As we wrap up this series through the first 5 chapters of Romans, I am struck by the awareness that the Holy Spirit has brought to my life in regards to the relationship that God is offering, and the choices we have to make regarding how we will Define The Relationship.
In Deuteronomy 30:19-20 it says, “Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live! You can make this choice by loving the LORD your God, obeying him, and committing yourself firmly to him. This is the key to your life."
This is what it is to Define The Relationship (DTR). Paul has emphasized that our relationship is not dependant on the Law or good deeds, but by faith alone in Jesus Christ that we can be saved. Will we DTR by choosing to accept the free gift of grace from our creator who wants desperately to have relationship with us?
Sin entered the picture early on in the human existence, and we have all been affected ever since. This week we are going to take a look at the original choice that would separate us from God and introduced sin into the bloodline of humanity. And we will see and rejoice in the action taken by God to do what was necessary to renew that relationship.
Read Romans 5 sometime between now and Sunday.
Jeff
Peaceful
Romans 5:1-11
As believers we live in a new land called grace. Just like immigrants who have to learn a new culture and adapt to new customs, Christians must learn how to live in this land of grace. Paul says in this land of grace we can rejoice or live in joyful confidence in our problems and trials. My first reaction to reading this was, "Really? Really Paul, I’m supposed to live in joyful confidence in my problems and trials?" Maybe all of this seems not only difficult, but downright impossible.
What do you think? How has being a believer in Christ helped you with the problems and trials of life? How has God’s training program described in Romans 5:3-5 help you live in this new land of grace? I’d love to hear your thoughts in how this works in real life. Remember that in defining our relationship with God, the word this week is peaceful – we are no longer at war with God. No, as believers in Christ we are at peace with God. Oh what a relief that is!
Peaceful
Romans 5:1-11
I think we would all agree that war is a terrible thing in the history of humanity. I was in the military during the Vietnam War. The Vietnam War was a horrific event in the history of our world and it came very close to my life at the age of 20. While I never personally went to Vietnam, I was only 800 miles away and was able to see first-hand the effects of that war on the lives of so many young men. It was not a pretty sight – war will never be a pretty sight.
Peace on the other hand is a wonderful thing to experience. Being at peace with another person fills our being with feelings of calmness and serenity. It feels like all is right with the world. When we are at peace with people we actually experience some of what God has intended for this world. Peace is a good thing.
As we continue our study in Romans this week, the overarching theme is that because we have been made right through faith we now have peace with God. If you think about this in terms of being at war versus being at peace, you will have captured the idea here. But what is the result of this peace? Is it just calmness and serenity? Or is there more to it than that? We’ll explore what it means to be at peace with God and how that can affect our lives. Hope to see you Sunday!
Gary Keith
This week's "Reflection" by Jeff Taylor, Pastor of Teaching & Worship
Faith like Abraham
Abe was not a perfect guy. In fact, he could be a real bonehead at times, but his ability to trust God through the impossible is something that we can be inspired by. This desire to inspire was what Paul had in mind as he recounted Abraham's story in Romans 4.
I know that as I studied this passage and reflected on loss and death in my own life, I am encouraged to see that someone who had to walk through such heartache and trial was able to glorify God in the process and receive the blessing that God had for him.
This week, join me in praying for those who have experienced loss (maybe it's you) - that God would reveal Himself and give hope to walk through the trial, believing that God will be faithful to either restore what was lost or create new life out of nothing.
Hopeful: Romans 4:16-25
Rudy... Remember the Titans... Braveheart... Just a few of the movies that get your heart soaring with hope, encouragement, and inspiration. But what does this kind of inspiration do for our spirit? How does this kind of inspiration impact our faith in God?
This week as we wrap up Romans 4, we are going to receive an inspirational message of hope. Not from me, but from the very Word of God as we read of His unfailing commitment and love for His people, demonstrated through real-life, and often difficult circumstances. Read through Romans 4 this week and ask God to open your heart to the hope that is much greater than an inspirational speech, or happy Disney ending. This hope is eternal.
See ya Sunday,
Jeff
This week's "Reflection" by Gary Keith, Executive & Teaching Pastor
Dependent
Romans 4:1-15
In the last two weeks while studying Romans 3 and 4, I have noticed that Paul has repeated himself nearly a dozen times with the statement, “We are made right with God through faith and not by obeying the law.” It seems that he is intentionally repeating himself to make a point. This is probably because in our everyday world, we make our way by working and earning our place with people. And then we come to our relationship with God and we think it is the same. But with God it is just the opposite. With God we receive a free gift through faith – there is no earning involved.
I know that most Christians know this, but what about living it? Without frequent reminders we can easily fall back into thinking our relationship with God is about earning our rightness. How do you keep yourself mindful that with God it is about grace? How do you guard yourself from thinking that all the good things you do somehow earn your rightness with God?
Dependent
Romans 4:1-15
There was a time in my life when I thought being self-sufficient was the goal. I was taught to work hard, earn my way, and don’t be a burden to society. Now when it comes to my place in society, some of this may be good, but what about my spiritual life? What about my relationship with God? Is self-sufficiency the goal? Am I to earn my way with God? Am I to work hard to make God accept me?
This week as we continue our series called "Define the Relationship," Paul speaks to these questions. This idea of being dependent on God is something that is difficult to grasp. We Americans especially have a tough time understanding this idea because being self-sufficient is a big part of our culture. Come this Sunday and see how Paul describes what it means to be dependent in our relationship with God.
Gary
Would you ever be willing to pay the consequences for someone else's actions? Would you ever allow someone you love to suffer the consequences for someone else's actions?
It should be pretty clear by now that we all fall way short of living lives that are anywhere near what they would need to be in order to earn our salvation. Nonetheless, Paul will remind us one more time as we wrap up chapter 3 of Romans. But this week we will also discover how God has made a way for us to be saved based on relationship rather that ritual. As we continue to define the relationship we are at a point where God is asking if we will trust Him with our lives.
See ya Sunday!
Jeff
This week's "Reflection" by Gary Keith, Executive & Teaching Pastor
Guilty
Romans 3:9-20
In this passage Paul presents the accusation that the entire human race is under the power of sin. We’re not talking about the sinning we do on a daily basis; Paul is talking about the human sin condition that we are all born with. What Paul is talking about can be traced back all the way to the first humans – Adam and Eve. When they chose to disobey God, a cosmic change was set into motion, and this change has been experienced by every human being since. This is what Paul is referring to in verse 9 when he says the entire human race is under the power of sin.
In addition to what Paul writes in Romans 3:9, check out chapter 5, verses 12-21 to read more about this idea of original sin. I’m a little curious – is this a new thought for you? Were you aware of this doctrine? How does this help you make sense of our world today? What is your opinion of how this doctrine is affected by those who have committed their lives to Christ? How does this condition change for Christians? Let’s talk.
Guilty
Romans 3:9-20
If we are going to really define our relationship with God we’ve got to hear it all. Chuck Swindoll says, “There are preachers today who don’t want to focus on the negative side of Christian truth – the terminal disease of sin. They prefer to remain focused only on the positive.”
I agree with Chuck when he talks about going to a doctor. I know that when I go to the doctor I don’t want to hear only the good news, I want to hear it all – I want the truth – the plain, ugly, undistorted truth about my body. If my doctor finds something wrong I want to know about it right now!
That’s what Paul is doing again this week as he wraps up this “bad news” section of Romans. The good news is that our condition is treatable. But for us to really be grateful for the good news, we must first wrestle with and understand completely the bad news.
Gary Keith
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(This should be read in your best "2 a.m. infomercial" voice.)
Have you ever thought that Christianity is just too hard?
Have you ever wondered if it was worth all the hassle of being good?
Have you ever justified that doing the wrong thing was actually the right thing?
Well, then have I got a story for you! Sometime between now and Sunday, read Romans 3 and see if there is any part if the lesson they are learning that you can identify with. (I already did, so if I had to you do too!)
See ya Sunday!
Jeff
This week's "Reflection" by Gary Keith, Executive & Teaching Pastor
Flawed
Romans 2:17-29
This week we learned from Paul that religious activity leads to a flawed relationship with God. That instead of focusing on rituals, God is concerned with matters of our heart. One of the key problems with focusing on religious ritual was the found in verse 24 – “No wonder the Scriptures say, 'The Gentiles blaspheme the name of God because of you.'” That was then – what about today?
During the message I quoted some portions of the book “UnChristian” written by David Kinnaman. In this book Kinnaman makes the case that many non-Christians want nothing to do with Christianity because of the behavior of Christians. He says that Christians are best known for what they are against – “they are perceived as judgmental, anti-homosexual, too political, out of touch with reality, insensitive to others, hypocritical – saying one thing and doing another.” I see a strong connection with the words of Paul in Romans and what this book has revealed as reality today.
What do you think? Is that too harsh an observation? Is it right on? How do you think Christian’s got this reputation? What can be done to change this reputation? Let’s talk!
Flawed
Romans 2:17-29
Depending on how you look at it, religion can be either good or bad. I think most of us look on religious people in a good way, even if we don’t agree with their religion. I remember once listening to a TV interview with the Dali Lama and thinking that many of the things he professed are good, even though he was missing the Jesus part – the most important and really life-changing part. And then there is Billy Graham. Many all over the world know almost nothing about Christianity, but revere Billy Graham as a true man of God. This is the good side of religion as observed by society.
But religion has a dark side as well. Looking back on history we can see that religion has caused dissention and wars and inspired much violence against the human race. Religion is the subject of our passage this week. Paul talks directly to the Jews and their religious activity and offers a better way. As we learn how to “Define the Relationship” with God, this idea of religion versus relationship is at the very center of our passage. I look forward to seeing you this week as we explore this teaching from Paul.
Gary
This week’s “Reflection” by Jeff Taylor, Pastor of Teaching & Worship
Romans 2:16 And this is the message I proclaim that the day is coming when God, through Christ Jesus, will judge everyone¹s secret life.
What feelings does that stir up inside when you read that? Fear? Apprehension? Hope (that it will never happen)? We all have the things in our life that have been tucked neatly (or maybe not so neatly) away so that we can look good to others. We tuck it away so we can come to church. We tuck it away so people won't be grossed out by it. We tuck it away because if we ignore it, it may just go away. At least, that's what we want to believe.
The reality is that as good as we look on the outside, and as together we may pretend to have it, each of us are broken. And when Satan convinces us that our brokenness should be kept secret, we begin a journey through darkness that he convinces us we need to face alone. But Jesus came to set us free. We are promised that we can be filled with the Holy Spirit and that light and darkness cannot co-exist. So we have a choice to make. Expose the secrets to the light and receive healing as promised in the book of James, or continue to walk in darkness, justifying that somehow our sin is different, or that God will just ignore it and let it pass.
I want to encourage you, as I did at the end of the service on Sunday, to find someone to confess your sin to. That you may be set free from your addiction, habit, mindset, etc...that keeps you walking in darkness. Resist the devil and he will flee, and some of you need to resist by refusing to keep your secret sin a secret any longer.
If you would like to talk with a pastor please feel free to call the church office. Or find a believing friend or person in a Bible study that you trust and allow them to accept and love you through the healing.
It is so easy to look around and condemn the sin in other people's lives. It is easy to view the sinful actions of others, shake our head, and think how displeased God must be with their actions. The sins of others are ALWAYS worse or a bigger deal than the sin in our own lives...right?
This week as we venture into Defining the Relationship with God in Romans chapter 2:1-16, Paul doesn't pull any punches as he addresses the mindset of believers who are quick to call out the sins of others, but are unwilling to see the secret sin in their own life.
Read through Romans 1:1-2:16 as we prepare to hear God's word for the secret sin in each of our lives, and the destruction that comes from trying to hide the sin that God sees anyway.
See ya Sunday,
Jeff
This week’s “Reflection” by Gary Keith, Executive & Teaching Pastor
Broken
Romans 1:18-32
“How’s that workin’ for you?” is a common way Dr. Phil responds to guests on his show after they have just explained the mess they are in and how they are handling it. I couldn’t help but think about that as I reflected on the sermon for this week. Paul paints a very clear picture of why we are a broken people and the results of our brokenness in our relationship with God and with people.
Probably the most remembered and controversial part of Paul’s words in this passage is God’s view of homosexual behavior. I know this is a controversial subject to talk about and I also know that the church in America hasn’t done a very good job at representing God on this issue. I say that because God does not rate one sexual sin any different than any other – whether it be sex before marriage, sex outside of marriage, or homosexual behavior – all sexual sin is seen the same way by God, and yet the church seems to put more emphasis on homosexual behavior than adulterous behavior. I think this is inaccurate.
Why is it that people who sin by having sex before marriage or are involved in adultery feel more accepted in church than gay people? I’d like to hear your thoughts on this.
Also if you are gay and believe your were born that way and then read in the Bible that homosexual behavior is a sin, how does that cause you to think about God? I wonder about that as well.
This subject of brokenness affects all of us in some way – if you’re willing use this blog to reply to these questions or share something else that is on your mind.
Next week: Romans 2:1-16
This week we start a new series called “Define the Relationship.” It’s a study of the first five chapters of the New Testament book of Romans. For many, going to church is simply a religious activity. These people would more than likely define God as a distant being who makes rules for everyone to follow. If you follow these rules religiously, then all will be well; if you don’t, well that’s a whole other story.
It wasn’t until I went through a personal crisis in my early twenties that I began to really seek something more than religious activity. And in my seeking I found that God wanted not religious activity, but a personal relationship with His people – including me. In this series we will explore the different dimensions of our relationship with God. What is God like? How has He revealed Himself to us? What does He want from us? What does it mean to have a relationship with Him? What can I expect if I put my trust in Him? What about my sin and His holiness? How does that work?
As we start our series this week we will look at the broken condition of our relationship with God. May I suggest that you read Romans chapter one. We’ll focus on verses 18-32.
Also be praying for the 18 million Christian Egyptians as their country experiences much uncertainty during this revolution.
Gary
As we wrap up this series through the first 5 chapters of Romans, I am struck by the awareness that the Holy Spirit has brought to my life in regards to the relationship that God is offering, and the choices we have to make regarding how we will Define The Relationship. 