We cannot rightly understand the good news of the gospel unless we have a proper understanding of the bad news. This bad news has to do with our unrighteousness before the Holy God who made us and what we deserve from God because of our sin. In this passage the apostle Paul explains this bad news which should cause those not yet trusting in Christ to turn from their sin and trust in Christ and cause those who trust in Christ to give thanks to God for the good news.

These two verses provide Paul’s thesis statement in Romans. Here Paul declares that the gospel is the power of God for salvation to all who believe and that the gospel reveals the righteousness of God. These great truths explain why Paul was not ashamed of the gospel and why we should not be ashamed of it either.

In this passage Paul shares his heart for the Romans, gives thanks to God for their faith in Christ and tells them of his desire to preach the gospel to them. Here we are reminded of the great blessing it is to be with other Christians and how we can strengthen and encourage one another.

Paul’s letter to the church in Rome contains the most in-depth exposition of the gospel which explains why John Calvin described it as “the doorway to the treasure of all scripture”. Throughout church history God has used this letter to open eyes, change hearts and bring glory to Christ. Romans 13:13 played an important role in Augustine’s conversion and Romans 1:17 helped Martin Luther understand justification by faith alone which was the spark that lit the flame of the Protestant Reformation. These first seven verses provide us with helpful context and put before us the main focus of this magnificent letter which is the gospel of God.

When we are in desperate times and our heart is faint we are to call out to the LORD for help. David experienced many desperate times and in this psalm he provides us with a powerful example of what it sounds like when God’s people call out to the Lord Jesus Christ who is our rock and refuge.

Have you ever been accused of something knowing you are in the right? How have you dealt with that? Have you been able to forgive others while looking to The Lord for your strength? In today's Psalm we will see how David, when unjustly accused by others, looks to God for His strength and steadfast love, asking Him for vindication and testing as he walks on the level ground only The Lord can provide.

What type of worship do you like? Answers to this question often include instruments, types of music and various stylistic preferences. While all of these things matter, the most important question to ask is what type of worship does God like? To put it a better way, what type of worship does God deserve? Psalm 33 helps answer this most important question.

The Christian life is a long and arduous journey. Yet all the while, it is centered on a matchless God and supported by His Spirit-born people. Psalm 134 demonstrates these matters in the lives of God's Old Testament people — and points us to discover their every blessing as God's new covenant saints.

In this psalm David speaks of one generation commending God’s works and mighty acts to another. The idea of one generation praising God to another makes this psalm especially fitting for our church’s 35th anniversary celebration. May God use our time in this psalm to help us praise him for another 35 years!

This Psalm gives us a great depiction of the heart of a faith-filled believer in a season of crisis. It’s a prayer and a petition to the covenant keeping God, full of devout affection toward Him. In it we’ll see the holy desires for God to show favor upon His people, the ask for deliverance from enemies and troubles as well as the plea of grace needed for the repentance of sins, and what it looks like to continue trusting and waiting on the promises of God.