Pastor Stan preaching from Ephesians 4:1-3 "Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, 3 being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace."

The Church are those who have been spiritually awakened, raised from death to life, called out of darkness into Christ's marvelous light. How is it, then, that the Apostle Paul calls the Church to wake up? Join us today as we learn how to put into practice the command to love our neighbor as ourselves with three calls to action: 1) wake up, 2) put off the deeds of darkness and, 3) put on the armor of light. Rise and shine, Church! Pastor Jonathan preaching from Romans 13:11-14: "11 And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. 12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. 13 Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. 14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts."

Did you know that all of God's law sums up under one, brief heading? Join us today as we examine a simple yet profound truth - that love is the fulfillment of the law - and find out if you are someone who has fulfilled the law according to God's word. Your eternal destiny depends on it. Pastor Jonathan preaching Romans 13:8-10 Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law. 9 For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not bear false witness,”[fn] “You shall not covet,”[fn] and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”[fn] 10 Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

Scripture commands us to pay certain debts so that no debt remains outstanding. But there is one outstanding debt that we are called to continually owe and pay to all, and that is the debt of love. Join us this week as we consider the first two of four shocking truths related to the statement: "for he who loves another has fulfilled the law." Pastor Jonathan preaching from Romans 13:7-10 "Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor. 8 Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law. 9 For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not bear false witness,” “You shall not covet,” and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 10 Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

What is your motivation for submitting to government authorities and for paying your taxes? The answer to that question will tell you a lot about your spiritual health. Join us today as we consider the kind of motivation God looks for in the matter of submission, and discover the real reason God wants us to pay our taxes! Pastor Jonathan preaching from Romans 13:5-7 "Therefore you must be subject, not only because of wrath but also for conscience’ sake. For because of this you also pay taxes, for they are God’s ministers attending continually to this very thing. Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor."

Join us as we learn about two more important graces that God has designed for us in all human governments. And then don't miss what's really going on this text; government it's a human picture of far greater spiritual reality of which every Christian needs to be aware. Pastor Jonathan preaching from Romans 13:4 "For he is God’s minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God’s minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil."

Government is often thought of as a "necessary evil" that we put up with because they are seen as too restrictive to our freedoms or too corrupt to function as God intended, but today's text teaches us that every government - no matter how corrupt - is actually a grace from God because they 1) all restrain evil and 2) they recognize good works. Join us today as we continue our study of God's purposes for government. Pastor Jonathan preaching from Romans 13:2-3 "Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same.

Romans 13:1-7 has been understood in various ways throughout the history of the Church and has been used to justify totalitarian regimes to unconditional submission to government to a justification for resistance and rebellion toward tyrannical governments. But what was the original intent of this instruction? And how are we to apply it today? Join us as we begin this series the Christian's relationship and responsibility toward the governing powers. You may be surprised to learn that the context in which these verses sit is often unknown or ignored. Pastor Jonathan preaching from Romans 13:1-2 "Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves."

Pastor Stan preaching Ephesians 4:15 "but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ"

Every Christian is engaged in a cosmic battle against evil and it's more personal than you think because of the nature of your real enemy. Can Christians be overcome by evil? Can you lose your salvation? Join us today as Pastor Jonathan addresses: 1) what it means to be overcome by evil; 2) what's required to overcome evil as we're commanded; 3) three practical actions we can take to overcome evil with good; 4) a few encouragements to obey this text. Romans 12:21 "Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."

Today we're dealing with a passage that is often misunderstood as it seems to contradict the spirit of the love of God in the verses that surround it. What exactly are "coals of fire" and what does it mean that we heap them on our enemies' heads when we do good for them? Join us today as we consider the positive side of the Apostle's instruction about how we are to respond to the evil of others with the love of God. Pastor Jonathan preaching from Romans 12:20 Therefore “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; If he is thirsty, give him a drink; For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.”

How are we to respond when others pay us evil? The natural response of every human in the flesh is retaliation and revenge. But in today's passage we're told that we are not to avenge ourselves; instead we are to "give place" to wrath. Join us today as we explore the meaning of this phrase and consider two big reasons from the text about why we are not to avenge ourselves. Pastor Jonathan preaching from Romans 12:19 "Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, 'Vengeance is Mine, I will repay' says the Lord."

Today's text teaches us how to react when others present us any kind of evil. We are to REFRAIN and REFLECT before we RESPOND as God desires that we should respond. But how do we do this when our natural inclination in the flesh is always retaliation and getting even? Join us as we learn what it means to be a "salty sacrifice" in the Kingdom of God. Pastor Jonathan preaching from Romans 12:17-18: "Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men."

Orthodoxy (truth) is of the utmost importance in the Christian life. But orthodoxy that is not tempered by the love of God is of no value. Today's text teaches us that Christians are to be of the same heart toward one another; that is, having the same attitudes, same desires, same aspirations. And the chief attitude is humility and a desire to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Join us today as we consider one proposition, one prohibition, one admonition and one volition contained in Romans 12:16. Pastor Jonathan preaching Romans 12:16 "Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion."

The second half of verse 15 challenges us to another expression of compassion toward others: to weep with those who weep. What are Christians called to weep over and what does this weeping look like? Join us this week as we consider two kinds of sorrow that people can experience, and how you can know with certainty that you have the right kind of sorrow that leads to salvation. Pastor Jonathan preaching from Romans 12:15b: "and weep with those who weep."

How do you react when you hear of others' successes? Your classmate aced the test you failed. Your co-worker got the sale or promotion you were hoping for. Your girlfriend just got pregnant again and you're still praying for your first child. Today's text deals with the heart and it indirectly exposes the secret sins of the heart that are incompatible with the love of God. Today we consider the difficulty of rejoicing with others and how the Gospel alone can set us free to rejoice with those who rejoice. Pastor Jonathan preaching from Romans 12:15 "Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep."

Verses 14-21 deal with how believers are to react to various stimuli from other people. Today's verse is one of the most difficult to implement in the Christian life. And yet, it is a requirement for all true children of God. What does it mean to bless others who persecute you? Why is cursing strictly prohibited by God? And how can we react rightly with God's love when others persecute us? Join us as we open the Word of God together from Romans 12:14: "Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse."

Much of pop Christianity emphasizes the individual's experience of God in salvation while under-emphasizing or ignoring the importance of our corporate fellowship and how we are to serve in the Body of Christ. Join us today as we consider what is means to be "given to hospitality" - what that meant to the first century Church, and what it means for us today. Pastor Jonathan preaching from Romans 12:13 "distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality."

Prayer is an intimidating subject for many Christians. We know we are to pray, but we often don't feel consistent in our prayer lives, find it hard to know what to say, and sometimes we may not even see the purpose in prayer. Join us today as we explore a brief overview on the subject of prayer - 1) what it is, 2) where it comes from and, 3) what it means to be devoted to prayer.

Today we're considering another reason we can rejoice in hope in the midst of tribulation: we know God's purposes in tribulation are all good. First, tribulation proves our sonship. Second, it fulfills God's purpose to make us more like Christ. And third, it prepares us for glory. Join us today as we learn a whole new perspective on affliction and suffering for the child of God that will cause you to rejoice in hope. Pastor Jonathan preaching Romans 12:12 "rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer;"