What if the distance you feel from God isn’t meant to be climbed but confessed? We walk through Paul’s sweeping argument in Romans to show why the law reveals our need, the cross meets it, and the Word draws near to transform hearts from the inside out. Along the way, we trace Israel’s story through Hosea and Isaiah, the promise of a remnant, and the shock of grace that gathers people who once stood far off. This isn’t cold theology. It’s the map of mercy that explains why “whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” is the most inclusive, life-altering sentence you’ll ever hear.

We tackle the difference between trying to build our own righteousness and receiving Christ’s righteousness by faith. Jesus, the Lord of the Sabbath, ends the treadmill of religious striving and invites us into rest that fuels mission. We talk candidly about stumbling over Jesus, why shame lifts when we believe, and how “no condemnation” becomes more than a verse when the Spirit makes the Word alive in you. If you have ever wondered whether you’re doing enough, this conversation insists that Jesus already did enough—and that changes everything about how you live, love, and speak.

Then we turn to witness. “How will they hear without a preacher?” isn’t just for pastors; it’s for all of us. We explore what beautiful feet look like in real life, how faith comes by hearing Scripture, and why God uses both Israel’s history and our own stories to draw people home. We pray for softened hearts across families, communities, and nations, and we challenge each other to trade “bless my efforts” for “work through me.” If this resonates, share it with someone who needs hope, subscribe for more verse-by-verse journeys through Romans, and leave a review to help others find the message.

Come On Up is the radio ministry of The Mountain Cross in Waynesville North Carolina. To learn more about us please visit: TheMountainCross.com.

What if the rest you crave isn’t another day off, but a person? We open the Word to show why Jesus, Lord of the Sabbath, ends the exhausting project of self-justification and invites us into a life anchored by mercy, not merit. From there, we follow Paul through Romans 9–10 to face the hard questions head-on: God’s sovereignty, human responsibility, and how grace pursues people who don’t deserve it and can’t earn it.

We revisit Pharaoh’s story to see both God’s patience and the danger of a hardened heart. We explore the potter-and-clay image without collapsing into fatalism, drawing a crucial line between God’s rightful rule and our real choices. The message is blunt and hopeful: all start as vessels of dishonor, but by faith in Christ we are washed, sanctified, and justified. The cross doesn’t just tweak our trajectory; it gives us a new identity and a clean start. And that identity reshapes daily life—denying the flesh, walking by the Spirit, and resting in what Jesus finished.

We also trace the widening circle of God’s family. Hosea’s prophecy rings true as those once “not a people” are called beloved, and the remnant hope for Israel remains alive. Gentiles who never chased the law find righteousness by faith, while many who pursued the law stumbled over the very stone meant to save them. The takeaway is clear: trust the cornerstone, not your record. Let the cross be the lens for your choices, the foundation of your peace, and the reason your shame no longer has the last word.

If this encouraged you, follow and share the show with a friend who needs real rest. Leave a review to help others find the message, and subscribe so you never miss a study.

Come On Up is the radio ministry of The Mountain Cross in Waynesville North Carolina. To learn more about us please visit: TheMountainCross.com.

Grace breaks the cycle of spiritual striving—and Romans shows us how. We walk through Paul’s argument to uncover why the gospel is not just our starting line but our daily power: righteousness comes by faith, not by effort, heritage, or rule-keeping. From the opening reminder that the just shall live by faith to the freeing promise of no condemnation in Christ, we trace a clear line through Romans 1, 3, 5, 6, 8, and into the challenging terrain of Romans 9.

Pastor Carl unpacks the limits of the law—it reveals sin but cannot save—and contrasts it with the gift of eternal life in Christ. We revisit Abraham’s story to show that faith preceded the law and still stands as the way God counts people righteous. Then we stare into the hard questions of Romans 9: God’s mercy and compassion, election, and the unsettling example of Pharaoh. Far from a cold system, these passages spotlight a warm, sovereign mercy that offers real opportunity and honors real responsibility. Pharaoh’s repeated refusals and eventual hardening serve as a warning against persistent unbelief and a call to receive the life God freely gives.

Along the way, we confront the drift many believers feel—trying to earn God’s approval after receiving grace—and learn practical steps to walk by the Spirit instead of the flesh. The potter and clay image humbles our assumptions and invites us to renew our minds by the Word, trust the finished work of Christ, and carry a loving burden for those who have yet to believe. If you’re weary of performance-based religion or wrestling with questions about justice, mercy, and free will, this conversation offers clarity, courage, and real hope.

If this helped you rest in grace and lean into faith, subscribe, share the episode with a friend, and leave a review so more people can discover the freedom of the gospel.

Come On Up is the radio ministry of The Mountain Cross in Waynesville North Carolina. To learn more about us please visit: TheMountainCross.com.

Pain has a way of telling the truth. Our bodies ache, headlines rattle us, and the future feels foggy—yet Romans 8 insists all this groaning is labor, not collapse. We walk through the hope that doesn’t pretend, the patience that doesn’t quit, and the promise that doesn’t fail. Creation groans, we groan, and even the Spirit groans on our behalf, shaping prayers we can’t find and aligning our hearts with the will of God.

Perseverance is not grit alone but grace applied: deny the flesh, pick up the cross, and keep moving toward the One who already secured the verdict. We unpack the golden chain—foreknown, called, justified, glorified—and why “all things work together for good” is a rugged assurance for hard days. No condemnation isn’t theory when Christ intercedes and the Father’s love holds. Tribulation, distress, and even the sword can wound but cannot sever. More than conquerors means held, transformed, and sent back into a broken world with a stubborn joy.

Then we turn to Romans 9 and Paul’s heartbreak for Israel to face a hard truth with soft hearts: heritage cannot save, and grace does what merit never could. The promise traced through Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob points to a God who chooses the unlikely and finishes what He starts. If you’re hungry for a hope that outlasts pain and a love that will not let go, you’re in the right place. Subscribe, share this with a friend who needs courage today, and leave a review to help others find these messages of steady hope.

Come On Up is the radio ministry of The Mountain Cross in Waynesville North Carolina. To learn more about us please visit: TheMountainCross.com.

What if the loudest voice in your head saying “not enough” has already been overruled by a higher court? We open Romans 8 with a verdict that changes everything: no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus. From that starting point, we move beyond white-knuckle religion and step into the power of the Spirit, where life and peace replace the cycle of trying, failing, and hiding.

We talk through the limits of the law and the limitless grace of God: the law is holy but powerless to change hearts, while the cross removes guilt and the Spirit renews desire. You’ll hear how mindset drives experience—how setting the mind on the flesh quietly leads to death, and how setting the mind on the Spirit brings a steady, practical freedom. Adoption takes center stage as the Spirit teaches us to cry Abba Father, turning fear into trust and obedience into a response of love. Assurance grows not from comparing ourselves to others, but from the Spirit’s witness that we belong to God.

From there, we widen the frame. Suffering is real but not final; present pain can’t compete with the glory to come. We explore how our perseverance blesses others and why creation itself waits for the revealing of God’s children. This hope fuels daily choices: putting to death the deeds of the body by the Spirit, refusing old chains, and walking as sons and daughters who owe nothing to the flesh and everything to love.

If you’re ready to trade condemnation for confidence, performance for presence, and anxiety for adoption, this conversation will meet you with clarity and courage. Listen, share with a friend who needs hope, and subscribe so you never miss new studies through God’s Word. Then tell us: which verse in Romans 8 is anchoring you today?

Come On Up is the radio ministry of The Mountain Cross in Waynesville North Carolina. To learn more about us please visit: TheMountainCross.com.

What if the rules were never the cure—and freedom didn’t mean doing whatever you want? We walk through Romans 6–8 with Pastor Carl to face the hard truth about sin’s empty promises and the hopeful reality of grace that changes us from the inside out. The law shines a bright light on our condition, revealing why our best efforts fall short, yet it also guides us to the door of mercy. From the stark image of “wages” that pay out in death to the gift of eternal life in Christ, we explore how belonging to Jesus breaks the old bond and creates a new union that bears real fruit.

Together we unpack why the law is holy but limited, how conviction differs from condemnation, and why Paul’s raw confession—“What I hate, I do”—offers comfort to anyone caught in the tug-of-war. Rather than hiding the struggle, we name it and chart a path forward: renewing the mind, walking by the Spirit, and cultivating habits that starve the flesh and nourish life. Holiness emerges not as a grim duty but as the happiest way to live, rich with purpose, peace, and durable joy.

We close with a steadying promise: there is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus. That truth is not an escape hatch; it’s the starting line for transformation. If you’re hungry for clarity on law and grace, honest about the inner battle, and ready for steps that lead to freedom, you’ll feel seen—and invited into life that truly lasts. If this resonates, subscribe, share with a friend who needs hope, and leave a review to help others find the message.

Come On Up is the radio ministry of The Mountain Cross in Waynesville North Carolina. To learn more about us please visit: TheMountainCross.com.

Rules say no; our hearts push back. That tension sets the stage for a clear walk through Romans 6, where we explore why the law exposes and even provokes sin—and how the grace of God in Christ breaks sin’s rule without turning grace into a permission slip. We open with a simple image—the forbidden cookie jar—to show how desire awakens under prohibition, then shift to the better news: where sin abounds, grace abounds more. Not as a loophole, but as liberation.

We unpack union with Christ as the center of change. Being “baptized into His death and resurrection” isn’t churchy jargon; it’s the source of new identity and real power. The old self was crucified with Christ so we are no longer slaves to sin; we rise to walk in newness of life. From there, we get practical and honest about the daily fight: reckon the old self dead, refuse to let sin reign, and offer your mind, tongue, and habits to God as instruments of righteousness. We contrast life under the treadmill of law with life under the strength of grace, and we press into the question many quietly ask: if we’re under grace, why not sin?

Using Paul’s language of service, we face the truth that everyone serves something. Yield to sin and it pays wages—death in pieces now and finally. Yield to righteousness and grace grows holiness, clarity, and joy. We connect justification and sanctification—secure standing and ongoing shaping—and reflect on the fruit of each path. The conversation culminates with Romans 6:23: the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Wages are earned; gifts are received. That changes how we live today.

If this helped you see grace as power, not permission, subscribe, share it with a friend, and leave a review. Tell us: where do you sense grace inviting you to walk new this week?

Come On Up is the radio ministry of The Mountain Cross in Waynesville North Carolina. To learn more about us please visit: TheMountainCross.com.

Grace doesn’t just meet sin; it overwhelms it. We walk through Romans 4–5 with Pastor Carl and trace a bold arc from Abraham’s uneven faith to the unstoppable gift of justification by faith. Along the way, we face the hard questions people carry: What do I do with recurring failure? How do I find peace with God that lasts beyond my best or worst week? Why would anyone “glory in tribulation,” and what does that even form in me?

We unpack the sequence Paul lays out—tribulation, perseverance, character, hope—and explore why that hope does not disappoint. Not because we are tough, but because the love of God is poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit. We get honest about cultural headwinds, personal doubts, and the ways the law exposes our need rather than fixing it. That exposure is mercy when it leads us to Christ, who was delivered up for our offenses and raised for our justification.

The center of gravity lands on the contrast between Adam and Christ. Through one man came sin and death; through one Man comes life, righteousness, and reconciliation. The gift is not like the trespass. Where sin abounds, grace abounds much more. We talk peace with God, freedom from wrath, and what it means to stand and keep standing in grace—moving from trying to earn favor to living from a settled verdict of acceptance. If you’ve been striving, doubting, or weary, this conversation invites you to trade self-effort for a Savior who doesn’t fail.

If this encouraged you, subscribe, share it with a friend who needs hope, and leave a review so others can find the message of grace.

Come On Up is the radio ministry of The Mountain Cross in Waynesville North Carolina. To learn more about us please visit: TheMountainCross.com.

We trace Abraham’s faith, David’s failure, and the sweeping grace that justifies the ungodly, then apply it to our daily battles with law, guilt, and suffering. Peace with God becomes the foundation for perseverance, character, and a living hope.

• faith as trust against visible odds
• David’s sin, repentance, and real forgiveness
• righteousness imputed apart from circumcision or law
• law exposing sin versus grace granting life
• Abraham’s delays, doubts, and steady obedience
• justified by faith and at peace with God
• tribulation shaping perseverance, character, and hope
• daily walking by grace rather than performance

If you're not sure what some of this means, or if you'd like to learn more about being adopted by God, you can go to themountaincross.com where you can get a clearer understanding of what it all means for you personally
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Come On Up is the radio ministry of The Mountain Cross in Waynesville North Carolina. To learn more about us please visit: TheMountainCross.com.

What if the one thing keeping you from peace with God is the belief that you have to earn it? We open Romans 3–5 and sit with Paul’s bold claim that all have sinned and fall short, then hear the relief: we’re justified freely by grace through the redemption in Christ Jesus. From there we follow a clear thread—Abraham’s righteousness credited by faith before circumcision, David’s forgiveness after failure, and the startling difference between wages and gifts. Every story points to one center: the finished work of Christ, received by faith, not achieved by effort.

We also tackle the tension many feel between Paul and James. Do works justify, or does faith alone? Paul explains how we’re made right with God, while James presses whether our faith is alive. Works become the fruit of union with Christ, not the currency of salvation. That keeps us from lifeless profession on one side and anxious legalism on the other. Faith has feet, but grace supplies the strength.

Along the way, we address pride in heritage, the pull of spiritual scorekeeping, and the subtle ways law-keeping creeps back into the Christian life. You’ll hear why signs like circumcision—or modern badges like baptism and service—are meaningful as seals but never sources of righteousness. You’ll also hear how the gospel levels the ground for Jew and Gentile, disciplined and recovering alike, forming a community shaped by gratitude, not comparison.

If this resonates, share it with someone who’s tired of trying to be “enough.” Subscribe for more verse-by-verse teaching through Romans, and leave a review to help others find the message of grace.

Come On Up is the radio ministry of The Mountain Cross in Waynesville North Carolina. To learn more about us please visit: TheMountainCross.com.