eugene h peterson

"Where is the one who led [the Israelites] through the bottom of the sea? They were like fine stallions racing through the desert, never stumbling. As with cattle going down into a peaceful valley, the Spirit of the Lord gave them rest. You led your people, Lord, and gained a magnificent...

Then [the LORD's people] remembered the old days, the days of Moses, God's servant: "Where is he who brought the shepherds of his flock up and out of the sea? And what happened to the One who set his Holy Spirit within them?" —Isaiah 63:11 MESSAGE Key Thought In their rebellion against God...

[God] said, "Without question these are my people, children who would never betray me." So he became their Savior. In all their troubles, he was troubled, too. He didn't send someone else to help them. He did it himself, in person. Out of his own love and pity he redeemed them. He rescued them...

The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners. —Isaiah 61:1 NIV Key Thought God's servants in every...

"As for me," God says, "this is my covenant with [the Israelites]: My Spirit that I've placed upon you and the words that I've given you to speak, they're not going to leave your mouths nor the mouths of your children nor the mouths of your grandchildren. You will keep repeating these words and...

"What sorrow awaits my rebellious children," says the LORD. "You make plans that are contrary to mine. You make alliances not directed by my Spirit, thus piling up your sins." —Isaiah 30:1 NLT Key Thought In the time of Isaiah, God's people were in a very difficult predicament politically and...

[After the return of the people of Judah from Babylon, this is what the LORD said about them,] "They made their hearts as hard as stone, so they could not hear the instructions or the messages that the LORD of Heaven's Armies had sent them by his Spirit through the earlier prophets. That is why...

Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. —Galatians 6:8 NLT Key Thought We have to make a choice. There are only two possibilities: Either...

Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. —Galatians 6:1 NIV Key Thought Spiritual people are those who live under the influence of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:25). They...

Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit's leading in every part of our lives. —Galatians 5:25 NLT Key Thought We are given new life — born again into a new kind of life (John 3:3-7; Titus 3:3-7) in Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit. Since the Spirit is the...

But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! —Galatians 5:22-23 NLT Key Thought We don't have the personal power to produce holiness through our...

For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. —Galatians 5:17-18 NIV Key Thought Our flesh, our...

So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won't be doing what your sinful nature craves. —Galatians 5:16 NLT Key Thought What has the most influence in my life? Who guides my steps? What determines the values by which I live? Whose voice and whose words are most important to...

For through the Spirit we eagerly await by faith the righteousness for which we hope. —Galatians 5:5 NIV Key Thought Waiting is hard. Waiting for something or someone special is incredibly hard. Waiting for our transformation to be like Jesus, full of righteousness and grace, is impossibly...

In the days of Hagar and Sarah, the child who came from faithless connivance (Ishmael) harassed the child who came — empowered by the Spirit — from the faithful promise (Isaac). Isn't it clear that the harassment you are now experiencing from the Jerusalem heretics follows that old pattern...

Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, "Abba, Father." —Galatians 4:6 NIV Key Thought We have been adopted by God — we are children of the One who paints every sunset! To help us celebrate this incredible blessing, God has sent the...

Through Christ Jesus, God has blessed the Gentiles with the same blessing he promised to Abraham, so that we who are believers might receive the promised Holy Spirit through faith. —Galatians 3:14 NLT Key Thought What breaks down the barriers between cultures and nations and races? The...

So again I ask, does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you by the works of the law, or by your believing what you heard? —Galatians 3:5 NIV Key Thought God's Spirit is given to those who believe, and God's power is displayed in those who believe. We don't make the Spirit come to...

How foolish can you be? After starting your Christian lives in the Spirit, why are you now trying to become perfect by your own human effort? —Galatians 3:3 NLT Key Thought Try harder! Be better! Achieve more! Seek perfection! These are all messages that we hear every day in our competitive...

I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard? —Galatians 3:2 NIV Key Thought Most of us love lists. We can check things off our lists and show we've completed our tasks. If we don't complete our list, we feel...