The Death-Dealing Catalogue of Sin: The Sins of Those God Abandoned in Romans 1:28
Romans 1:29-31 (NLT) 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 […]
The Tragic Exchange: Truth for Lies, Christ for Barabbas
Romans 1:25 (NLT) 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. Message I. Exchanging the Creator for the Created (Romans 1:25 NLT) How did humanity trade the truth about God for idols and […]
The Glory We Trade: A Call Back to God
Romans 1:23 (NLT) 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. Message God is love (1 John 4:8, 16), Spirit (John 4:24), and invisible (1 Timothy 1:17, 6:16, Colossians 1:15, Deuteronomy 4:15). God knew they were susceptible to idolatry. God […]
Separated from God: Spiritual Blindness and Confusion
Romans 1:21b,c (NLT) And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused. Message I. Spiritual Blindness and Death When the first man and woman ate the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 3:6, https://www.comnc.org/the-beginning-of-sin-refusing-to-worship-and-give-thanks-to-god), they were separated from […]
All My Heart: Serving God, Praying Always, Rejoicing in Faith
Romans 1:8–9 (NLT) 8 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 […]
Jesus, the Passover Lamb: Fulfillment of Scripture in His Death
John 19:31–37 (NKJV) 31 Therefore, because it was the Preparation Day, that the bodies should not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away. 32 Then the soldiers came and broke the legs of […]
The Role of the Holy Spirit and Persecution Foretold
John 15:26–16:15 (NKJV) The Promise of the Holy Spirit 26 “But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me. 27 And you also will bear witness, because you have been with Me from the beginning. 16 “These things […]
Jesus’ Promise of Greater Works, His Manifestation, and the Gift of Peace
John 14:12–31 (NKJV) 12 “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. 13 And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in […]
Choosing Light Over Darkness and Recognizing Divine Authority
John 12:44–50 (NKJV) 44 Then Jesus cried out and said, “He who believes in Me, believes not in Me but in Him who sent Me. 45 And he who sees Me sees Him who sent Me. 46 I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness. 47 And if […]
The Light of the World and the Consequences of Unbelief
John 12:34–43 (NKJV) 34 The people answered Him, “We have heard from the law that the Christ remains forever; and how can You say, ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up’? Who is this Son of Man?” 35 Then Jesus said to them, “A little while longer the light is with you. Walk while you have […]
