Stewartstown Alliance Church Message Podcast

May 3, 2026 8:30 AM - Freedom (From the Series) Free to be Formed

Galatians 4:21-5:1 As followers of Jesus, we have been set free. We must stand firm in our freedom and not return again to slavery under the law.

Galatians 4:1-20 Every heart longs to belong. Through Christ, the Father brings us out of slavery into sonship.

Galatians 3:23-29 God gave the law to us as a guardian to point us to the one who can give us fullness of life. Through Christ the walls that divide us are torn down and we are united in Him.

Matthew 28:1-10 Encountering the risen Christ transforms our deepest fears into great joy.

Galatians 3:10-22 There is no other pathway to abundant life. No amount of religious work brings us into the family of God. The work has been done by Jesus.

Galatians 3:1-9 Righteousness has always come by faith and is expressed through our obedience to the Spirit, who forms us to live out our identity as the blessed children of God.

Galatians 2:11-21 The confrontation between Paul and Peter leads us to our own confrontation–how will we respond to the call to die with Christ and allow His life to be lived through us?

Galatians 2:1-10 The gospel reveals real freedom and must be communicated without compromise.

Galatians 1:10-24 Paul recounts his story of encountering and being transformed by the love of Jesus. For all who are in Christ, we have a parallel story. The love of Jesus doesn't come to us because we've earned it or because we are so rebellious and evil. Rather, God loves us and transforms us into people of love because He Himself is Love.

Jesus + Nothing = Everything Galatians 1:1-9 Paul begins his letter emphasizing two key ideas: his apostleship and even more importantly, the gospel of Jesus. The gospel is not a new religious formula or a system for salvation. Rather, the gospel is good news that dramatically changes the world.

Called to Active Love (From the Series) Vision Luke 10:25-37 Through the Parable of the Good Samaritan we’ll explore how the love we’re called to show the world requires risk, being uncomfortable, and often challenges our sense of what’s right and expected of us. Then through the passage of Jesus walking on water, we’ll be reminded that when we’re in challenging places and it’s hard to do what we’re called to, Jesus helps us overcome our fear and allows us to walk in the hard places in order that he may be glorified.

A Family for All People Galatians 3:23-29 Central Thought: Through faith in Christ Jesus, we are adopted into the family of God. This transforms us—giving us a place to grow, shaping our new identity, and grounding us in God’s promises. As God’s children, we are blessed not only for our own sake, but so we can be a blessing to the world.

Transformational Love of Jesus (From the Series) Vision Romans 12:1-2 While we have the role of pursuing Jesus, it’s His mercy that transforms us

Those who experience the forgiveness of God will choose to engage intentional spiritual formation and increasingly become like Jesus and do what He did, receiving entrance into His eternal Kingdom.

Waiting for the Unseen Hope (From the Series) Witnesses Luke 2:22-35 We often find ourselves in a season of longing for something that we don’t yet have. We are called to wait well as we live in the Kingdom focused on the hope that is already but also not yet.

Waiting Well (From the Series) Witnesses Luke 2:36-38 The story of Anna provides an example of what it means to wait for the hope that has been promised. Her example in response to the first coming of Jesus gives us a pattern as we wait for His second coming.

The First Witnesses (From the Series) Witnesses Luke 2:1-20 "How silently, how silently the wondrous gift is given." Except for two notable exceptions: the shepherds and the magi received a personal invitation to the party, reminding us that there are many ways to receive the good news, as long as we are willing to receive a King and not seek to be king ourselves.

Prayer invites us to connect our hearts with the Creator of the universe. By recognizing our need and His ability, we step into the Advent story. Prayer connects us to the One who has come and will come again.

The gifts of solitude and silence come in many forms. When we are quiet enough to truly meet with God, we find His presence is essential to our pilgrimmage. While we can often approach God with a hope to understand more about ourselves, He instead meets us with a declaration of who He is. As we experience the character of God, we find He is enough.

Pastor Mike Carletti The model of Jesus is a rhythm of retreat and return. Solitude and silence balanced with healthy community and engagement with the world around us positions us to hear from and be filled up by Jesus and to make an eternal impact.

If we are going to become like Jesus, it will require us to change. For that to happen, we need to understand holistically how change happens, and then be intentional about our formation journey.

We know we are supposed to be disciples and make disciples. However, for many of us, the concept of discipleship is a bit fuzzy. Only when we understand what it truly means to be a disciple are we able to get there.

Apprenticing after Jesus is a choice that many of us didn’t even realize was in front of us. Without an intentional decision to become like Jesus, we will never get there.

Galatians 5:16-25 The call to follow Jesus didn’t stop with the first disciples. The fruit of the Spirit comes through staying in step with the Spirit.