Have you not brought this upon yourself for asking the Lord your God, while he led you in the way? Jeremiah 2:17
 
For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters, only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for self-indulgence, but through love become enslaved to one another. Galatians 5:13
 
Jeremiah was a prophet of God who warned the Old Testament Jews that they had not followed God and thus  had brought on their own difficulties. God sent Jeremiah to warn the Jews that they needed to return to God. 
 
Paul in Galatians stands in vigorous defense of the essential New Testament truth that we are justified by faith in Jesus Christ--by nothing less and nothing more. Furthermore, we are sanctified by depending on the grace of Christ and by experiencing the power of the Holy Spirit working within us.
 
I am constantly reassured that my Christian community is a precious gift from God. I remember being on a choir tour with my college choir while in college. I hadn't traveled much prior to this time. The people we met at each place where we sang welcomed us with open arms. They fed us, housed us in their homes, enjoyed our concert, and made us feel close to home. When we had the opportunity to worship it felt like home, because we shared the same faith and many Christian traditions with all we met.
 
God leads us to follow our Christian teachings as described by Paul and others in the Bible. It is all right there for us to know and believe. We are fortunate indeed to live in Christian community where we can protect what we know to be true and can reject that which seeks to lead us astray.
 
Dear Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ,
Thank you for the gift of Christian community. Help us to recognize the true freedom which comes from following you. Keep us true to your word and keep us from following untruths which seek to snare us. We rejoice in our faith, are thankful for both the grace of Christ, and for the power of the Holy Spirit abiding within us. Amen.
 
Florence Smallfield   
Ministries
Teaching Mission Party