How can I be free from sin?

One of the greatest blessings and greatest challenges of a Christian is that our conscience is re-awakened. This means that we are even more keenly alert to our own sinfulness.  We become more aware of how ugly and destructive lust, hate, greed, selfishness, pride, anger, gossip and slander are. And yet at the same time… Continue reading How can I be free from sin?

Under new management (Romans 7:1-6)

Near where we live is a restaurant. Whilst we’ve been living here, it has changed names a number of times.  There’s a reason for that. The original restaurant had a bad name for poor quality food and dodgy hygiene. However, I think that on a few occasions, the name change was merely cosmetic.  If you… Continue reading Under new management (Romans 7:1-6)

Hope in the midst of disappointment

I mentioned in a previous post about how God’s Word acts as the VAR that revises our otlook on what we are seeing and experiencing. This week has not been a good week for hope. We should have been preparing for the final lifting of restrictions this coming Monday. Instead we are likely to be… Continue reading Hope in the midst of disappointment

Sanctification Romans 6:15-22

Available to watch here I frequently say that our relationship with God means that we must allow him to disagree with us through his word.  In what ways has God challenged and disagreed with you through his word?  In my case I remember one specific challenge being that as a pastor, my responsibility is not… Continue reading Sanctification Romans 6:15-22

An excuse for sin? (Romans 6:1-14)

You can also watch this back (with discussion exercises) here When I started work after University, my workplace had a clocking in system. Each week we would collect a time card and then put it into a machine to be time stamped when we arrived in the morning, started and finished our lunchbreak and went… Continue reading An excuse for sin? (Romans 6:1-14)

This is how much God loves us (Romans 5:6-11) Sermon outline

On Faithroots Live, I’ve been working through some studies in Romans. However, these types of studies are a little different from preaching with the specific purpose of applying God’s Word to life now. So, here’s an outline of a preached version of Romans 5:6-11 which we looked at recently. Introduction The thing we find hardest… Continue reading This is how much God loves us (Romans 5:6-11) Sermon outline

Competing kingdoms (Romans 5:12-20)

You can also watch a recorded version of this here. So far we have discovered that we are without excuse, exception or escape in the face of God’s righteous judgement. God has clearly revealed to us who he is and we have responded by suppressing that truth. All have sinned and so all are under… Continue reading Competing kingdoms (Romans 5:12-20)

This is how much God loves us (Romans 5:6-11)

What is the thing that we perhaps find hardest to believe during trials and suffering?  Well, it’s the very thing we need to know the most. We need to know how much God loves us. We left off last time with that wonderful declaration of God’s love for us. This is the first mention of… Continue reading This is how much God loves us (Romans 5:6-11)

How God builds hope in our lives (Romans 5:1-5)

Would you consider yourself an optimist or a pessimist? How do you respond when you go through periods of struggle and suffering?   Are you ever tempted to doubt God’s love, forgiveness and acceptance of you? Paul’s teaching on justification is crucial as we seek to persevere in our faith. A Look at the text V1… Continue reading How God builds hope in our lives (Romans 5:1-5)