The Word Unleashed - Radio

The apostle Paul reminds us that this hope doesn't eliminate our current struggles but transforms them as we wait eagerly for the day when God will complete what He has begun in us. On today’s broadcast, Tom Pennington encourages us as Christians to never take our eyes off of Christ and our future glorification with Him.

On today's program, we continue exploring the breathtaking promise of Romans 8—that all of creation eagerly awaits the coming restoration when Christ returns to renew the universe. As Christians, we shouldn't be surprised by suffering in this fallen world but instead should intentionally meditate on Scripture, particularly Romans 8 and our future glory, to gain hope in present trials.

The apostle Paul teaches that despite the sufferings we face in this present life, believers are destined for a glory so magnificent that our current hardships pale in comparison. Even more remarkably, all of creation itself is groaning like a woman in labor, eagerly awaiting the day when God's children are fully revealed and the entire universe will be liberated from its curse of decay and corruption.

In Romans 8, the apostle Paul reveals three foundational truths: First, God personally created the universe and it belongs to Him. Second, God cursed the entire cosmos because of Adam's one sin of eating forbidden fruit. And third, God will one day renew this universe and free it from its curse. Friend, you can trust the Creator God of the Bible—and Pastor Tom makes this point clear on today’s broadcast.

The Bible teaches that Christians will face trials—and God will sustain us through them and use them for good. By explaining Paul’s words in Romans 8, Pastor Tom reveals a stunning connection between our future and the entire world—all creation eagerly awaiting the day when believers are fully revealed as God's children, because the universe's transformation is inseparably linked to ours.

In Romans 8, the apostle Paul places the trials we face as Christians on one side of the scales and our future glory with Christ on the other, showing that even a lifetime of hardship doesn't tip the balance. That is why Pastor Tom explores two astounding promises awaiting believers: we will see Christ in all His glory with our own eyes, and we will be transformed to share His moral character, becoming perfectly pure and like Him.

In Romans 8, Paul establishes the absolute security of our salvation by highlighting three key truths: first, God has delivered believers from all condemnation (verses 1-4); second, God has fundamentally changed and empowered us by His Spirit, guaranteeing He will complete the work He began in us (verses 5-13); and third, God has adopted all who believe in Jesus Christ as His own children, making us belong to Him even more securely than our own children belong to us (verses 14-17).

The prophet Jeremiah faced unimaginable suffering when Jerusalem was utterly destroyed in 586 B.C.—thirty months of siege, widespread famine, the slaughter of young and old, the burning of Solomon's temple, and the entire nation carried off into captivity—yet in Lamentations chapter 3, he discovered that hope is found by deliberately meditating on God.

In this brief series, we’ll consider how God responds, which will inform our response as we face the difficulties and challenges of this life. Friend, I pray as we study God’s Word together that you would come to understand that our God is faithful.

The book of Acts not only describes the birth of the church but also it lays out a series of priorities that every Christian should faithfully pursue. There are many good things that Christians can and should be involved in but it is imperative that those good things don’t override the clear priorities we find in Acts chapter 2. But what makes these priorities so vital to the Christian life?