Romans - Masterclass 301
Romans Chapter 8
Glorious Conclusions- Part 3
May 19, 2024 • Pastor Doug Forman • Romans 8:31–39, Colossians 2:13–15, Jude 24–25
Every human being lives with some sense of self or identity. By that I mean, we all have an inward view of ourselves and where we fit in the world that affects how we live our life, interact with people, respond to our circumstances, and make decisions. This week we are going to bring Romans 8 to its final conclusion and the apostle Paul is going to shine a light on an important aspect of the Christian’s identity. He says that, if you are in Christ, you are, right now, more than a conqueror. The question becomes this; how does that present tense truth align with how you see yourself, how you’re responding to life, and the choices that you’re making…right now?
Glorious Conclusions- Part 2
May 12, 2024 • Pastor Doug Forman • Psalm 44:4–22, Romans 8:31–39, Psalm 13:1–2, Romans 8:28–29
Pain hurts. That’s the most obvious statement you will read this week. It always causes us to ask questions and, as Christians, it causes us to ask questions about God. Those questions can range from, “what did I do to deserve this?” to “what am I to learn from this?” This week the apostle Paul is going to confront us with the reality that, according to the sovereign purpose of God, we can do everything that we should be doing to glorify Him and still find ourselves in seasons of hardship. The question becomes, how have you reconciled the sovereignty and love of God in painful circumstances? We hope to help you with that this week.
Glorious Conclusions - Part 1
May 5, 2024 • Pastor Doug Forman • Romans 8:31–34, Romans 6:1–2
It’s been said many times that every good thing must come to an end. Endings are as common as beginnings. This morning, we are beginning a three-week journey to bring Romans 8 to a close. Paul does that by compelling us to look back over all that he has said thus far and draw some conclusions concerning it. He begins this last section of Romans 8 with this question, “What shall we say to these things?” What are we to make of this? I would encourage you not to stop there, but to ask yourself, “What shall we do with these things?” How shall we apply such great and glorious truths to our lives? How will they encourage us, transform us, and motivate us as we live the Spirit-filled life of Christ?
God's Glorious Plan
April 28, 2024 • Pastor Doug Forman • Romans 8:28–30, Ephesians 1:3–5, Ephesians 2:4–7
Our God is a God of both divine purpose and thoughtful, orderly, and effective processes. We can clearly see the reality of this woven into creation from the process of reproduction, physical growth, and even the change of the seasons from winter to spring. It should come as no surprise that salvation would be similarly thoughtful, orderly, and effective in achieving God’s good purposes. Last week we looked at Romans 8:28-30 from the perspective of purpose. This week we will look at it from the perspective of process and discover together how God takes the believer from their unbelief to their ultimate glorification.
What is Good?
April 21, 2024 • Pastor Andy Shanks • Romans 8:28–30, Hebrews 12:5–7, James 1:3–4, Philippians 3:20–21, 1 Peter 4:12–13
Romans 8:28 which states “and we know that for those who love God, all things work together for good” is one of the most known verses in the Bible. However, it is also one of the most misused verses in the Bible, and oftentimes this misuse is by well-meaning Christians. This morning, we will explore this verse and its purpose. We will discuss what it means to be conformed to the image of God, and true power behind these verses when used at the appropriate time in the right context.
Our Helper in Prayer
April 14, 2024 • Pastor Doug Forman • Romans 8:26–27, Psalm 121:1–2, John 15:26, 1 John 5:13–15, Psalm 70:5
This week marks our return to Romans chapter 8 and our verse by verse walk through of the book of Romans that we’ve entitled, Masterclass. Throughout this amazing chapter, the apostle Paul has been emphasizing the person and work of the Holy Spirit in the believer’s life. He does that very thing in this week’s text specifically with regards to prayer. Have you ever found yourself in such a confusing, emotionally heavy, or traumatic moment that you didn’t even know how to pray or what to pray for? Have no fear. Paul encourages us that even in these pressing moments, the Holy Spirit, our Helper, helps us by praying for us in perfect harmony with the will of God. Be encouraged. You are greatly helped.
Judgement is Coming
March 3, 2024 • Pastor Doug Forman • 1 Corinthians 3:10–15, 1 Corinthians 4:5, Romans 14:10–12, Revelation 4:9–11, 1 Corinthians 4:2
Have you ever felt judged by others? What were they looking for? What hung in the balance of that judgement? How did it make you feel? If you're like most people, judgement leaves you feeling vulnerable and uncomfortable. The tension arises for the Christ-follower in the fact that the Bible is very clear that all people, including the Christian, will face divine judgement. This week, as we consider all that is before us beyond this life, we want to explore the importance of living today in light of eternity. What you do in this moment (and why you do it) has a profound impact on what comes next.
A Most Glorious Next
February 25, 2024 • Pastor Doug Forman • Romans 8:23–25, 2 Corinthians 12:9–10, 1 John 3:1–3, 2 Corinthians 11:24–27
It’s hard to live in this present moment when a person is anxiously consumed with what comes next. But what if there was a future before us that is so glorious that it’s actually meant to inform and transform this present moment? That is the reality for the Christ-follower. Our future has already been revealed and the glory of it is meant to transform how we live in this present moment. What is that glorious next for those who know Jesus as their Savior? It’s the complete transformation of our physical bodies when we see Jesus face to face. That reality is meant to change how we walk through the hardships of this present life.
A Biblical View of Creation
February 18, 2024 • Pastor Andy Shanks • Romans 8:18–22, Psalm 65:12–13, Genesis 3:17–19, Genesis 2:19, Isaiah 11:6–9
By its very nature creation glorifies God. However, due to our sin, creation is under bondage and corruption. What is God doing with creation now? What will it look like when the bondage of sin is lifted off of creation? And what should we be doing with creation now? We will be diving into Romans 8:19-22 as we take a closer look at God’s creation. We pray you will be challenged to spend some time in nature, care for creation, dream about what a perfect creation will look like, and worship the God of creation.
Suffering in Perspective
February 11, 2024 • Pastor Doug Forman • Romans 8:18
This morning marks the first of four messages that will have a focus on heaven. In this week’s text, the apostle Paul seeks to compare our present sufferings with our future glory and his conclusion is that they are not comparable to one another. We have all had days when we might have found that hard to believe. Our suffering seems so painful, and heaven seems so far away. The question becomes, what are the glories that are before us? What will heaven be like? What, as Christ-followers, can we expect to happen when we get there, and what impact should those things have on the life we’re living right now?
The Wonderful Fatherhood of God
February 4, 2024 • Pastor Doug Forman • Romans 8:12–17
As Christ-followers, our relationship with God is multi-faceted. He relates to us as Creator, Provider, King, Defender, and in the New Testament all of those things are summarized in His role as Father. This week we will consider the wonderful Fatherhood of God and how great a blessing it is that the sovereign God of heaven and earth would invite us to know Him in such an intimate way. It is our prayer that you can find comfort, joy, peace, and strength from knowing that you have been brought near, made new, and adopted into his family through faith in Jesus Christ. And your Father loves you very much.
Walk in the Spirit
January 28, 2024 • Pastor Doug Forman • Galatians 5:16–18
In our walk through Romans 8 we have been considering the vital role of the Holy Spirit in the sanctification of the Christ- follower. This week we didn’t want to run by this important consideration without striving to understand what it means to “walk in the Spirit?” The reality is this- we are not even living the Christian life if we are not walking in the Spirit. Galatians 5 is a key text in this pursuit, therefore, we are taking a one week break from our walk through the book of Romans to add to what we have been introduced to thus far. We pray that it will be helpful to you.
The Essential Spirit
January 21, 2024 • Pastor Doug Forman • Romans 8:9–11
God’s greatest gift in salvation isn't the forgiveness of sins or the new birth. It’s the gift of Himself in the person of the Holy Spirit. Those other things are essential works of God in our life to make us fit vessels for Him to dwell in. This week we will explore the person and work of the Holy Spirit and the mystery of the Trinity. It is our hope that in all that we cannot explain, we might be moved to awe, wonder, and worship.
The Dynamic Life of the Mind
January 14, 2024 • Pastor Doug Forman • Romans 8:5–8
Every human being will, at some point, wrestle with the duplicity of their own hearts. There are times when each of us wants two things at once. We may want to do the right thing, but we may also want to do, in the very same moment, what we know to be the wrong thing. That’s actually the nature of every temptation. In this week’s text the apostle Paul is going to tell us that the life of the mind points to our underlying, and often controlling, desires of the heart. The question that we will explore, therefore, over the next few weeks is this, are you walking in the Spirit or the flesh? Your thoughts, actions, and desires always reveal the truth of it.
No Condemnation
January 7, 2024 • Pastor Doug Forman • Romans 8:1–4
We are excited to enter 2024 by stepping back into the book of Romans. It is truly a masterclass in logical argumentation. In it the apostle Paul is laying out a defense of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to show that it is legally, logically, theologically, and practically consistent with the rest of Scripture and with its own claims about the God-Man, Jesus of Nazareth. For the next few months we will have the privilege of walking through chapter 8, which many consider to be the greatest single chapter in the entire book.