In Romans 1:19–20, Paul begins presenting God’s case against humanity, demonstrating that God has clearly revealed Himself through the witness of creation. As the evidence is presented and the verdict becomes unavoidable, we are ultimately driven to the only hope for guilty sinners—Jesus Christ, who bore the condemnation we deserved.

In this sermon from Romans 1:18, we begin a new section of Paul’s letter by considering The Sobering Beginning. As Paul unveils the reality of God’s wrath against ungodliness and unrighteousness, he exposes mankind’s true condition and shows why the gospel of Jesus Christ is absolutely necessary.

In Romans 1:17, Paul teaches that those who have been made righteous by faith live by faith. In this sermon, we examine how faith characterizes the life of the believer—producing continual dependence upon God’s Word and confidence in God’s promises, even when God’s providence is difficult to understand. Drawing from Habakkuk, we see that the righteous do not live by sight, but by faith.

The church in Rome learned from the Apostle Paul why he was unashamed and eager to preach the gospel. Romans 1:17 reveals the reason: in the gospel, God unveils the glory of His righteousness, displaying how the righteous God has acted righteously to save unrighteous sinners through Jesus Christ, a righteousness received by faith from beginning to end.

For our Family Worship Gathering, we walked through the book of Jonah under the theme, “The God Who Saves.” As God Sends Jonah, Pursues Jonah, Shows Mercy, and Teaches Jonah About Mercy, we discover that the hero of the story is not Jonah but God Himself. The message of Jonah culminates in the glorious truth that salvation belongs to the Lord and points us to Jesus Christ, the greater Jonah who came to save sinners.

In Romans 1:16, the Apostle Paul explains why he was eager to preach the gospel even in the heart of the Roman Empire: he was not ashamed of it, because the gospel is the power of God unto salvation. This exposition explores how the gospel produces believers marked by courage, conviction, and confidence in Christ. As Paul’s heart is opened before us, we are reminded that the gospel still emboldens ordinary people to stand unashamed for Jesus Christ.

In Romans 1:13–15, the Apostle Paul opens the window even wider into the heart of a gospel minister. Though hindered in his plans, Paul remained constrained by the gospel — pursuing spiritual fruit, living under a divine obligation to proclaim Christ to all people, and maintaining an eager readiness to preach the gospel even to the church in Rome. This exposition considers the difference between truth sitting upon the shelves of the mind and truth that so masters the heart that it produces gospel burden, holy eagerness, and enduring faithfulness.

In Romans 1:11–12, the apostle Paul opens a window into his heart and reveals what genuine gospel-shaped love for the church looks like. Tested through suffering, delay, and ministry hardship, Paul’s love longed for God’s people, labored for their spiritual strengthening, and lived through mutual encouragement in the faith. This exposition presses us to consider what truly emerges from our hearts when our love is tested.

This sermon explores the weight of sin and the consistent biblical truth that forgiveness requires the shedding of blood, tracing that theme from Genesis through the Old Testament sacrificial system. It builds tension around the insufficiency of animal sacrifices and ultimately points to Jesus Christ as the once-for-all, perfect sacrifice who fully satisfies the justice of God. Listeners are challenged to grasp the true cost of redemption and respond with a deeper seriousness toward sin and gratitude for Christ’s atoning work.

Just because we have eyes does not mean we truly see. In Romans 1:8–10, Paul opens a window into his heart, showing that what God values is not outward success but inward grace—gratitude, prayer, and submission to His will. Such sight—and such a heart—comes only through the transforming grace of Jesus Christ.