Camden First United Methodist Church Beth A. Waldrup

The week starts our new Sermon Series on what we believe. Sometime we become so comfortable with what we think we know, we forget about what we do not know and what we cannot know. We learn very little when we are comfortable but we can learn so much when we are uncomfortable. Today, our first lesson begins, as it should, with what we can know about God. You are invited to post questions as we work through our understanding and misunderstanding together.

In this last sermon on Paul's Letter to the Galatians, we explore our own motives as we confront sin - in others and in ourselves.

In the Fifth Chapter of Galatians, Paul is challenging the church to a journey of faith and hope, led by the Holy Spirit. This chapter is the most persuasive argument of the church's need to be spirit led.

Paul challenged the Galatians by telling them the missionaries from Jerusalem were wrong.  They did not need to being in good standing with the Old Covenant to become mmbers of the New Covenant. So I'm wondering if it is wrong to tell LGBTQ individuals they must become straight before they are fully included in the New Covenant.

The new kingdom Jesus presents in not the resurrection of the old kingdom of God found in the Hebrew Bible. The old Kingdom was a physical kingdom with boundaries and politics. The new Kingdom has no boundaries. It expands only when Jesus changes a heart and mind.

If you do not understand the story of Abraham, you will not understand Paul's theology. Abraham was not redeemed by the Law; he was redeem by faith.