Our aim is to love God, to grow in Him, and to share Him with others. We pursue Him in these ways through the faithful, expository, gospel-centered preaching of His Word. Listen in to these messages each week and experience the life changing power of God’s Word with us.
If you asked anyone, "What do you worship?" they'd probably give you one of two answers: "God (or a divine being)" or "nothing." Most people don't realize our lives are full of worship. While we may not physically bow down, our choices show our worship. When I do something for myself, I am bowing to myself in worship. Instead, Psalm 95 invites us to worship the Lord as King, Maker, and Shepherd.
Notice how often revenge is a theme of movies and books through the years! We rarely see true justice served and so we want to take matters into our own hands. But Psalm 94 reminds us to turn to the King of the Universe. Vengeance belongs to Him, and we trust Him. When the anxieties caused by injustice multiply within us, only the comfort of the Lord's perfect nature can delight our souls.
This world is full of power struggles. Whether it's nations on the global scale, or siblings in the home, we encounter the battle for control. Psalm 93 stops the striving by turning our attention to the Lord and reminding us that He reigns. Period. He is the King of the Universe. No power can compete with Him. From eternity past, and for eternity future, the Lord reigns.
As we face trials and suffering in this life, it can be tempting to despair when we cannot see an end or turn to what the world claims will bring comfort. In 2 Corinthians 1:3-7, we will learn to praise the God of all Comfort not just in spite of suffering, but because of how He works through it.
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Many things cry out for our attention and affection. Facebook wants us to continue scrolling. Lust tells us to take one more look. Greed tells us we need more. Wisdom calls us to listen and avoid every trap. How do we avoid the sinful traps of life? In this Proverbs section, Solomon tells his son how to walk the path of wisdom. It's the only path that leads to goodness, righteousness, and life.
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Everyone loves the idea of wisdom, but few of us pour energy into seeking wisdom because, if we are honest with ourselves, we see ourselves as relatively wise. But wisdom is not found in comparing ourselves with others. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. From there, we realize how much we need to grow.
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What is freedom? We often follow our hearts to find our destiny. This sounds nice initially because we get what we want, but we miss that this is slavery. Living under this belief, we enslave ourselves to the power of our desires. But thankfully, Jesus died and rose again so that God could declare us righteous in Jesus. We now can live Jesus' righteousness in our bodies to the glory of God.
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What should I do with my life? We struggle to determine the best way to use our time and resources. What if the King of the Universe gave you an important mission? That's exactly what happens. The risen King gathers His followers, reminds them of His authority, and commissions them to recruit more followers. If we consider ourselves followers of Jesus, we must devote ourselves to His mission.
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Is it really over? Jesus said and done amazing things in His life. But He has been crucified. Friday night, Saturday, and Sunday morning had to be some of the longest, darkest hours for the disciples. The Chief Priests had won. Jesus was dead, it's all over. But when some women came to the tomb - merely to care for Jesus' dead body - they discovered it was empty. Jesus is alive, just as He said.
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Jesus makes it clear He's the Son of God, the King, but people's unbelief denied it. They taunted, mocked, beat, and crucified Him, expecting a display of power to prove His identity. But He's a better King than we deserve. Rather than conquering His mockers, He died to provide their salvation. In His death, people doubted His identity, but God revealed that He truly is the King, the Son of God.
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We are all gripped by a good rescue story - like when God rescued Israel from slavery in Egypt. That rescue story points to the greatest rescue story of all. We consider the "Last Supper" before Jesus went to the cross. As Jesus keeps the Passover, remembering God's rescue of Israel, He teaches that His blood provides forgiveness and a future. King Jesus saves in the greatest rescue story of all.
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Who is Jesus? This may be the most controversial question in history. Answering that question makes an eternal difference. It's the question crowds asked after Jesus entered Jerusalem on a donkey, accompanied by fanfare fit for a king. The city was in a commotion, and everyone wanted to know - "Who is this?" He's the promised King. The people of Jerusalem failed to respond to Him the correct way.
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"To God be the Glory." Many Christians know these words and would quickly agree with these words. "Yes, I want to glorify God." But we fail to live that way. As Paul closes this rich letter about the gospel, He gives glory to God for the gospel. These closing verses remind us why it is so important that our lives - saved and shaped by the gospel - point all attention and praise to God, forever!
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"Say hello to Paul for me!" We send greetings like this through others to express love and to maintain a relationship. This is exactly what Paul does at the end of his letter to the Romans. But Paul's list of greetings teaches us more than polite conversation. There's a strong sense of partnership and a deep bond of love. He warns them of those who would cause division and subvert sound doctrine.
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We tell ourselves we are committed to loving them because Jesus tells us to, but we excuse ourselves for not enjoying or caring for them. But in Paul's closing comments in Romans, we see the gospel transform believers' relationships. Paul cares deeply for these believers, whom he's never met! Love for Jesus and the transformation of the gospel grows us supernaturally to love other believers.
We ask questions to catch up with friends. We want to know what they're excited about. As Paul begins to close the book of Romans, he returns to "conversational" matters. But when Paul shares what he's excited about, it all revolves around what Jesus is doing through the spread of the gospel. This is Paul's passion, and it's clear that he believes it should be every Christian's passion too.
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"Church would be great if it weren't for the people!" Hopefully, you can laugh at a cynical comment like this, but it may be the way you've felt before. While a church family can be a blessing, it can be a source of strife. Because we are all works-in-progress, we have rough edges that can hurt others. How can we find unity in the body of Christ? The gospel of Jesus Christ teaches the best way.
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Our culture's attitude of entitlement can creep into the church. We often defend our rights rather than loving our brothers and sisters. But if Jesus used His liberty to lay down His life for us, then we can use our liberty to lay aside our preferences for the good of a brother or sister. Rather than defending our "rights," we pursue righteousness, peace, and joy.
Bienvenido! Willkommen! Bem-vindo! Every language has its way of welcoming someone. The word communicates a warm reception and acceptance of the newcomer into the group. In Romans 14, we are told to "welcome" our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ - despite differences of opinion - because God welcomed us. We are to welcome one another without quarreling over disputed issues.
Romans 13:8-14 serves as an alarm calling us to action. We are reminded to love one another and to walk in the light because the "day is at hand." The gospel compels us to walk in the love and light of the Lord Jesus. Listen to hear how we can wake up and live like Jesus.
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We don't like to be told what to do at a young age. We don't like authority. It's complicated when authorities don't share our values or beliefs about God. How can the Christian, a citizen of Heaven, relate to human government? The principle in Romans is clear: "Let every soul be subject to governing authorities." We learn when to submit to authorities when we accurately understand why we submit.
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