There is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus. --Paul's words in Romans 8-1-4 are perhaps the second best words ever read in English, with the best of all time coming at the end of this same chapter. Such glorious truths- Such glorious reasons to have hope and live by faith- --Here in four small verses, Paul drops two big truths to increase our faith and confidence in God's great redemption of his people.

1 Kings 1 is all about succession of the throne. 1 Kings 2 is all about security for the throne. How will the man of God's own choosing-Solomon-become the man God establishes- How will the kingdom of God, which only comes by grace, be established and last forever---To answer that, the writer -perhaps Jeremiah- records David's final words being the first duty of the new King, Solomon. David's words to his son are driven by a concern of, and for, two truths of God's covenant- that God's covenant promises are generational, and those covenant promises are guaranteed.

Do Christians need to read, cherish, and memorize the Old Testament-to be aware of its themes, shadows, narratives, and -feel-- If so, what does an historical account like 2 Samuel 23-1-7-the -last words of David--have to do with a Christian's faith, hope, and love---This is the first sermon in our series on Kings.

How do you feel when you read God's Laws- In Romans 7, Paul deals with several ways we abuse or misunderstand God's Laws. While Romans 7 doesn't cover everything, it does cover the most common abuses. --What are these abuses, and how can we stop the abuse-

Why fuels the church when our tank is nearing empty- What gives us hope when the world's powers seem to be winning- --Many things, of course, but as we reflect on our last year spent in the book of Acts, there are several reasons Christians and Church's should keep working and not give up.

Is Romans 7 only about Law, or is it really about hope---In Romans 5, Paul is clear that hope is a miraculous gift that comes from the Spirit's presence. In Romans 6, he's clear that grace brings greater obligation to obedience than the Law ever could, because when grace meets our sin, grace wins, but when Law meets our sin-according to Romans 7-Law wins.--So how is Romans 7 really about hope-

In Romans 5-6-11, Paul gives three proofs for the love of God through Christ. He wants to do this because in 5-5 he says God's love is poured into our hearts by the presence of the Spirit. But not everyone -feels- the Spirit the same way, and some genuine Christians wonder if they'll ever seem as strong in Faith as others.--This trembling faith is addressed in 5-6-11, because Paul wants both the strong and the weak to have Faith resting in external, objective truths rather than the fickle human emotions that mislead and discourage.

Luke's record of Paul's defense before Romans and Jews-common men and powerful rulers-is building to a crescendo in these chapters. Paul is ever-more like his Master. --His defense is multifaceted. His tactics subtle and wise. His truth is unchanged from the first day he received Christ, but he has learned what it means to suffer, and he has yet more education to receive. --23-11 is the key to this entire passage, and explains why it is Paul must suffer as he does. Why would God require this of Paul- Why might he require suffering and persecution from us-

Romans 3 requires slow going. It's so tightly packed with significant truths, and Paul ends this rich doctrinal chapter with a comparison that brings clarity- the difference between the law of faith and the law of works, and the implications of his examination.--Paul asks and answers several questions that clarify what it means to say, -Faith alone saves you.- When is clarity ever bad- Clarity leads to confidence- confidence leads to peace and flushes worry away. Paul's questions and answers give clarity and, therefore, confidence in life and death.

There are times reading Scripture that what you read does not seem too important. It's true, some parts of Scripture are more immediately helpful than others, but could it really be that in places like Acts 20-2-16, Luke -the author of Acts- is boring us with detail that isn't important---It could be. But it isn't. --Luke has a very specific agenda here- a very specific purpose by including odd details like a man sleeping in church and falling out a window dying, and various friends of Paul going on a ship with him, and Paul's desperate desire to get to Jerusalem before Pentecost. --So, what is that agenda- --Stay tuned. --We will read from Habakkuk 2-14 in the Old Testament, and from Acts 20-2-16.