Thrive Harbor

Periodically in Thrive's Romans series, we're pausing to take up a "hot potato in Romans"—a topic that is culturally "hot" and hard to handle. In this talk, Michael Bouterse, Thrive Harbor's local director, takes on the topic of predestination based on Romans 9. Far more than just a doctrine to be grasped cognitively, predestination is both personal and practical, providing believers with a joy, assurance, and freedom, in that their salvation rests not on anything they are or have but on God's sovereign choice.

Scripture passages cited (or alluded to) in this message include Romans 8:38-39; 3:10-11; 10:8-21; John 10:28-29; 3:16; Hebrews 13:5, 8; Isaiah 53:6; Ephesians 2:4-5; Genesis 50:20; Proverbs 16:1, 9; and Exodus 1:22.

David Baumgaertel, one of Thrive’s alums, launches Thrive into the next part of Romans by giving an overview of Romans 9-11, a critical section of Scripture that helps unlock a big picture of the entire Bible. In these chapters Paul demonstrates that God is perfectly righteous in how He has dealt with Jews and Gentiles, and that in different ways each group is the object of God’s mercy. Along with vindicating God’s righteousness, Paul also explains that there is a future for ethnic Israel, when one day the nation will recognize Jesus as Messiah.

Scripture passages cited (or alluded to) in this message include Romans 9-11; Genesis 12:3; and Malachi 1:2-3.

Michael Bouterse, Thrive Harbor's local director, closes out the last section of the climactic eighth chapter of Romans. In Romans 8:28-39 Paul reveals God's purpose for humanity: not conformity to a set of moral principles but to a person, Jesus Christ; His aim is for the very life of God to be woven into the warp and woof of our personalities. To this purpose God adds a promise of assurance that He will bring this reality to pass: that because of God's sovereignty and His sacrifice on the cross, nothing can separate us from His love.

Scripture passages cited (or alluded to) in this message include Romans 8:28-39; 8:18-22; 1 John 3:2; 2 Corinthians 3:18; 2 Timothy 3:5; Jeremiah 2:13; 1 John 4:8, 16; Luke 22:31-32; 1 Peter 1:3-7; and John 17:20-26.

Dustin Polley, director of Thrive Kitsap (our sister ministry in Kitsap County), continues Thrive's ascent up the "Mount Everest" of Scripture, the glorious eighth chapter of Romans. In Romans 8:18-27 Paul announces that Christians await a glorious future, when at Christ's return God's people will be glorified, resulting not just in their renewal but in the renewal of all creation. Meanwhile, Christians, aided by the Holy Spirit, live in the tension of still experiencing suffering in this life, even as we long for the life to come.

David Shohradov, one of Thrive's own, continues Thrive's exploration of the "Mount Everest" of the Bible, Romans 8. In Romans 8:12-17 Paul takes up themes at the heart of the Christian life—the relationship between the flesh and the Spirit, our adoption as God's children, and the redemptive value of suffering.

Jake Chambers, pastor and church planter of Local Church, kicks off the first of several weeks focused on the "Mount Everest" of Scripture—the magnificent eighth chapter of Romans. Romans 8 is one of the firmest statements in Scripture that in Christ we are free of condemnation, even though condemnation is exactly what we deserve! Yet because of what Jesus has done, God has liberated us from living under sin and set us free to live holy and abundant lives by the power of the Holy Spirit.

A Q&A panel with local pastors and their spouses wraps up Thrive's two-week miniseries on pornography and sexual addiction.

Periodically in Thrive's Romans series, we're pausing to take up a "hot potato in Romans"—a topic that is culturally "hot" and hard to handle. In this talk, Josh Mann, pastor at Fox Island Alliance Church, shares part of his powerful testimony to conclude a two-week miniseries on “Jesus, Sex, and Secrets” confronting pornography and sexual addiction.

Periodically in Thrive's Romans series, we're pausing to take up a "hot potato in Romans"—a topic that is culturally "hot" and hard to handle. In this talk, Michael Bouterse, Thrive Harbor's local director, opens a two-week miniseries on “Jesus, Sex, and Secrets” that confronts pornography and sexual addiction, springing out of Romans 6 and 7. This first talk deals with the devastation of porn, the wrong way to heal, and the right way to heal.

Scripture passages cited in this message include Romans 7:15, 19, 21, 24; Ephesians 5:3; 1 Thessalonians 4:3; 2 Corinthians 12:7; Luke 15:17-24, 30; 2 Corinthians 5:17, 21; 1 Corinthians 6:9-11; and Genesis 41:51.

How does God change us? How do believers grow amid the ongoing, ever-present battle with sin? Whereas Romans 6 gives Paul’s explanation of the right way to fight sin and seek change, Romans 7 gives the wrong way. It shows us that despite human beings’ inherent tendency to improve ourselves through our own effort, sin can’t be defeated through simply trying harder. Sanctification is God’s work, accomplished through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Scripture passages cited in this message include Romans 7:14-25; 1 John 1:8; Romans 6:17; Ephesians 2:1-3; 1 Timothy 1:8-9; Colossians 2:20-23; Romans 6:2, 11-13; and Galatians 2:20.