Sep 11, 2022
Stumbling Out of Sin into Salvation
Series: Romans
Driving down a twisty mountain road, coming home from a camping trip, one of our daughters got car sick.  We had to pull over to get her cleaned up.  A few minutes later, some of our friends with whom we'd been camping pulled up behind us to see if everything was okay.  As my friend was walking back to his car, he happened to cast a glance at the wheel on the trailer he was towing and discovered that the bearings had failed, and the wheel had almost come completely off the axle.  If he hadn't stopped, he most certainly would have lost the wheel in just a few more miles. Sometimes unpleasant things happen, but they lead to something good.  In this case, my daughter getting sick, led to my friend pulling over, and narrowly avoiding what would have been a bad accident on a mountain road. 
 
In Rom. 11:11-24 we find that Israel's rejection of the Gospel led to its spread to other nations, resulting in salvation for many people.  God continued to leave the door open for repentance and the acceptance of the gift of forgiveness He offers to all.  But, it all started with Israel. Three things stand out in this section of Romans: 1) God can bring blessings out of bad things; 2) Watch out for pride & presumption about our place with God; 3) God promises to receive those who are repentant.
 
What we find is that - faith is the one way to have a right relationship with God.
 
 
Romans 11:11-24
Sept. 11, 2022
 
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  • Sep 11, 2022Stumbling Out of Sin into Salvation
    Sep 11, 2022
    Stumbling Out of Sin into Salvation
    Series: Romans
    Driving down a twisty mountain road, coming home from a camping trip, one of our daughters got car sick.  We had to pull over to get her cleaned up.  A few minutes later, some of our friends with whom we'd been camping pulled up behind us to see if everything was okay.  As my friend was walking back to his car, he happened to cast a glance at the wheel on the trailer he was towing and discovered that the bearings had failed, and the wheel had almost come completely off the axle.  If he hadn't stopped, he most certainly would have lost the wheel in just a few more miles. Sometimes unpleasant things happen, but they lead to something good.  In this case, my daughter getting sick, led to my friend pulling over, and narrowly avoiding what would have been a bad accident on a mountain road. 
     
    In Rom. 11:11-24 we find that Israel's rejection of the Gospel led to its spread to other nations, resulting in salvation for many people.  God continued to leave the door open for repentance and the acceptance of the gift of forgiveness He offers to all.  But, it all started with Israel. Three things stand out in this section of Romans: 1) God can bring blessings out of bad things; 2) Watch out for pride & presumption about our place with God; 3) God promises to receive those who are repentant.
     
    What we find is that - faith is the one way to have a right relationship with God.
     
     
    Romans 11:11-24
    Sept. 11, 2022
     
    To watch the video of this message, click here.
  • Sep 4, 2022God’s Grace is Always Amazing
    Sep 4, 2022
    God’s Grace is Always Amazing
    Series: Romans
    There are kind people in the world.  We experience their graciousness at times when we truly don't deserve it.  Maybe you made it up to the counter with your purchase and suddenly realized you were 50 cents short, but the cashier let you make the purchase anyway.  It's not that you deserved it or earned it.  That person was just showing you a little grace.
     
    God's grace is even more amazing than that!  God faithfully offers forgiveness and salvation for our sins throughout the course of our lives.  He waits patiently for us to accept His gracious offer, because He wants an eternal relationship with us.  God's forgiveness is not something we can earn, and it is certainly not something we deserve.  It's just God's amazing grace at work.
     
    God’s faithfulness and grace mean He isn’t finished with you yet.
     
     
    Romans 11:1-10
    Sept. 4, 2022
     
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  • Aug 28, 2022What Have You Heard?
    Aug 28, 2022
    What Have You Heard?
    Series: Romans
    Many of the things we do in life have a particular order to them, and often if things are attempted out of order, it just wont work.  When I was a paramedic and was going to start an I.V. on someone, there were a number of things that had to be done before I pulled out that needle. I needed to open a bag of Saline; attach the drip tubing and purge it of air; prepare any containers to take blood samples; set out tape and items necessary to secure the I.V. to the patient; place a tourniquet on their arm; swab the location with alcohol; and then I was finally ready to get the needle out.
     
    There is an order to things for hearing God's Good News as well.  You can't call on God if you don't believe in Him; you can't believe in Him if you've never heard of Him; you wont hear of Him if nobody tells you about Him; and that can't happen unless somebody is willing to go tell people.
     
    People need to hear the Good News that they can ask God for His gracious salvation.
     
     
    Romans 10:14-21
    Aug. 28, 2022
     
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  • Aug 21, 2022The Simplicity of Salvation
    Aug 21, 2022
    The Simplicity of Salvation
    Series: Romans
    If you've ever seen a Rube Goldberg machine you know that it's a complicated device designed to perform a simple task.  For instance, one machine incorporated 98 separate steps to simply open a book.
     
    Like Rube Goldberg machines, we humans can sometimes unnecessarily complicate things too.  One such area is the matter of Salvation.  Salvation is quite simple according to Scripture.
     
    In Romans 10:1-13, Paul shows us the simplicity of Salvation.  First, we need a right understanding of God's righteousness.  Secondly, God's righteousness is received by faith.  And, Thirdly, God's righteousness is available to all.
     
    Salvation is not about what we know or do, it’s about what we believe  confess.
     
     
    Romans 10:1-13
    Aug. 21, 2022
     
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  • Aug 14, 2022Stumbling Over the Savior
    Aug 14, 2022
    Stumbling Over the Savior
    Series: Romans
    We've probably all seen people walking around, so focused on their phones, that they've stumbled into fountains, bushes, or even run into things.  When our attention is elsewhere, it's easy to get tripped up.
     
    As Paul concludes chapter 9 of his letter to the Romans, he speaks of Christ as a stumbling stone for some people.  When it comes to receiving God's forgiveness and salvation, sometimes people get tripped up.  Paul's words highlight 3 stumbling stones people still trip over today: 1) We can stumble over our own sin; 2) We can stumble over our own service; 3) We can stumble over salvation’s simplicity.
     
    Don’t get tripped up trying to earn salvation, simply trust in Christ.
     
     
    Romans 9:30-33
    Aug. 14, 2022
     
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  • Aug 7, 2022The Problem With Presumption
    Aug 7, 2022
    The Problem With Presumption
    Series: Romans
    Have you ever jumped to a conclusion, or judged a book by its cover?  If you have, then you understand what it is to "presume" something.  Sometimes we may be right in our presumptions, other times we may be wrong.
     
    In Rom. 9:19, Paul suggests a presumption that his readers might have held – if God is in control of everything, then how is it fair for Him to blame us for sin?  In verses 20-29, Paul responds with 3 truths which reveal that most of our problems with God seeming unfair arise because our image or understanding of God is distorted by our own presumptions.
     
    The truth is: 1) God Has the Right to Deal with His World as He Wishes; 2) God Has Revealed His Patience & Purpose; 3) God Pre-Recorded His Plans through the Prophets.
     
    God shows us patient endurance rather than simply the powerful wrath we deserve.
     
     
    Romans 9:19-29
    Aug. 7, 2022
     
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  • Jul 31, 2022Is God Unjust?
    Jul 31, 2022
    Is God Unjust?
    Series: Romans
    From the time we were little, we developed a well honed sense of fairness.  It showed up at times like when our sibling got a larger helping of dessert than we did (even if it had to be measured in microns).  The thing is, the idea of fairness and justice can vary from person to person.  What seems fair to one person might seem unfair to another.
     
    This has led some to question God's fairness.  Is God unjust?  As we wrestle through what Paul has written in Romans 9 about God's choices, what we come to find out is that, far from being unjust, God is great in mercy.
     
    God's mercy exceeds the measure of our sin.
     
     
    Romans 9:14-18
    July 31, 2022
     
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  • Jul 24, 2022God’s Faithfulness & Your Family Tree
    Jul 24, 2022
    God’s Faithfulness & Your Family Tree
    Series: Romans
    There is a saying in Christianity that, "the ground is level at the foot of the cross."  What this means is that we are all on equal footing when it comes to our need for forgiveness and salvation.  No one is too good to need it, nor is anyone too sinful to receive it.  We don't come into it because of the family we grew up in, nor do we earn it through our own goodness.
     
    Salvation is a gift, offered freely by God who loves us.  He has made a way for us to be saved from the consequences of our sins, and has promised that He will save us, if we will accept His gift.  What Paul shows us in Rom. 9:6-13 is that: 1) Salvation is never based on natural advantages; 2) Salvation is always based on God's promises; 3) Salvation never takes any notice of whether we are good or bad.
     
    Salvation is not based on our pedigree or performance, but on God’s promises.
     
     
    Romans 9:6-13
    July 24, 2022
     
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  • Jul 17, 2022Love Those Who Are Lost
    Jul 17, 2022
    Love Those Who Are Lost
    Series: Romans
    Being lost in an unfamiliar area can be very stressful - not knowing which way to turn, or how to get to where you want to go.  Before you realize that you are lost, you can continue on in blissful ignorance, enjoying the journey.  But, once you discover that you don't know where you are or where you are going, panic starts to set in.
     
    The Bible tells us that we are spiritually lost apart from Christ.  Some don't realize they are lost yet. Others may sense they are lost, but don’t know what to do about it. Still others have found salvation and forgiveness through faith in Christ. Those who have found the way to be saved need to lovingly reach out to those who are still lost seeking to lead them to Christ.
     
    In Romans 9 we see from Paul’s example that we need to have a powerful love for the lost. That love should be marked by at least 5 things: Sincerity, Sorrow, Sacrifice, Insight, and a focus on the Savior.
     
    We need to have a powerful love for the lost, leading us to share God’s love with them.
     
     
    Romans 9:1-5
    July 17, 2022
     
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  • Jul 10, 2022Avoiding Spiritual Amnesia
    Jul 10, 2022
    Avoiding Spiritual Amnesia
    Series: Psalm 119
    Forgetting things is an unfortunate aspect of daily life for most of us.  From time to time, things slip our minds - we forget to stop at the store on the way home, we forget an appointment we made some months earlier, etc.  Regrettably, we can also find ourselves forgetful when it comes to the Bible.  You may be reading a portion of Scripture you know you've read before, but there is a verse that stands out so much, you wonder how you could have forgotten it. 
     
    So, how do we keep from forgetting God’s Word?  3 words – repetition, repetition, repetition.  The more time we spend focused on God’s Word, the easier time we have remembering it.  The psalmist shows us in this final section of Psalm 119 just how focused he is on the word of God – it is 1) the subject of his prayer, it is 2) a matter of praise, 3) he depends on it, and 4) he knows deliverance through it.
     
    Make God’s Word the focus of your prayer, praise, dependence & deliverance.
     
     
    Psalm 119:169-176
    July 10, 2022
     
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