Acts 22 - Are You Willing to Tell Your Story?

Romans 8 - What Can Separate You From the Love of God?

Romans 8 - What Can Separate You From the Love of God? Paul begins by stating that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. This means that through faith in Jesus, believers are forgiven of their sins and are no longer under the guilt and judgment that sin brings. Instead, they have been set free. Paul then introduces the concept of the Holy Spirit, who dwells within believers. He explains that the Spirit helps believers live according to God’s will and enables them to experience true life and peace. The Holy Spirit assures believers of their identity as children of God and heirs of His promises. Paul contrasts the mindset of living according to the flesh, which represents our sinful nature, with the mindset of living according to the Spirit. He emphasizes that those who are led by the Spirit experience life and peace, while those who live according to the flesh are in conflict with God. Paul goes on to describe the hope that believers have in the future redemption of their bodies. He explains that the whole creation, including believers, eagerly awaits the future restoration and renewal that God will bring. In the latter part of Romans 8, Paul reassures believers of God’s unfailing love and His unbreakable commitment to them. He assures them that nothing can separate them from the love of God in Christ Jesus. No hardship, persecution, or even death can separate them from His love and His purpose for their lives. #newtestament #romans #outreach #bless #mission #jesus #faith #spirituality #christianity #evangelism #discipleship #diversity #earlychurch

Romans 7 - Why Do You Do the Things You Don’t Want to Do?

Romans 7 - Why Do You Do the Things You Don’t Want to Do? The apostle Paul discusses the struggle between the desires of the flesh and the desires of the spirit. He begins by explaining that the law of Moses, which includes the Ten Commandments, is good and holy, but it reveals the presence of sin within us. Paul shares his own personal struggle with sin, acknowledging that even though he desires to do what is good, he often finds himself doing what he doesn't want to do. He describes a conflict within himself, where his mind desires to follow God's law, but his flesh or human nature is prone to sin. Paul emphasizes that this struggle highlights the weakness of human nature and the inability of the law to save or deliver us from sin. The law reveals our need for a Savior and our dependence on God's grace. Paul concludes by pointing to the ultimate solution found in Jesus. He highlights that it is through Jesus' death and resurrection that believers are set free from the power of sin. By receiving the Holy Spirit, believers can now live a new life empowered by God's grace. #newtestament #romans #outreach #bless #mission #jesus #faith #spirituality #christianity #evangelism #discipleship #diversity #earlychurch

Romans 6 - Should You Go On Sinning?

Romans 6 - Should You Go On Sinning? The apostle Paul addresses the concept of how believers should understand their relationship with sin and the transformative power of Jesus Christ. Paul begins by asking the question, “Should we continue sinning so that grace may increase?” He emphatically answers, “No!” and explains why. Paul explains that when a person chooses to follow Jesus and is baptized, they are united with Him in His death and resurrection. This means that their old sinful self is crucified with Christ, and they are no longer enslaved to sin. Just as Christ was raised from the dead, believers are raised to a new life in Him. Paul emphasizes that the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. He emphasizes the contrast between the old life of sin and its consequences and the new life of righteousness and the gift of eternal life. When the Bible uses slavery as a metaphor or analogy, it does so to illustrate spiritual or relational concepts rather than to promote or justify the practice of human slavery. #newtestament #romans #jesus #faith #spirituality #christianity #outreach #mission #bless #evangelism #discipleship #diversity #earlychurch

Romans 5 - How Does God Demonstrate His Love For You?

Romans 5 - How Does God Demonstrate His Love For You? Since we’ve been made right with God through faith, we experience peace with God through Jesus who gives us access to God’s unconditional love - His grace. In a relationship with God, we now see everything differently. For example, our suffering in life helps us learn how to persevere which helps us develop character which helps us grow to have hope. Everything is different because we now know what it’s like to experience God’s unconditional love which we can feel though His Spirit which lives in us! When we are powerless, Jesus is there to rescue us. God demonstrated His love for us in that Jesus willingly died on the cross to rescue us! #newtestament #romans #outreach #bless #mission #jesus #faith #spirituality #christianity #evangelism #discipleship #diversity #earlychurch

Romans 4 - How Are You Made Right with God?

Romans 4 - How Are You Made Right with God? The apostle Paul writes about Abraham from the Old Testament. Abraham lived a long time ago and is considered an important figure in the Bible. Paul explains that Abraham was justified or made right with God, not because of his good deeds, but because of his faith. Paul gives an example and explains that if someone works and earns money, their paycheck is not a gift but something they have earned. When it comes to a relationship with God, we can't earn our way into His favor. Instead, it is through faith, like Abraham had, that we are made right with God. Paul goes on to explain that faith is trusting and believing in God's promises, even when we can't see them yet. He uses Abraham believed in God's promise of having many descendants, even though he and his wife were very old and didn't have any children yet. Abraham looks up and simply trusts God’s promise. God graciously responds by entering into a covenant with him, promising that Abraham will become a father of many nations, that God’s blessing may come to the whole world. Abraham's longevity along with others found in Genesis 5-11 can be explained in a helpful article from BioLogos - https://biologos.org/articles/long-life-spans-in-genesis-literal-or-symbolic #newtestament #romans #jesus #faith #spirituality #christianity #mission #outreach #bless #diversity #evangelism #discipleship #earlychurch