"Free to Serve God" (Romans 6:15-23)→

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Our culture today values personal freedom almost above all else. The ability for someone to be and live however they want is celebrated, while any kind of constraint on this is derided. But is this kind of freedom possible? Where does it lead? Our passage this Sunday shows us how the gospel brings true freedom and life through Christ.

"Dead to Sin, Alive to God" (Romans 6:1-14)→

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How do you respond when you struggle with sin? Do you throw your hands up in defeat? Do you shrug your shoulders because Jesus promised to forgive you? In our passage this Sunday we'll see how the gospel not only blesses us with life for eternity, but that it has real impact on our lives for today.

"A Tale of Two Adams" (Romans 5:12-21)

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Do you ever get discouraged by the way of the world? There is so much immorality and despair and, of course, death. Why is it so...bad? As we continue in the second section of Romans (ch. 5-8) about the results of the gospel, we'll see the source of the world's brokenness and how we can find encouragement and, even hope, in the midst of it.

"The Joyful Blessings of the Gospel" (Romans 5:1-11)

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What brings you the most joy? This Sunday we dive back into our sermon series in Romans. The first part of the letter (ch. 1-4) was all about the content of the gospel: our need and how faith in Jesus' work on the cross saves us. This second section (ch. 5-8) focuses on the results of the gospel--the peace, hope, freedom, and life we receive in Christ. This week's passage will show us why Christians should have overflowing and enduring joy in God!

"Sola Fide" (Romans 4:1-16)

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Exactly 507 years ago this week, German monk Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the door of his local church in Wittenberg, Germany. This began what became known as the Protestant Reformation - and it is how, in God's Providence, we are worshiping Christ in 2024 at Ruggles. Central to the Protestant Reformation was recovering the biblical teaching from our passage this Sunday - that we are justified, or made righteous, before God not by our works, but by faith alone. We'll see this Sunday what revolutionized and reformed the Church, and why "sola fide" is such glorious good news for us today!

"More Than Forgiveness" (Romans 3:21-31)

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This Sunday's passage is a detailed x-ray of how God saves us in the gospel. Significantly, we'll see that God's gift to us in the gospel is much more than forgiveness! Here the Apostle Paul paints a picture of our salvation with words like "righteousness," "grace," "justification," "law," "redemption," and "propitiation." Finally, we'll see why continuing to believe and boast only in the gospel is a crucial antidote to our pride, our anxiety, and our relationships with others.

"Guilty As Charged" (Romans 3:1-20)

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So how bad is it really? This Sunday we come to the Apostle Paul's climactic conclusion about the depth and breadth of humanity's sin and rebellion against God. The truth is, all are sinners deserving the death penalty. We are guilty as charged by God, the only just judge. We'll see not only how bad it is but also the benefit to reading this sweeping judgment against us. 

"A Matter of the Heart" (Romans 2:17-29)

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How do you know that you're a Christian? This is a simple but relevant question, because Scripture is clear that it's possible (even common) for people to be deceived about their relationship with God--particulaly "religious" people with a background in church. And this is who the Apostle Paul addresses in our passage this Sunday. We'll see the reality of false assurance and the defining factor of true salvatoin in Christ. It's a matter of the heart.

"The Perfect Judge" (Romans 2:1-16)

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It's so easy to be judgmental of others' sins while overlooking our own. In our passage this Sunday, the Apostle Paul says the wrath of God is not only on "unreligious" sinners but it falls justly on hypocritical "religious" sinners, too! So how can we discern what is right, both for ourselves and others, without falling into judgmentalism? 

"The Heart of Gospel Ministry" (Romans 1:8-15)

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What does the Christian life look like? Last week we began the book of Romans, and we saw the Apostle Paul's calling--and our calling--is to be set apart for Christ and his gospel. But what does that mean practically? We'll see in this week's passage that believing the gospel should motivate us to share this good news with others.