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There is a book by a famous preacher guy called Bill Hybels and the book is called “Who You Are When No One’s Looking”. The book is pretty amazing but the title alone is probably challenging enough. It asks the same question Paul asks at the beginning of today’s passage. When you are at college and there is no one from Church around who are you? How do you treat others? When you are at school and your parents are not around, how do you talk about others? And trust me, you’re not alone in struggling with this. Your parents, those guys at Church, your youth leader and yes even the pastor, struggle being the same person they are in Church, when they are at work. Why? Because it’s hard to do the right thing by God all the time. Doing the right thing, does not mean being boring, it doesn’t mean you can’t have fun, and it certainly doesn’t mean that you’re soft and can get pushed around. Being Jesus like when no one is looking, is about trying your hardest to do what Jesus would do. It’s about not giving up when you mess up. It’s about going back and saying sorry when you did mess up. It’s about, making sure next time is different. WWJD badges and bracelets might seem a bit corny or even un-cool, but the whole WWJD concept is a great help, when no one is looking. Next time no one is looking ask yourself that simple question, really “What Would Jesus Do?”

Author - Max Cross, Galatians | No Comments »

Seems to me that the guys in the passage used to really look after the sick, but they have lost their way now. Pauls saying they can start again and do what Jesus wants them to do. I’ve been in that place to, how about you? Was there a time when you were fired up doing just what God wanted you to do? Maybe you looked out for the lonely guy at school and invited them to join you, but these days you are just far to busy. It’s possible that you used to manage to keep away from stuff that you know God didn’t want you to do. But somehow you slipped into areas that are just not healthy for you. Maybe drink, maybe sex before marriage, maybe drugs. Do you feel a failure? Do you feel that God doesn’t want to know you? Well that’s trash, that’s the talk of the world, but it’s not how God sees you. Our God is a God of second, third, and millionth chances. You remember the prodigal Son returning to his Dad after he spent all the dosh and partying his life away, well that’s us. If you feel that you knew God but somehow he walked away, I am here to say that he didn’t walk away and he is busy looking for you. Stop, now, this very second and say sorry, he wants to know you more.

Author - Max Cross, Galatians | No Comments »

If I was talking to very young people I might sit here and talk about how the people Paul is talking to in this passage, used to have false gods before they accepted Jesus into their lives. I might very carefully and patiently explain that their false gods could easily be the same as something in our lives that completely takes over. I would explain that this could be something like computer games, football, tv or anything that we put before Jesus. Do I need to dance around you, like that, or should I ask you straight? As I sit here looking at this passage for us, I picture you as someone who can take what God has to say and does not need it watering down. Someone who when they make a decision to follow Jesus, decided that there is no turning back. Where ever you are in you walk with Jesus, whether you are looking, just started or running at full pelt, I know that Jesus loves that black and white attitude about him. You’re not grey, when you decided to be for Jesus, you decided to be complete for Jesus. So no messing. What is getting in the way of you moving on with Jesus? You know what it is, so deal with it today.

Author - Max Cross, Galatians | No Comments »

Do you ever stare at text book at school or college and wonder what the heck any of it means? I used to do that all the time. Sometimes I’m like that with the Bible too. I stare at it and blink and wonder just what the heck the person who wrote it is trying to say. See I said it, sometimes I don’t understand the Bible. I bet you thought you were the only one didn’t you. Take this passage for instance. I mean that’s a heck of a lot of words, just to say the something he has already said before. Jesus loves us; he died for us, so that we can go to Heaven. We don’t have to do lots of things in a particular order to go to Heaven, and no one can take that away from us. See how difficult was that. So, is it only me, or do you struggle with the Bible sometimes too? Well the good news is, that’s OK, maybe that’s why God often says the same thing in a different way. Maybe your mate gets this passage, I figure out another passage and you understand yet another passage. We shouldn’t struggle with the Bible, after all God gave it to us as a book to live by. If we struggle with understanding it, no need to feel dumb. I just grab the nearest leader and say things like “hey what the heck does this mean?”

Author - Max Cross, Galatians | No Comments »

Ok Paul we get it. Oh my, he has been banging on about the fact that we can’t be good enough to get into Heaven and that’s why we need Jesus. It’s like scripture for the hard of hearing. Yes Paul we understand that we need Jesus. Maybe these Galatians were a bit slow on the uptake but to be honest I pretty much had got it by the third time you nagged us about it. Well that’s how I feel, I don’t know about you. Why did Paul go on and on about the fact that it’s not about what we do, it’s about what Jesus did? Is it possible that during our lives at school, college and work, that we start thinking that it is all about what we do? Jesus shoots from the hip about this as well. Jesus said “without me you can do nothing.” So if Jesus thought we needed regular reminders about the fact, that it doesn’t matter what we do, then maybe we do need reminding. Maybe when we are successful in our lives we start getting a bit big headed and start doing things our way rather then the Jesus way. We may even appear to be a bit successful. Maybe we pass exams, maybe someone of our mates join our youth group. But if we are relying on our talents then eventually we will crash and burn. We need to use the talents that our God has given us, but rely on Jesus. That is a little different and may take us a little time to get into our heads.

Author - Max Cross, Galatians | No Comments »