Don’t you wish you could go back in time and make better decisions? Better financial, educational, dating, parenting decisions? I know a couple who had Sam Walton knock on their door and ask for a $1,000 investment in his new store, Walmart. They turned him down since that was their entire savings account.

In our text, Paul makes an amazing statement, “Blessed is the one who has no reason to pass judgment on himself for what he approves.” It points to a deep motivator for many believers: self-condemnation or guilt. It seems so contradictory to live with guilt in a faith that emphasizes complete pardon through grace, but I find it true in my life and those that I minister to. Guilt through self-condemnation is a regular motivator. The problem is that guilt is a horrible sickness of the soul and a life destroying motivation.

Join us Sunday as we consider this statement and worship the One who can truly set us free.

The Roman church, and most NT churches, were in conflict over traditions from the Jewish culture and traditions from the Gentile culture. Jewish believers would struggle to eat meat that wasn’t butchered in a kosher manner, while Gentile believers would struggle to eat meat from an animal sacrificed in the pagan temples. Either group could face a moment where they are afraid of being unclean before God. How does the church have a fellowship meal under these conditions? Should they just form two different churches or model the gospel by joining together? How are these two cultures able to come together as one? How does the gospel, justification by grace through faith in Christ, enable us to experience unity?

Love is the answer! No, not the squishy, emotionally driven teaching of our culture, but the willingness to give up our rights for the sake of another. We are to value others over ourselves (Philippians 2:1-11). Join us Sunday as we worship the One who gave up His rights for the sake of those He loved.

Our text this week is amazing, but it raises several questions. In essence, the Apostle asks the church, “Who made YOU judge of your brothers and sisters?” After all, God has made Jesus Lord and Judge of humanity, as Paul states, quoting Isaiah, As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. Paul says in Philippians 2:10, so that at the name of Jesus ever knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth. So, Paul is rebuking the believers for usurping the role of Christ as Judge.

But it raises several questions. One question: aren’t we called to judge within the church (1 Corinthians 5:12)? Second, if we are justified, what should we expect if we will give an account of ourselves to God (2 Corinthians 5:10)?

Join us as we worship the One God made Judge of the world and consider our role in each other’s lives.

I do some cooking at home in service to my family. Debbie and I coordinate which nights I’m cooking dinner, and I plan my meal around what I know they like (we have some picky eaters). I print my recipe, highlight what I need from the store, head to stinky Kroger after work for food, then rush home. I put on my “have you hugged a Presbyterian?” apron and get to work in the kitchen. Having put it all together, food cooked, I present it to the family, alongside a cake because my rule is “When dad cooks, we all get cake.” Then I wait, watching their reactions, hoping they enjoy it and give me rave reviews. Why do I do that? Is my ego tied to my cooking? Is my identity determined by whether the food is a hit or not? Does my standing in the family change if the food is a bomb? After all, I did provide cake!

In our text, Paul goes after the motive behind our piety. Piety just means our religious practices. In the Roman church, some continued to celebrate religious days and ceremonial food laws. The issue the Apostle challenges is their motive. Their motive explains their desired outcome. Are they acting piously for recognition from others or to get extra credit with God? Neither motive rests in Christ’s grace. So, what should be our motive? How do we evaluate our motive and seek grace to change? Join us Sunday as we engage the only One to live out of love successfully and faithfully.

Have you ever faced criticism from extended family (in-laws) for something that you’ve done differently than the cultural norm? You sit down to family breakfast with grits being served and you put sugar on them instead of butter. Sugar on grits is a southern sin! You’re eating your grits, delighting in the flavor, and notice that everyone is silently looking at you with judgmental eyes. Am I not free to enjoy my grits the way that I want?

Sunday, we’re going to consider one of several principles that help us know how to respond to people who stumble over our freedom in Christ. Join us as we worship the One who made grits and freed us to enjoy them without boundaries. And stop judging me for liking sugar on my grits!

God shows no partiality, Romans 2:11. There is no partiality with Him, Ephesians 6:9. In Scripture, the word partiality is an idiom expressed as accepting face. The simple idea is that we show favoritism to some people based on our preconceived perspectives. Another word is prejudice, which etymologically means to pre-judge someone. We do this with social status, as with the French Revolution, or ethnicities as with the Nazi regime. But we express multiple other prejudices as a people group.

As we will see in the next section of Romans, the church had significant partiality within the community, centered around ethnicity, culture, and conscience. In our text, Paul applies the gospel with precision to expose the sinful root issues, the heart issues that divided the church. Not only is partiality contrary to our common humanity, love itself, and all considerations of grace, it is the opposite of God! Join us as we worship our Holy God, who shows no partiality, Acts 10:34.

Raritan, NJ, a town built by Italian mason workers working at the Duke Estate, is home to Medal of Honor recipient Sergeant John Basilone. John was a gunnery sergeant known for heroic actions in WWII. He was deployed to the Guadalcanal for operation Watchtower. During the battle, he and his team operated large .30 caliber water cooled machine guns, the M1917 Browning, weighing about 30lbs each without ammo. At one point, he ran through enemy lines carrying over 90lbs of weaponry and ammo to supply his team and hold back the attack of 3,000 enemy soldiers. After the battle, over 1,000 enemy combatants were killed. When he was awarded the Medal of Honor in 1943 for his actions in battle, he said, “Only part of this medal belongs to me. Pieces of it belong to the boys who are still on Guadalcanal.”

Being in a battle like the Guadalcanal leaves no room for complacency. A soldier must operate with full situational awareness, considering:  supplies, position of the enemy, and every factor that affects the battle. In addition, if you and your team are to survive the battle, you must operate as a band of brothers with good communication and a strong commitment to each other.

In our text, the Apostle Paul is calling the church to battle the culture and their own flesh, and together live a virtuous life. He says, Let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. But that virtuous life is not something we do alone or in our own power. Paul urges situational awareness and a strong community in union with Christ. Join us as we worship our Hero and seek unity in Christ.

This past week, at a Coldplay concert, the kiss cam focused on a couple embracing each other, urging them to kiss on camera. Once they saw themselves on camera, they immediately separated. The man disappeared, leaving the woman standing alone, and the women turned away from the camera. As it turns out, they were both married to other people, and their adultery was exposed before the world. Their sin has devastated their families, cost them their jobs, and made them the laughing stock of the world. The memes that have come out are brutal.

Our text this week speaks to that moment. Paul urges us to put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for our flesh. Our flesh is focused on self which harms others, not just ourselves. Instead, we’re challenged to live lives of love. Love does not harm others, it blesses others. Join us Sunday as we worship the One who lived for us and not for Himself.

This week well-known California pastor, John MacArthur, died. Beyond being a strong biblical scholar and staunch conservative, he is known in part for his stand against Governor Newsom during COVID by continuing to worship in his church’s sanctuary, against the Governor’s order. His church won the lawsuit and was awarded attorney fees. Thankfully, Governor Kemp did not put us in that position.

Our text raises the question, When should we refuse to obey the orders of civil authority? Our text lays out the source and limits of governmental authority and gives us guidance. It boils down to the Lordship of Christ as the delegator of authority. Join us Sunday as we worship our King and Sovereign, committing ourselves to obedience to Him.

In the late 1700’s, the French people led a revolution against the aristocracy. The king had placed the nation in terrible debt by an extravagant lifestyle (building Versailles) and supporting the American Revolution. The King’s solution was higher taxes on the commoners and business owners (Bourgeoisie), for which the nobility and Roman Catholic Clergy were exempt. When the food crisis came through poor crops, the public revolted, storming the Bastille in 1789. The people cried for freedom from an oppressive and feckless monarchy and church power (liberty), removal of the class and legal divide between the nobility/clergy class and the commoners (equality), and the development of a national identity apart from the king (fraternity).

How does revolution fit into our passage? Paul insists that we incur God’s wrath when we resist His appointed authority. Where does the Lordship of Christ fit into our submission to authority? Well, Sunday we’ll attempt to draw some clear lines from the text as we worship the One who is sovereign over us!