May Grace Reign

January 15, 2023 • Jon Morales • Romans 5:12–21

Let's say you're in Hollywood, California doing street interviews, and you ask a few passers-by this question: Who are the two most important people ever to live? What do you think they'd say? A few would mention U.S. presidents. Steve Jobs or Bill Gates might also get a shout-out, as would founders and leaders of the world's religions. It's a tricky question. Or is it?

In week 2 of our Romans series, Pastor Jon explains how the Bible's answer to this question has enormous implications for whether our lives in Christ become new or just newish.

The Law Can't Deliver

February 19, 2023 • Jon Morales • Romans 7:7–25

War is an awful thing, but never more so than when it is a civil war. The internal forces that should work in harmony to bring about good instead turn on each other. The result is not life but death. Civil conflict can tear apart nations, companies, and even churches. But the war the apostle Paul addresses is a personal struggle – we are the battleground! Before entering into the beauty and hope of Romans 8 next week, we must first traverse this last thorny section of Romans 7 as we reach the end of our series, “New or New-ish?”

A Fruitful Marriage

February 12, 2023 • Jon Morales • Romans 7:1–6

Is there a tool or appliance in your home that doesn’t really perform? Maybe it takes your vacuum six passes to pick up a piece of popcorn. Yet, instead of replacing it with a new model, you hang on to it because it still kinda-sorta works. How can you be released from such a dysfunctional machine? It would probably have to die completely. This week in our New or New-ish? series, we continue exploring our union with Christ and what must die to give us the freedom to move into a life-giving relationship with Jesus.

The Freest Slave

February 5, 2023 • Charlie Koopman • Romans 6:15–23

“Hey buddy…wanna buy a watch?” Have you ever been on the receiving end of a bait and switch? You’re enticed to purchase an apparent bargain (say, a Rolex from a street vendor) but receive a vastly inferior product (it tarnishes quickly and doesn’t keep time). Sin is constantly making us such offers regarding our freedom. It promises greater liberties, but we end up more entangled. This week in our series, New or New-ish, the Apostle Paul encourages us to make an exchange that will bring true and lasting freedom.