Bent Oak Church

John the Baptist was questioned by religious leaders from Jerusalem. "Who do you say you are?" they asked him. John wasn't interested in that question. He wasn't interested in himself. John was helping Israel see the one standing in their midst. "Behold, the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world."

John builds our anticipation for who this word is. He takes his time to get to the answer, explaining the problem of our preferring darkness and the divine solution of the word becoming flesh. The result is that we have seen God's glory and finally, John reveals it is seen through the flesh of Jesus Christ.

John begins his gospel with a prologue. In the beginning, was the word...Before we are introduced to John the baptist or to Jesus, we a reminded of what is at stake. The eternal word of God made flesh. This is a story that is set in the context of eternal salvation.

Destin Harrison shares his story of how God has revealed himself through a long series of "things not working out."

Paul finishes his letter to the Romans with a long list of names. They are people he knew and people he expressed deep gratitude for. It's amazing we still have these names. We know so little about them but they remind us of the central place of people in following Christ.

Paul longed to visit the believers in Rome and to continue on to Spain. Spain was still unreached and Paul's deepest passion was to take the gospel to unreached places. But Paul's dream would not come true. So many of our's don't either. Romans 15 offers a look into Paul's life and how he handled failed plains. 

Special thanks to Brad Lombardi for bringing us a word from Romans 15 on the abounding of peace through maturity in our fellowship together. 

Paul had a difficult problem to address. Apparently, arguments and disputes were threatening the unity of the church. Worse, the arguments were causing people to take sides and change their behavior not motivated by the gospel but by fear, anxiety, and social pressure. Paul needed to push the conversation deeper. It's an important lesson for all of us. 

It is election week, and as millions participate in voting for key government positions, we ask the question, what does Paul mean that Christians should submit to the governing authorities? How do we submit in 2020 when we are given the privilege of participating in those decisions?