La Gracia Cambia Todo, Enero 18, 2026

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ Buenas dias, Fellowship Español. Good morning, Fellowship Español. What a joy to be able to worship with you today. Es un gran gozo adorar a Dios con ustedes. I'm so thankful for our church family. Estoy tan agradecido por nuestra familia en la iglesia. And the joy that we share in Christ. Y el gozo que compartimos en Jesús, en Jesucristo. Me alegra mucho estar aquí con ustedes esta mañana. I'm very happy to be here with you guys this morning. Estoy muy agradecido por estar con Greciano y por su fidelidad al vivir por la gracia de Dios y para su gloria tanto en sus hogares como en todo el mundo. I am so thankful for this congregation and for your faithfulness to live by God's grace and for his glory at home and across the world. Tengo el privilegio de orar con Alfredo casi todos los jueves y oramos por ustedes. I have the privilege of praying with Alfredo almost every Thursday and we pray for you. Oramos para que Dios les defraude paz, consuelo, valencia y una confianza inquebrantable en Jesucristo mientras atraviesan estos días difíciles de incertidumbre y cambio. We pray for God to give you strength, peace, comfort, courage and an unshakable trust in Jesus Christ

as you navigate these difficult days of uncertainty and change. Oramos para que su esperanza esté puesta complementamente en Jesucristo el autor y consumador de su fe y para que su espíritu los llene cada día de amor, gozo, paz, paciencia, benedidad, bondad, masadumbre y domino propio. We pray for you, we pray that your hope is fully in Jesus Christ the author and perfecter of our faith and that his spirit is filling you each day with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness and self-control. Oramos para que venga el reino de Dios y se haga su voluntad en sus vidas, en sus familias, en este país, en sus países de origen y en el mundo entero. And we pray that God's kingdom will come and his will be done in your life, in your family, in this country, in your home country and in this world. Que Dios hable a nuestros corazones hoy y nos fortalezca con su gracia. May God speak to our hearts today and strengthen us by his grace. And now I'm going to speak in my native tongue. Y ahora voy a hablar en mi lengua materna. If you have ever carried something really heavy for any length of time, you know how hard that can be. Si ustedes alguna vez han tenido que cargar algo que realmente es bien pesado por bastante tiempo, ustedes saben lo difícil que puede llegar a ser. You know how weary that can make you feel. Y sabes cuán cansado te puede hacer sentir eso. You know how discouraging it can be. E incluso sabes que tan frustrante puede llegar a ser. If you have carried a backpack on your shoulders for a very long time, Si has tenido la oportunidad de cargar una mochila sobre tus hombros por bastante tiempo,

you know how refreshing it is when someone else lifts that load off your back. Ah, tú sabes lo bien que se siente cuando viene alguien y te quita la mochila y te, ah, te sientes mejor. The relief you feel, la libertad que sientes, the freedom you feel is amazing. El alivio que sientes es fantástico. I am encouraged today by the passage of Scripture that we are going to read and study. Y particularmente me siento... We will see the beauty and the joy of how the grace of God lightens our load. How the grace of God can carry the burdens that we bear in this life. How walking by the Spirit of God can transform our life and the relationships we have with others. One of the most practical truths of walking by the Spirit is the love that grows in our families, in our friendships, and in our church family. We've been in this series called Grace Changes Everything. And so I want to continue with you in Galatians chapter 5 verse 26. Reading through chapter 6 verse 5. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another. Brothers if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself lest you too be tempted. Bear one another's burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But let each one test his own work and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor. For each will have to bear his own load. I believe that God wants to encourage our hearts today, to challenge our hearts today, to strengthen our hearts today. Every one of us carries burdens. Every one of us feels that weight in our lives.

And God wants to encourage us through His Word today. Last week we talked about walking by the Spirit. We talked about the fruit of the Spirit, being led by the Spirit, keeping in step with the Spirit. And so we continue that thought this week. And you see in your bulletin notes this morning, walking by the Spirit means walking away from conceit. The verses we just read command us not to become conceited or prideful. And this is a very difficult challenge for many of us. Actually it's very difficult for all of us. Because at the root of every sin that you and I commit is pride and arrogance. You and I sin because we are prideful people. Instead of being full of the Holy Spirit, we find ourselves being full of us. Full of our selfish desires. Full of our agendas and what we want. But the scriptures teach us that if we are filled with the Holy Spirit, if we are truly walking by the Spirit, then we must walk away from conceit. By the power of the Spirit working within us, we should do nothing out of conceit and pride. Pride destroys us. It damages the relationships in our lives. I want you to listen to this poem by Beth Moore. She wrote this poem as if pride were the one speaking to us. My name is pride. I am a cheater. I cheat you of your God-given destiny because you demand your own way. I cheat you of contentment because you deserve better than this. I cheat you of knowledge because you already know it all. I cheat you of healing because you're too full of me to forgive. I cheat you of holiness because you refuse to admit when you're wrong.

I cheat you of genuine friendship because no one is going to know the real you. I cheat you of real love because real romance demands sacrifice. I cheat you of greatness of heaven because you refuse to wash others' feet on earth. I cheat you of God's glory because I convince you to seek your own. My name is pride. I am a cheater. And you like me because you think I'm always looking out for you. Untrue. I'm looking to make a fool of you. God has so much planned for you, I admit. But don't worry. If you stick with me, you'll never know. Pride destroys our lives. And the Apostle Paul says that we need to walk away from conceit. The Apostle Paul also says in Philippians chapter two, do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Do nothing. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit. He goes on to say, let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. And have this mind among yourselves which is yours in Christ Jesus. This conceit and pride, it reveals itself in two ways. Provoking one another and envying one another. Provoking happens when you are taking pride in your good deeds. And you look down on others for what they are not doing. Y ves por encima del hombro a los demás por lo que no están haciendo. You make yourself superior to others. Tú te haces sentir a ti mismo superior a los demás. You become combative because you're starting to see yourself as better than those around you. Y te vuelves combativo porque empiezas a ver a los demás, te empiezas a ver a ti mismo

como superior, mejor que los demás que están alrededor de ti. Legalism breeds pride. El legalismo trae consigo orgullo. Hear this story from Luke chapter 18. Escucha esta historia que tomamos de Lucas capítulo 18. Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. Dos hombres subieron al templo a orar un día. Uno era un fariseo y el otro era un recaudador de impuestos. The Pharisee standing by himself prayed thus, God I thank you that I'm not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. El fariseo puesto en pie oraba para sí de esta manera, Dios te doy gracias porque no soy como los demás hombres, estafadores, injustos, adúlteros, ni aún como este recaudador de impuestos. I fast twice a week, I give tithes of all that I get. Yo ayuno dos veces por semana, doy el diezmo de todo lo que gano. But the tax collector standing far off would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but he beat his breast saying, God be merciful to me, a sinner. Pero el recaudador de impuestos de pie y a cierta distancia no quería ni siquiera alzar los ojos al cielo, sino que se golpeaba el pecho diciendo, Dios ten piedad de mí, pecador. I tell you this man went down to his house justified rather than the other. Les digo que este descendió a su casa justificado, pero aquel no. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted. Porque todo el que se ensalza será humillado, pero el que se humilla será ensalzado. Are you provoking others? ¿Estás tú provocando a otros? Are you being combative with others because of the pride in your life? ¿Eres combativo con otros debido al orgullo que hay en tu vida? Are you comparing yourself to others in unhealthy, unbiblical ways? ¿Te la pasas comparándote con otros en una manera que no es sana, que no es bíblica? Do you think of yourself as more superior than others?

¿Te sientes como que tú eres superior a los demás? The other side of conceit and pride is focusing on yourself. La otra cara de la moneda del orgullo y de la vanidad es enfocarte en ti mismo. Focusing on what you don't have. Enfocarte en lo que no tienes. And it leads you to envy what others have. Y eso te lleva a la envidia, a envidiar lo que otros tienen. Instead of feeling superior to others, Entonces, en vez de sentirte superior a otros, you actually feel inferior to others. Te sientes inferior a otros. Why can't my life be easier like their life? ¿Por qué mi vida no puede ser más fácil como la de ellos? Why can't I have certain things like they have? ¿Por qué no puedo tener yo ciertas cosas como las que tienen ellos? Envy is the great thief of joy. La envidia es el gran ladrón del gozo. Envy leaves you feeling empty and takes you deeper into despair. La envidia te roba del gozo y te hace sentir sin esperanza. So whether you think you are better than others, Entonces, ya sea que tú piensas que eres mejor que otros, or if you think you're less than others, o si piensas que eres menos que otros, the root cause in both cases is pride and conceit. La raíz de ambas cosas es el orgullo y la vanidad. And walking by the Spirit. Caminar por el Espíritu. And living by grace. Y vivir en la gracia. Keeps us from this danger.

Nos guardan de este peligro. Because grace does not provoke or envy. Porque la gracia no anda provocando ni anda envidiando. The grace of God frees us from conceit. La gracia de Dios nos libera de la vanidad. The grace of God reminds us that we are loved deeply by God. La gracia de Dios nos recuerda que somos amados profundamente por Dios. And that we are free to love others in the same way. Y que somos libres para amar a otros de la misma manera. Romans 12.3 says this. Romanos 3.12.3 dice así. For by the grace given to me, I say to everyone among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. Porque en virtud de la gracia que me ha sido dada, digo a cada uno de vosotros. Que no piense más alto de sí que lo que debe pensar, sino que piense con buen juicio, según la medida de fe que Dios ha distribuido a cada uno. And in James chapter three. Y en Santiago capítulo tres. He says, who is wise in understanding among you. By his good conduct, let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. Dice, quien es sabio y entendido entre vosotros, que muestre por su buena conducta sus obras en mansedumbre de sabiduría. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts,

do not boast and be false to the truth. Pero si tenéis celos amargos y ambición personal en vuestro corazón, no seáis arrogantes, sorry, no seáis arrogantes y asimintáis contra la verdad. This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, and demonic. Esta sabiduría no es la que viene de lo alto, sino que es terrenal, natural, diabólica. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder in every vile practice. Porque donde hay celos y ambición personal, allí hay confusión y toda cosa mala. Grace does not provoke or envy. En la gracia no nos provocamos o nos envidiamos. Second thing is this, walking by the spirit means bearing one another's burdens with gentleness and humility. Lo segundo es esto, caminar en el espíritu significa llevar las cargas los unos de los otros con mansedumbre y humildad. So walking by the spirit means we walk away from conceit. Entonces caminar por el espíritu significa que nos alejamos de la vanidad. And we walk towards other believers. Y caminamos más bien hacia los demás creyentes. To help them bear their burdens para ayudarles a llevar sus cargas with gentleness and humility. Con mansedumbre y humildad.

This is the only way we can truly help one another. Y esta es la única forma en la que realmente podemos ayudarnos los unos a los otros. Is with gentleness and humility. Es con mansedumbre y con humildad. Because all of us need help. Porque todos nosotros necesitamos ayuda. And gentleness comes from knowing that we ourselves are weak. Y la mansedumbre viene de darnos cuenta que nosotros mismos somos débiles. We are just as likely to sin as someone else is. Nosotros también estamos tan listos para pecar como puede estar cualquier otra persona. And humility is not thinking less of ourselves. Ahora la humildad no es pensar menos de nosotros mismos. But it's actually thinking of ourselves less. Sino pensar menos en nosotros mismos. This attitude which was in Christ Esta actitud que pertenece a Cristo is what allows us to help carry the burdens of those around us. Es lo que nos ayuda, lo que nos permite llevar las cargas de los demás alrededor de nosotros. If we are not gentle or humble Si nosotros no somos mansos o humildes it will be impossible to live out this command of bearing one another's burdens. Nos va a ser imposible cumplir este mandamiento de llevar las cargas de los demás.

A true believer in Jesus Christ generally wants to help other believers. Un creyente, un verdadero creyente en Jesucristo quiere ayudar a otros creyentes. Wants to help them carry their burdens. Quiere ayudarles a llevar sus cargas. Think of some of the burdens people you know are carrying right now. Piensa en las cargas que algunas de las personas que ustedes conocen están llevando en este momento. It may be financial burdens. Puede que sean cargas financieras. It may be a fear of the future. Puede que sea algo relacionado con temor al futuro. It may be a marriage crisis. O puede ser que tengan que ver con una crisis en el matrimonio. It may be a parenting challenge. O puede ser un reto como padres. It may be a health crisis. O puede ser una crisis de salud. It may be loneliness. O puede ser soledad. It may be discouragement. O puede ser desesperanza, desánimo. We need to take the focus off of ourselves. Necesitamos dejar de mirarnos a nosotros mismos. And consider the needs around us. Y empezar a ver las necesidades a nuestro alrededor. If we are filled with the Spirit,

He will lead us to help others. Si nosotros estamos llenos del Espíritu, eso nos va a llevar hacia los demás, ayudar a los demás. And I know this church family. Y yo sé que esta familia, la familia de esta iglesia. This Español family. Esta familia Español. You are good at helping others carry their burdens. Yo sé que ustedes son buenos en esto de llevar las cargas de otras personas. I have watched Pastor Alfredo. Yo he visto al Pastor Alfredo. I have watched Jonas. He visto a Jonas. I've watched Dave Kela. He visto a Dave Kela. I've watched others in this congregation. Y he visto a otros en esta congregación. Come alongside one another. love one another, serve one another, help one another is a beautiful congregation. And we want to be the kind of church, the kind of people who help carry burdens. And as much as we need to seek to help others with the load they're carrying, when Paul says to bear one another's burdens in this passage, he is using a specific example of restoring someone who's been caught in sin. So, he's not just talking about helping your neighbor out with a problem. He's speaking specifically to believers in Jesus Christ, to believers who are mature in their faith, who are humble in their faith, and who are willing to step into a relationship and bear the burden of someone's sin. And we do this not in a self-righteous way, or in a harsh or judgmental way. We want to do this with grace. Grace doesn't wink at sin, it walks with someone caught in sin. One of the greatest burdens that someone bears is the burden of sin. Sin deceives. Sin destroys. Sin disrupts. Sin over promises and it under delivers. And sin affects

our relationship with God and with others. Grace is on display the best when we are working through a sin struggle with someone. Now, grace is sometimes misunderstood. People abuse grace when they choose to live in sin. And they think that it does not matter to God because he will give grace. Sometimes people think grace allows you to live however you want to live. With no consequences because God will give you grace. This is not biblical grace. God is not like an elderly grandfather who sees you doing wrong and then gently pats you on the head as if what you've done is no big deal. God does not wink at our sin. This is not a game. Sin is serious and it must be dealt with. Thankfully grace is serious too. And it is God's grace that helps a spiritually mature person to come alongside the brother or sister caught in sin and to help restore them in faith. Grace isn't passively ignoring sin in people's lives. Grace steps in and loves people. Because ignoring someone wrecking their lives in sin isn't loving. If you see someone hurting themselves, you want to help them. Bearing one another's burdens is walking through and helping someone go to war with a certain sin struggle. It's a sacrificial act of taking on part of the burden of that with someone else. Not just telling them what to do, but actually walking through it with them. And we depend on the power of the Holy Spirit to help us. And we depend on the power of the Holy Spirit to help us. And it may be that you know of someone who has fallen in sin. It may be that you have a relationship with a brother or sister in Christ who has fallen in sin. Now, I want to be very clear. We all sin. Yes? But sometimes sin takes a hold of our lives. In a very powerful way. And if you have a brother or sister in Christ that you are in a relationship with, that you share spiritual community with, and you see them struggling with this sin, and you don't say anything,

you don't do anything, you don't help in any way, you are not loving that person. You are not showing grace to that person. That's what this passage is talking about. Because grace aims to restore. To restore means to put back on the right path. La restauración significa regresar al camino correcto. To put something back in order. This is a medical term in Greek. That is used to set a bone in place after it's been broken. It's the same word that was used of Jesus' disciples when they were out fishing, and they had big nets, and the nets were broken, there were holes in the nets, and they repaired the nets. They restored the nets. Grace aims to restore. And to restore in gentleness requires relationship. This is not about you helping other people you don't know with their sin struggles. This is not you on social media helping other people you don't know. God doesn't need you to help fix problems for people you don't know. In fact, we don't really fix anyone's problems. This is God's responsibility. But by grace, He calls us to walk alongside people. He calls us to walk alongside people who are struggling with sin. que están batallando con el pecado.

In the scriptures, we are called to practice the one another's. En la palabra de Dios, se nos exhorta, se nos llama a practicar esos mandamientos que son unos a otros. To love one another. Amarse unos a otros. To serve one another. Servirse unos a otros. Pray for one another. El orar unos por otros. Show hospitality to one another. El mostrar hospitalidad unos a otros. Forgive one another. Perdonarse unos a otros. To bear one another's burdens. Llevar las cargas los unos de los otros. Relationship is very important when it comes to helping restore a brother. La relación es muy importante a la hora de venir y a la hora de restaurar a un hermano o una hermana en Cristo. In Matthew chapter 18. En Mateo 18. If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. Y si tu hermano peca, ve y repréndelo a solas. Si te escucha, has ganado a tu hermano. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you that every charge may be established

by the evidence of two or three witnesses. Pero si no te escucha, lleva contigo a uno o a dos más para que toda palabra sea confirmada por boca de dos o tres testigos. If he refuses to listen to them, then tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. Y si rehusa a escucharlos, dilo a la iglesia. Y si también rehúsa escuchar a la iglesia, sea para ti como el Gentil y el recaudador de impuestos. When we aim to restore someone, it does take time. Cuando buscamos restaurar a una persona. And we need to be gracious and loving in the process. Eso toma tiempo y requiere que tengamos gracia y amor durante todo el proceso. In the brief time we have left, let me just share a couple of practical things. En el poco tiempo que nos queda, quisiera compartirles a ustedes un par de cosas prácticas. How do we restore someone in gentleness? ¿Cómo podemos restaurar a otra persona en mansedumbre? We need to be aware of our own brokenness and avoid pride. Necesitamos estar conscientes de nuestra propia, del hecho de que estamos quebrados nosotros también y de nuestro propio orgullo. We need to be patient enough to listen and speak the truth with love. Y necesitamos ser pacientes lo suficiente como para poder escuchar y hablar la verdad en amor.

We need to be loving enough to focus on their healing and not our frustration. Necesitamos amar para poder enfocarnos en la sanidad y no en nuestra frustración. We need to be grace-filled enough to point them to God's forgiveness and hope. Necesitamos estar suficientemente llenos de la gracia de Dios para apuntar hacia el perdón de Dios. And if you're the person being restored. Y si tú eres la persona que está siendo restaurada. It's important for you to embrace people who are loving you enough to bear this burden with you. Es importante que tú abraces a esa gente que te aman lo suficiente como para caminar contigo en este proceso. And be humble enough to accept the help in a thankful way. Y necesitas ser humilde, lo suficientemente humilde como para aceptar la ayuda. If you're the one needing restoration. Si eres tú el que necesita la restauración. Be humble enough to resist defensiveness. Ser lo suficientemente humilde como para resistir la actitud defensiva. Be willing to receive correction as a gift of God's grace. Está dispuesto a recibir corrección como parte del proceso de la gracia de Dios. Be honest enough to acknowledge your sin and turn from it. Y ser lo suficientemente honesto

como para admitir tu pecado y darle la espalda al pecado. Instead of defending it or excusing it. En vez de defenderlo y excusarlo. Be dependent on the Holy Spirit to help you grow and change. Depende del Espíritu Santo de Dios para ayudarte a crecer y ayudarte a cambiar. John Stott said it this way. John Stott lo dijo de esta manera. If a man is my brother, then I am his keeper. Si yo, si una persona, si otra persona es mi hermano o mi hermana y yo soy aquel que le cuida. I am to care for him in love. Yo he de cuidarle en amor. To be concerned for his welfare. Si yo he de estar preocupado por su bienestar. I am neither to assert my imagined superiority over him and provoke him. Yo no he de proyectar mi imagen sobre él y provocarle. Nor resent his superiority over me and envy him. Y tampoco debo estar pensando que es superior a mí y envidiarlo. I am to love him and serve him. Yo he de amarle y de servirle. If he is heavy laden, I am to bear his burdens. Y si él está llevando una carga pesada, ayudarle a llevar la carga. If he falls into sin, I am to restore him gently.

Y si cae en pecado, es ayudarle a restaurarse con mansedumbre. It is this practical Christian living. This brotherly care and service that walking by the Spirit will lead us to do. The last point I would make in my notes, grace crushes comparison with others and it conforms us to Christ. We need to keep watch over ourselves lest we be tempted. We need to beware of thinking that we are something when in fact we are nothing. Grace brings such satisfaction to our hearts that we are free to love others instead of comparing ourselves to others. The Scriptures encourage us to cast all of our anxieties on Christ. It says in 1 Peter 5, 7, cast all your anxieties on Him because He cares for you. Christ is the ultimate burden bearer. He cares for us. Paul closes this passage out with a statement that each person must bear his own load. This seems to be the opposite of what he has just said. He tells us to help bear other people's burdens and then he tells us to bear our own load. So which one is it? Do we have to bear our own load or will someone help us carry it? When it says we must bear our own load, the reference is to our final judgment before God. There is a time when we stand before God guilty because of our sin. Each one of us will stand before God. We will give an account of our life and our sin. In that moment, no family or friend can bear the burden of your sin that separates you from God. Only you carry that burden. But praise God for the cross. Thank you Jesus that you are the great burden bearer. The one who took our sin and shame and died in our place for our sins so that we might receive forgiveness and salvation through faith in Christ. Jesus willingly carried your burden of sin to the cross and bore that burden so you could

have eternal life in Christ. This morning we are going to celebrate communion. We are going to remember the sacrifice that Jesus made. We always invite anyone who is believing and trusting in Christ to celebrate communion with us. If you are not a believer in Jesus Christ, we are very glad that you are here today. But really communion is for those who believe and trust in Christ. And we encourage you to consider your relationship with God. Here is what it says in 1 Peter 2.24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree that we might die to sin and live to righteousness by his wounds you have been healed. Have you trusted in Jesus to save you from your sins? Because only he can do that. This morning, if you would like to trust in Christ please come talk with us after the service. We would love to have that conversation with you. If you are a believer are you walking by the Spirit? Are you walking away from conceit? Are you bearing the burden with someone you know and love? Are you the one caught in sin and in need of restoration? Let's pray that God will give us the grace to walk by the Spirit and the grace to repent of our sins and the faith to keep following Jesus. Amen.