Romans 3 - 5.13.25

SCRIPTURE:  Romans 3:21-26  "But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify.  This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.  There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.  God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of His blood - to be received by faith.  He did this to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance He had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished - He did it to demonstrate His righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the One Who justifies those who have faith in Jesus."

OBSERVATION:  Paul presented the facts about the lostness of humanity by explaining the truth about how everyone stands guilty before God.  "There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God.  All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.  Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit.  The poison of vipers is on their lips.  Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.  Their feet are swift to shed innocent blood;  Ruin and misery mark their ways, and the way of peace they do not know.  There is no fear of God before their eyes."  (v 10b-18).

Paul was writing to the Roman Gentile Christians.  His description of humanity was pretty grim!  He declared that we have ALL sinned, and that ALL sin leads to death.  There is no distinction when it comes to being sinners, whether one is a Jew or Gentile, male or female, legalistic or a prominent and influential person.  Our sin separates us from God, and no one is able to earn right standing with Him by our good works, and no one will be declared righteous in God's sight by the works of the law, nor can the law protect anyone from God's judgment of their own, personal sinfulness.   No amount of human performance will grant us access into heaven, and there is nothing we can do to earn our salvation. We are lost and without hope, dead in our sins!  BUT... because of God's great love for us, He made a way for our sins to be forgiven by sending Jesus to die in our place to take the punishment that we deserved! He paid the ultimate price by His sacrificial death on the cross.  He lived a perfectly sinless life, and yet He was willing to die for the sins He never committed!   

APPLICATION:  The way to be declared "NOT GUILTY" is to trust Jesus, and believe that He paid for ALL of our sins: our past, present, and future sins!  I became free from the bondage of sin and death the moment I put my faith in Jesus, and asked Him to forgive me.  God's  anger against my sin was satisfied in Christ's death, and Jesus became my Justifier!  JUST IF I'D (never sinned!). 

PRAYER:  Thank You God for Your great love for me, and thank You Jesus for Your willingness to to die in my place, and take the punishment that I deserved!  Thank You that those of us who have put our faith in Jesus are now justified and have been redeemed!  Thank You that by Your grace, we have been freed from the penalty of our sins, and have been made right with You!  

I pray, Holy Spirit that You will help me to become more and more like Jesus, and be able to effectively communicate the truth about man's sin and his need for the Good News of Jesus Christ. 

- Robin Orefice

Psalm 101 - 5.12.25

Scripture

Psalms‬ ‭101‬:‭2‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“I will be careful to lead a blameless life— when will you come to me? I will conduct the affairs of my house with a blameless heart.”

Observation

This is a psalm of David. In it, David makes a commitment to rule his kingdom with justice and integrity. David vows to avoid sinful behavior and sinful people, while he surrounds himself with godly people. David yearns to provide godly leadership in his home, and for his people.

Application

Being a strong godly leader requires a commitment to pleasing God, and keeping His ways. 

And that is what David shows us in this psalm. In verse 2 David vows to live a life of integrity.

“I will be careful to live a blameless life— when will you come to help me? I will lead a life of integrity in my own home.”-Psalms‬ ‭101‬:‭2‬ ‭

In verses 3 and 4 David vows to stay away from evil.

“I will refuse to look at anything vile and vulgar. I hate all who deal crookedly; I will have nothing to do with them. I will reject perverse ideas and stay away from every evil.”-Psalms‬ ‭101‬:‭3‬-‭4‬ ‭

In verses 5 through 8 David vows to surround himself with godly people and cleanse his kingdom of wickedness and injustice.

“I will not tolerate people who slander their neighbors. I will not endure conceit and pride. I will search for faithful people to be my companions. Only those who are above reproach will be allowed to serve me. I will not allow deceivers to serve in my house, and liars will not stay in my presence. My daily task will be to ferret out the wicked and free the city of the Lord from their grip.”-‭‭Psalms‬ ‭101‬:‭5‬-‭8‬ ‭

In short, this psalm shows us the importance of a leader setting an example of integrity and justice, which in turn can influence an entire nation to follow suit.

Prayer

Father God, You call me to lead. You call me to draw out others the way You have drawn me out. I ask and pray for the boldness and courage to lead the way You call me to lead. May it start in my own home, and trickle into my workplace, and church. Help me to lead with integrity and justice. May I lead in a way that honors Your ways. In Jesus name I pray, Amen. 🙏🏽 

-Moses Gaddi

2 Chronicles 31 - 5.9.25

Scripture:  2 Chronicles 31:5-6

“As soon as the order went out, the Israelites generously gave the firstfruits of their grain, new wine, olive oil and honey and all that the fields produced. They brought a great amount, a tithe of everything. The people of Israel and Judah who lived in the towns of Judah also brought a tithe of their herds and flocks and a tithe of the holy things dedicated to the Lord their God, and they piled them in heaps.”

Observation

King Hezekiah did what was right in the eyes of the Lord.  He stated that their parents were unfaithful and did evil in the site of the Lord. He wanted to make a covenant with the Lord since the Lord’s anger was on the land. In this chapter, the Israelites destroyed all the idols in their land. King Hezekiah opened the doors of the temple and assigned the priests and Levites divisions according to their duties to offer burnt offerings to the Lord. The King contributed out of his own possessions to the burnt offerings. The King ordered the people to give their portion due to the priests and Levites. This was so the Priests and Levites could devote themselves to the Lord. The King did not want priests and Levites to have to worry about feeding their families through working jobs that were not part of the temple. The king was a good shepherd in leading his people back to a right relationship with God

We now start at  the part of the scriptures above. The people were ordered to tithe, and they generously gave. They gave from their firstfruits everything they produced. We see at the end of verse 6, NIV version uses the words ”heaps” and in the KJV version they use “abundantly.”  What was so inspiring is they generously gave.

The King visited the chief priest who told the King they had plenty to spare because the Lord has blessed his people.

Application

One of our DSC core values is “Generosity is our privilege.”  In Corinthians 9:6-8 it says “Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.”

Bringing our tithe to the place we worship, while being obedient to God, should be done because we love our God. We should support those who shepherd us and sustain the place we worship. DSC is God’s house. Each time you give your tithe at DSC, you’re giving directly from the love you have in your heart for God.

For our married couples, being in agreement with each other, in prayer, regarding your tithe and offerings is very important. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you.  Mary and I have always talked through everything when it comes to giving. We always come to a unified agreement.

To anyone with children, teach them why you tithe and give. They will learn by your example.

Prayer

Jesus, may I give you the best of everything you have blessed me with. There is so much joy in generously giving. Holy Spirit, show me areas in my life I have not given you my best. Jesus may our tithe and offerings be out of love for you. God, bless our DSC family and those who shepherd it. In Jesus name. Amen.

- Robert Oberg