Book: Romans

Let’s hear it for the moms! In a culture that increasingly devalues children, mothers are actively involved in a counter – cultural revolution. And in the kingdom of God, says the Apostle Paul in Romans 16, there are communities of faithful people to nurture and provide for our children alongside ourselves. Hear a full-throated defense of motherhood, with a special word in praise of the mothering community we call the church.

Why should you be baptized? Because of the depth and the riches of blessings associated… read more

“All things praise thee, Lord most high,
heaven and earth and sea and sky,
all were for your glory made,
that thy greatness thus displayed,
should all worship bring to thee;
all things praise thee: Lord, may we.” — George William Conder (1874)

Going to God in prayer is meant to disable all the signals coming from our culture, and even quiet the noise in our heads. It stops the outside voices clamoring for our attention, and forces us to be still. Why? Because we are not actually in control of our lives; and God wishes to communicate with us and even navigate our way in the world.

Join us as we search for the gospel in Romans.

In AD 150, a letter to Diognetus claims that Christians deny the Greek gods, eschew greed, remain faithful in marriage, and welcome persecution. They respond to abuse with love. This is the church before the watching world. Or is it?

Imagine if that terrible moment—that mistake you relive over and over again in your mind—was erased from your record. Imagine if, like in some fantastic dream, you were loved without limit and forgiven forever. Imagine if you were accepted. Loved by the God who made you. Forgiven by the God who bought you. Declared innocent by the God who died for you. Imagine if there were no stones to throw.

The gospel is not just a list of beliefs about something that happened 2,000 years ago. It’s the controlling narrative that makes sense of everything that’s ever happened, and everything that will happen. It is the constant flowing river underneath every commandment, every prophetic message, every story of conflict between good and evil, and every hope expressed to God by a people crying out for deliverance.

Christianity has been around a long time, and we have had every chance to tell the story differently. We could have removed the cross and talked about a good man who taught pleasant things intended to help us think better thoughts about ourselves and others. But Christians have always–and continue–to preach Christ crucified. What appeared to be the world’s greatest tragedy was, in fact, our salvation. So…why is the cross good news?