Sermons

As we close out the first half of Romans, we are led to a place of doxology or praise. There is nothing more fitting than to glorify the Lord having seen so much of his remarkable grace and power. Do you love to sing? It ought to be the great joy of every Christian to open their mouth with words of praise to God! Even if our songs are more “joyful noise” than “sweet Psalmist of Israel.”

The Christian life ought to be one of ongoing praise and endless thanksgiving. Yet, we are often thankless. In a timeless response to this inconsistency, Psalm 124 invites the people of God to regularly remember the gospel and constantly consider their salvation in Christ: Without the Lord, we would be totally helpless, but with the Lord, we can overcome the insurmountable!

Romans 9-11 is answering the big question of whether or not God can be trusted. Did He break all His promises to Israel? If so, then how can we be certain He will keep all His promises to us? After all, we are prone to pride, just as that people was. Perhaps understanding the Gospel of grace is what will keep us faithful in the end. It will certainly help us put pride to death, which is a great first step to faithfulness.

It’s easy to say God is trustworthy, but do you really believe it? Do you believe it when everything seems to be going wrong? As we go through the early chapters of the life of Joseph, what will become clear is that even though it doesn’t always look like it, God is always in control; governing all things to accomplish his good purposes.

Last Sunday we answered three questions about Israel that have a direct impact on whether or not we can trust God today. Did Israel hear the Gospel? Yes (18) Did Israel know the Gospel would be embraced by Gentiles? Yes. (19-21) Has God rejected every single person from Israel? No (11:1-6) That takes us to the last two questions that continue to prove we can take God at His word and believe He will keep every last one of His promises to us and to Israel.

Sometimes you do not understand how important something is until it breaks. God made particular promises to the nation of Israel that seem pretty important. If He chooses to break those promises, what might that mean for us… especially our confidence in the promises He has made to us in His Son, Jesus Christ?

As we turn the page on summer and head into a more routine time of church life, it seemed like a good spot to remind us all of what we are striving to be in this world. How is membership in a local church different from a membership at the gym or a big box retailer? And what things in particular should the members of Grace Fellowship Church be re-upping their commitment to do and to be?

Solomon started his reign amazingly well. He truly loved God and the Lord was pleased with him. Sadly, it didn’t stay this way. Things took a turn for the worse when Solomon allowed his heart to be captivated by something other than the Lord. As we study the downfall of this man, we'll find that his life provides this warning for every Christian: Believer, You must guard your heart.

Christian Clement-Schlimm. Christians are called to thank and praise God in all things and circumstances. On the face of it, this might sound like an exceedingly difficult, if not impossible, command. Thankfully, God does not leave Christians guessing on how to do this. Through David's example in Psalm 138, believers are reminded why God is always worthy of thanks and how they can thank Him, even in the midst of suffering and hardship.

It should be no surprise that a book that is all about the Gospel would include a section that speaks to the responsibilities of the local church in selecting, sending and supporting those who would take that Gospel to places where it has never been heard. Paul makes it clear every church needs to be a missionary-sending church. And in the process he helps each one of us understand our specific role in the grand scheme of worldwide Gospel proclamation.