November 17, 2024 • Pastor Keith Gardner • Romans 12:13–21
Paul started this chapter initially by telling us the type of attitude and character that is needed if we are to fully commit ourselves to serving God whole heartedly. He says we first must surrender our will, goals and desires unto Him, and we do that by sacrificing my mind and my body to the fulfilling of The Lord’s plans for my life instead of my own plans.
More than a Conqueror Romans 12:9-12
November 3, 2024 • Pastor Keith Gardner • Romans 12:9–12
Romans chapter twelve started out by explaining how we as believers are expected to surrender everything that we have to The Lord > mind, body and spirit, and once we have we’ll experience a transformation that will start from the inside out, from our mind, to our will and then our bodies. After fully surrendering Paul then introduces us to the gifts that all believers possess when they get saved, and how these gifts are given to edify and grow God’s Church, they were never intended for selfish use or o bring personal gain.
More than a Conqueror
October 27, 2024 • Pastor Keith Gardner • Romans 12:3–21
Paul has just said that what we believe helps determine how we behave, as God takes hold of our bodies, mind, and will, so that we may present ourselves a living sacrifice unto The Lord. Now he is going to tell us how that is going to look in our everyday life, because for the believer there is a standard in which God expects you and I to hold fast to, and in these last five chapters we will see exactly how were to function within the body and in society.
More than a Conqueror, Romans 12:1-2
October 20, 2024 • Pastor Keith Gardner • Romans 12:1–2
Paul knows that what we believe helps determine how we behave, and that coming to church and understanding what the bible teaches is not enough, we must translate our learning into living; and show by our daily lives that we not only hear the word, but we trust the word enough, to govern our lives by it. The key idea in this section is relationships, and Paul starts with our relationship with God, he knows that if we have a right relationship with God, then we’ll have the right attitude toward the people who are in our lives.
More than a Conqueror, Romans 11:15-36
October 13, 2024 • Pastor Keith Gardner • Romans 11:15–36
Paul is in the process of laying out the salvation plan for both the Church and Israel, telling first the church that there is nothing in this life or the life to come, in the natural or the spiritual that can separate us from the love of God. Paul also says in this letter that although Israel is currently in rebellion toward God, He is still not through with them, and that He is using us the gentiles to help draw them back into a right relationship with Him.
More than a Conqueror, Romans 9:1-33
October 6, 2024 • Pastor Keith Gardner
The Apostle Paul in addressing the Roman church has said some amazing things about both the nation of Israel and the New Testament Church, how there is nothing in this life or the supernatural life that can separate us the Church from God’ love, what an amazing statement. Concerning Israel Paul points out God’s past dealings with them in Ch 9 and highlights the Sovereignty of God, Ch10 Paul shares God’s present dealings with Israel and highlights the grace of God, as both Jew and Gentile are included into the salvation plan, in Ch11 we’ll see God’s future dealings with Israel, declaring the faithfulness of God.
More than a Conqueror, Romans 10:1-21
September 29, 2024 • Pastor Keith Gardner
Paul after sharing about God’s faithful dealings with Israel will continue to highlight how both Israel and the Church are a reflection of the great mercy, forgiveness, and Grace, He has on all of mankind. We are going through the book of Judges during our bible study and time after time we see Israel sin, reap the consequences, cry out to God, and The Lord answer their prayer and deliver them, only to see them repeat the process again, it’s a testament not of Man’s goodness or faithfulness, but of God’s mercy and Sovereignty.
More than a Conqueror, Romans 9:1-33
September 22, 2024 • Pastor Keith Gardner • Romans 9
We enter the second phase of Paul’s letter to the Roman Church, and despite Paul writing to a predominantly gentile congregation, he is going to include his tremendous desire to see his countrymen the Jewish people saved, this despite the extreme opposition Paul received from them as he preaches the gospel to them and others > Acts 23:12- men had taken an oath that they would neither eat nor drink until they had killed and silenced Paul. Yet in the first three verses of chapter nine Paul expresses his love and heart for the people of Israel.
More than a Conqueror, Romans 8:17-39
September 15, 2024 • Pastor Keith Gardner
Paul left off telling the Church that you will know a true believer not by what they say, but by Who their following, as genuine believers are led by The Spirit of God and not by the whims and cares of this world. He is not talking about performing spectacular feats of bravery, or remarkable acts of the supernatural, instead he says V15 there is a gentle leading out of bondage, away from fear, and into a real experience of joy. Then V16 says we’ll embrace true assurance, as God’s Spirit bears witness to our spirit that we are is children, amazing!
More than a Conqueror, Romans 8:1-16
September 8, 2024 • Pastor Keith Gardner • Romans 8
At the end of chapter 7 the Apostle Paul cries out “O’ wretched man that I am Who will deliver me from this body of death” his answer is > “I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord”. Paul upon understanding that in and of himself he is not capable of doing good apart from God and His guidance, realizes that because of Jesus Christ and His sacrifice we are no longer under any condemnation, but have been set free from the sentence of sin-death.
More than a Conqueror, Romans 7:1-25
September 1, 2024 • Pastor Keith Gardner • Romans 7
Paul has just encouraged the believers to understand three things about their salvation and that will help them embrace who they are in Christ > 1st Know that you have been crucified with Christ and are dead to sin, therefore it has no more power over you than what you give to it yourself, 2nd Reckon this fact to be true in your own life, put it in your memory bank, 3rd Yield your body to be used for His glory. So now that you Know these truths, Reckon them to be true in your life, and then Yield yourself o God, that He may have His way with you.
More than a Conqueror Romans 6:1-23
August 25, 2024 • Pastor Keith Gardner • Romans 6
After spending the first four chapters roughly a quarter of the letter explaining how guilty mankind is before God, Paul has now transitioned into how blessed we are through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ The Son of God. Last week we saw that through Jesus we are justified by faith, meaning declared innocent of the death sentence that we were all under before, this has allowed us to receive peace with God, so the battle between ourselves and God is over and He has won, winning us, this has given us access to God, where all barriers including death, sin, traditions, nationalities, have all been torn down, we are free!
More than a Conqueror Romans 5:1-21
August 18, 2024 • Pastor Keith Gardner
In the first four chapters Paul has proven that the whole world is guilty before God and that no one can be saved by good deeds or religious acts such as trying to keep the Law. So now after giving his readers the bad news, he now resolves the crisis by giving us the good news. How through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ man can be declared “justified” means innocent by God, and he began by explaining that God’s way of salvation has always been “by Grace through faith” and he uses the father of faith Abraham as his illustration.
More than a Conqueror, Romans 4
August 11, 2024 • Pastor Keith Gardner • Romans 4
Paul has just explained how all of mankind is guilty before God, from the unrighteous to the self-righteous, the religious to the non religious, from the Jewish to the gentile, it doesn’t matter what’s your stance on life you are guilty before God without a right relationship in accordance to scripture with Jesus. I have to say in accordance with scripture as we live in a day where people profess to serve Jesus but live a lifestyle based on their personal preferences, instead of on what God’s Holy Word has said is acceptable to Him.
More than a Conqueror, Romans 3:1-31
August 4, 2024 • Pastor Keith Gardner • Romans 3
Paul has dealt with those who are unrighteous outwardly and self-righteous inwardly, now he is going to declare everyone guilty before God, which for both the unrighteous and self-righteous is bad news, unless you are willing to surrender yourself upon the mercy of God. This is what makes the bad news actually good news, because God in His infinite wisdom has given condemned man a pardon through the sacrifice of His Son The Lord Jesus Christ.
