January 17, 2025

The Gospel

After becoming a follower of Jesus, one of the first verses I memorized was Romans 1:16:

“I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.”

As this verse took deeper root in my heart, I found more and more strength in the Lord to share my faith and tell my personal story of trusting Jesus Christ as my Savior and Lord. Memorizing this verse also challenged me to understand more fully what the Gospel—this Good News—truly is.

The Gospel reveals four profound truths:

            1.         Sin has enslaved each of us.

            2.         Even though we are sinners, God is pursuing us.

            3.         Jesus left heaven to redeem us and buy us back from sin.

            4.         Salvation restores us—it transforms us from lost to found, from blind to seeing, and from enemies of God to friends of God.

This Sunday, we’ll take a deeper look at the Gospel as illustrated in Titus 3:3-7:

“Once we, too, were foolish and disobedient. We were misled and became slaves to many lusts and pleasures. Our lives were full of evil and envy, and we hated each other. But when God our Savior revealed His kindness and love, He saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit. He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior. Because of His grace, He made us right in His sight and gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life.”

I hope you’ll join us this Sunday for what I believe will be a wonderful time of worship, fellowship, and learning. And if you can, why not invite a friend? Offer to buy them a cup of coffee when they arrive—it could be a small gesture that opens a door for someone to encounter the Gospel.

Still unashamed,

pastor Jamie