If everything got off to such an amazing start, how do we explain the state the world is in today? Turns out, it all depends on what humanity chooses – trusting God and doing things his way, or turning our backs and going our own…

Have you ever sat down to read the Bible and felt a bit like, "I'm not quite sure what to make of this"? Maybe some things seem to apply, but then other passages just seem weird, confusing, or even shocking ("That's in the Bible?!"…for instance, search "Ehud Judges"). The way forward is learning to read the Bible in context and according to its storyline. You see, the entire Bible – from Genesis to Revelation – is actually one unified story. The same God, from beginning to end, has woven together various themes to tell the story of his unfailing love. Join in as we explore the beauty of The God Story, delving into Scripture to understand its key themes and their relevance for our lives today.

How many people make promises or predictions that never come to pass? Plenty. We’ve all been disappointed at one time or another by someone who told us something and then failed to deliver. But what if there was someone who never failed to deliver on his promises? And what if he proved his faithfulness by accomplishing the most outlandish prediction ever made – that he would die and then be raised from the dead? The fact that Jesus predicted his own death and resurrection and then followed through is evidence that Jesus isn’t just another good teacher – he’s way more than that. And if he’s way more than that, we’d be wise to pay attention to everything he told us during his time on earth.

On Palm Sunday, a huge crowd excitedly welcomed Jesus as king and rescuer. But within days, they abandoned him to die a shameful, torturous death – crucifixion. Even seeing their Messiah right there in the flesh, they’d missed him. What about us? Are we fully devoted to Jesus as our King and Rescuer? Or will we miss him too?

The final section of Romans! What better way could Paul end his rich treatise to the Roman church than to forever ascribe glory (significance) to the only wise God through Jesus Christ? He gives strength to the weary, draws in people from all nations, and empowers us to live lives of obedient faith. What an amazing and glorious God!

We're coming to the end of Paul's letter where he typically asks for greetings to be given to some brothers and sisters in the church (you know, well-known people such as Phoebe, Philologus, Herodion, and Apelles. Sometimes we get to these name lists and it's easy to quickly breeze through (we've all done it!). But isn't all Scripture God-breathed and useful for us? Indeed it is, and this week we'll discover some beautiful truths embedded in this passage of greetings.

Whose job is it to do the ministry NP Berean? Pastor John? The Staff? The Elders? Actually, we all have a part to play and if the staff is doing their role well, then they'll be equipping you, as a saint, to do the work of the ministry. Every believer in Christ has a ministry that he has assigned to them and nobody is excepted. Let's partner together and strive in prayer as we fulfill the ministry Christ has for us!

Paul concludes his discussion of believers who have "strong" and "weak" faith, charging the strong (with whom he identifies) to please the weak and not themselves! He ultimately calls for unity within the church between all believers who are designed to glorify God together!

Can you imagine what it must have been like for the early church to try to determine how to interact with their culture in light of their newfound faith in Jesus Christ? They didn't have any of the history of how other faithful believers had engaged with the world - they were having to determine, for the first time, how to navigate the pitfalls of the culture's brokenness and their own consciences. What can we learn from their situation that can apply to ours today? Lots, actually. And for the next two weeks we'll look at how we can be loving toward one another - even when our consciences disagree!

Paul exhorts the Roman believers to love all in truth and remember the time is short so believers must walk in a worthy way. As we explore what it looks like to love truly and walk worthy, we'll be challenged to throw off deeds of darkness and run toward the light!