Acts 18 - What Do You Do When You Are Asked to Stay?

Romans 2 - Do You Judge Others?

Romans 2 - Do You Judge Others? Just after the list Paul writes describing the ways we have fallen short in our thoughts and our actions, he writes in Romans 2 about not judging others. He points out that it was God’s kindness in our lives that led us to turn to him. In other words, when we understood God loves us in spite of our sins, we willingly repented. We asked him for forgiveness. As followers of Jesus it should be our kindness towards others that leads towards their repentance to God. One of the biggest challenges in the early church was the ethnic and cultural challenge of creating a new community made up of Jews and Gentiles. Paul points out that through Jesus now all need a circumcision of the heart by the Spirit. In other words, knowing the law is not what makes us right with God, it’s obeying the law. We have all fallen short of that, but fortunately as J.I Packer wrote in Knowing God:“Jesus lived the life we should have lived and died the death we should have died in our place, to reconcile us to God and to give us eternal life.” #newtestament #acts #jesus #faith #spirituality #christianity #mission #bless #outreach

Romans 1 - Do You Worship Created Things Rather Than the Creator?

Romans 1 - Do You Worship Created Things Rather Than the Creator? Paul writes to the Romans about his desire to come and visit and his calling as an apostle to the Gentiles, a messenger and witness that Jesus is the Son of God as demonstrated by his death on the cross and resurrection from the dead. This “gospel” or “good news” is that we can be made “right with God” by faith. In other words, when we try to follow all the rules in order to get to God, we will always fall short. And just in case we think we are righteous on our own not needing Jesus’ sacrifice, he reminds us how we are all without excuse and able to see the beauty of creation which points to God but instead we worship what God created rather than the Creator. For example, God created sex as a gift in the context of marriage, but instead lust has so affected our minds we see men and women as objects for our own pleasure. Sometimes the “wrath of God” is demonstrated when God gives us what we want allowing us to experience the consequences of our evil choices. #newtestament #acts #jesus #faith #spirituality #christianity #mission #bless #outreach

Romans - An Overview

Romans - An OverviewWe meet Saul in the book of Acts. He begins as someone who opposed Christianity but becomes known as Paul and starts multi-ethnic churches throughout the Roman Empire. His letters were passed around from church to church and have become part of the New Testament. Understanding the context of his letters helps us understand what was happening so we can apply what we read to our lives.Having been expelled from Rome for a few years, the Jewish believers came back to find the Gentile believers were not following many of the Old Testament laws and rituals. Paul addresses their tension and calls them all to live in unity as representatives of the Kingdom of God and God’s new humanity.The book of Romans reminds us that the gospel proclaims salvation by faith in Jesus Christ for all people, Jew and Gentile alike, revealing God's righteousness and inviting believers to live transformed lives in accordance with God's grace.Join us in reading 1 chapter a day, 5 days a week.Start by praying God would speak to you, read the chapter, watch the video devotional, write down what you can apply in the comments or in your journal, and then live it out!#newtestament #acts #jesus #outreach #faith #spirituality #christianity #mission #bless #earlychurch

Acts 28 - How Will You Handle Adversity?

Acts 28 - How Will You Handle Adversity? With Kimo Lai of Gateway South Austin As we conclude the BLESS Challenge, have you been able to see God at work in your life and through your life as you’ve looked for ways to begin to pray, listen, engage, serve, and share your story with your neighbors, co-workers, family, and friends? What we see in the life of the apostle Paul is someone always looking to advance Jesus’ Kingdom to those around him whether he’s visiting a new city or on a boat heading to prison in Rome. In Acts 28, Paul finds himself shipwrecked on the island of Malta along with other travelers where he continues to heal and preach the message of Jesus to the people of Malta. After the three months, Paul and his companions set sail again and eventually arrive in Rome, the capital of the Roman Empire.The chapter ends with Paul staying in Rome for two years, where he welcomes all who come to him and continues to proclaim the kingdom of God and teach about Jesus with boldness. So let me encourage you, keep BLESSing others as described in the book by Dave Ferguson. Enjoy the adventure that is following Jesus to bring more light into our dark world! #newtestament #acts #jesus #faith #spirituality #christianity #outreach #mission #bless

Acts 27 - How Do You Respond to the Storms of Life?

Acts 27 - How Do You Respond to the Storms of Life? With Melanie Ortiz from Gateway South Austin Paul and others set sail from Caesarea to Rome, and despite the warnings from Paul about the dangers ahead, the centurion in charge of the voyage decides to continue. The journey becomes treacherous as they encounter strong winds and a violent storm. During the storm, the ship is severely damaged, and the crew fears for their lives. However, Paul receives a message from God, assuring him that everyone on board will survive. He encourages the crew and passengers to remain hopeful and not abandon ship. Eventually, the ship runs aground on the island of Malta, and all aboard reach the shore safely. #newtestament #acts #jesus #faith #spirituality #outreach #christianity #mission #outreach #suffering