Romans 10 - 11.24.23
Scripture: Romans 10:9-10
“If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.”
Observation – The Jewish people had established customs and traditions in addition to God’s laws, to try to make themselves acceptable in God’s sight. Paul was trying to teach the Jewish people that we cannot fully know God apart from Christ and because God appointed Jesus to bring God and man together, we cannot come to God by ANY other path. We can only hold out our empty hands and receive salvation as the gift that it is.
Application – People in general tend to make things way harder than need be. No amount of good works, good thoughts, tithes, good vibes or deeds, will get us into God’s kingdom. And we can’t believe in God and NOT Jesus and be saved, because Jesus IS the only way to God.
John 14:6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
All any person must do is believe in their heart and say with their mouth that Christ is the risen Lord, and they are saved. It’s THAT simple! All the rest is certainly important – good deeds, transformation of our lives, selflessness, generosity, deep sorrow for our sins, but it all grows out of our relationship with Him. And it’s not only important, but our mission (Mt. 28:18-20) that we share this simple truth with everyone we have opportunity to share it with.
On this Thanksgiving Day I am so thankful that God met me where I was 22 years ago and pulled me from the pit of despair I was living in and SAVED me. I do not know where I’d be or what kind of person I would have ended up otherwise. I am thankful for the moment I believed and professed Him as my savior. We, I, will never be perfect (only Jesus is) but I am forever transforming and becoming a better person one day at a time because of Him. I am also so grateful for the family He has blessed me with, whom I get to enjoy time and great food with today. I am thankful for the close relationship I have with my brother, my many friendships, my extended DSC family; for each of you who has uniquely blessed and enriched my life and the lives of my family. I am thankful for Donna who has become like the grandmother Dom needed in his life and that she is well enough to come and celebrate with us today : )
Prayer - Lord, I give you many thanks and gratitude today! Especially as we gather as family to celebrate everything you have blessed us with, and for the reminder of the wonderful gift of salvation that you give to each of us who just ask for it. AND for each person you help me lead toward you through your grace! Please go before me and open the eyes of those who don’t yet know you that they may receive the gift of salvation and be forever changed. Bless and provide for each one of our DSC family today. Amen
Happy Thanksgiving y’all! Gobble gobble….Love you!
- Crystal Florey
Romans 9 - 11.22.23
Scripture
Romans 9:20-21 But who are you, a human being, to talk back to God? “Shall what is formed say to the one who formed it, “Why did you make me like this?” Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for special purposes and some for common use?
Observation
The people of Israel were God’s chosen people. But not all would be saved, because they chose to continue to follow the law rather than follow by faith. They thought they could earn their salvation rather than rely on God. The Gentiles, on the other hand, recognized that they needed God’s mercy and followed by faith.
30 What then shall we say? That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith; 31 but the people of Israel, who pursued the law as the way of righteousness, have not attained their goal. 32 Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works.
Application
“But it’s not fair!” The Jews, who had tried to earn their righteousness through the law, would feel it unfair for God to call anyone else “Children of the living God.”
God is God. He is in control. Sometimes things will not make sense to us. We do not know His plan. I think the Jews enslaved under Pharaoh thought that God had abandoned them. But God says that He lifted Pharoah up to later display His power and proclaim His name in all the earth. We learned on Sunday that Joseph was sold enslaved, and jailed in order that the Jews could survive the upcoming famine. But Joseph certainly didn’t know that during the years he was enslaved and in prison. David was promised to be the next king, and yet he had to run for his life and hide for years.
Will we trust God when things don’t make sense? We can fight and argue or even reject God when we encounter difficulties. Or we can trust that He has a plan.
Prayer
God, there have been many times when I have railed against what was happening, not understanding that You are in control. And there are things that have happened in my life that I don’t understand and never will in my lifetime. But I don’t get to serve you only in the good times. I have to trust that You have a plan, even when it is beyond my comprehension. I thank You that You are in control. And I thank You that You are with us when we are weary, poor, brokenhearted, sick, and grieving – that we don’t have to go through these things alone.
- Debbie Dunn
Romans 8 - 11.21.23
Scripture: Romans 8:38 – 39: For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Observation: This scripture uses every reference possible to explain the depth of God’s love for us. Paul writes to assure us and encourage us that none of these things can separate us from God’s love:
· Death or life
· Angels or demons
· The present or future
· Powers on this earth
· Height or depth (anything above or below the earth)
· Nothing in creation
Application: God’s love is immeasurable! There’s nothing you can do to change his love for you. You can’t increase or decrease his love for you. Maybe your sin will change God’s love for you? That’s not possible! Romans 8:8 says “But God demonstrated his own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” What great love God has for us!
When I think about God’s love for me, in this verse and others, I can’t help but love him even more. I can also love others - even those that might be hard to love in the moment - because of God’s love in me. In 1 Peter 4:8, Peter writes to encourage us by saying “Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins.” His love, the foundation of our faith, can uplift, encourage, and empower us to be more like Christ in our day-to-day life.
Prayer: Lord, thank you for your love. Thank you for loving us so much that you sent your son to die on the cross for our sins. I’m so thankful there is nothing that can separate us from your love. Help me to show your love to others around me. I want to be a light and a reflection of your deep love for others. In Jesus name!
- Mary Oberg