Devotion by Tina Miller Sermon by Rich Lanning
September 14, 2025
Introduction
Act out a little skit in which one person walks around the room doing things and another follows behind undoing those things.
Background
How did ___________________ feel when ________________ undid everything he/she did? *This is like what “Paul was going through when he wrote to the Galatians. When he and Barnabas left Galatia, other teachers went there saying wrong things about Jesus. Some people believed what those teachers said, so Paul wrote a letter to the churches to help them get back to the truth.”
Pray
Lord Jesus, help us today to understand the scriptures that are able to make us wise for salvation.
Looking into the scripture passage
As we begin our study of the letter Paul wrote to the Galatians, we can see that from the very beginning he sets Jesus in the center of what he has to say.
Read: Galatians 1:3-5
Ask: In verse 3, what does Paul want the Galatians to receive? From whom?
What is grace?
Marty Machowski defines grace in his book The Ology as,
“freely given. Used to describe the free gift of eternal life God gives to all his children. Salvation is all grace, a free gift from God, just because he loves us. The greatest grace we receive is God himself!” (The Ology Glossary, page 240)
Ask: What does verse 4 say was given for us (that is, what grace gift)?
Did Jesus want to die or was he forced to do it? He gave himself willingly.
Why? For our sins to deliver us from evil.
Whose will was it for Jesus to die?
Ask: Is there any human work mentioned in these verses? Whose plan and work was our deliverance from sin?
Apply the passage
Activity:
“Sin means to miss the mark of God’s righteousness. It includes anything we think or do that is against or breaks God’s law.” (The Ology glossary, page 241)
Ask: How have you sinned? What has to happen to sinners?
Did Jesus ever sin?
No. So Jesus is the only person who could pay for our sin.
When we
Admit our sin to God
Believe that Jesus died in our place for our sin, asking him to forgive us
Confess (say out loud what we believe in our heart) that we want to obey and follow Jesus
God’s grace cleanses us and gives us peace and life with him forever
Ask: Have you asked Jesus to forgive you and give you his life?
Memorize
[Jesus] gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father.
Galatians 1:4
Practice the verse
Print the verse out onto a jigsaw template. Cut apart and work it as you learn the different sections.
Extra Stuff
Dig Deeper (for older kids and parents)
Watch this video from Bible Project on God’s character of grace
Songs to sing
God is Over the Moon (Christ Covenant VBS favorite)
Books to read (these can be borrowed from the Kidstuff table in the church foyer)
First Catechism, Teaching Children Bible Truths (feel free to take one for your family to keep).
His Grace is Enough by Melissa Krueger
This is the Gospel (She Reads Truth)
