Living by Faith Gal 3:1 – 14; 21 – 25 “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering. Mark 5:34”

Feb 8, 2015 Prayer Requests Ruth Gawith Milton Davis & Kathy Davis Lua McNew Ginny Jellison Richie & Mary Merryman Lucy McKinney Trenton Hattler Jack Enright Keith Avery Young families – Gods guiding in upcoming changes. Gods leading and direction in our Church Families College Students Keith McNew-Christ’s working in his life. James Alexander -- Dialysis Unspoken

SandraGreat Britain DavidMexico Saurabh Bangladesh, Angola, Namibia RuthIndia, Israel, Australia, New Zealand Keith & Ruth Switzerland SarahSwaziland WayneAfrica Cyclone Pam devastates Vanuatu islands, impacts local Nazarenes Tropical Cyclone Pam, a category 5 storm, slammed into the Vanuatu islands in the Melanesia South Pacific Field late in the evening of Friday, March 13. As winds started to subside in the early hours Saturday morning, a trail of destruction was left behind. Dozens of deaths have been reported, and heavy winds and rain have destroyed many homes and crops. "Please continue to pray for the people of Vanuatu, our missionaries — the Potters and Isaacs — as well as church leaders and members," said Harmon Schmelzenbach, Melanesia South Pacific field strategy coordinator.

Praying for the US & Canada Richie Merryman: NY, NM, CA Alexanders: CA, OK, GA, QC Vanderpool: NM (SE ABQ) Jellisons: UT, TX, AK Shultzs: CA, DC, MA, BC Moores: AZ, NM, DC, CA, YT, QC Abby Nielson: MA, OH, VT, QC Aliece Nielson: NM, VT, PEI L. Kilgore: VA, MI T. & P. Brown: IL, HW, PA, DC Nielsons: OH, PEI, VT, MA, RI Griffins: VT, OH, (Northeast) C. Yazzie: NM, AZ, & Navajo Nation Adams: NM, CA, MA B. Brown: GA, OR, ON B. Vito: NY,ID MAKE THE CONNECTION WITH GOD’S WORD Free Mobile App Offered to Church of the Nazarene at M15 According to Pew Research 90% of American adults have a cell phone, and 58% of those are smartphones. Technology is here to stay. We can either see it as a nuisance to ministry and discipleship efforts, or we can engage it as a tool to help people draw closer to Christ. Because of the generosity of Back to the Bible, we are excited to announce that every congregation in the Church of the Nazarene can have their own mobile app at no cost to the individual church. The mobile app is called goTandem – a free app that discovers the user’s spiritual needs and then delivers personalized biblical content to help the user grow closer to Jesus.

SundayTeacher.com Lesson Password: Prayer Illustrated Bible Life Password: Devotion

Galatians 3 (NIV) You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. 2 I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by believing what you heard? 3 Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh? 4 Have you experienced so much in vain—if it really was in vain? 5 So again I ask, does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you by the works of the law, or by your believing what you heard? 6

Law or Spirit? What “works of the law” is Paul talking about? Why is he calling the Galatians’ “foolish”? Where did they go wrong? Why do you think they were going wrong? What is Paul’s first argument in refuting their foolish choice. The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry,“Abba, Father. Romans 8:15 7

Galatians 3 (NIV) 6 So also Abraham “believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” 7 Understand, then, that those who have faith are children of Abraham. 8 Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: “All nations will be blessed through you.” 9 So those who rely on faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith. 10 For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse, as it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.”

Galatians 3 (NIV) 11 Clearly no one who relies on the law is justified before God, because “the righteous will live by faith.” 12 The law is not based on faith; on the contrary, it says, “The person who does these things will live by them.” 13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole.” 14 He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit. 9

The Blessing Given to Abraham Paul quotes Genesis 15:6; why was that selection important vis-à-vis Genesis 17:10 What does it mean to be “justified”? Paul quotes Genesis 12:3; why was that selection important? What does it mean to be “redeemed”? When Habakkuk 2:4 says “the righteous person will live by his faithfulness (faith),” what did he mean? What is Paul’s second argument in refuting the Galatians’ foolish choice? 10

Galatians 3 (NIV) 21 Is the law, therefore, opposed to the promises of God? Absolutely not! For if a law had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would certainly have come by the law. 22 But Scripture has locked up everything under the control of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe. 23 Before the coming of this faith, we were held in custody under the law, locked up until the faith that was to come would be revealed. 24 So the law was our guardian until Christ came that we might be justified by faith. 25 Now that this faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian. 11

The Promise Fulfilled in Christ 12 What is Paul’s third argument in refuting the Galatians’ foolish choice? According to Paul, what was the purpose of the law? Did the law fulfill that purpose ? What is our relationship to the law today? This is the covenant I will establish with the people of Israel after that time, declares the Lord. I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. Heb 8:10 (Jer 31:33)

Next Week Unit 1: Galations: The Superiority of the Gospel Lesson 4: A Child of God Galations 3:26 – 4:7,

How to help Ebola relief Africa West Field Strategy Coordinator Daniel Gomis suggests the following activities to support Ebola relief efforts: Have a time of fasting and a time of prayer at least once a week Pray for God to bind any fear and loose peace in the hearts of the people of West Africa Pray for our district superintendents, pastors, leaders, and churches in Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea Conakry, that the Lord will use them powerfully as agents of hope and salt and light of Jesus in these difficult days Pray for God's wisdom and protection over the medical doctors and health personnel in the Ebola-affected countries Pray for God's wisdom for the head of nations and decision makers in Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Guinea Conakry Inform and educate by checking the World Health Organization and International SOS websites for updates Funds contributed through the Africa Emergency Relief Fund will go toward Ebola education programs, prevention and hygiene supplies, and food and vitamins for individuals and families in affected communities. 14 The Eurasia Regional Office is inviting Nazarenes across the Eurasia Region to link hearts with our brothers and sisters in the Africa Region by joining them in prayer and fasting for the people suffering from the Ebola virus outbreak in Western Africa, for those who are sick, those who have lost loved ones, communities impacted negatively by quarantine, fear, loss of producers and earners, and for those brave medical workers treating the sick.

15 1.Secularization is on the rise: 38% of the nation's adult population now qualifies as post-Christian. This includes 10% of Americans who qualify as highly post-Christian and 28% as moderately post-Christian. In other words, more than 1/3 of U.S. adults are essentially secular in belief and practice. The younger the generation, the more post-Christian it is. 48% of Millennials, 40% of Gen-Xers, 35% of Boomers and 28% of Elders qualify. 2.People are less open to the idea of church: The unchurched are becoming less responsive to churches' efforts to connect with them. 20 years ago, 65% of churchless Americans were open to being invited to church by a friend vs. 47% today. 3.Churchgoing is no longer mainstream: Churchgoing is slowly but incontrovertibly losing its role as a normative part of American life. In the ‛90s, about 1 in 7 unchurched adults had never experienced regular church attendance vs. nearly 1 in 4 today. 4.There are different expectations of church involvement: Today only 57% of churchless adults say they would be interested in Sunday worship as their starting point vs 70% in the ‛90s. 5.There is skepticism about churches' contributions to society: When the unchurched were asked to describe what they believe are the positive and negative contributions of Christianity in America, 49% could not identify a single favorable impact of the Christian community, while 37% were unable to identify a negative impact. 1.Secularization is on the rise: 38% of the nation's adult population now qualifies as post-Christian. This includes 10% of Americans who qualify as highly post-Christian and 28% as moderately post- Christian. In other words, more than 1/3 of U.S. adults are essentially secular in belief and practice. The younger the generation, the more post-Christian it is. 48% of Millennials, 40% of Gen-Xers, 35% of Boomers and 28% of Elders qualify. 2. People are less open to the idea of church: The unchurched are becoming less responsive to churches' efforts to connect with them. 20 years ago, 65% of churchless Americans were open to being invited to church by a friend vs. 47% today. 3.Churchgoing is no longer mainstream: Churchgoing is slowly but incontrovertibly losing its role as a normative part of American life. In the ‛90s, about 1 in 7 unchurched adults had never experienced regular church attendance vs. nearly 1 in 4 today Praying for the US & Canada

4. There are different expectations of church involvement: Today only 57% of churchless adults say they would be interested in Sunday worship as their starting point vs 70% in the ‛ 90s. 5. There is skepticism about churches' contributions to society: When the unchurched were asked to describe what they believe are the positive and negative contributions of Christianity in America, 49% could not identify a single favorable impact of the Christian community, while 37% were unable to identify a negative impact. 16