Beholding His Glory ~ Pastor Bill Slabaugh

Romans 7:14-25 ~ The Portrait of a Struggling Christian ~ Pastor Bill Slabaugh

Romans chapter 7 paints a portrait of a struggling Christian who cannot do what he wants to do and he does the very thing that he does not want to do.  The apostle Paul shows us that this person has a problem with self.  He is self-absorbed and he would say, “It is all about me.” When we are self-absorbed and it’s all about “me,” sin gets the better of us every time. When we try to do it ourselves in our own way and in our own strength, sin wins every time. Paul shows us a better way to live in the Spirit.

Romans 7:1-6 ~ Dead to the Law ~ Pastor Bill Slabaugh

Romans chapter 7 contains one of the thorniest, most hotly debated, issues in Christianity. What is the believer's relationship to the Old Testament Law?  Are Christians required to keep it or not? It is essential that we understand what the Apostle Paul is writing in these verses.

Genesis 1-2 ~ God's Purpose for Humankind ~ Pastor Bill Slabaugh

Why did God create Adam and Eve and what was their purpose?  In what ways are we made in the image of God and why did He make us the way He did? There are three distinct ways that we bear His imprint on our souls. We discover these in the first two chapters of Genesis.

Romans 6:11-14 ~ The Life of the New Man ~ Pastor Bill Slabaugh

2 Corinthians 5:17

Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.

In the New Testament, the Christian life is often described as “putting off” and “putting on.” If we are to live as new creations in Jesus Christ, then we need to understand exactly how to put off the old self and put on the new self which has been recreated in Christ Jesus. Romans 6:11-14 tells us exactly how to do this.

Romans 6:4-9 ~ The Resurrection Assurances of the Believer ~ Pastor Bill Slabaugh

President John Adams said, "Facts are subborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passions, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence. 

In Romans 6:4-9, we discover four breathtaking facts about Jesus' resurrection from the dead: Christ rose from the dead; Christ will never die again and He reigns triumphant over death; Through faith, we are united to Christ and die with Him; and We shall rise like He rose and live with Him forever.

"He is Risen!" "He is Risen Indeed!"

Romans 6:4-7 ~ Dying to Live ~ Pastor Bill Slabaugh

What does it mean to die to sin? It means dying to live.

Romans 6:1-3 ~ God Is not Done with Us Yet ~ Pastor Bill Slabaugh

There is always hope because God doesn’t just make us better, He makes us new.  When God begins a work, He finishes it.  You and I may write people off as hopeless, but God never does. You might write yourself off as hopeless, but God never does. If you are in Christ, you are a new creation.

             A businessman once put a warehouse up for sale. As he took a prospective buyer around the warehouse, he pointed out the building’s flaws. “The place has been vacant for a while,” he said. “Vandals broke out the windows and kicked in the doors, but we’ll make those repairs. Don’t worry about the roof, we’ll take care of those holes. Oh, and we’ll clean up all this trash and paint over the graffiti and—” ...

            “Don’t say another word,” said the buyer. “You don’t have to fix the place up. I don’t want the structure. I just want the site. I’m going to remove this warehouse and put up a brand-new building.”

            That’s what God does in our lives. He doesn’t patch us up, fix us up, or paint us over. When He comes in, the old is gone and He makes everything new.

Romans 5:18-21 ~ Super-Abundant Grace that Reigns ~ Pastor Bill Slabaugh

Why did God give His Law?  According to Romans 5:20, one of the purposes of the Law is so that sin increases. Knowledge of the Law actually causes more sin. But the good news is that where sin increased, God’s grace abounded all the more.  Donald Grey Barnhouse put it this way, “Where sin reached a high-water mark, grace completely flooded the world.” The abundant and sufficient grace of God is the answer to the evil in the world and the sin of our own lives.

Romans 5:12-17 ~ Are You in Adam or in Christ? ~ Pastor Bill Slabaugh

Death is God’s penalty for Adam’s sin, imposed on all his posterity. Death reigns if you are still "in Adam." So how do you escape the curse? You must be "in Christ!"

 

Romans 5:9-11 ~ Saved for Sure ~ Pastor Bill Slabaugh

If someone came to you and said they are having trouble in their marriage, how would you encourage them to be reconciled? If someone came to you and said that he was estranged from his parents, what would be your counsel? If someone came to you and said that they are far from God, what would you say? Romans 5:9-11 tells us how we can be actively involved in the ministry of reconciliation that God has entrusted to each one of us as believers in Christ.