Today Pastor Steve Cook preaches on Romans 8:26-39, the concluding section of the first part of Romans. These are words of encouragement and hope, not simply in the face of death but for the challenges of life in Christ today.
Texts:In this section of Romans 8 Paul tells us that we are children of God, forever adopted into God's family and recipients of all of God's promises. What do we do with this wonderful gift? Pastor Janine explores this with us as we continue to study Paul's letter to the Romans.
Texts:
Isaiah 44:6-8
Romans 8:12-25
Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43
Sermon Audio
This week, Pastor Dee Pederson preaches on the Second Reading - Romans 8:1-11. She focuses on the difference between walking according to the flesh (picture yourself saying, hands on hips, "You're not the boss of me now, God!") and walking in the freedom of the Spirit, following the way of the cross.
In this sermon, based on Romans 7:15-25a, Pastor Steve Cook speaks about church - the community of Jesus Followers - as a place for truth telling. Whenever and wherever Jesus Followers gather we can speak of the truth that this world is a broken hurting place, filled with broken hurting people. Even more importantly, Church is the place where we can speak the more powerful truth that this world is not the world the Creator had in mind. The Good News is that there is a whole new world coming, the world the Creator had in mind from the beginning. In the death and resurrection Jesus we are set free to live into God’s New Reality now.
Texts:
Zechariah 9:9-12
Romans 7:15-25a
Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30
Sermon Audio
As we continue with Romans 6 Pastor Janine reminds us that as baptized children of God, sin no longer has a vote in our lives, unless of course we give it that vote! The promise of God's forgiveness, freedom and love are here now. Paul asks us to consider, in Romans 6:12-23 whether we live our lives reflecting the truth of our baptism or not.
