John Newton, the composer of "Amazing Grace," was asked by a friend how he could know he truly had communion and fellowship with God.

In Newton's reply he pointed to several realities, the first of which we focused on in this message: Communion with God presupposes union with God through faith in Jesus Christ.

John Newton's full letter is linked below.

What is the result of salvation? The salvation which is in Jesus Christ is a full and abundant salvation, and there is literally no end to the blessings which it offers to us. It is a place of fulness of blessing, of all-sufficiency, of final satisfaction.

In the opening verses of Romans 9, the Apostle Paul, himself a Jew, has lamented Israel's rejection of the gospel (vv. 1-3) in spite of the privileges they enjoy as God's chosen people (vv. 4-5). In verse 6 he anticipates a question from his readers: Since God made covenant promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob that He would make of them a great nation, and since the vast majority of Jewish people despise the gospel and reject Jesus as Messiah, has the word of God failed? Has God failed to do for Israel what he promised to do in the Old Testament?

What does it look like to cry out to the Father by faith in Christ through the strengthening of the Holy Spirit for real power and real love that really is for you right now in this moment?

Of all the benefits and blessings we receive through the gospel, the highest and most glorious of all is reconciliation with the holy God whom we have offended and alienated by our sinful rebellion against Him.

In Romans 9:4-5, the Apostle Paul highlights eight unique privileges that belong to ethnic Israel as the chosen people of God. These eight privileges are not only for those Jews who have believed on Jesus, but belong to all of those who are descended ethnically from Isaac and Jacob, though not an indication of their final salvation.

Every Christian knows the frustration of trying their best to not sin and to obey God.

How are we able to live this Christian life? How are we able to keep the statutes and commandments of God and walk in his ways?

The answer rings loud from our text: "I will put MY spirit within you, and I will CAUSE you to walk in my statutes..."

God does indeed have a plan for ethnic Israel, both in this present church age and at the end of history. 

But "they are not all Israel which are of Israel." Before considering what God the plan of God is for Israel is, we must first define who Israel is.

Who has the better claim on St. Patrick, Catholics or Protestants? Given that St. Patrick was NOT canonized by the Roman Catholic Church, this message examines the life and theology of Patrick to make the case that the man we have come to celebrate on March 17 is not the man as he actually was in history. He was in actuality the "proto" Protestant.