Sunday 24th November, 9:30 service, Natalie Worsfold.

Romans 8:37-39.

Even as we face opposition in our lives, we live as men and women who are victorious, because of Christ’s victory over death and sin. We are also victorious because of the endless promise of God’s love for us.

As this passage reminds us, nothing can separate us from the love of God, in Christ.

Sunday 17th November, 9:30 service, Asa Humphreys.

Romans 8:33-36.

Not only is God with us and for us, but Paul reminds us that Christ is now seated at the right hand of the Father, praying for us.

It is the love of Christ, demonstrated through his sacrifice and his ongoing prays for all his followers, that keeps us going when we face opposition and challenge in our lives (vs35).

Sunday 10th November 2024, 9:30 service, Chris Hall.

Romans 8:31-32.

Having explained that God works through our weakness and through the challenges we face in our lives, the apostle Paul asks “who can be against us?”

The great message of the Gospel is that God has chosen to come to be with us, in Christ. In giving his one and only Son, we can be confident that our loving Father in heaven will provide for us in a multitude of ways (vs32).

Sunday 3rd November 2024, 6:30 service, Chris Hall.

Romans 8:28-30.

Whatever we may go through in life, God promises to work all things together for good, for those who love him. As a result we can have confidence that we will work his resurrection power to turn around situations which seem humanly impossible.

Through God’s goodness at work in our lives, we become more like Christ (vs 29) as we live according to his call on our lives.

Sunday 27th October, 9:30 service, Natalie Worsfold.

Romans 8:26-28.

As we live our lives waiting for Christ’s return, we find ourselves in times of suffering and weakness. It is in these moments that we can find it hard to pray / to know how to pray.

These words in Romans remind us that the Spirit of God is with us, helping us pray to God, even through wordless groans.

Sunday 13th October 2024, 6:30 service, Natalie Worsfold.

Romans 8:18-25.

Paul is clear that our current lives will involve suffering, as they did for the Apostle himself, and for creation.

The glorious truth of Christ’s redemption is that we await a future glory, when we will be united with Christ, resurrected with Christ and witness a renewed heaven and earth.

It is this eternal persepctive that Paul is encouraging in this passage.

Sunday 6th October, 6:30 service, Abi Ord.

Romans 8:12-17.

As a result of our new identity in Christ, we are now adopted as sons and daughters of the living God, able to call him ‘Abba, Father’. The work of the Spirit affirms our new identity as God’s children and followers of Christ, leading to suffering and then glory.

Knowing our identity as sons and daughters of the living God is the most important part of our life as Christians.

Sunday 29th September, 9:30 service, Chris Hall.

Romans 8:6-11 (and 5 AND 12!).

Paul outlines the difference between a mind that is focused on “natural desires”, being ungodly ones AND a mind that is controlled by the Spirit.

He reaffirms that as followers of Christ, we are not controlled by a sinful nature, but by the Spirit of God living in us (vs 9). We are raised with Christ to new life.

Are we living according to our new identity in Christ?

Sunday 22nd September 2024, 9:30 service, Asa Humphries.

Romans 8:1-5.

The Apostle Paul has written part of his letter (chapters 6&7) outlining the tension in the Christian life between death to sin and new life in Christ. He now moves onto the wonderful truth of new life in the Spirit. As a result of Christ’s sacrifice (vs3), we are made righteous and now live according to the Spirit.

As temples of the Holy Spirit, we are to live according to the Spirit, setting our minds on what the Spirit desires (vs5). What does this look like in your life?

Sunday 30th June, 9:30 service, David Walker.

This passage takes a couple of reads to get your head round it! How often do we find ourselves doing things we don’t want to do? We want to do good, but more often than not we look back on our actions and realise that we didn’t do the good we wanted.

Paul here addresses the tension of what we often feel: that we might delight in God and love Him in our inner beings, but we are often drawn to sin in our own natures. But he gives us the reminder of verse 25 saying that Jesus has delivered us from sin once and for all in His mercy. This passage is a comfort to us trying to live Kingdom lives, as it serves as a reminder that all struggle with sin, but all have been delivered from it by Jesus.