Podcasts about series: romans

Back when I was in high school, I had a pastor who was also the FCA leader for a few schools in the Tulsa area. This pastor began to meet with me and several of my buddies. He would gather us occasionally at Pizza Hut or Mazzio’s. He bought us pizza and poured into us, and then he challenged us to invite some of our friends who didn’t know Christ. He would share the gospel and then he would have us share the gospel. It was discipleship. I didn’t know what discipleship was, but that is what we were doing. In those meetings and in sharing the gospel and pouring into friends, I discovered an incredible joy. I knew the joy of knowing Christ personally, but I did not know that I got to participate in sharing Christ with others. Sure, I had heard sermons about evangelism, but I had never experienced it for myself. The great joy of being a Christian is not only in receiving Christ but also in helping others come to know Him. It is what we call the priesthood of the believer, and Paul talks about this in the latter portion of Romans 15. Paul’s master passion was not just found in knowing Christ but in sharing Christ. Paul never got over this. He never lost a sense of awe and wonder at the grace of God that saved him and invited him into a mission and a purpose that was bigger than he was. I pray that you will join us as we gather to worship this weekend. I pray that you would come with an open heart to receive from Christ’s Word and a heart to give and serve others. We all need Christ, and we all need each other. I hope to see you this weekend. In Christ, Pastor Chad McDonald

Back when I was in high school, I had a pastor who was also the FCA leader for a few schools in the Tulsa area. This pastor began to meet with me and several of my buddies. He would gather us occasionally at Pizza Hut or Mazzio’s. He bought us pizza and poured into us, and then he challenged us to invite some of our friends who didn’t know Christ. He would share the gospel and then he would have us share the gospel. It was discipleship. I didn’t know what discipleship was, but that is what we were doing. In those meetings and in sharing the gospel and pouring into friends, I discovered an incredible joy. I knew the joy of knowing Christ personally, but I did not know that I got to participate in sharing Christ with others. Sure, I had heard sermons about evangelism, but I had never experienced it for myself. The great joy of being a Christian is not only in receiving Christ but also in helping others come to know Him. It is what we call the priesthood of the believer, and Paul talks about this in the latter portion of Romans 15. Paul’s master passion was not just found in knowing Christ but in sharing Christ. Paul never got over this. He never lost a sense of awe and wonder at the grace of God that saved him and invited him into a mission and a purpose that was bigger than he was. I pray that you will join us as we gather to worship this weekend. I pray that you would come with an open heart to receive from Christ’s Word and a heart to give and serve others. We all need Christ, and we all need each other. I hope to see you this weekend. In Christ, Pastor Chad McDonald

Romans

Romans

Romans

Romans

Romans

Romans

Romans

Romans

Series: Romans. Righteousness for the Unrighteous.Text: Romans 1:1-7 (v1-4)Date: Sep 14, 2025Speaker: David BartosikBig Idea: In these verses of Romans, Paul introduces himself to a church he hasn't met and grounds his authority not in his own resume, but in the God who called him; this isn't “Paul's gospel” but the Gospel of God..Getting to know Paul.Getting to know the Gospel of God.Living like the Gospel of God is true.Youtube LinkSermon Notes

Back in 1918, a boy named Howard Loomis was abandoned by his mother at Father Flanagan’s Home for Boys, which had opened just a year earlier. Howard had polio and wore heavy leg braces. Walking was difficult for him, especially when he had to go up and down steps. Soon, several of the Home’s older boys were carrying Howard up and down the stairs. One day, Father Flanagan asked Rueben Granger, one of those older boys, if carrying Howard was hard. Rueben replied, “He ain’t heavy, Father…he’s my brother.” In Romans 15, Paul continues to encourage the Roman church to “bear the weakness of those without strength.” He puts the burden on the strong to welcome, show grace and even carry their brothers and sisters in Christ who are continuing to grow in their faith. That’s not the world’s way. In the world might makes right. The mighty and strong bully people into their position. But not in the church. We bear one another’s burdens. We don’t just put up with our brother; if needed we carry him. We willingly lay down our rights and responsibilities to serve the body. And the burdens we carry and the sacrifices we make are always light as we remember, “He’s not heavy, he is my brother.” I look forward to seeing you this weekend as we continue and near the end of our study in Romans. This weekend we will also participate in the ordinance of communion and remember the sacrifice of our Savior, Jesus Christ. I pray you will make the decision today to join us for one of our many weekend worship opportunities. In Christ, Pastor Chad McDonald

Back in 1918, a boy named Howard Loomis was abandoned by his mother at Father Flanagan’s Home for Boys, which had opened just a year earlier. Howard had polio and wore heavy leg braces. Walking was difficult for him, especially when he had to go up and down steps. Soon, several of the Home’s older boys were carrying Howard up and down the stairs. One day, Father Flanagan asked Rueben Granger, one of those older boys, if carrying Howard was hard. Rueben replied, “He ain’t heavy, Father…he’s my brother.” In Romans 15, Paul continues to encourage the Roman church to “bear the weakness of those without strength.” He puts the burden on the strong to welcome, show grace and even carry their brothers and sisters in Christ who are continuing to grow in their faith. That’s not the world’s way. In the world might makes right. The mighty and strong bully people into their position. But not in the church. We bear one another’s burdens. We don’t just put up with our brother; if needed we carry him. We willingly lay down our rights and responsibilities to serve the body. And the burdens we carry and the sacrifices we make are always light as we remember, “He’s not heavy, he is my brother.” I look forward to seeing you this weekend as we continue and near the end of our study in Romans. This weekend we will also participate in the ordinance of communion and remember the sacrifice of our Savior, Jesus Christ. I pray you will make the decision today to join us for one of our many weekend worship opportunities. In Christ, Pastor Chad McDonald

Romans

Romans

Romans

Romans

If you ask most couples how they fell in love, you will often find that the two of them moved at different speeds when it came to being convinced on the matter of marriage. One of them might indicate that they knew almost immediately that they would get married. The other might indicate that it took a lot more time and convincing. The Christian life can be similar. We don’t all grasp the whole gospel instantaneously. For one person, it might take them years into their walk with Christ to become fully convinced of and believe in a particular area of doctrine or practice. But then having grasped the Bible’s teaching in this area, they will often turn around and expect another brother or sister in Christ to grasp it almost immediately. As we each grow and mature in our walk, and the gospel practically works it’s way into our lives, we must be willing to lay down our rights and privileges for the good of those who are continuing to grow. We are free in Christ. We have many rights in Christ. However, our personal rights and freedoms don’t govern our lives. Our love for God and our love for our brothers and sisters in Christ governs our lives. I pray that you will join us this weekend as we walk through Romans 14.13-23. These are very practical verses that are critical to our unity in the body and our witness to the world. I hope to see you at one of our many worship opportunities. In Christ, Pastor Chad McDonald

If you ask most couples how they fell in love, you will often find that the two of them moved at different speeds when it came to being convinced on the matter of marriage. One of them might indicate that they knew almost immediately that they would get married. The other might indicate that it took a lot more time and convincing. The Christian life can be similar. We don’t all grasp the whole gospel instantaneously. For one person, it might take them years into their walk with Christ to become fully convinced of and believe in a particular area of doctrine or practice. But then having grasped the Bible’s teaching in this area, they will often turn around and expect another brother or sister in Christ to grasp it almost immediately. As we each grow and mature in our walk, and the gospel practically works it’s way into our lives, we must be willing to lay down our rights and privileges for the good of those who are continuing to grow. We are free in Christ. We have many rights in Christ. However, our personal rights and freedoms don’t govern our lives. Our love for God and our love for our brothers and sisters in Christ governs our lives. I pray that you will join us this weekend as we walk through Romans 14.13-23. These are very practical verses that are critical to our unity in the body and our witness to the world. I hope to see you at one of our many worship opportunities. In Christ, Pastor Chad McDonald

Romans

Romans

Romans

Romans

Romans 14 appears to be a bit out of place. Paul has been addressing how the fountain of the gospel flows outwardly into all the areas of our lives. At the end of chapter 13, he addresses how the gospel impacts our relationship to our neighbors. In chapter 15, Paul will talk about taking the gospel to Spain. He addresses local missions and then international missions. In between local missions and international missions, Paul confronts an apparent conflict related to eating certain foods and observing certain days. What does this issue have to do with missions? Paul knows that a church in conflict loses credibility in sharing a message of reconciliation with the world. We cannot peddle unapplied truth. If we are going to preach reconciliation to the world, we need to demonstrate it in the church. And while we may not have disagreements over certain foods and observing certain days, the church today has its own issues that can quickly create conflict and nullify our witness. How should we deal with these issues? Not issues of doctrine or morality but areas of personal conviction that are not clearly revealed in Scripture. This is a critical, relevant and practical text. I pray that you will make plans to join us as we gather around the Word of God and adjust our lives to His truth that we might glorify Him and love our neighbor. In Christ, Pastor Chad McDonald

Romans 14 appears to be a bit out of place. Paul has been addressing how the fountain of the gospel flows outwardly into all the areas of our lives. At the end of chapter 13, he addresses how the gospel impacts our relationship to our neighbors. In chapter 15, Paul will talk about taking the gospel to Spain. He addresses local missions and then international missions. In between local missions and international missions, Paul confronts an apparent conflict related to eating certain foods and observing certain days. What does this issue have to do with missions? Paul knows that a church in conflict loses credibility in sharing a message of reconciliation with the world. We cannot peddle unapplied truth. If we are going to preach reconciliation to the world, we need to demonstrate it in the church. And while we may not have disagreements over certain foods and observing certain days, the church today has its own issues that can quickly create conflict and nullify our witness. How should we deal with these issues? Not issues of doctrine or morality but areas of personal conviction that are not clearly revealed in Scripture. This is a critical, relevant and practical text. I pray that you will make plans to join us as we gather around the Word of God and adjust our lives to His truth that we might glorify Him and love our neighbor. In Christ, Pastor Chad McDonald

Could you name at least five people in your life right now who don’t know Christ? People you bump into at work, at Walmart, at school, in your neighborhood or at the coffee shop? If we could each name five people, then our church touches over 15,000 people every week. That is a huge opportunity to make an impact for Christ. But how do we relate to them? How do we engage the lost world around us? Church history has been filled with tension over this very issue. Some would argue that we should separate from the world and hole up in caves. Others would have us capitulate to the moral issues of our day to fit in and get along with the world around us. Some might want us to go back to Old Testament law and live completely by rules so that we would become irrelevant to culture. How should we relate to the non-believing world around us? As Paul has discussed how our relationship with Christ flows outward into our relationship with God, fellow members of the body of Christ and our enemies, he now gives us practical direction on how we relate to our neighbor. Make plans to join us for one of our many weekend worship opportunities today. Weekend worship is a Friday decision. Make the decision today to worship with the body of Christ. We all need Christ, and we all need each other. — Pastor Chad McDonald

Could you name at least five people in your life right now who don’t know Christ? People you bump into at work, at Walmart, at school, in your neighborhood or at the coffee shop? If we could each name five people, then our church touches over 15,000 people every week. That is a huge opportunity to make an impact for Christ. But how do we relate to them? How do we engage the lost world around us? Church history has been filled with tension over this very issue. Some would argue that we should separate from the world and hole up in caves. Others would have us capitulate to the moral issues of our day to fit in and get along with the world around us. Some might want us to go back to Old Testament law and live completely by rules so that we would become irrelevant to culture. How should we relate to the non-believing world around us? As Paul has discussed how our relationship with Christ flows outward into our relationship with God, fellow members of the body of Christ and our enemies, he now gives us practical direction on how we relate to our neighbor. Make plans to join us for one of our many weekend worship opportunities today. Weekend worship is a Friday decision. Make the decision today to worship with the body of Christ. We all need Christ, and we all need each other. — Pastor Chad McDonald

Beginning in Romans 12, Paul describes the fountain of blessing that flows from the life of a person who is in Christ. The gospel changes us. It renews our minds and changes our thinking. It changes how we think about God, ourselves and our brothers and sisters in Christ. The gospel teaches us that no one and no thing in the fellowship of the body is beneath us. Christ left the glory of heaven to die for me. He did not consider me beneath Him. When that truth impacts my mind, it ultimately changes my disposition towards others. The gospel creates a divinely beautiful fellowship in the church that cannot be duplicated in the world. But Paul doesn’t stop there. When this kind of transformation takes place in the church, it will eventually burst the doors of the church and get carried out into the world. Our attitude towards Christ and each other in the body sets the agenda for how we respond to evil and those who persecute us. The Christian brings blessing and harmony in the body but also overcomes evil in the world. These verses have never been more practical for the believer’s life. I pray that you will make plans to day to join us for worship this weekend. This is an exciting time to be a part of LBC. Get plugged in and find a place ot fellowship and service as we continue to bring the message of hope to the heartland. — Pastor Chad McDonald

Beginning in Romans 12, Paul describes the fountain of blessing that flows from the life of a person who is in Christ. The gospel changes us. It renews our minds and changes our thinking. It changes how we think about God, ourselves and our brothers and sisters in Christ. The gospel teaches us that no one and no thing in the fellowship of the body is beneath us. Christ left the glory of heaven to die for me. He did not consider me beneath Him. When that truth impacts my mind, it ultimately changes my disposition towards others. The gospel creates a divinely beautiful fellowship in the church that cannot be duplicated in the world. But Paul doesn’t stop there. When this kind of transformation takes place in the church, it will eventually burst the doors of the church and get carried out into the world. Our attitude towards Christ and each other in the body sets the agenda for how we respond to evil and those who persecute us. The Christian brings blessing and harmony in the body but also overcomes evil in the world. These verses have never been more practical for the believer’s life. I pray that you will make plans to day to join us for worship this weekend. This is an exciting time to be a part of LBC. Get plugged in and find a place ot fellowship and service as we continue to bring the message of hope to the heartland. — Pastor Chad McDonald

Living a Life Transformed | Romans 12:3-8 In the opening two verses of Romans 12, Paul has commanded us not to follow the spirit of the age but to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. In Christ, we have been brought into a new humanity that God is remaking into the likeness of His Son. God’s great passion and purposes are to mold us into the likeness of the Lord Jesus Christ. Then Paul gets very practical. What does this look like in practice? How does this affect all the different spheres of our lives? As we continue in our study of Romans this week, Paul will pick up this theme revealing to us how belonging to a new humanity in Christ changes everything. I pray you will plan to join us this weekend as we study God’s Word and seek to live a transformed life that glorifies Christ. — Pastor Chad McDonald

Living a Life Transformed | Romans 12:3-8 In the opening two verses of Romans 12, Paul has commanded us not to follow the spirit of the age but to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. In Christ, we have been brought into a new humanity that God is remaking into the likeness of His Son. God’s great passion and purposes are to mold us into the likeness of the Lord Jesus Christ. Then Paul gets very practical. What does this look like in practice? How does this affect all the different spheres of our lives? As we continue in our study of Romans this week, Paul will pick up this theme revealing to us how belonging to a new humanity in Christ changes everything. I pray you will plan to join us this weekend as we study God’s Word and seek to live a transformed life that glorifies Christ. — Pastor Chad McDonald

A Church for all generations. Weekly Sermons from Lenexa Baptist Church.

A Church for all generations. Weekly Sermons from Lenexa Baptist Church.

Paul breaks forth in glorious worship as he comes to the end of this section where he examines and works through God’s dealings with Israel. He concludes his summary of the redemptive purposes of God among both Jews and Gentiles. Then, he worships. It is a picture of how deep God’s salvation had penetrated his soul. Prior to Christ, we picture Paul as a very constrained, narrow and unemotional man. Post-Christ, we find a man who has been stretched emotionally and breaks forth in joyful adoration and worship at the wonder and glory of God. This is the purpose of Bible study. The purpose of Bible study is not merely moral. The purpose of Bible study is not to simply to make you better. The purpose of Bible study is to bring you to a place of worship. You are meant to study and read so that you might truly know the God of all creation—the One who made you, who loves you, who saved you and who is coming again to reign. When you see Him as He is, your only response is to fall on your face in awe and cry, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty! Who is like the Lord our God?” True theology and Bible study should be followed by purity and morality but also by adoration and glory. As we have come to see in Romans again and again, the chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. I pray you will join us this weekend as we study one of the most profound and wonderful passages in all of Romans. My prayer is that all of us, both believer and non-believer, would see and taste the glory of God and the joy and peace and grace that can only be found in Him.

Paul breaks forth in glorious worship as he comes to the end of this section where he examines and works through God’s dealings with Israel. He concludes his summary of the redemptive purposes of God among both Jews and Gentiles. Then, he worships. It is a picture of how deep God’s salvation had penetrated his soul. Prior to Christ, we picture Paul as a very constrained, narrow and unemotional man. Post-Christ, we find a man who has been stretched emotionally and breaks forth in joyful adoration and worship at the wonder and glory of God. This is the purpose of Bible study. The purpose of Bible study is not merely moral. The purpose of Bible study is not to simply to make you better. The purpose of Bible study is to bring you to a place of worship. You are meant to study and read so that you might truly know the God of all creation—the One who made you, who loves you, who saved you and who is coming again to reign. When you see Him as He is, your only response is to fall on your face in awe and cry, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty! Who is like the Lord our God?” True theology and Bible study should be followed by purity and morality but also by adoration and glory. As we have come to see in Romans again and again, the chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. I pray you will join us this weekend as we study one of the most profound and wonderful passages in all of Romans. My prayer is that all of us, both believer and non-believer, would see and taste the glory of God and the joy and peace and grace that can only be found in Him.

PDF Bulletin

Man has a natural inclination to believe (if they believe in God) that God is gracious on the basis of something in them. This is our native disposition, even if converted and born again: that God is gracious to me because of something in me. At that point, however, we deny the graciousness of God. We begin to make contracts with God. If I do (fill in the blank), then God will be more gracious to me. And God is not gracious to others because of something in them. Paul says (this is my paraphrase), “That is not grace!” And he uncovers for us what I believe to be the most humbling and most wonderful of all truths in Scripture. That the only way of salvation is by grace. There is no other way. No other way in the Old Testament or the New Testament. I pray you will join us this weekend. In Romans 11 Paul continues to address God’s purposes with the nation of Israel, but as he does, he will draw out principles that are relevant to all of us. Make plans today to be part of one of our weekend services as we worship the God who “abounds in riches for all who will call upon Him.” — Pastor Chad McDonald

Man has a natural inclination to believe (if they believe in God) that God is gracious on the basis of something in them. This is our native disposition, even if converted and born again: that God is gracious to me because of something in me. At that point, however, we deny the graciousness of God. We begin to make contracts with God. If I do (fill in the blank), then God will be more gracious to me. And God is not gracious to others because of something in them. Paul says (this is my paraphrase), “That is not grace!” And he uncovers for us what I believe to be the most humbling and most wonderful of all truths in Scripture. That the only way of salvation is by grace. There is no other way. No other way in the Old Testament or the New Testament. I pray you will join us this weekend. In Romans 11 Paul continues to address God’s purposes with the nation of Israel, but as he does, he will draw out principles that are relevant to all of us. Make plans today to be part of one of our weekend services as we worship the God who “abounds in riches for all who will call upon Him.” — Pastor Chad McDonald

A bishop who served at Princeton Seminary during the 19th century was preparing to send 500 missionaries into an African country where they would risk their lives for the cause of Christ. The Bishop was asked, “Why would you send these young people to this place?” The response of the bishop was clear and simple. “Unless they go, the gospel will not go there. Unless the messengers are sent the gospel will not be heard and unless the gospel is heard they will not call upon the Lord to be saved.” This is the normal means by which the gospel comes to us. The Gospel is God’s. It comes from God. God sends His messengers to preach the gospel. People hear the gospel; they believe the gospel and call upon the Lord to be saved. This is how the gospel comes to us, and we have no reason to believe that God is going to do it some other way. This is the reason for Paul’s urgency in Romans. Paul is clear: those outside of Christ stand in the wrath of God under the judgment of God, and apart from the gospel we have no hope that they can ever be saved. That is why it is so urgent for us to take the gospel to our neighbors, our co-workers, the person we meet in line at the store, and even to the ends of the earth. We have no foundation to believe that they can be saved any other way. I pray that you will join us this weekend as we revisit Paul’s evangelistic zeal and passion to take the gospel to those who have not heard, for the glory of Christ. Come with prayerful and expectant hearts that the gospel will go forth even this weekend, and, having heard, someone would call upon Christ for salvation. — Pastor Chad McDonald

A bishop who served at Princeton Seminary during the 19th century was preparing to send 500 missionaries into an African country where they would risk their lives for the cause of Christ. The Bishop was asked, “Why would you send these young people to this place?” The response of the bishop was clear and simple. “Unless they go, the gospel will not go there. Unless the messengers are sent the gospel will not be heard and unless the gospel is heard they will not call upon the Lord to be saved.” This is the normal means by which the gospel comes to us. The Gospel is God’s. It comes from God. God sends His messengers to preach the gospel. People hear the gospel; they believe the gospel and call upon the Lord to be saved. This is how the gospel comes to us, and we have no reason to believe that God is going to do it some other way. This is the reason for Paul’s urgency in Romans. Paul is clear: those outside of Christ stand in the wrath of God under the judgment of God, and apart from the gospel we have no hope that they can ever be saved. That is why it is so urgent for us to take the gospel to our neighbors, our co-workers, the person we meet in line at the store, and even to the ends of the earth. We have no foundation to believe that they can be saved any other way. I pray that you will join us this weekend as we revisit Paul’s evangelistic zeal and passion to take the gospel to those who have not heard, for the glory of Christ. Come with prayerful and expectant hearts that the gospel will go forth even this weekend, and, having heard, someone would call upon Christ for salvation. — Pastor Chad McDonald

Have you ever shared the gospel with someone you loved and cared about and no matter how much you prayed and shared, they just wouldn’t accept Christ? It’s heartbreaking to see someone like this reject God, attempting to earn salvation when the salvation of Christ is extended before them as a gift of grace through faith. That was Paul’s heart for the Jewish people. Paul knew the gospel. Paul knew the Old Testament, and he was absolutely heartbroken for His people to find the same freedom that he found in Christ. More than this, to find the same righteousness that he had found, not through the Law of Moses but through faith in Jesus. Paul would not give up. He continued to pray and share, hoping in the power of the Spirit and the Word of God to open blind eyes. I pray you will make plans to join us this weekend as Paul gives us an example of an evangelistic heart while demonstrating the dramatic difference between a salvation based on works and salvation through faith in Christ. Invite a friend today. Join us this weekend as we worship King Jesus in song and the study of His Word. — Pastor Chad McDonald

Have you ever shared the gospel with someone you loved and cared about and no matter how much you prayed and shared, they just wouldn’t accept Christ? It’s heartbreaking to see someone like this reject God, attempting to earn salvation when the salvation of Christ is extended before them as a gift of grace through faith. That was Paul’s heart for the Jewish people. Paul knew the gospel. Paul knew the Old Testament, and he was absolutely heartbroken for His people to find the same freedom that he found in Christ. More than this, to find the same righteousness that he had found, not through the Law of Moses but through faith in Jesus. Paul would not give up. He continued to pray and share, hoping in the power of the Spirit and the Word of God to open blind eyes. I pray you will make plans to join us this weekend as Paul gives us an example of an evangelistic heart while demonstrating the dramatic difference between a salvation based on works and salvation through faith in Christ. Invite a friend today. Join us this weekend as we worship King Jesus in song and the study of His Word. — Pastor Chad McDonald

At the heart of Romans 9 is Paul’s evangelistic zeal for his kinsmen according to the flesh, Israel. Israel had been given so much privilege. They were given the wonderful privileges of the Law, the promises, the glory, the covenants and temple service. How could they miss the One to whom all these privileges pointed, Jesus Christ? This was not merely some theoretical or theological issue for Paul. It was real and personal. His heart was breaking and the main question that had to be answered was, “Has the Word of God failed?” God promised to save, and Israel, by and large was not being saved. More than this, while Israel was not being saved, Gentiles were trusting in Christ by the droves. What Paul so beautifully does in his response is hold together both the sovereignty of God in pursuing His saving purposes and the responsibility of man. Why is Israel not responding to the Gospel? Paul’s answer points both to God and to Israel. And the same is true in our lives. My prayer this week is that someone, through our study of Romans 9, would come to faith in Christ. That somehow by God’s great grace and mercy through our study of this passage that shows God to be so sovereign and man so small, someone might begin to sense God stirring in their heart. God would, even in this passage, birth within someone a desire to know Christ and His salvation by faith. I pray that you will join us this weekend, and I pray that you would join with me in asking God to move and save lost sinners through our worship of Him in song and in His Word. To God be the glory! — Pastor Chad McDonald

At the heart of Romans 9 is Paul’s evangelistic zeal for his kinsmen according to the flesh, Israel. Israel had been given so much privilege. They were given the wonderful privileges of the Law, the promises, the glory, the covenants and temple service. How could they miss the One to whom all these privileges pointed, Jesus Christ? This was not merely some theoretical or theological issue for Paul. It was real and personal. His heart was breaking and the main question that had to be answered was, “Has the Word of God failed?” God promised to save, and Israel, by and large was not being saved. More than this, while Israel was not being saved, Gentiles were trusting in Christ by the droves. What Paul so beautifully does in his response is hold together both the sovereignty of God in pursuing His saving purposes and the responsibility of man. Why is Israel not responding to the Gospel? Paul’s answer points both to God and to Israel. And the same is true in our lives. My prayer this week is that someone, through our study of Romans 9, would come to faith in Christ. That somehow by God’s great grace and mercy through our study of this passage that shows God to be so sovereign and man so small, someone might begin to sense God stirring in their heart. God would, even in this passage, birth within someone a desire to know Christ and His salvation by faith. I pray that you will join us this weekend, and I pray that you would join with me in asking God to move and save lost sinners through our worship of Him in song and in His Word. To God be the glory! — Pastor Chad McDonald

This week, we come to one of the most difficult and challenging sections in all of God’s Word. The text itself is not that hard to understand but is often hard for us to accept. Many come to these chapters looking for clarity and answers to some of their deepest theological questions. Some of you will come over the next few weeks to find out where I land on some of these issues regarding Israel and the sovereignty of God. However, if we simply come to this text with a desire for greater clarity on the theoretical and theological questions of our mind, we will have missed the point. Having just finished a chapter on the greatness of the salvation, assurance and security that we have in Christ, Paul’s heart breaks for his lost kinsmen who do not have this same salvation. While Paul’s heart breaks for this loss, his heart is also filled with worship at the “riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God!” In other words, if our study in these chapters does not develop a greater desire to see the lost saved and a deeper sense of love and worship for the God we serve, then I will have failed us, and we will have certainly missed the point. I pray you will come prepared to worship this weekend. Make plans now. Begin to prepare your heart today. Read ahead. Study the text, prepare your heart and pray for the lost. As we gather for corporate worship, let’s expect God to move in response to the study of His Word and the worship of His people. — Pastor Chad McDonald

Romans 8 is the chapter of Christian assurance. The chapter begins with “no condemnation.” There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ. No condemnation now or any time in the future. God’s verdict of acquittal in justification is a verdict that is irreversible. Then, at the end of the chapter, we find that there is “no separation.” There is no separation from the persisting love of God which is in Christ — no condemnation and no separation from the love of Christ. Paul is clearly ministering to people who needed that kind of assurance. In light of the circumstances and situations of the Roman believers, there appears to have risen some questions about the sufficiency of God to handle such a threatening world. Paul responds with more than just general words of encouragement. He brings them to the height of Christian doctrine and truth in the love of God demonstrated in Christ. Some of you are facing circumstances and situations that are leading you to a similar place of insecurity and fear. Is God totally sufficient for my needs and situations? When no one else seems to understand, how can I be certain that God loves me and that I can trust Him? I pray that you will join us this weekend as Paul seeks to plumb the depths of God’s love demonstrated towards us in Christ. — Pastor Chad McDonald

Every week, we receive numerous prayer concerns. As pastors, we seek to pray over all these prayer concerns. When you combine the full prayer list with our cares and hospitalization list, it can be overwhelming. Just this week, some of our fellow church members received discouraging cancer news. We also held funerals for two beloved church members. Earlier in the week, Pastor Kelly conferred with one of our missionaries in Thailand whose community and country have been affected by a horrible earthquake. Thousands have died, and the number continues to grow. The combination of all these situations is overwhelming. Then we come to our text in Romans 8:28. “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” When times are good, when we have steady jobs, when our families are doing well, when no one is sick, and there have been no recent deaths, it is easy to say that we know God will work all things together for good of those who love Him. But what about the other times? What about those listed above? In those times, we need to be sure that we know what we are professing when we quote Romans 8:28. — Pastor Chad McDonald

In 2 Chronicles 20:12, Jehoshaphat prays, “For we are powerless before this great multitude who are coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are on You.” I wonder if some in the crowd weren’t thinking to themselves, “You call that leadership? No power. We don’t know what to do.” Most of the time we are looking for people who will say, “I am very powerful and I know exactly what to do.” That is what our culture most often identifies as true leadership. The Scripture, however, speaks something very different into our lives. We are frail. We are not that smart, and when we come to the understanding of our weakness and frailty, then we are comforted with the knowledge that the Spirit of God helps us in our weakness. As Paul would say in 2 Corinthians 12, “His power is perfected in our weakness.” If you have it all figured out, you know everything, and you have all the strength you need to meet the circumstances of your life, you can probably skip this weekend’s message. But if, by chance, you are at a place where you don’t really know what to do, or if you have come to a place where the circumstances seem overwhelming and you feel powerless, I pray you will join us the weekend. In our passage this week, Paul will reinforce a powerful truth that is so critical for the effective Christian life: “the Spirit helps us in our weakness.” — Pastor Chad McDonald

Imagine for a moment being someone with great financial troubles and difficulties—someone who has trouble making ends meet. For some of you, this may not be too difficult to imagine. It may be your present circumstances. But then imagine waking up one morning to discover that you are an heir to one of the wealthiest individuals in the world—someone who is infinitely and fabulously wealthy. One day you will enter into all the riches and immeasurable wealth of that person. If you multiply that truth by infinity, you will not even be at the edges of understanding what it means to be an heir of God and a co-heir with Christ. What a glorious truth! No matter how wonderful your conditions are today, for the believer in Christ, the best is always yet to come. I pray that you will join us for worship this weekend as we examine these wonderful truths of what it means to be “in Christ” and the application of these truths for our present lives. Remember, weekend worship is a Friday decision. Make plans today to join us for worship! — Pastor Chad McDonald