Romans___8

ScriptureRomans 8:29For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. Observation - What does it say?In this portion of the letter that Paul wrote to the Christians in Rome, he is telling them about how their lives should be different now that they are Christians. He talks about living lives controlled by the Spirit of God instead of our sinful nature and about what it means that we are children of God. Among all the beautiful and wonderful implications of being children of God – being heirs of God and a heavenly kingdom, being free from our old life, having a future hope, and the ways God loves and fights for us as his children – Paul points out that God has a purpose for every one of his children: To transform us into the image of Jesus. Understanding - What does it mean?Christlikeness is God’s goal for every Christian.

Being formed into the image of Christ means we will look like him.  Obviously not physically. I don’t know any Christians who started looking more like a Jewish man the longer they had been saved. Being formed into Christ's image means we resemble his character - His love and humility, his joy and his gentleness.

 

God is more concerned with the kind of person we are becoming than any specific things we might do ‘for’ him. Although God has prepared good works in advance for us to do (Ephesians 2:10), the ultimate destination for every Christian isn’t a position or title or ministry role. Rather, the ultimate destination God has in mind has to do with character. And journeying toward this destination is a lifelong process. None of us are perfect yet. None of us completely resemble Jesus. We cant fall into the trap of setting false finish lines based on comparing ourselves with others who are less mature or with who we used to be. Being like Christ is the goal, not being better than we were or better than someone else. This “conforming into the image of his Son” is something God will be doing in each of us as long as there is breath in our lungs. 

 Life ApplicationDo I look more like Jesus today than I did before God saved me? If the answer is no, I would doubt that I am in fact saved.Do I look more like Jesus today than I did a year ago? …a month ago? …a week ago? How is my growth? Have I slowed in my transformation or can I point to recent evidence that God is continuing to transform me?God, I am reminded that there is so much room that I have to grow. Please have your way in me. In the areas my growth has slowed I invite you to go to work. I want to look more like Jesus, to resemble his perfect character, to be holy, to love unconditionally, to be a servant of all. I surrender to you. Amen.-Levi Thompson

Psalm 29

Scripture  Psalm 29:10-11  

The Lord sat as King at the flood; Yes, the Lord sits as King forever.  The Lord will give strength to His people; The Lord will bless His people with peace. Observation-What does it say?  This is another Psalm of David.  The title of the psalm, “The Voice of the Lord in the Storm,” indicates that this psalm might have been intended to be sung during a storm.  “It seems to be the general opinion of modern annotators, that this Psalm is meant to express the glory of God as heard in the pealing thunder, and seen in the equinoctial tornado. Just as the eighth Psalm is to be read by moonlight, when the stars are bright, as the nineteenth needs the rays of the rising sun to bring out its beauty, so this can be best rehearsed beneath the black wing of tempest, by the glare of the lightning, or amid that dubious dusk which heralds the war of elements”(Charles Spurgeon).  The Lord’s greatness can be seen and expressed in the darkest of times.  The God who was in charge at creation, was also in charge during the flood.  His wrath and the patience he displays is also a display of His great power.  But, even more importantly, it is also an example of how much greater His love is for us. Understanding-What does it mean?  They say hindsight is 2020.  After this last year, with all of the businesses running at lower capacity, unending closures of parks and some public spaces, people inching toward bankruptcy because of additional expenses, and not to mention the fear of catching a virus, I wonder if that phrase will fade into obscurity.   But even with all of the bad that happened in the last year, God was still incharge.  He was the God who sat on the throne during the Vietnam War, the Great Depression, through the September 11 Attacks.  He is the God who sits on the throne when we're feeling alone and empty. In Matthew 10:28-30, we read the words of Jesus when he said, “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.  Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.  So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”  We know from His own words that our God cares for us deeply and will provide the strength to carry on through the storms of life, just like He did for Paul, who was jailed and beaten for his belief in God.  He was also shipwrecked and has his life threatened on several occasions.  Despite all of this Paul wrote, “ I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.  I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.  I can do all this through him who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4:11-13) Life Application  Jesus, fill me with your strength, especially as the world around seems to be falling apart.  With all the pain that fills this world, help me to know that you are still King on the throne.  Help me to sing of your greatness in the midst of the storm. Help me to know your power through the storms.-Tyler Galloway      

Romans__6

Scripture - What stood out?Romans 6

23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Observation - What does it say?In this chapter of Romans the apostle Paul tries to explain to the Roman church how grace and sin interact. That God’s grace is not a free pass to allow sin in your life. Understanding - What does it mean?It is amazing what a little bit of extra reading and research can do for my understanding of the bible. I have been reading about the apostle Paul and how he had to communicate and work differently when dealing with Greeks. Whereas hebrew culture was more defined by relational and image heavy communication, greek culture was defined by the abstract and more linear definitions of words. The apostle Paul sure had his work cut out for him having to deal with both hebrew and greek culture at the same time in a newly formed church no less! I wanted to quote this entire chapter because his arguments are so counter intuitive. The first several verses read: What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? 3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? I love Paul’s approach. Stop sinning. Christians should not be knowingly and willfully sinning! We are supposed to have died to sin. Further in the chapter he writes: 13 Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness.  Don’t be involved in yucky activities. Seek righteousness.And here is the dagger: 21 But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death.  Life Application - How can I apply this to my life today?Lord for my life application I am going to think about the various fruits of my life. I’d like for you Lord to highlight an area of my life where I may not have given over to you fully yet. Where I might be letting sin run free. Holy Spirit help me to identify whatever part of me that is enslaved to sin.  Help me to repent. Enslave me to righteousness.  And help to set me free. In the name of Jesus do I pray, amen.  -kenneth lee