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.

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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.