08/22          Romans 2:3-8 

Since you judge others for doing these things, why do you think you can avoid God’s judgment when you do the same things? 4 Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin? 5 But because you are stubborn and refuse to turn from your sin, you are storing up terrible punishment for yourself. For a day of anger is coming, when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.  6 He will judge everyone according to what they have done. 7 He will give eternal life to those who keep on doing good, seeking after the glory and honor and immortality that God offers. 8 But he will pour out his anger and wrath on those who live for themselves, who refuse to obey the truth and instead live lives of wickedness. 

LIFE

We choose the life we will live.  God in Christ calls us to surrender our life to Him and He will give us a worthy, God focused life.  When we are focused on Jesus we will do what God wants us to do.  Obedience is a foundation step in the daily Christian life style.  

08/21          Romans 2:1-2 

You may think you can condemn such people, but you are just as bad, and you have no excuse! When you say they are wicked and should be punished, you are condemning yourself, for you who judge others do these very same things. 2 And we know that God, in his justice, will punish anyone who does such things. 

MIRROR

When you are condemning others, judging others, look in the mirror first and you will see the worst offender in the world.  Love one another.  Jesus is Lord.  

08/20          Romans 1:26-32 

That is why God abandoned them to their shameful desires. Even the women turned against the natural way to have sex and instead indulged in sex with each other. 27 And the men, instead of having normal sexual relations with women, burned with lust for each other. Men did shameful things with other men, and as a result of this sin, they suffered within themselves the penalty they deserved. 28 Since they thought it foolish to acknowledge God, he abandoned them to their foolish thinking and let them do things that should never be done. 29 Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness, sin, greed, hate, envy, murder, quarreling, deception, malicious behavior, and gossip. 30 They are backstabbers, haters of God, insolent, proud, and boastful. They invent new ways of sinning, and they disobey their parents. 31 They refuse to understand, break their promises, are heartless, and have no mercy. 32 They know God’s justice requires that those who do these things deserve to die, yet they do them anyway. Worse yet, they encourage others to do them, too.

FACT
God gave them up to their own desires and sin exploded just as it has today.  Look at your life, your heart and make sure that you have asked Jesus into your, that He would forgive you and that you believe in Him that He has saved you.  Jesus is Lord.  

08/19          Romans 1:21-25 

Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused. 22 Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools. 23 And instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshiped idols made to look like mere people and birds and animals and reptiles. 24 So God abandoned them to do whatever shameful things their hearts desired. As a result, they did vile and degrading things with each other’s bodies. 25 They traded the truth about God for a lie. So they worshiped and served the things God created instead of the Creator himself, who is worthy of eternal praise! Amen.

SIN

Mankind is dead in trespasses and sin.  No one is righteous, no not one.  We are all in need of a Savior.  God sent His son that we might have life and that more abundantly.  

08/18          Romans 1:18-20 

But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness. 19 They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them. 20 For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God. 

LOST

The Lost are lost but God reaches out to them in the everyday activities of life.  You cannot say there is no God.  You cannot deny God’s reaching out to you.  But people do say there is no God and people do deny God.  All people are dead in their trespasses and sin and there is no other way to the Father except Jesus Christ.  Tell the Good News everywhere and to everyone. 

08/17          Romans 1:15-17 

So I am eager to come to you in Rome, too, to preach the Good News. 16 For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile.  17 This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.”

GOOD NEWS

The Good News about Jesus is a powerful weapon, giving power to the lost to recognize what God is doing for them.  This free gift from God is available to them by faith.  It will enable them to have real life.  It will give them light in the darkness.  The things in their life that are sinking them will be made right-new heart, new life.  

08/16          Romans 1:13-14 

I want you to know, dear brothers and sisters, that I planned many times to visit you, but I was prevented until now. I want to work among you and see spiritual fruit, just as I have seen among other Gentiles. 14 For I have a great sense of obligation to people in both the civilized world and the rest of the world, to the educated and uneducated alike. 

PEOPLE

People count with Jesus.  All people count.  You count.  Make sure that the people around you know that they count.  Tell Jesus’ story and live it.  

08/15          Romans 1:10-12 

One of the things I always pray for is the opportunity, God willing, to come at last to see you. 11 For I long to visit you so I can bring you some spiritual gift that will help you grow strong in the Lord. 12 When we get together, I want to encourage you in your faith, but I also want to be encouraged by yours. 

GET
Get with fellow believers as often as possible and remember to join them in worship regularly.  It’s important that we get together with one another to encourage each other and to sharpen our wits about living as a child of God.  The evil one is devious and we need every bit of help we can get to grow.  Also be sure to love one another.  This is critical for our joining together. 

08/14          Romans 1:8-9 

Let me say first that I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith in him is being talked about all over the world. 9 God knows how often I pray for you. Day and night I bring you and your needs in prayer to God, whom I serve with all my heart by spreading the Good News about his Son.

SPEAK

Speak about Jesus to everyone.  He is Lord and worthy of all honor and glory.  We simply talk with others about our relationship to the Lord God of All.  Spread the Good News.  

08/13          Romans 1:5-7 

Through Christ, God has given us the privilege and authority as apostles to tell Gentiles everywhere what God has done for them, so that they will believe and obey him, bringing glory to his name. 6 And you are included among those Gentiles who have been called to belong to Jesus Christ. 7 I am writing to all of you in Rome who are loved by God and are called to be his own holy people. May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace. 

YOU

You believe that Jesus is God and as a result of your belief you are forgiven of your sin, rebellion against God, and have been brought into the family of God.  There is nothing that can separate you from the Father once you have become a member of His family.  Jesus is Lord.