Just as the world seemed to be falling apart, God makes a promise. In His time and in His way, He would send a new world power to make things right. What happened to that promise? Does it still inspire us with hope in our own broken world?

In this famous Psalm, God offers us an invitation and opportunity to rejoice. Rejoicing, it turns out, is good for the soul!

At our core, we humans are made to give and receive love. Human failure has blurred that need, but God meets it fully. Faith enables us to rely on God’s never-failing love for us, so we can be free to love others.

As children we are born with the desire to please those who give us life, and we are broken when we feel that we have fallen short. Faith reminds us, however, that we can never disappoint the Divine Father who gave us life, because His love for us is not based on our performance. It rests on a much more solid foundation.

Faith reminds us that God alone determines our destiny. Neither fear, failure, nor fate have that power. God created us, and He also restores and empowers us to realize the destiny that He has always desired for us.

Children must usually wait for a death in the family to receive their inheritance. Yet, God does not require us to wait entirely for our glorious riches. Already, in our present, He gives us a foretaste and a sample of the abundance that awaits us when we pass from this life.

As God’s children, we are assured of a heavenly inheritance. By keeping this inheritance in mind, faith provides a pathway through our struggles and opportunities to become a healing force in our world.

Whether we like it or not, whether we believe it or not, we are slaves to human failure from the day of our birth. Faith reminds us, however, that we need not remain in that bondage, freeing us to live the abundant life of God’s free children.

Because our minds have been devastatingly crippled by human failure, God must spiritually heal us so we can think correctly. Faith provides this pathway toward healing, to see God, others, ourselves, and our world through different eyes.

Freedom from Sin and DeathAt the root of all our fears lie the threats of failure and death. God has already destroyed those threats and faith empowers us to accept this truth. When we no longer fear failure and death, we can begin to live again. Sermon Notes & Discussion Guide: https://dirks-corner-public.s3.amazonaws.com/Faith-Romans-8-2023-Week-1-Sermon-Notes.pdf

After receiving his blessing, Jacob must make a troublesome journey home, a journey interrupted by an unusual fight with an unusual opponent. What does this struggle teach us about our struggles, and how God meets us in these struggles?

The path of God’s blessing was not easy for Jacob. He worked years for it, and still his uncle almost stole his blessing from him, just as he had stolen his brother’s blessing. God intervenes, however, to ensure that His blessing continues to spread into the world. What does this teach us about God’s gracious ways in the face of hostile plots and plans?

Jacob was not perfect, and neither was his family: twelve different sons from four different mothers, all living in the same house. Their lives were as challenging as we might imagine. But why would God choose this imperfect family to start a new family of God? What does this teach us about our less than perfect families?

As Jacob journeys to begin his new life, he sees a vision of a heavenly stairway traveled by angels. What does this stairway to heaven have to do with us and the plans God has for our life journey?

The name “Jacob” can mean “supplanter,” and he fits the role by stealing his brother’s inheritance. Why would God allow such injustice, and what does this teach us about God’s gracious blessing?

As in many other biblical stories, God proves He is the author of life by giving children to a couple not able to bear them naturally. Twins are miraculously born, and God mysteriously chooses the younger son to be His chosen vessel of grace. What does this miraculous choice teach us about God and His gracious ways?

Stephen is the first martyr of this new community of Jesus followers, and His example teaches us that we will win our battles with a different sort of witness and a different sort of victory. The world may view us as losers, but God sees us, and we must see ourselves as His victorious children.

Where two or more are gathered to accomplish the same mission, they must organize. The early church faced a challenge that threatened this mission when people began to argue over money. The leaders’ response teaches us the importance of organizing in a way that honors God and preserves His mission.

New directions will always be resisted, especially by people who do not get the point behind the change. Those following Jesus must see clearly why they do what they do, so they are not discouraged by this opposition.

Religion can be dangerous when it substitutes show for substance. In the early days of the church one couple ignored this truth, and it cost them their lives. We would be wise to learn from their mistake.