Romans 15 Paul continues this thought pattern of working together as the Body of Christ. And he prays that the God of Hope overflow us with Hope so that it spills out onto those around us. I also pray that is so.

Romans 14 Paul speaks about how we handle relationships. We can’t judge someone who believes differently than us on non essential items. May our relationships bring mutual understanding and edification. That the body of Christ be built up.

In Romans 13 Paul continues on speaking about how we are called to live our lives. What should our relationships look like with those in authority? What should our relationships look like with those who are outside the church? Paul just keeps going deeper and deeper into the ways we are called to live.

The latter part of Romans chapter 12 is hard hitting. We are called to love sincerely, or love un-hypocritically. We are called to pray blessings for those who persecute us. This should flow out of us through a transformed life.

Romans 12 is filled with so many lessons for us. We are going to split it into two weeks. This week we start out with Paul speaking about how we are called to be transformed and use the gifts God has given for the betterment of the Body of Christ- the Church. Have we given our lives entirely? Are we using the gifts God has given us for the betterment of the Church?

Paul gives us this image of an olive tree in Romans chapter 11. He talks about how the church, the image of the church is with Jewish and Gentile believers. The Jewish aren’t hopelessly lost, and the Gentiles should understand their place.

Roman’s 10 Paul is still drawing to this point that neither the Jewish nor the Gentile should get arrogant. Paul speaks in Romans 10 that the heart and the mind/ mouth should be in alignment. Drawing that thought out farther how will people know about God if they aren’t being the Kingdom of Priests they are called to be?

Romans 9 Paul is telling the Israelites they might have thought about this wrong. They might have missed the larger story of what God is doing. They shouldn’t get arrogant. We should take that same lesson.

We are more than conquerors! Not because things will go wonderfully in our life, but even when things aren’t going well, we are more than conquerors! Praise God!

The middle section of Romans chapter 8 Paul gives us this image of adoption. Adoption in his time was into a family by a male that would become an heir. When we think about our adoption into sonship in that way it shapes the way we should see the Gospel message.

Romans chapter 8 is a theologically rich chapter so we will take it in small bites. Paul is still following this line of thought that we are either living life in the flesh or life in the Spirit. We will be chained to one or the other. We can’t live in an in between.

Romans Chapter 7 what is Paul talking about? I do what I don’t want to do and don’t do what I want to do? Join us today and learn what the Wesleyan tradition tells us this passage means.

Chapter 6 in Roman’s Paul tells the church in Rome that they are either instruments of wickedness or instruments of righteousness. There is no in between. We have to ask ourselves are we trying to live in this in between? Are we being used as instruments of righteousness or instruments of wickedness?

In Chapter 5 Paul is expanding his argument. Going back through and pulling in some “strings” that he has already talked about. He states that because of all these things we have talked about before we should boast in this hope. God has a plan and He will continue this plan forward of reconciliation. Amen!

The Gospel is simple. Paul is telling the church in Rome that Abraham was credited Righteousness through faith. Not through the symbol of the covenant but the covenant itself. So the question we are left with is who is in control of our lives?

Iowa District Assembly Ordination Service

Romans 3 Paul explains that both Gentiles and Jewish alike have not fulfilled the vocation. At one point we have all been far from the path. We do have a vocation we are still called to. Are we stepping into that call?

In Roman’s 2 Paul is telling the Jewish they have missed the point if they think the law is going to save them. They needed to understand where they stood in all of this. This larger plan of what God had. Paul sets up this argument that comes to in Romans Chapter 3.

Paul wrote an amazing letter to the church in Rome. He gives us this great framework of theology, how the Gospel is to be understood. Sometimes we narrow that down, but we shouldn’t. Let’s look at what Paul writes how he writes it and see this symphony that he orchestrates.

Elijah is one of my favorite characters in the Bible. He seems like a real life superhero! And there is a moment we witness where he seems so human. That is one of the reasons he is one of my favorites. We can learn some lessons from Elijah’s story.