Amid the many challenges we have in life, both as Christians and as participants in a fallen and broken world, we need not waver in hope. God himself is with us and working in and around us in everything to ensure that what he has promised us in Christ will indeed eventuate. So we wait patiently, relying on him.
Read the Bible Text – Romans 8:18-30
– Josh Ord
The most important thing for Christians to do – especially when we find ourselves continuing to sin – is not to do, but to be; to be “in the Spirit” – that is, to belong to God through Christ and submit to his rule. Pleasing God is the work he does in us by his Spirit, as his Spirit leads us and confirms that we are God’s children and heirs, and enables us to call him “Father”.
Read the Bible Text – Romans 8:5-17
– Dave Swan
The unthinkable is distressingly real: Christians continue helplessly to sin. But our continued acceptance by God is not secured by trying harder to be good, but in the same way that we were made acceptable to God in the first place: through faith in the sin-bearing sacrifice of God’s Son in our place. Therefore there is now no condemnation, not for those who try harder, but for those who are in Christ Jesus.
Read the Bible Text – Romans 7:7-8:4
– Dave Swan
The gospel of free grace – justification by faith apart from works – is not a licence to sin. Our old life of sin was put to death by Jesus’ cross, and we have been given a new life of righteousness by his resurrection. That means we are no longer slaves of sin, yet slaves of God, and so we are to live out our new life, by grace not law. It is unthinkable that a Christian should continue to sin – is that possible?
Read the Bible Text – Romans 6:1-7:6
– David Shead
Hope is a funny word. It’s such a positive thing, and yet it can seem so fragile.
Psychologists tell us that hope is crucial for healthy functioning. People without hope die, while people with hope thrive. We all want something to look forward to; something to live for; a ‘destination’ in life.
And yet, who can predict the future? Life can often seem like little more than a wrecking yard of dashed hopes. What do we really have to live for? Can anyone have any certainty about what’s to come?
The fantastic message of the Bible’s letter to the Romans is that we can! – and not just a vague sense of wishful thinking, but real, grounded, impregnable confidence! – not just for now, but for all eternity!
Read the Bible Text – Romans 5:1-21
– Ken Noakes
It is one thing to say that you believe in what Jesus had done to save you – it is another step to act on that belief.
James 2:14 asks the question: ‘What good is it brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith, but has no deeds? Can such a faith save them?’.
This third talk on the topic of ‘faith’ looks at faith in action.
Read the Bible Text – Hebrews 12:1-3 James 2:14-26
Talk Outline – Hebrews 12 and James 2
– Ken Noakes
What is faith? We use the term ‘faith’ all the time. Do we stop and think about what it means to have faith, especially when it comes to having faith in God.
This is the first of three talks exploring the biblical idea of faith – and hopefully they will help us to think about how great it is to be a person of faith in God.
Read the Bible Text – Hebrews 11:1-39; Joshua 2:1-24
Talk – Hebrews 11 & Josh 2 (Outline)
– Ken Noakes
‘Happy’. He said to me.
As I looked into the face of my friend, with the dark rings under his eyes, hair a little dishevelled, hands grasping the double shot expresso, which was his heart starter for the day, he said:
‘My goal in life is just to be happy’.
So much about what we relentlessly pursue in life aims to create an end result in which we will be happy. Burden now, achieve lots, sacrifice in the present – so that at some point it will all be worth it. We will be able to count up the coins, list off the achievements, bow to acknowledge the praise that is being directed our way – and then, we hope, we will be happy.
Some people call it the rat race.
There is nothing wrong with working hard, striving to reach goals, aiming to achieve much – that is the world we live in. In fact, it can be quite satisfying. Does it make us ‘happy’?
Yet, when it comes to faith, God works on a different spectrum – and for that reason Christians do well to recognise works, although they might be good, are not the measure used to determine godly happiness.
‘Happy is the one to whom God credits righteousness apart from works’ (Rom 4:6). Let’s look at how…
Read the Bible Text – Romans 3:27-4:25
Who in our world is perfect? Mother Teresa? Gandhi? Nobel Peace Prize Laureates? Is there anyone in your community or family who is without fault?
In this sermon, we will see that all people are broken. Paul, the author, paints a vivid picture of how all people fall short of God’s standards. Both the religious and unreligious people of the 1st Century fell short of God’s standards.
But how do we compare? Can we reach the standards God has set? And what happens if we fail…?
Have a look at God’s perfect solution for our imperfect world.
Read the Bible Text – Romans 1:16-3:20
– Josh Ord
In the Old Testament we meet a brave prophet named Habakkuk (great name – imagine naming your child Habakkuk!). His role was to bring God’s people back to obedience to the covenantal promises which God has made with Israel at Mt Sinai. By the promises and under the law (10 Commandments and Covenant Code) Israel would know how to live as righteous ones. If the covenantal obligations were neglected, ignored, abandoned, then punishment would come. God’s gift had been the prophet Habakkuk, who spoke what was often thought to be an offensive message, for the sake of saving Israel and calling them to repent of their unrighteous attitudes or behaviours. In other words, to call God’s people back to the righteousness of faith.
Habakkuk admonished Israel by saying ‘the righteous person will live by his faith’ (Hab 2:4)
Fast forward to the Apostle Paul in AD57. He writes to the church of Rome. Similarly his message was often deemed offensive. To him he understands how the promises of God in the Old Testament find their fulfilment in Jesus. So, he proclaims God’s gospel and, like Habakkuk, calls people to faith.
Quoting Habakkuk, he reminds us that ‘The righteous will live by faith’ (Rom 1:17).
In this sermon, we look at Romans 1:5-17 and we should see that faith in Jesus is the most fundamental response to God’s gospel and the way by which Christians most honour Jesus as Lord.
Read the Bible Text – Romans 1:1-17
Talk – Romans 1.5-17 (Outline)
– Ken Noakes
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