In the final part of Romans, Pastor Kevin teaches on the church killer of trying to do it alone. In Romans chapters 15-16, Paul gives one final call to unity in the church, followed by giving thanks to all the people who have helped him in his journey, and asking them to pray for him. These chapters remind us of our need for one another as we follow Christ.
Romans 14
In this message, Pastor Kevin shares the next “church killer” — being driven by our opinions and preferences. When we let our personal preferences dictate our church, we cease to be a healthy church. In Romans chapter 14, Paul offers us wisdom for handling “disputed matters”, AKA the grey areas, or areas of life that aren’t clearly defined as right or wrong in scripture. In these matters, we are to listen to our own convictions, but not enforce or judge others for their convictions. Rather, we are called to consider one another, letting love for each other determine how we approach these matters. In short, we are to be stepping stones for one another, not stumbling blocks.
Romans 12b-13
The second church killer we see from the end of Romans 12 and Romans 13 is to love only some people. We are called to love all people, even those who persecute us. This is what sets Christians apart. It's easy to love people who love you back, but Christ teaches us to love even those who wrong us. This means that we are also called to show honor and submission to the government and those over us. Pastor Kevin ends this message by showing us 7 ways to love people we disagree with.
Romans 12a
As we study the last few chapters of Romans, we will take a look at 4 things that can easily kill our church if we engage in them. The first church killer we will see from Romans 12 is comparison. Comparison and competition has no place in the body of Christ. Rather, Paul urges us to offer ourselves as living sacrifices, humbly serving the body of Christ with our talents, gifts, and resources.
Romans 9-11
In this message, Pastor Kevin gives an overview of Chapters 9-11 of Romans. In these chapters, Paul explains that God’s plan to save people off has not changed, is working, and will continue to work. In 9, we see that God is not unjust in who he saves, for we all deserve death. In 10, we see how God has called us to be part of his plan to save people. And in 11, we are called to persevere, remembering that we did nothing to deserve salvation, but receive only by the kindness of God.
Romans 7-8
This week we get to hear from a special guest, Matt Spann, who serves as the Missions Strategist for the Cherokee Strip Baptist Association. Matt teaches through Romans chapters 7-8. In chapter 7, we learn about the internal struggle that takes place in our hearts as we wrestle with sin. Then in chapter 8, we hear about the power of the Holy Spirit in us, helping us in this life while we await the the moment when God will redeem all things.
Romans 5b-6
In this message, Pastor Justin teaches on the second half of Romans 5, and Romans 6. These passages teach us about the seriousness of sin, and the goodness of grace. Paul discusses the nature/origin of our sin through Adam, the origin of righteousness through Christ, and the relationship between sin & grace. This message serves as a warning for us to not take sin lightly, or take the grace of God for granted. Even though Christ’s grace covers our sin, we are called to repent and turn from in, not continue to live in it.
Romans 5a
In this message, Pastor Kevin talks about the benefits of being in Christ, aka the “benefits package” of Christianity. In Christ, we have peace with God, access to God, and hope of the glory of God. We were once enemies with God, but now we stand reconciled with him. Even while we were sinners, Christ died for us. This message calls us to evaluate our standing with God. Do we have peace with God? If not, why? Have we accepted Christ?
Romans 4
In Romans chapter 4, we see Abraham’s example of faith. Abraham, the father of the Israelites, was not made righteous because of his works, but because of his faith. This shows us that we can only saved by faith in Jesus, not by our good works. In this message, Pastor Kevin challenges us to think about where we have placed our faith. What are we leaning on for support in our lives?
Romans 2-3
This week, Pastor Kevin covers chapters 2 and 3 of Romans. In this message, we hear that Paul is encouraging his readers to believe that the gospel is all about heart transformation, not behavior modification. Through digging into some of the Jewish beliefs at the time, we learn that salvation or right-standing with God does not come from following certain traditions. Rather, it comes only through faith in Jesus Christ.
Romans 1
In this message, Pastor Kevin begins our journey through the book of Romans. He walks us through a little bit of the author’s (Paul) background, the background of the audience (Christians in Rome), and why the letter was written. He then talks about Paul’s description of the wrath of God. Because we as humans suppress the truth about God and his creation, and turn away from him to worship the things he made, we all deserve his wrath. However, the hope of the letter of Romans is that God made a way for us to escape judgement, through the power of the gospel, which is available to all people because of Jesus.