How do you keep a church strong? The Apostle Paul gives (3) clear ways in his close to the book of Romans (16:17-27). First, guard the unity of the church against “those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you learn.” Watch out for smooth talkers who flatter and “avoid them.” Second, show grace, love, and care for your fellow saints. We see this pictured as believers, from some 800 miles away, sent kind greetings to the church at Rome. Third, establish the church by preaching Jesus Christ. Paul’s clear implication is, without sound preaching, the church will be weak and malnourished, but with it they will be grounded and strong.

Sermon: https://churchandfamilylife.com/sermons/698979860df6c37ba98e6e44

Every woman wants a good, reliable, and steady man. Yet wives tend to respond with angst whenever their strong man doesn’t seem to fully “understand” or “relate” to them. Does he even care? The truth is, it’s a mistake to take your husband’s silence as apathy or detachment. A man bears burdens the way he lifts weights: He’s not thinking, “How do I feel?” but “What am I carrying?” A man doesn’t think, feel, or cry like a woman does. And that’s exactly the point — God made men and women differently (Gen. 1:27). There’s great beauty in His design for manhood and womanhood which expresses His glory to the world!

Should you ever correct your spouse? The Bible says you should, and it tells you how (Gal. 6:1-3). First, you must not be just frustrated and fed up, but “spiritual.” Second, your goal must not be to humiliate, expose, or “win,” but to “restore.” Third, you must bring correction in a “spirit of gentleness,” not anger. Fourth, you must examine your own heart, “lest you also be tempted.” And, finally, you must “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ” (Gal. 6:2) — so whenever the problem persists, you’re called to be patient and longsuffering. Correcting your spouse is sometimes called for, but it must be done carefully, this way (Gal. 6:1-3).

People in our church had a big disappointment in this last election. We prayed. We showed up at City Council meetings. We spoke. Yet, when the votes were counted, all the godly candidates we supported for office were wiped out. Despite these losses, our response must not be despair, but prayer—not withdrawal, but intercession: “first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority. . .” (1 Tim. 2:1). This must be our default position. Even as we witness our foundations crumble before our eyes, God is not surprised or absent. He’s taught us to pray for our civil magistrates and for laws that honor Him—so let’s keep praying!

The local church is not some abstract idea with nameless members—it’s a family of real people who are personally connected with one other. That’s what we learn in Romans 16. After all the great doctrine in Paul’s letter, he greets real people with real names and commends the real labor they performed in the Roman church. His words read like a family photo album as he illustrates what grace looks like in a local church body. This is what God intended for church life—that it be alive and fruitful, like a family.

Sermon: https://churchandfamilylife.com/sermons/696dc90a6dae751850c3cffa

Message to daughters — when it comes to your gender, the most terrifying thing the Devil sees is a faithful mom raising her children at home. This beautiful picture is in direct odds with a culture at war with God. While feminism’s lies say that the Bible’s limitations on women are restrictive, they’re actually liberating. The submissive woman is wise and undaunted. She smiles at the future, not frightened by any fear (Prov. 31:25). She radiates the fragrance of Christ in every place. She’s formidable, because she’s following God’s perfect design for her role. So, parents — encourage your girls to exalt Christ by living out this lovely image.

The church is not simply an idea, a platform, or a live stream. It is physicality expressed in her people, buildings, writings, meetings, and evangelism. While many tend to despise the physical over the spiritual, the Bible objects to such a view with these doctrinal truths that manifest the physicality of the church: First, the incarnation. God saves through flesh and blood, not through a ghost. Second, we are image bearers. The invisible God is made visible through human lives. Third, every spiritual reality has a physical expression. What we believe shows up in where we go with our bodies, and what we build with our hands. So don’t minimize the physical aspects of church life — but serve the physical body of Christ with devoted purpose.

Every journey has its obstacles. But what, specifically, is holding you back? Sometimes it’s unconfessed sin, hidden bitterness, divided loyalties, delayed obedience, or broken relationships. Maybe you’re violating your soul and sacred relationships through pornography, and you wonder why you’re not moving forward. Yet not every roadblock is caused by unresolved sin. Even when you’re faithful, sometimes God places “hindrances” in your path which are not detours, but serve to accomplish His divine will. The latter was so with the Apostle Paul (Rom. 15:22-29). Knowing this, let us be wise to discern what’s holding us in check — our sin or God’s greater purpose.

Sermon: https://churchandfamilylife.com/sermons/695b542611cff32e9efacef4