The message, preached on October 31st, 2010, covered Romans 15:20-22, and it can be heard via streaming audio at http://www.swantonalliance.org. Our ambition to push back the darkness calls us to lay new foundations, talk to strangers, and make tough choices. Note: Past sermons can be accessed through the resources page.
Showing posts with label Romans. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Romans. Show all posts
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Command: Share Good News
ALL – Psalm 26:1-12
ALL – Proverbs 20:19
OT – 2 Chronicles 33:14-34:33
NT – Romans 16:8-27
Interesting passage for the day: This is God’s plan of salvation for you Gentles, kept secret from the beginning of time. But now as the prophets foretold and as God commands, this message is being preached everywhere, so that people all around the world will have faith in Christ and obey him. – Romans 16:25b-26, The Living Bible
Thought: Salvation is God’s idea. When a natural disaster strikes and tons of lives perish, and thousands of people are left homeless and without access to clean water or food, those people can’t really save themselves. It takes someone who is already safe and who has the resources to save others – this person has to initiate a Search and Rescue Mission.
That’s what God has done. All of us have been struck by the natural disaster of our own sins and their consequences. But God had the idea to save us. He’s implemented His plan, called the gospel—the Good News. And it is God’s command that those who have the Good News make sure it keeps spreading to others, so that they can be saved, too.
Question: Some people are really gifted at spreading the good news. But while some will spread the Good News more successfully than others, we all have some way to obey God’s command. Even if it seems small, what can you do to spread God’s Good News?
To review the Bible reading plan options, please visit http://tinyurl.com/yj2o7jz.
ALL – Proverbs 20:19
OT – 2 Chronicles 33:14-34:33
NT – Romans 16:8-27
Interesting passage for the day: This is God’s plan of salvation for you Gentles, kept secret from the beginning of time. But now as the prophets foretold and as God commands, this message is being preached everywhere, so that people all around the world will have faith in Christ and obey him. – Romans 16:25b-26, The Living Bible
Thought: Salvation is God’s idea. When a natural disaster strikes and tons of lives perish, and thousands of people are left homeless and without access to clean water or food, those people can’t really save themselves. It takes someone who is already safe and who has the resources to save others – this person has to initiate a Search and Rescue Mission.
That’s what God has done. All of us have been struck by the natural disaster of our own sins and their consequences. But God had the idea to save us. He’s implemented His plan, called the gospel—the Good News. And it is God’s command that those who have the Good News make sure it keeps spreading to others, so that they can be saved, too.
Question: Some people are really gifted at spreading the good news. But while some will spread the Good News more successfully than others, we all have some way to obey God’s command. Even if it seems small, what can you do to spread God’s Good News?
To review the Bible reading plan options, please visit http://tinyurl.com/yj2o7jz.
Monday, August 2, 2010
First-Time Faith
ALL – Psalm 25:12-22
ALL – Proverbs 20:16-18
OT – 2 Chronicles 32:1-33:13
NT – Romans 15:23-16:7
Interesting passage for the day: Greet my good friend Epaenetus. He was the very first person to become a Christian in Asia. – Romans 15:5b, The Living Bible
Thought: Isn’t it amazing that we know who the very first Christian was in Asia (Roman Asia, mind you, not the continent of Asia, necessarily)? What exciting times those must have been for the early believers, going to new places with good news that no one had ever heard!
As each generation passes away, opportunities like this keep being renewed. Missionaries around the world continue to encounter remote people who have never heard the gospel—the good news that Jesus died to save them from their sins, and that He rose again to offer them an eternal, untarnished life. Even here in Swanton, OH, there are people who do not know Jesus Christ, people who would be the first Christians in their families if they would put their hope in Him (at VBS last night, we had some children who did not know what the Bible is, and some who were very confused because they didn’t know what was expected of them during our prayer time).
Christianity is always one generation from extinction. Fortunately, we have Jesus’ promise, “I will build my church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.” Many people are still waiting to hear the good news for the first time—and when they receive it, it will be just as transforming as it was for Epaenetus, the first believer in Asia. Sharing the gospel is still a history-making enterprise—it makes history for each new person to receive Jesus Christ as Lord.
Question: Who was the first person you led to the Lord? How many people do you know for whom turning to Jesus would be a first-time experience in their lives?
To review the Bible reading plan options, please visit http://tinyurl.com/yj2o7jz.
ALL – Proverbs 20:16-18
OT – 2 Chronicles 32:1-33:13
NT – Romans 15:23-16:7
Interesting passage for the day: Greet my good friend Epaenetus. He was the very first person to become a Christian in Asia. – Romans 15:5b, The Living Bible
Thought: Isn’t it amazing that we know who the very first Christian was in Asia (Roman Asia, mind you, not the continent of Asia, necessarily)? What exciting times those must have been for the early believers, going to new places with good news that no one had ever heard!
As each generation passes away, opportunities like this keep being renewed. Missionaries around the world continue to encounter remote people who have never heard the gospel—the good news that Jesus died to save them from their sins, and that He rose again to offer them an eternal, untarnished life. Even here in Swanton, OH, there are people who do not know Jesus Christ, people who would be the first Christians in their families if they would put their hope in Him (at VBS last night, we had some children who did not know what the Bible is, and some who were very confused because they didn’t know what was expected of them during our prayer time).
Christianity is always one generation from extinction. Fortunately, we have Jesus’ promise, “I will build my church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.” Many people are still waiting to hear the good news for the first time—and when they receive it, it will be just as transforming as it was for Epaenetus, the first believer in Asia. Sharing the gospel is still a history-making enterprise—it makes history for each new person to receive Jesus Christ as Lord.
Question: Who was the first person you led to the Lord? How many people do you know for whom turning to Jesus would be a first-time experience in their lives?
To review the Bible reading plan options, please visit http://tinyurl.com/yj2o7jz.
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Free to Show Restraint
ALL – Psalm 25:1-11
ALL – Proverbs 20:13-15
OT – 2 Chronicles 30:1-31:21
NT – Romans 15:1-22
Interesting passage for the day: Let’s please the other fellow, not ourselves, and do what is for his good and thus build him up in the Lord. – Romans 15:2, The Living Bible
Thought: Have you ever been asked not to do a good thing? I mean, you’re having a great time and following Jesus with all your heart at the same time. And then someone gets offended for what seems to be no good reason, and they want you to stop whatever it is you’re doing.
Our tendency is to want to justify ourselves and keep going. Am I right? It’s irritating that anyone would want us to stop. Why stop having a good time when I’m not really hurting anyone? Sure, some moron’s offended, but he shouldn’t be—he’s just a moron!
When we adopt this attitude—when we justify ourselves, reject the “moron” and keep on doing whatever we were doing (because it’s a good thing to do, after all… there’s nothing wrong with it)—we forget and neglect the second greatest command of God: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” We show that we are more concerned with our own pleasures than with pleasing others. It’s not as though the people who get offended are asking us to do something sinful—usually they’re trying to avoid sin, right? So it really comes down to a question of love. Do I love this person enough to stop offending them (even if they’re wrong and a bit stupid)? Or do I love myself and my own way of enjoying life more than I love my neighbor? Our attitudes and behaviors reveal a lot. Love sets us free to accept restrictions—even when they’re pointless.
Question: What are some of the most irritating restrictions other people want for you? Could you respond more lovingly? How?
To review the Bible reading plan options, please visit http://tinyurl.com/yj2o7jz.
ALL – Proverbs 20:13-15
OT – 2 Chronicles 30:1-31:21
NT – Romans 15:1-22
Interesting passage for the day: Let’s please the other fellow, not ourselves, and do what is for his good and thus build him up in the Lord. – Romans 15:2, The Living Bible
Thought: Have you ever been asked not to do a good thing? I mean, you’re having a great time and following Jesus with all your heart at the same time. And then someone gets offended for what seems to be no good reason, and they want you to stop whatever it is you’re doing.
Our tendency is to want to justify ourselves and keep going. Am I right? It’s irritating that anyone would want us to stop. Why stop having a good time when I’m not really hurting anyone? Sure, some moron’s offended, but he shouldn’t be—he’s just a moron!
When we adopt this attitude—when we justify ourselves, reject the “moron” and keep on doing whatever we were doing (because it’s a good thing to do, after all… there’s nothing wrong with it)—we forget and neglect the second greatest command of God: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” We show that we are more concerned with our own pleasures than with pleasing others. It’s not as though the people who get offended are asking us to do something sinful—usually they’re trying to avoid sin, right? So it really comes down to a question of love. Do I love this person enough to stop offending them (even if they’re wrong and a bit stupid)? Or do I love myself and my own way of enjoying life more than I love my neighbor? Our attitudes and behaviors reveal a lot. Love sets us free to accept restrictions—even when they’re pointless.
Question: What are some of the most irritating restrictions other people want for you? Could you respond more lovingly? How?
To review the Bible reading plan options, please visit http://tinyurl.com/yj2o7jz.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Are You (Really) A Christian?
ALL – Psalm 11:1-7
ALL – Proverbs 19:10-12
OT – 1 Chronicles 19:1-21:30
NT – Romans 2:24-3:8
Interesting passage for the day: For you are not real Jews just because you were born of Jewish parents or because you have gone through the Jewish initiation ceremony of circumcision. No, a real Jew is anyone whose heart is right with God. – Romans 2:28-29a, The Living Bible
Thought: By the time the Holy Spirit inspired the writing of the letter to the Romans, there were no second-generation Christians—or at least, there were very few of them. Christianity was still counter-cultural, uncommon, different. The idea that Christians were the people of God was still a new idea.
The Jews, on the other hand, were not only a religious group, but a nation. And even though they were taught that each of them individually needed to obey God, the fact of the matter was that many of them felt as though being part of the Jewish people and being moderately aware of God and His expectations was enough to make them the people of God.
Almost two thousand years later, these verses no longer apply only to the Jews. Christians and their religious culture have spread globally for generation after generation. Even among those of us who teach our children that they must have their own relationship with God, there is almost a Christian-nationalistic expectation that our children will, in fact, put their lives in God’s hands. And our children have learned that other Christians are satisfied to accept them into the church if they claim to have prayed to Jesus for salvation—even if they continue to pursue their own desires and show little other devotion to Jesus.
So for us this verse could be re-phrased: You are not real Christians just because you grew up in a Christian home or because you prayed a prayer of salvation or were accepted into a Christian church, or even baptized! No, a real Christian is anyone whose heart is right with God.
Question: Why do you believe your heart is right with God? Is your reason only about your past interactions with God? Or is your heart right with God today?
To review the Bible reading plan options, please visit http://tinyurl.com/yj2o7jz.
ALL – Proverbs 19:10-12
OT – 1 Chronicles 19:1-21:30
NT – Romans 2:24-3:8
Interesting passage for the day: For you are not real Jews just because you were born of Jewish parents or because you have gone through the Jewish initiation ceremony of circumcision. No, a real Jew is anyone whose heart is right with God. – Romans 2:28-29a, The Living Bible
Thought: By the time the Holy Spirit inspired the writing of the letter to the Romans, there were no second-generation Christians—or at least, there were very few of them. Christianity was still counter-cultural, uncommon, different. The idea that Christians were the people of God was still a new idea.
The Jews, on the other hand, were not only a religious group, but a nation. And even though they were taught that each of them individually needed to obey God, the fact of the matter was that many of them felt as though being part of the Jewish people and being moderately aware of God and His expectations was enough to make them the people of God.
Almost two thousand years later, these verses no longer apply only to the Jews. Christians and their religious culture have spread globally for generation after generation. Even among those of us who teach our children that they must have their own relationship with God, there is almost a Christian-nationalistic expectation that our children will, in fact, put their lives in God’s hands. And our children have learned that other Christians are satisfied to accept them into the church if they claim to have prayed to Jesus for salvation—even if they continue to pursue their own desires and show little other devotion to Jesus.
So for us this verse could be re-phrased: You are not real Christians just because you grew up in a Christian home or because you prayed a prayer of salvation or were accepted into a Christian church, or even baptized! No, a real Christian is anyone whose heart is right with God.
Question: Why do you believe your heart is right with God? Is your reason only about your past interactions with God? Or is your heart right with God today?
To review the Bible reading plan options, please visit http://tinyurl.com/yj2o7jz.
Knowledge Puffs Up
ALL – Psalm 10:16-18
ALL – Proverbs 19:8-9
OT – 1 Chronicles 16:37-18:17
NT – Romans 2:1-23
Interesting passage for the day: You are so proud of knowing God’s laws, but you dishonor him by breaking them. – Romans 2:23, The Living Bible
Thought: This was originally written to Jews. But Christianity has now been around for 2,000 years, so now even Gentiles with a Christian heritage tend to know God’s laws, and to know them very well. We get to be very content with thinking of ourselves as Christians who know God and who know how to please Him, but we often grow complacent about following Christ.
God is not pleased when we claim to be His people and to know how to please Him, but then refuse to obey Him. God wants us to say no to our temptations instead of making excuses for how often we cave in and sin. God asks us to exercise self-control—one of the fruits of the Spirit. He is not happy with our lackadaisical shrugs, with us saying, “I’m only human.” God has given us His Holy Spirit, and we are now capable of obeying. Perhaps we’re not capable of perfection, but we’re certainly capable of much more zealous and fervent obedience to God than most of us display.
Question: How much of God’s Word have you heard? How much are you obeying what you’ve heard? Why is there a difference?
To review the Bible reading plan options, please visit http://tinyurl.com/yj2o7jz.
ALL – Proverbs 19:8-9
OT – 1 Chronicles 16:37-18:17
NT – Romans 2:1-23
Interesting passage for the day: You are so proud of knowing God’s laws, but you dishonor him by breaking them. – Romans 2:23, The Living Bible
Thought: This was originally written to Jews. But Christianity has now been around for 2,000 years, so now even Gentiles with a Christian heritage tend to know God’s laws, and to know them very well. We get to be very content with thinking of ourselves as Christians who know God and who know how to please Him, but we often grow complacent about following Christ.
God is not pleased when we claim to be His people and to know how to please Him, but then refuse to obey Him. God wants us to say no to our temptations instead of making excuses for how often we cave in and sin. God asks us to exercise self-control—one of the fruits of the Spirit. He is not happy with our lackadaisical shrugs, with us saying, “I’m only human.” God has given us His Holy Spirit, and we are now capable of obeying. Perhaps we’re not capable of perfection, but we’re certainly capable of much more zealous and fervent obedience to God than most of us display.
Question: How much of God’s Word have you heard? How much are you obeying what you’ve heard? Why is there a difference?
To review the Bible reading plan options, please visit http://tinyurl.com/yj2o7jz.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Thankful or Confused
Interesting passage for the day: Yes, they knew about him all right, but they wouldn’t admit it or worship him or even thank him for all his daily care. And after awhile they began to think up silly ideas of what God was like and what he wanted them to do. The result was that their foolish minds became dark and confused. – Romans 1:21, The Living Bible
Thought: One of the most important responses to knowing that God’s alive and well is not just to say so, but to thank Him for His daily care. God created each one of us. He saw us through the nine months in our mothers’ wombs, He helped us out the birth canal, He provided us with fathers and mothers, with protection and care and nourishment. God has given us every breath we’ve breathed. He’s seen us through sickness. He’s helped us grow in every way.
Thankfulness is so important. From Romans, you can see that when people refuse to thank God for His blessings they begin to pretend they know how to go through the paths of life on their own, and their lives become muddled, senseless and confusing.
Question: How long has it been since you have thanked God for anything? Especially for His “normal” daily blessings? Would it be hard to thank Him because it’s been so long? Would it help if you sat down and decided to write out a list of at least ten, fifteen, or twenty-five blessings, and then spent time thanking Him? Share a few snippets of how God has blessed you.
To review the Bible reading plan options, please visit http://tinyurl.com/yj2o7jz.
Thought: One of the most important responses to knowing that God’s alive and well is not just to say so, but to thank Him for His daily care. God created each one of us. He saw us through the nine months in our mothers’ wombs, He helped us out the birth canal, He provided us with fathers and mothers, with protection and care and nourishment. God has given us every breath we’ve breathed. He’s seen us through sickness. He’s helped us grow in every way.
Thankfulness is so important. From Romans, you can see that when people refuse to thank God for His blessings they begin to pretend they know how to go through the paths of life on their own, and their lives become muddled, senseless and confusing.
Question: How long has it been since you have thanked God for anything? Especially for His “normal” daily blessings? Would it be hard to thank Him because it’s been so long? Would it help if you sat down and decided to write out a list of at least ten, fifteen, or twenty-five blessings, and then spent time thanking Him? Share a few snippets of how God has blessed you.
To review the Bible reading plan options, please visit http://tinyurl.com/yj2o7jz.
Monday, July 12, 2010
Missionary Kindness
ALL – Psalm 9:13-20
ALL – Proverbs 19:4-5
OT – 1 Chronicles 12:19-14:17
NT – Romans 1:1-17
Interesting passage for the day: And now, through Christ, all the kindness of God has been poured out upon us undeserving sinners; and now he is sending us out around the world to tell all people everywhere the great things God has done for them, so that they, too, will believe and obey him. – Romans 1:5, The Living Bible
Thought: When you think about God, what is the first characteristic that pops into your head? His power? His eternity? His knowledge of everything? His enormity? His holiness? When I think about God, I often think about how impressive He is. But as important as it is to remember how impressive God is and how much greater He is than we are, God also wants us to approach Him. And sometimes thinking about all these qualities that are so impressive to us humans ends up creating fear in us rather than a desire to approach God.
But God is not only impressive because of His power and holiness. God’s kindness is impressive, too. God’s kindness is so impressive that it invites us to draw close to Him. He is so kind that, even though we have disobeyed Him, He sent Jesus Christ to suffer for our sins instead of us. And God is so kind that he sends His disciples to their neighbors and families, and even around the world, to make sure that no one has to miss out on what Jesus Christ did for us. God is so kind that He not only opened the door for us to approach Him, but He is sending invitations out to us every day so that we know His door is open.
Question: Have you realized how kind God is to you? Have you experienced His kindness? Have you helped to extend God’s kindness by letting other people know about it? If not, will you?
To review the Bible reading plan options, please visit http://tinyurl.com/yj2o7jz.
ALL – Proverbs 19:4-5
OT – 1 Chronicles 12:19-14:17
NT – Romans 1:1-17
Interesting passage for the day: And now, through Christ, all the kindness of God has been poured out upon us undeserving sinners; and now he is sending us out around the world to tell all people everywhere the great things God has done for them, so that they, too, will believe and obey him. – Romans 1:5, The Living Bible
Thought: When you think about God, what is the first characteristic that pops into your head? His power? His eternity? His knowledge of everything? His enormity? His holiness? When I think about God, I often think about how impressive He is. But as important as it is to remember how impressive God is and how much greater He is than we are, God also wants us to approach Him. And sometimes thinking about all these qualities that are so impressive to us humans ends up creating fear in us rather than a desire to approach God.
But God is not only impressive because of His power and holiness. God’s kindness is impressive, too. God’s kindness is so impressive that it invites us to draw close to Him. He is so kind that, even though we have disobeyed Him, He sent Jesus Christ to suffer for our sins instead of us. And God is so kind that he sends His disciples to their neighbors and families, and even around the world, to make sure that no one has to miss out on what Jesus Christ did for us. God is so kind that He not only opened the door for us to approach Him, but He is sending invitations out to us every day so that we know His door is open.
Question: Have you realized how kind God is to you? Have you experienced His kindness? Have you helped to extend God’s kindness by letting other people know about it? If not, will you?
To review the Bible reading plan options, please visit http://tinyurl.com/yj2o7jz.
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