November 19, 2023 • Roland Salinas • Romans 7:14–25, James 4:6–10, 2 Corinthians 5
Do you remember the old you from a few years ago when you were a hot mess? Do you remember when you tried to change and still couldn’t get it completely figured out? Welcome to the club. This week we are going to talk about the Old me vs New me. Romans 7:14-25 reminds us that we all mess up, but how we navigate it may be different than what you have been doing.
A Defense of the Law: Romans 7:1-6
November 12, 2023 • Randy Hageman • Romans 7:7–13, Romans 3, Romans 4:13, Romans 10:5
As we’ve progressed through Romans, it may seem like Paul has no use for the law. Yet, God gave the Law to Moses on Mount Sinai. Has something changed, or is there more to understanding the role of the law than many of us first thought? Today Paul helps us explore the importance of the law by showing what it can’t do (and was never meant to do), and what it can do that makes a difference in how we live our lives today!
Freedom from Law: Romans 7:1-6
November 5, 2023 • Randy Hageman • Romans 7:1–6, Romans 12:2, Acts 15:9–11, 2 Timothy 2:13, Romans 8:5–8
In today’s passage, Paul is making the point that through Christ we are not what we were before Christ entered our lives, for we’ve been freed from sin and the law, and this is a fact that we can claim in our lives and, therefore, we must live differently to show this, bearing fruit for the Kingdom, fruit that blesses others versus focusing primarily on ourselves.
Gotta Serve Somebody: Romans 6:15-23
October 29, 2023 • Randy Hageman • Luke 6:43–45, John 15:5–8, Romans 6:15–23, Matthew 6:24, Matthew 12:30
In the spiritual life there’s no such thing as neutrality. As Bob Dylan said, we're “gonna serve somebody” – the only question is who that will be. The Apostle Paul warns us of two distinctly different choices: serving sin or serving God. We may not think the lines are drawn that sharply, but there’s no neutrality in the spiritual realm. Paul shows us who we’re to serve!
Baptism in Christ: Romans 6:1-14
October 22, 2023 • Randy Hageman • Romans 5:20, John 15:4–5, 1 John 3:2, 2 Corinthians 5:17, Romans 6:1–14
Paul has shown us how Christ can remove the penalty of sin from our lives through Christ’s death and resurrection. But what happens after we accept Christ? Just we’re forgiven doesn’t necessarily mean we won’t continue sinning. For that reason, Paul wants us to understand that Christ has done even more for us, and baptism in Christ is a metaphor for this next step in the journey of salvation. It’s a step we need and must claim if we’re going to experience true freedom in Christ.
