Daily Prep

WEDNESDAY, June 24, 2009 In Galatians 5:7-12, Paul criticizes those

Daily devotional preparation
for next week’s lesson
ExcitingBibleStudy.com Bible Series
Galatians 5:1-15
June 28, 2009
Prepared by David Williams
1601 Belltower Ct., Lewisville, TX 75067 972-221-4255
davidwilliams@ExcitingBibleStudy.com
© 2009 David Williams. Thank you for using Daily Prep. When a church or individual purchases Daily Prep, a
church license is granted. Daily Prep may be freely duplicated for use in the purchaser’s church and in any
small groups or classes sponsored by that church. Permission is granted to share a sample with someone
from another church once, but Daily Prep may not be provided to persons in another church on a regular
basis.
HOW TO USE DAILY PREP: Print Daily Prep onto both sides of your paper, then cut the paper in half to
make two-sided 8 ½ by 5 ½ inch devotional guides. Give one to each student the Sunday before the lesson to
use during daily quiet time. Take to prospects during the week.
MONDAY, June 22, 2009 When the Holy Spirit comes to live in a
person, He changes that person from the inside out. Unchristlike characteristics
and qualities are replaced by new ones that look more like Jesus. We are freed
from our old sinful nature and given a new nature that is pleasing to God.
Although this is a gift from God, this new nature must be accepted by us and
given room to flourish. It is possible to stifle the new nature within us and miss
out on the blessings that God has in store for us.
So, this week, let’s learn more about this “new you” that God wants to
become reality in your life. Then you will know better how to let God have His
way with you.
Read Galatians 5:1-6. This new nature that God has for us is not going to be
realized through works or rituals. It is nothing less than the righteousness of
Christ Jesus which comes through faith.
TUESDAY, June 23, 2009 In yesterday’s reading, the specific issue
that Paul dealt with was circumcision. Some false teachers were trying to get the
Gentile believers in Galatia to summit to circumcision, telling them the ritual was
necessary for salvation. That same issue had been the topic of the Jerusalem
Council. Read Acts 15:5-11. What did Peter say about the necessity of circum-
cision for salvation?
who were trying to get Gentile Christians to undergo circumcision to become
“full” Christians. Paul reminded them that such a ritual has nothing to do with
their relationship to Christ.
Have you ever been “cut off” in traffic? You were moving along freely,
headed toward your destination, in sync with the traffic around you, when
suddenly someone pulled over into your lane, forcing you to brake quickly to
avoid a collision. Paul asked the Galatians, “Who cut you off? You were
moving along at a good pace in your Christian life. Who cut in on you and
stopped your progress?”
Paul had harsh words for the Judaizers who wanted to cut in on Gentile
believers and cut up on them as well. Paul said he wished they would turn their
blades on themselves.
THURSDAY, June 25, 2009 Read Galatians 5:13-15. Paul resisted
the efforts of Jewish Christians to “enslave” Gentile Christians to the old legal
system from which they themselves had been freed by Christ. But he also
warned the Gentiles (and all Christians) that freedom in Christ is not license to
sin. The freedom we experience through Christ should free us to do good things,
such as Loving one another—even when “one another” is not very loveable.
FRIDAY, June 26, 2009 In our zeal to share the love of
Christ with those outside the church, we sometimes forget to love our own
brothers and sisters inside the church. Fellowship—koinonia, that special
relationship Christians have with one another because of Christ—is an important
function of the church. If members of a church cannot love one another with the
love of Jesus, that church is doomed to die. Read Galatians 5:13-15 again.
Which phrase best describes your church: “serve one another in love,” or “biting
and devouring each other”?
SATURDAY, June 27, 2009 You are probably not wrestling with
whether or not you need to be circumcised in order to be saved. But you may be
allowing some other legalistic requirement to steal your freedom in Christ. Even
important spiritual disciplines—such as reading the Bible, praying, tithing,
serving, and witnessing—can become legalistic traps that rob us of our freedom
and our joy in Christ. Read Galatians 5:1 again. Why has Christ set you free?
What, then, must you avoid doing? Write a personal statement in the space
below, telling how this idea relates to your life.
SUNDAY, June 28, 2009 We are free in Christ. Then where do
good works fit it? Read Galatians 5:13 again. Then read Ephesians 2:8-10. We
are not saved by good works, but we are saved for good works.

Wrapping It Up
Paper handcuffs
! Cut copy paper into three long strips. Give each person three strips.
Have them print one word on each strip: Legalism, sin, slavery. (Or,
duplicate and cut apart Item 2, which already has the words printed.)
! Provide cellophane tape. Have each person put a “legalism” strip
around his or her left wrist, a “sin” strip around the right wrist, and a
“slavery” strip looping the other two strips together, forming paper
handcuffs. Put strips on your own wrists.
! Hold up your handcuffed arms.
! Legalism and sin can become a pair of handcuffs that bind us and
keep us from experiencing the freedom and joy of serving God and
others. We need to break out of our handcuffs, our shackles, and use
our freedom in Christ to become all the God intends for us to be. As
Paul said, “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free!”
! Break out of your handcuffs by pulling your arms apart and then pulling
each handcuff off. Members of the class will instinctively join you.
! Call on someone to lead the class in prayer.
Galatians 5:1-15 June 28, 2009 Bible Series Page 4
Teacher’s Toolbox
Getting your class into God's Word
and God's Word into your class
ExcitingBibleStudy.com Bible Series
Galatians 5:1-15
June 28, 2009
Prepared by David Williams
1601 Belltower Ct., Lewisville, TX 75067 972-221-4255
davidwilliams@ExcitingBibleStudy.com
© 2009 David Williams. Thank you for using Teacher’s Toolbox. When a church or individual purchases
Teacher’s Toolbox, a church license is granted. Teacher’s Toolbox may be freely duplicated for use in the
purchaser’s church and in any small groups or classes sponsored by that church. Permission is granted to
share a sample with someone from another church once, but Teacher’s Toolbox may not be provided to
persons in another church on a regular basis.
HOW TO USE TEACHER’S TOOLBOX: Make a four-page folded teacher’s leaflet from the first two sheets
by printing two-sided (or by putting the blank sides together). The other two sheets are for duplicating,
displaying, distributing, or otherwise using as called for in the lesson plan.
Getting Started
Thinking about freedom
! Write the word FREEDOM on the chalkboard.
! When we celebrate our nation’s birthday each 4th of July, we talk a
lot about freedom. The holiday itself is even referred to as Independ-
ence Day. Why is there such an emphasis on freedom associated with
this holiday? Wait for responses.
! What are the freedoms that you hold especially dear as an Ameri-
can? Wait for responses.
! Today we are going to learn about a different kind of freedom,
Christian freedom. There is a freedom that comes through faith in
Christ that transcends all of our individual freedoms we enjoy in this
country. In fact, freedom in Christ can be experienced by people who
live in lands ruled by dictatorial regimes, or by people who are serv-
ing life sentences in prison. In Galatians 5:1 Paul says: “It is for
freedom that Christ has set us free.”
! Lead the class in prayer.
 Exploring God's Word
Lesson outline
! Erase the chalkboard and write
the following outline. Use it to
guide the study.
Lesson Outline
I. Slavery to legalism comes when we
trust our works to save us (5:1-4)
II. Freedom comes through faith in
Christ for salvation (5:5-6)
III. Those who preach legalism create
disobedience and confusion (5:7-12)
IV. Slavery to sin comes when we pre-
sume on God’s grace (5:13a)
V. True freedom is found in obeying
God and serving others (5:13b-15)
Explaining images
! Give each person a pencil and a
copy of the following images, or
word pictures, Paul used to make
clear the truths he taught in this
passage (duplicate Item 1). Have
members work alone or in groups
of two or three to write a sentence
explaining each image. (Some
suggestions are given here in pa-
rentheses.)
Galatians 5:1-15 June 28, 2009
Explaining Images
Write a sentence explaining each image
Paul used. The first two are done for
you as an example.
Stand firm
Someone who is standing firm is
braced to prevent someone or some-
thing from knocking him down.
Yoke of slavery
A yoke is something put on you by
someone else, something you can’t
take off by yourself, something that
impedes your free movement, making
you do what the one who put it on you
wants you to do.
Running a good race
Cut in on you
A little yeast works through the whole
batch of dough
Biting and devouring each other
Bible Series Page 2
Explaining a phrase
! Call attention to the phrase in
Galatians 5:4, “you have fallen
away from grace.”
! Some use this verse to teach
that a Christian can lose his or
her salvation. But that is not
what Paul is saying.
! Have someone read the entire
verse, Galatians 5:4.
! Paul’s point is that those who
taught something more than
faith in Jesus is necessary for sal-
vation were disputing the fact
that God plans to save us by His
grace, as a free gift.
All true believers endure to the
end. We cannot lose our salva-
tion once we trust Jesus to save
us.
Paul was rebuking Christians
who had trusted Jesus as Savior
because they were now listening
to false teachers who told them
God’s grace was not enough.
They had “fallen from grace.”
Paul never questioned their
salvation. He just hated to see
them forget the basic truth that
had brought them to Christ in
the first place.
! Ask members to pair up and tell
one another what “falling from
grace” really means.
Galatians 5:1-15 June 28, 2009
Making It Personal
Thinking beyond circumcision
! You are probably not wres-
tling with whether or not you
need to be circumcised in order
to be saved. But you may be al-
lowing some other legalistic re-
quirement to steal your freedom
in Christ. Even important spiri-
tual disciplines—such as reading
the Bible, praying, tithing, serv-
ing, and witnessing—can become
legalistic traps that rob us of our
freedom and our joy in Christ.
! Have someone read aloud
Galatians 5:1.
! Why has Christ set us free?
(for freedom)
! What, then, must we avoid do-
ing? (letting ourselves be burdened
again by a yoke of slavery)
! In addition to legalism, there is
another type of slavery we must
avoid: slavery to sin.
! Have someone read aloud
Galatians 5:13.
! To what were we called? (free-
dom)
! What, then, must we avoid do-
ing? (using our freedom to in-
dulge the sinful nature)
! What must we do instead?
(serve one another in love)
Bible Series Page 3
 Explaining Images Explaining Images
Write a sentence explaining each image Paul used. The first two Write a sentence explaining each image Paul used. The first two are
are done for you as an example. done for you as an example.

Stand firm Stand firm

Someone who is standing firm is braced to prevent someone or some- Someone who is standing firm is braced to prevent someone or some-
thing from knocking him down. thing from knocking him down.

Yoke of slavery Yoke of slavery

A yoke is something put on you by someone else, something you can’t A yoke is something put on you by someone else, something you can’t
take off by yourself, something that impedes your free movement, making take off by yourself, something that impedes your free movement, making
you do what the one who put it on you wants you to do. you do what the one who put it on you wants you to do.

Running a good race Running a good race

Cut in on you Cut in on you

A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough

Biting and devouring each other Biting and devouring each other

Galatians 5:1-15 June 28, 2009 Bible Series Item 1 Galatians 5:1-15 June 28, 2009 Bible Series Item 1
Galatians 5:1-15 June 28, 2009 Bible Series Item 2