ROMANS 13 Everyone loves a rebel! If you look at our favorite characters in the movies we love or our favorite celebrities, they have a side of rebellion in them. They bravely go against the grain to prove they're right. Usually our heros are rewarded for their behavior. Each of these stories affirm the fantasy that if I got to do what I wanted, when I wanted things...

Romans 12 When I was a student at Columbia Bible College, I remember one of my professors (Dr. Bill Crabb) making the following statement: "If your theology isn't practical, it's probably not biblical." At the time, I wholeheartedly agreed with him, but for all the wrong reasons. Now, I still agree with Dr. Crabb, but for all the right reasons. Let me explain. By the t...

Here are some notes on Romans 11 from the ESV Study Bible. 11:1 The majority of Israel failed to believe. Does this mean that God has rejected his people? Paul presents himself as an example of the remnant that has been preserved, a remnant that indicates that God is not finished with Israel and that he will fulfill the promises made to his people. 11:2 God foreknew. S...

ROMANS 9 In Bible college I double majored in Bible and Bible Teaching. My second degree meant I was an education major who was required to student teach to graduate. Since myadvisor knew of my desire to be a student pastor, she arranged for me to be a high school Bible teacher. For seven of my nine weeks this was an amazing opportunity. The students liked me andresonated...

Romans 8 Rom 8:4 "do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit." Throughout my pre-Christian life, I would often ponder what life was all about; why did things happen the way they did? I wanted to be a scientist, so at various points of my life I thought science would provide an answer. But, science never provided absolutes. Theories and findings cont...

ROMANS 6 Today instead of talking at you I thought I would let you dive into some personal introspection or short time of personal worship. Here is a song, and the lyrics to the song that matches the theme of Romans 6 and what it means to be Dead to sin and Alive to God. Read through the words, and dedicate your day to the loving King who paid your ransom. Creature by...

ROMANS 5 If you missed last Friday's blog, Scott opened our blog entries on the book of Romans with some really good advice; "Don't take any of the next several chapters in isolation." Chapter five kind of forces you to heed that warning. Most translations begin chapter 5 with the word "Therefore." I've heard and read a lot that when you are studying scripture and come ...

ROMANS 4 Romans 4 reveals the consistent nature of God - that He was acting from the beginning of creation to work out His plan. He's always wanted worshippers who approach Him by faith, believing that He is who He says He is, and that He keeps His word to bless those who come to Him (Heb 11:6). Abraham is held up in Romans 4 as an example of God's saving grace. In Abra...

Romans 3 There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. I played baseball growing up. I started with t-ball, graduated to coach pitch, and spent about five years playing goodold-fashioned baseball. Sometime around ...

ROMANS 1 An Important Caution: Don't take any of the next several chapters in isolation. In Paul's letter to the believers in Rome, he begins building a case. But just as when watching a building be constructed you shouldn't make too many assumptions about what the framing says about the finished appearance -- similarly, you should not leap to conclusions based on the ...