Dear Brothers and Sisters,

       Really, what good is it if we say we are recipients of God’s grace, if we are justified by faith—just as if we never sinned--and yet, we live like we used to?  And what must people think who hear us talk about coming to know Jesus Christ who saves us only to look at our lives and see no change to speak of?   When Paul preached the gospel of grace, he was criticized for preaching a message of license that resulted in sin. The reason the critics brought these charges is Paul’s insistence that we are saved by grace through faith, not by works. Doesn’t that lead to a life of continuing in sin?  Absolutely not, Paul repeatedly declares. This Sunday, we will consider how grace frees us from sin in the first of a two-part sermon on Romans 6.  I hope you will join us for some practical help on getting free from sin.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

         These are hard days for a lot of people.   You cannot be a pastor and not know about so many hard things going on in the lives of great folks who really love Jesus.   Right in the face of those who try and say, “Trust God and everything will go right for you” we have the hard reality that the righteous suffer and everything doesn’t go right for those who trust Him.    Our Lord suffered, the apostles suffered, and I would venture to say there is not a Christ-follower anywhere who does not suffer at some point in this world.   At the same time, we all probably know people that seem to have joy in the midst of lives that are difficult, really difficult.   How do they do it?     I don’t mean putting on a front and pretending, but real joy.   Three times in eleven verses in Romans 5:1-11, Paul uses the word rejoice.    He even has the nerve to say, we rejoice in our sufferings (Rom. 5:3)…how do you do that?!   This Sunday we are going to look at this amazing passage of scripture in a sermon entitled, “Reason For Joy.”   Hope you’ll come join us!

See you then,

Bill