The Kindness and Severity of God Oct 20th, 2019
JT Patton
Beginning in Romans chapter 9 we began an important journey on the road to learn about God’s Sovereign (absolute, supreme, or ultimate) Choice for creation. We are reminded that God’s promises are good and true and forever. God rewards faith and not simply the works of his people.
Chapter 10 cements this idea by shouting the Good News that if we confess with our mouth and believe in our hearts that Jesus is Lord and that God raised him from the dead God’s Sovereign choice is for all who will believe in faith.
Last week we began to cover chapter 11. We discovered that faith is a gift. In fact, faith is a free gift given by God.
This week we are confronted with the truth that God is unchanging and that there is Kindness for those of faith and Severity for those who would deny their faith.
Who Can Stand Against Us? Jun 30th, 2019
JT Patton
After spending almost an entire chapter helping us understand who we are in Christ, God lays out the unbelievable implications of being his child. If only we could let these truths sink into us and drive our everyday lives. Join us as Pastor JT explains from the Bible what new life looks like.
All Things For Good? Romans 8:28-30 Jun 23rd, 2019
JT Patton
In the early church, the Christians suffered greatly under emperor Nero and the Roman Empire. Paul’s response to that suffering, God is working it all out for good for those who love him. Not only that, but God choose them before time began to be in his family so that they could be conformed into the image of Christ, and one day be fully glorified with him in heaven. In our times of struggle, doubt, or hardship we must remember, God loved and choose us first. If that is true, if he planned all of that from eternity past just so we could be in his family as his redeemed children, then maybe we can trust him through whatever this world throws at us.
God Intercedes Jun 16th, 2019
JT Patton
One of the themes that runs through Romans is the theme of weakness. Jesus saved us from our weakness (sin), Jesus continues to help us in that weakness (desires of the flesh vs walking in the Spirit), and he helps us in the weakness that comes with suffering. In Romans 8:26-28 that theme continues, but this time it’s our weakness in prayer. Like with our other weaknesses, we are not alone in our struggles with prayer.
Groaning for Redemption Jun 2nd, 2019
JT Patton
God tells us that we are his children, his heirs, and will share in the glory of Christ – provided we suffer with him. It seems like such a strange thing to add to this encouraging passage until we realize, suffering makes us more like Christ. Although suffering as our savior suffered helps to conform us to his image, there is still something about suffering that doesn’t feel right. All of creation is declaring with us that it shouldn’t be this way. The promise is that one day it won’t be. When we are redeemed and fully glorified, when we truly understand the full implications of being God’s adopted children, we will finally understand what God was doing through our suffering, and we will finally understand, our struggles now aren’t worth comparing to the glory we will experience with our God in eternity.
Adopted By Our Father May 26th, 2019
JT Patton
So often we have preconceived notions about what it means to “walk in the Spirit”. This section of Romans makes it clear that walking in the Spirit is remembering who you are in Christ, because of what God has done for you. Romans 8:14-17
Love & Peace May 19th, 2019
JT Patton
Walking not in the flesh, but in the Spirit really comes down to having your mind and heart in the right place. It seems simple, but in real life, it is not. In the end, it really comes down to two things. Remembering who God is and what he has done, and remembering who you are in Christ. Romans 8 is a proclamation of those two things, empowering us to be people of and who walk in the Spirit.
No Condemnation May 12th, 2019
JT Patton
Romans 8:1 is really the summation/culmination of the first 7 chapters of Romans, so go back and look at it. In my sermon I’m going to walk through some of the biggest points Romans has made through each chapter.
Life Group Questions
https://freshwatersgf.com/questions/no-condemnation/
I Do What I Hate May 5th, 2019
JT Patton
Many times we want to do the right thing, but find ourselves doing the wrong thing. We can love God and love the Bible, yet still do things that God is against. Thank God that he understands this, and has an answer for that struggle – The gospel of Jesus Christ.
Sin Comes Alive Apr 28th, 2019
JT Patton
It seems that Paul is saying that the law is bad. That through our sin it arouses sinful desires and produces covetousness. Yet Paul emphatically says that the law is not only holy and righteous but good. The truth is found in the fact that the law doesn’t heal, it simply gives a diagnosis. When we understand the role of the law and the truth of how we are really healed, Paul’s words become a powerful weapon in our pursuit of God’s holiness.
To study along click on the link for our Lifegroup Questions: https://freshwatersgf.com/questions/sin-comes-alive/
The Fruit of Death: Part 2 Apr 21st, 2019
JT Patton
The resurrection represents so much more than salvation. Because we share in the resurrection of Christ, we are not just saved people, but new people. A new people unified with Christ and therefore untied with God…forever. Since we are now in Christ our lives should and will bear the result of Christ’s righteousness in us – the fruit of the Spirit.
To follow along with our Lifegroup questions please check out: https://freshwatersgf.com/questions/the-fruit-of-death-part-2/
The Fruit of Death: Part 1 Apr 14th, 2019
JT Patton
Why did Jesus come to Earth? What is the culmination of his time here on Earth? Jesus on the cross, Jesus' death, and finally Jesus' Ressurection! Christian as a believer of Jesus you have the fruit of God! You have the fruit of eternal life! Join us as Pastor JT walks us through these beautiful truths and what it means for you and me!
Slaves to Righteousness Apr 7th, 2019
JT Patton
After laying a firm foundation of the gospel and our union with Christ, Romans helps us see how we can walk in freedom. That we are no longer enslaved to sin, our past, or the world, but we are set free to grow and pursue the righteousness of Christ within us.
Union with Christ Mar 31st, 2019
JT Patton
Join us for this powerful message as Pastor JT walks us through the amazing and powerful truth that Jesus is in you Christian! When you sin or fall short, don't approach God as a failure. We can approach God united with our Savior who has dominion over sin and because of our unity with Jesus so do we Christian! You are a child of God united with Christ! You have been crucified with Christ, it is no longer you who lives but Christ who lives in you.
Baptized Into Christ Mar 24th, 2019
Robby Asbery
God gave man His law from the beginning with Adam and throughout time to you and me. Time has proven from generation to generation that it is impossible to keep all of the law. God presents grace to all who will believe through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. In Jesus, we have a relationship with God beginning now and forever. Christian if you struggle with doubts about your faith take a listen to what the Word of God has to say to you in Romans 6:1 - 4.
The One Man Mar 17th, 2019
JT Patton
Most of us have heard that we are born sinners, but have you ever processed all that really means? Romans helps us see that we are born into condemnation, we are born into sin. Romans also helps us see the story doesn’t end there. From the very beginning, God had a plan for the problem of our sinful nature. A solution that is so much bigger than the problem of sin that it blows the difficulty of sinful nature out of the water.
While We Were Sinners Mar 10th, 2019
JT Patton
Join us for one of the most life-changing passages in scripture as Pastor JT walks us through the plain meaning of what Jesus did for the world.
Peace with God Feb 17th, 2019
This week we started a whole new section of Romans. One that starts laying out the implications of the fact that we are saved by grace through faith in the gospel. The first thing God wants us to see is we have peace with him, and because of that peace, we have access to our Father. But what does having peace really mean? What does it mean to have access to God? In these two important words, Gods wants us to learn how to fully rest and trust in him for all things.
Made Righteous by Faith Feb 3rd, 2019
JT Patton
How do you define yourself?
What is the most important thing about you?
In Romans 4:1-12 God is trying to help us see that the most important thing about us is not what we have done in this life, but what Jesus did with his life. When we define ourselves by anything other than the fact that we are children of God saved by grace through faith we begin to lose our way. The good news is that the gospel is always there to remind us and be our anchor.
No Right to Boast Jan 27th, 2019
JT Patton
After laying out the foundation of the gospel in Romans 3:21-26 Paul helps us see that the only thing that truly saves and the only foundation we have to stand on is grace. We come to God with nothing, we only accept his free gift through faith. Faith leads us into a right relationship with God and to obey our King.
The Greatest Gift Jan 20th, 2019
JT Patton
After spending almost three chapters telling us the bad news of our unrighteousness and sin before God incurring His wrath and judgment, Paul gives us the good news. The power of the Gospel to save all who would just believe. But it’s not just that we are saved in Christ, it’s the mind-blowing things God accomplished to make it a reality.
None Are Righteous? Jan 13th, 2019
JT Patton
So often we think of people as being inherently good. That we are all good people that sometimes do bad things. But is that what the Bible teaches? One thing that unites every single person on the planet is our unrighteousness, our sinfulness before God. The beautiful thing about the gospel is God is not trying to make us feel terrible by helping us see our depravity, He is showing us the truth so we might run to him and be set free.
Unrighteousness to Glory Dec 2nd, 2018
JT Patton
It seems that the Jews in Rome and Paul had some conflict. The Jews in Rome seemed to think Paul didn’t take God’s law serious enough and that his talk of grace meant he was condoning people to sin whenever they wanted. Paul seemed to think that the Jews in Rome didn’t understand grace and were placing their trust in things other than Christ (Heritage, circumcision, privilege). In the end, I think what the Word shows us is we all have a tendency to either trust in our good behavior as a means for justification, or we swing the other way and treat God’s grace cheaply. True love and faithfulness comes through humility before God. A humble heart leads us to an understanding of the unimaginable cost of grace, and what it took for God to forgive our sin.
It's A Heart Thing Nov 18th, 2018
JT Patton
So often we make our faith about the stuff we should do. Did we read our bible, did we pray, did we go to church? Those things are important, but when we define ourselves by that we begin to lose our way. Circumcision on the surface seems weird and insignificant to us, but when we dive deeper it’s a window into our tendency to make our faith about us- when it was always and will always be about God.
Honor and Glory Nov 4th, 2018
JT Patton
We have talked a lot about God’s wrath and judgement for sin over the last few weeks, and today’s passage is no exception, but Paul also hints at an incredible promise. It’s not only that God will judge those who have no hope without Christ and his righteousness, but that God will reward those who have been made righteous by Christ when they do good in his name. God sharing his glory with us in staggering ways.
Who Are You to Judge? Oct 28th, 2018
JT Patton
Sometimes sin is obvious and we see it in ourselves or others very clearly, but sometimes sin is more sinister. It creeps into how we view the world and more specifically how we view other people. In Romans 2 Paul warns us of the danger of judging others while at the same time not seeing our own sin clearly. God has no patience for the judgmental “religious person”. We should always be evaluating our hearts and asking, “do I strive to love others as God does, or do I give love based off of how well people meet my expectations?”
When Truth Unravels Oct 14th, 2018
JT Patton
Romans has been showing us what happens with we reject God and pursue sin. Our hearts and minds fall further and further from God we begin to reject the truth about God, ourselves and his creation. This weeks passage helps us see just how far that depravity can go if God finally releases us to pursue the sin we have chosen over him.
Without Excuse Oct 7th, 2018
JT Patton
We are all worshipers. We are all built to give glory. Yet, so often we give our worship to things other than God and it leads to all kinds of devastating effects. Before diving into specific ways this plays out, Paul shows us just how damaging and dangerous replacing the rightful worship of the God of the bible can be to our hearts and minds.
Paul sets out his goal, to preach the Gospel Sep 30th, 2018
JT Patton
Paul really shows us his love for the people in the Roman church in his introduction to the letter. He longs to share in fellowship with them, to encourage them and to be encouraged by them. By verse 15 though, it begins to become clear that the thing he longs to share with them more than anything else is Jesus. To encourage them with the depths of the gospel and the power of God.
The Missionary Journey and Teaching of Paul Sep 23rd, 2018
JT Patton
The letter of Romans was written to a real church, full of real people. Understanding what was going on in their context and the things that Paul was specifically addressing helps get a deeper understanding of what he was trying to communicate. But the beautiful thing about God’s word, and specifically Romans, is that although it was written to a specific church and people, the truths found there are just as powerful and relevant today as they were 2000 years ago.
*Bonus Content: Watch this amazing video on Romans to get a great overview of this letter https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ej_6dVdJSIU
God's Call on Paul's Life Sep 16th, 2018
JT Patton
This week we began our series in Romans, but before really diving into the book we wanted to have a deeper understanding of it’s author, Paul. This letter written to the Christians in Rome gives us deep insights into not only God, his character, and Christ, but into the Jewish man that wrote it.