Presented With Things Too Wonderful For Us - Romans 3:1-8
God is beyond us. He transcends us and amazingly invites us into things, information and promises that transcend our ability to fully understand. These elements of transcendent knowledge do not work smoothly in the smallness of our human minds and hearts. They are too wonderful for me…. For us! Will they be welcomed and cherished as the beautiful wonders they are or thrown aside under our own judgment?
When God Is Your Audience - Romans 2:12-29
God is holding every human accountable to follow him, either through his provided teaching about Christ’s saving and ruling work or by his ethics being written on their hearts. God desires obedience over ceremony… following from the heart wholly dedicated to Jesus.
Obey The Truth - Romans 2:1-11
In Chapter 2, Paul begins to address those who claim to know God, but rely on their own self-righteousness. He reminds them that God is an impartial judge and calls them to repentance.
The Wrath Humanity Holds - Romans 1:24-32
God’s wrath on our rebellion is evident and willfully embraced until Christ, through the Gospel frees us through repentance and trust in the work of Christ for our needed righteousness.
Understanding The World - Romans 1:18-23
Since the beginning of humanity, we have been warned by God through the presence of his demonstrations of wrath that our denial and negligence of him are a capital offense. We are dishonoring him and in active collaboration in suppressing the truth from others.
Listen To Him! - Romans 1:3-4
The Resurrection asks to the question: "Will you truly listen to Jesus, the one the Father affirmed to you by raising him from the dead?”
Proud Of The Powerful Gospel - Romans 1:16-17
God has chosen to place his saving power in the message of the Gospel itself. The gospel message, promises and world view is our open treasure… or else it is clearly not and in it we newly find the righteousness we have always needed.
The Heart Of A Missionary Shepard- Romans 1:8-15
In this passage, we see Paul’s heart as both a missionary and a shepherd, praying and caring for God’s now and soon to be family.
The Name Above Every Name - Romans 1:5-7
Jesus has dealt graciously with Paul and his fellow apostles and blessed them with the role of being his official emissaries to call the people all the nations to obedience and submission to King Jesus as part of rightfully lifting up the superiority of Christ over everything.
Why We Should Listen to Romans (or any Book of the Bible) - Romans 1:1-3
The authority of God is fully behind the scriptures He has provided for us as He gave them through prophets and apostles, despite these people’s imperfections and sin. If we want to know truth and God’s heart…. Then we cannot find it apart from reading the Scriptures.
Our Need, His Grace, Our Joy - Luke 24:13-53
In this passage, we find an account of transformation, as the resurrection of Jesus moves His disciples from sorrow to joy. By understanding their need, growing in biblical knowledge, and walking in faith – these men are changed in ways that reveal Christ as the source of their faith, wisdom, & satisfaction.
The Fervency of Hope - I Peter 1:13-21
We are called by Christ to fully embrace the long-game work of redemptive history and place all our value and hope and investment in how he promises to richly bless us when he returns.
Muchness - Matt 22:34-40
The essence and fullness of the Old Testament and New Testament call on all of humanity is simple. It is to love God with all our heart, soul and muchness. Anything else is falling short of the glory of God, which we have all done but, thanks to Christ, not longer must continue in it.
Tethered To Our Returning Christ - James 5:7-8
Christ calls us and equips us to wait expectantly for his return and the Spirit will lead us forward into his mission and worship until he comes.
Refocus 2022 #4: Prayer - Romans 8:26-27
Prayer is our direct access to the Father. If we rely on our own power, our prayers will be sporadic, self-centered, and distracted. With the help of the Spirit, our times of prayer can become consistent, God-centered, and focused on His will.
Refocus 2022 #3: Mission - 1 Peter 2:9-12
Christians are made a new creation by God when we put our faith in Jesus. We love and worship him, and are propelled on his mission to love his family and proclaim his excellencies to the world.
Refocus 2022 #2: Family - 1 John 3:1-2
God has called us to be his people and to live as his family. We, now, seek to live in light of this family identity that he has given us.
Refocus 2022 #1: Gospel Titus 3:3-7
In Titus 3 we see how God establishes us as his people through his gracious work in us, and now, how we live as his people is shaped by who he says we are.
Sustained & Rescued - 2 Tim 4:16-22
Paul closes out his second letter to Timothy by exalting in God’s faithfulness to him in his time of most need.