The words the Apostle Paul has for us this week are powerful. As with the previous sermons in our series on Romans 12, Paul lays out rules for living; instructions for how to get along with each other and how to thrive in a world of competing cultures and allegiances. And I hate to ruin the ending for you this week, but I just need to say this: the only way we have even a chance at living the way Paul suggests here in Romans 12, the only way we can make this work, is if we fall on the mercies of God in Jesus Christ and trust that the Holy Spirit will do a work in us that will produce the kind of lifestyle and community that’s prescribed in this passage. That’s the only way. We have to trust that the blood of Jesus is sufficient to do away with all our sin and that through God’s mighty act of reconciliation we can begin to realize a new kind of life – a life that has been transformed.
Paul calls us to this kind of life because Paul is experiencing this kind of life. This Paul, the one they used to call Saul, has experienced transformation in his own life, and now sees how crucial it is for Christians to experience the same transformation. This Paul, the one who held the coats of those who stoned Christians, has experienced the very power of the Holy Spirit and now sees the world as God intended the world to be seen.
So we’ll wrap up this series with the strong words of Paul: do what is honorable, live peaceably, let God handle vengeance, and overcome evil with good. This is what it means to love. This is what it means to get over yourself.
Sunday School for All Ages at 9:50a.m.
- Children and Worship
- Ages 5-1st Grade (Children’s Area)
- Dismissed during the 8:30 and 11:10 a.m. services.
- Ages K-5th Grade (Children’s Area)
- Middle School & High School (Youth Room)
- Adult Opportunities:
- Questions of Life (Fellowship Hall): This week we will continue a series on “Created To Be Related.” This series will parallel the sermons and we will be exploring various common relationship areas (singles, dating, marriage, friendships, parenting…) and the joys and struggles in these. This week we will have a panel and discussion on the the SINGLENESS relationship. This class will explore relationships that we can grow in no matter what stage of life we are in.
-
Sunday School Guide Class: Will not meet this winter, but Syl Scorza will prepare “home” outlines and notes each week. These will be available on-line, click HERE. Please sign-up with Syl at: sylscorza@yahoo.com or 737-4335.
Going to be gone? You can worship with us live on our Webcast – click HERE
You can also view past services in their entirety – click HERE
You can view this weeks bulletin – click HERE