Christian living

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The Apostle Paul urges us to allow God’s Spirit to change us by changing how we think about ourselves. How does this work, and what happens next? For what purpose does God make us into new people?

“After Transformation” by Pastor Ryan Emmons

Pastor Ryan began his sermon with this quote from New Testament scholar Douglas Moo:

Romans has the reputation – well deserved – of being one of the most theological books in the Bible. Unfortunately, this reputation has led many Christians and even some commentators to wonder why Paul bothers with all the practical stuff at the end of the letter. He has finished the theology section at the end of chapter 11. Why say any more? Such an attitude betrays a basic misunderstanding of theology and its significance. All theology is practical, and all practice, if it is truly Christian, is theological. Paul’s gospel is deeply theological, but it is also eminently practical. The good news of Jesus Christ is intended to transform a person’s life. Until individual Christians own and live out the theology, the gospel has not accomplished its purpose.

Romans 12:1-8 (NLT) ; 羅 馬 書 12:1-8 (CUVS)

You can set up a real-time transcript when you listen on your device. You can also read Pastor Ryan’s sermon notes (not a transcript).

Photo by AARN GIRI on Unsplash

Quote from: Douglas J. Moo, Romans: From Biblical Text to Contemporary Life (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan, 2014), 393.

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Are we good and “Christian” on the outside only, or also in the inside? Pastor Ryan shares what Jesus said about this, and offers a few things we can do to check the status of our hearts.

“Lipstick on a Pig” by Pastor Ryan Emmons

Psalm 67 (NLT) ; 詩 篇 67 (CUVS)
Matthew 15:10-20 (NLT) ; 馬 太 福 音 15:10-20 (CUVS)

You can set up a real-time transcript when you listen on your device. You can also read Pastor Ryan’s sermon notes (not a transcript).

Photo by NicoleLaurenPhotography on Unsplash
Lipstick Image by Królestwo_Nauki from Pixabay

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Sometimes, life does not feel fair. Pastor Ryan pulls out lessons from the story of Elijah to help us respond well when we feel hard done by as Christians. How do we approach God in these circumstances?

“When It’s Not Fair”, by Pastor Ryan Emmons

Psalm 85:8-13 (NLT) ; 詩 篇 85:8-13 (CUVS)
1 Kings 19:9-18 (NLT) ; 列 王 紀 上 19:9-18 (CUVS)

You can set up a real-time transcript when you listen on your device. You can also read Pastor Ryan’s sermon notes (not a transcript).

Photo by Tony Chen on Unsplash

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Now that we know we belong to Christ and that he loves us, how do we go about making decisions so that we can live godly lives? Pastor Ryan gives four principles we can use to help us make good ones.

“Guiding Principles for Decision Making” by Pastor Ryan Emmnons

Psalm 32:8-11 (NLT) ; 詩 篇 32:8-11 (CUVS)
Philippians 4:4-9 (NLT) ; 腓 立 比 書 4:4-9 (CUVS)

poster with four questions: 1. Will this help me grow as a Christian? 2. Will this master me? 3. Will this cause another Christian to stumble? 4. Will this glorify God?

You can set up a real-time transcript when you listen on your device. You can also read Pastor Ryan’s sermon notes (not a transcript) or download the poster.

Photo by Robert Ruggiero on Unsplash