After laying out the bad news of our absolute inability to approach God on our own terms, Paul shows how God himself has provided all that it needed for righteousness before Him, through Jesus Christ and His atoning work.

Humans have a tendency to sit over and above others when we feel privileged. Paul turns to the Jews now to ensure they know their own broken, condemned state before God, even as those who were privileged with God’s law.

The Gospel reveals both God’s righteousness in Christ, but also why we needed it. Paul lays out here the harsh reality of our wickedness and where it comes from; a suppression of the truth of God’s existence. Yet, even in the face of this truth, the hope of salvation is still held out in the gospel.

The Gospel is God’s power for salvation for all people. It drives everything the apostle Paul does. It prompts his prayers, it drives his plans, and it overflows into his proclamation.

The relevance of Paul's Gospel message is wholly dependent on and determined by the reality of who Jesus Christ is. Paul claims that he is both a human descendant of David, according to God’s promises, and, by His resurrection, declared to be the Holy Son of God. It’s faith in this Jesus that brings about eternal change in our lives.

If Jesus rose from the dead, if the tomb was empty, then our hope in Him is absolutely certain. He has loved us, forgiven our sins, secured us for eternity, and sharing his message is worthwhile.

All the people watching Jesus being crucified hurled insults at him, saying, “Save yourself”. The truth is, he could have, but he didn’t. He stayed there for us, because we couldn’t save ourselves.

Jesus responds to the Pharisee’s faulty view of marriage in God’s kingdom with God’s ideal and expectation. Marriage models Jesus’ faithful commitment to his people.

God’s heart beats for those who are in need. In Mark 9, Jesus helps his disciples understand that being like God is losing yourself to serve the least among them, just like Jesus did for us.

Jesus wants his disciples, and all those who will follow him to see the call clearly. The way of the Christ is the way of the cross, and so too the way of the Christian is the way of the Christ.

Jesus meets two different groups of people who demonstrate for us what it looks like to approach God with genuine humility, understanding who we are in light of who He is.

Unlike what many of can think, that our greatest problems are external. Jesus clearly describes where our greatest problems come from - the heart!

Disciples of Jesus are driven by the reality of Jesus’ resurrection and commission to give all we’ve got to help others come to find life in Him.

As we look to a new year, with the opportunities to get ahead and make this year better than the last, there will be no moving forward unless we build our lives upon the solid foundation of God, which the Lord’s Supper helps us do.

Mary shows us what it looks like to wait on God well, trusting His promises.

The Christian life is patterned on Jesus’ own suffering before glory. Just as Jesus was persecuted, his followers will be too. But God has given us helps to persevere in the face of opposition.

God calls us to submit to authorities as citizens, servants and spouses, to display his glory.

God saves and transforms his people. He takes us as we are, but loves us too much to leave us there, he wants to make us just like Jesus.

When the immediate situation for God’s people seems dim and hopeless, God encourages and inspires them to keep working, knowing He is doing something far bigger than they can see. We too can keep serving God, in the midst of trouble and trial, because in Jesus, He is doing much more than we can see or imagine.

God calls His people to reconsider what they’re investing in, and to invest in His purposes.