Element Christian Church
Galatians Week 25: Sowing and Reaping
Locations & Times
Element Christian Church
4890 Bethany Ln, Santa Maria, CA 93455, USA
Sunday 9:00 AM
Sunday 10:45 AM
Welcome to Element
We strive to ensure the biggest thing people think when they hear about Element is Jesus! We aim to glorify God by teaching and living out the Scriptures, transforming community into Gospel community and planting churches.
Fireworks!
If you're buying fireworks this year, come on our to our booth and help send some kids to camp! We are located in the parking lot of the Walmart Neighborhood Market on Blosser, just South of Main St (NOT the one off of Bradley).<br><br>We will be open June 30th-July4th
Drive In Movie Night
Help your kids make a car they can "park" in the Sanctuary and sit in as we enjoy watching the Super Mario Brothers on July 28th at 6pm.<br><br>Popcorn and bottled water will be available for free and we will also have a concession stand with other goodies for sale. Feel free to bring your dinner with you as long as it is nut free.
Quick Connect Groups
Launching July 16th with new sermon series on Forgiveness.<br><br>Different from our Gospel Communities which, are more of a time commitment, these groups are short-term and an excellent opportunity to get to know others within the Element body and explore what we learn in this series together. These groups will be offered at various dates, times, and locations, so stay tuned for more details on specific groups or come see us at the Welcome Center if you have questions.
Replanted
Foster, adoptive & kinship parents – You are not alone. The Replanted Conference provides a time away for caregivers to be refreshed, equipped, and inspired! Regardless of where you are in your adoption and foster care journey, we've created something special, just for you.
https://www.ourelement.org/replantedSpring Mission Update
https://ourelement.org/downloads/2023/Spring_Mission_Update.pdfNew to Element? Need prayer? Just want to connect?
Click the link to fill out our Digital Connect Card so we can know you were here and send you a "Welcome" email.
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Help Needed!!
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https://ourelement.churchcenter.com/people/forms/395779This week's song list
Interested in looking for some of the songs we sang this week? Here's the titles and original artists:<br><br>Multiplied - Need to Breathe<br>Wholly Yours - David Crowder Band<br>Valley - Chris McClarney<br>Jesus We Love You - Bethel<br>The Lord Our God - Kristian Stanfill<br>Lift Your Head Weary Sinners (Chains) - Crowder
Week 25: Sowing and Reaping
Galatians 6:6-10 is technically part of Galatians 6:1-5; both passages are two parts of the same thought. Last week we talked about being nothing and something; the week before that, we spoke about burdens and loads. All these concepts are meant to go together—just as we, as parts of the same body of Christ, come together.
Galatians 6:6 Anyone who receives instruction in the word…Growth happens through the teachings of Scripture. God uses the teaching of His word to help people change from self-centeredness to loving sacrifice, from bitterness to thankfulness.
Read Galatians 6:6-10.
Paul says if you have someone who shares the Scriptures with you, you should be grateful for that. If you have someone who loves you enough to open the Bible with you, love them. One of the big problems in Galatia is that the teachers in Galatia were teaching “the Bible” and not Jesus. When the Bible is open, Jesus must be the subject; all of Scripture points to Him.
• Who are you grateful to for bringing the Scriptures into your life?
• How can you thank them and/or celebrate their influence?
• How do you receive instruction in the Word?
Instruction in “the Word” leads to proper sowing and reaping. A proper understanding of His love for us will result in our love of Him growing more in His likeness. God gives us the resources to make this possible.
• Teachings of Scripture
• The Church
• The Holy Spirit
Paul captures growth through each other, the work of the Spirit, and the work of the Scripture in a basic principle: Sowing and Reaping. Paul emphasizes the relationship of cause and effect in our lives: we are always sowing something and will ultimately reap something. We all get a choice of what type of seed we will scatter in our life and should not be deceived by what the harvest brings. Don’t think anger, jealousy, or discord will lead to love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, and goodness.
• In what ways have you sown and reaped from your sinful nature?
• What did you see in your life as a result?
• Honestly evaluate your life, or ask others to make an assessment: are you sowing by the Spirit, leading to life for you and others?
We must sow forgiveness, not bitterness; grace, not grudges. The harvest does not come the same day we sow the seed. The Bible instructs us to SOW, wait, and HARVEST eventually—when the time is right. The beauty is that God doesn’t give up on us. This is why we need to understand the Gospel. Paul says our greatest temptation, as believers, is that we will get tired and grow weary. It is why Paul says, “And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.”
• What types of seed do you scatter each day?
• Who do you know that is self-deceived, sowing and reaping death?
› What can you do to help them see this pattern?
• How have you sown something for a short time and been disappointed with the results?
• In what ways is our world short-sighted? In what ways have you been short-sighted?
Do good to all - Galatians 6:10 So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith. Paul keeps bringing this back to how we are to love one another in the Church itself.
• How can you be better at doing good to all?
• Who do you tend to avoid doing good to?
• How can we help each other when we grow weary waiting for the good harvest?
While we have sown sin and death in our lives, the only reason why we don’t reap that on a daily basis is Jesus.
• How can you draw closer to Jesus today and allow Him to give you endurance?
• Pray together to not lose heart, to see and celebrate the good harvest, and to sow better seed.
Galatians Reading Plan
For a deeper study of the passages covered this week, download this helpful guide
https://audio.ourelement.org/galatians/notes/2023_galatians_readingPlan_discussions.pdf