgiveness, and a new life began in my heart!”
Today, Lord, I stopped to think of all the things You’ve done;
Of all the tears You’ve dried for me, and all the battles won.
Of all the times my head hung low without a friend to care,
Now, looking back, I clearly see that You were always there.
You've heard my prayers, when no one knew the pain I felt inside,
So many times, no words would come and I just knelt and cried.
Sometimes it would be easy, Lord, to give in to defeat,
To let old Satan have his way, admitting I am beat.
But somewhere deep inside of me I hear Your gentle voice,
That circumstance is not excuse and victory is choice!
Lord, one more thing I ask of You, as I go on my way,
That all the love and blessings sent, I may, somehow, repay.
May those I meet, wherever I go, see Christ in all I do,
And may all my deeds and all my ways say,
Lord, how much I love You!