Those who, by God’s grace, have entered the kingdom of God (being born again) are characterised as happy, in a very countercultural way. Counterintuitively, Jesus teaches in Matthew 5:3 that the happy are humble. May God grant us grace to live a life that happily commends humility.

For Noah, times they were about to change—from bad to good; from the old world to a whole new world; from hopeless to hopeful. And faith in God’s word was key to his hope remaining afloat, quite literally. This “Noahic” faith will keep our hope afloat as well. We will study this verse looking at both the context and character of hope that floats.

For Noah, times they were about to change—from bad to good; from the old world to a whole new world; from hopeless to hopeful. And faith in God’s word was key to his hope remaining afloat, quite literally. This “Noahic” faith will keep our hope afloat as well. We will study this verse looking at both the context and character of hope that floats.

The beatitudes introduce us to God’s description of human flourishing as discovered in the Sermon on the Mount. Whatever else can be said of this passage, and of the beatitudes specifically, they are a reversal of all merely human evaluations. May we be so blessed!

In this important chapter, the Lord Jesus makes clear to his newly announced church that every member matters. The disciples needed to know that then and to keep it mind as the church grew. So do we. In this fundamental passage for the local church, we are instructed about the value and vulnerability of each member and our responsibility to take this seriously. We will follow this outline:

1. The Context in Which We Fail (v. 1)

2. The Correction We Need (vv. 2–4)

3. The Caution We Must Hear (vv. 5–11)

4. The Concern We Must Have (vv. 12–20)

5. The Characteristic We Must Practice (vv. 21–35)

As he recounted his confrontation with Peter at his hypocrisy in Antioch, Paul launches into an explanation of justification by faith alone. He urges his readers to understand that if they abandon this precious truth, they abandon the very hope of their salvation. We consider these verses under two broad headings.

1. Just another sinner (vv. 15–19)

2. Alive in Christ (vv. 20–21)

The book of Romans is a kind of “gospel introduction” from the apostle Paul to the church at Rome. Paul expounds the gospel to build up that church as well as to prepare the way for their support of his ministry to take this gospel to regions beyond. In the opening section Paul reminds the Roman church of three things necessary for every gospel-faithful church:

1. Gospel Stewardship (vv. 1–7)

2. Gospel Partnership (vv. 8–15)

3. Gospel Confidence (vv. 16–17)

We have an unshakable kingdom, because we have an unshakable King, who is worthy of acceptable, reverential, awe-inspired worship.

Pride is a sin with which we all struggle, to one degree or another. It seems to sink its tentacles into almost every area of life and give rise to other sins. Psalm 31:23 contrasts pride and faithfulness and God’s response to both. We consider three things from this text.

1. Recognising pride

2. The Wages for Pride

3. The Cure for Pride

In this passage, though Paul is writing “in conclusion,” he could just as easily have written “to be continued.” For, of course, the challenges he addressed will continue to resurface, as they do in any local church. Paul closes this epistle providing at least five truths that, if practiced, will guard the progress we have made and will promote the maturity we need:

1. Examples to Follow (vv. 15–18)

2. Greetings to Embrace (vv. 19–20)

3. Warnings to Heed (vv. 21–22)

4. Affirmations to Receive (vv. 23–24a)

5. An Amen to Declare (v. 24b)