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“Whoever regards one day as special does so to the Lord. Whoever eats meat does so to the Lord, for they give thanks to God; and whoever abstains does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God.” - Romans 14:6 Have you ever been accused of having a strong-willed personality? Confident of your convictions? Sure of your motives and that of someone else? Do you ever find yourself yelling at your TV certain that you would make a better referee? Many people in Paul’s day were apparently doing something similar. There were a lot of folks in the Roman church who acted as if they were umpires without the need for the ABS challenge system. The church was filled with members who judged (and even condemned) other members. But Paul reminds them that we are all accountable to the supreme Judge: “Each of us will give an account of ourselves to God.”   What happens is that when we become so focused on our own convictions, we can forget the importance of belonging to God and to each other. Even in the church today, people argue over food, Sundays, alcohol, worship styles and the like. That doesn’t mean that those things aren’t important; but whenever we look down on someone else’s faith or accuse someone else of legalism, we must be careful. When convictions collide around issues Paul says are “disputable” matters; if relationships become causalities, there is a sinful disconnect.  As we unpack these ideas this Sunday, I pray that God will grow us closer to God and closer to one another as we seek unity around the cause of Christ. With that in mind, I look forward to seeing you either in person or online. However, if you are bodily able, I hope to see you in person as “not giving up the habit of meeting together” seems more than just a “disputable matter.”  Grace & Peace,  Pastor Aaron

How many of you have ever heard the phrase, “Dress for the job you want, not the job you have?” Or, “Dress for success?” For whatever reason, there was a season in my life where I called Friday, “tie-day.” (Perhaps because the high school basketball team required us to wear ties on gameday, and it just stuck on Fridays.). Call me old-fashioned, but I think sharp dressing needs to make a comeback! As we continue with our study of Romans, Paul tells us to clothe ourselves with Christ. However, I don’t think that this is something as superficial as a "dress for success" mantra. In this passage, Paul is talking the love of Jesus be so ingrained in our hearts that it is also apparent in the way in which we live. With the help of the Holy Spirit, we put aside our sinful actions and behave in a way that honors Christ.   As Paul tells us to “wake up,” he’s inviting us to wrap ourselves with Christ's goodness. And as we do so, we are showing outwardly what has taken place inwardly. We need to show outwardly what has taken place inwardly. In places around the Middle East, versatile robes are meant to keep a person cool in the hot sun and warm during cold desert nights.  In the end, that is what we need in our journey of faith. Christ is our best “attire” to protect us from temptations and to help us witness to others about God's love. So as we gather together this week, let’s think about putting on our very best! I look forward to seeing you in person if you are able, or online if you aren’t!  Grace & Peace,  Pastor Aaron

I have never met a president or senator and shook their hand (though I did see AirForce One flyover and land at the AirForce Base when we lived in PA). And as a regular citizen, I have little influence over the laws and policies of our nation – let alone my local government. Yet every April, I gather up paperwork, talk to a preparer, and file my taxes. I'll admit that it’s easy to complain about paying taxes. In fact, it’s easy to complain about all kinds of things in government. We gripe about the President overreaching authority. We complain when Congress refuses to deal with matters of importance. And we find fault with the police, the justice system, the school board, and the city council. But Romans 13 reminds us that although we may not always agree with our leaders, we must submit to their authority. Just as Paul called believers to submit to the Roman government (which wasn’t a utopia BTW), we are called to do the same. And we do this whether we are enamored or disillusioned with our government and its policies. In the end, we cannot use our feelings about what is happening as an excuse to treat other people poorly or with contempt. Instead, we should pray for those in authority and seek the good for those who have been established by God (Rom. 13:1) And as good citizens, we should obey those in authority up until a government’s demand is in direct conflict with God’s commands. In it all, we must choose God’s way! As we continue in our sermon series on Romans, I look forward to exploring with you this high calling and endeavor. May we be faithful citizens of earth while we remember that our ultimate citizenship is in heaven! Grace & Peace,  Pastor Aaron

“If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” - Romans 12:18 In the section of Scripture that we will be studying together this week, it has become apparent to me that we could easily break it up into about 10 sermons. That’s because Paul packs every sentence with imperatives (commands/things that are necessary). However, if we were to take a 10,000-foot view of verses 9-21, what we find is how love should be lived out within a Gospel community.  Unity. Purity. Peace. Those words encapsulate how we should function together as a body. What is interesting is that The Society of International Law in London reported a startling statistic a number of years ago: the world has been at peace for less than 8 percent of its history. The study said that in the past 3,530 years, there have been only 286 years of peace. Yet over the same time period, more than 8,000 peace treaties have been made...And broken. Assuming that that study is accurate, it shouldn’t surprise us that even within the church, we can struggle to live in unity, purity, and peace. But think about that, in the midst of a world where conflict and disagreements are common, the Holy Spirit wants to develop peace in us. As we’ll see this week in Romans 12, Paul urged us to express that quality by working hard to “live at peace with everyone.”  Now, you and I know that living at peace with others doesn’t simply mean we’ll always agree, or that we must avoid issues or grievances with someone else. Rather, genuine peace is experienced when someone begins working toward genuine reconciliation and resolution wherever there is hurt. And the model that we have for that is the peace that we have with God through Jesus Christ! (Romans 5:1-2) As a result of the peace we have experienced peace with God, we need to extend that peace to others. As we’ll ponder together this week, how are you being called to be a peacemaker that puts love into action? How do you see harmony as being a powerful witness to the rest of the world? Grace & Peace,  Pastor Aaron

Romans 12:3-8 Gifts of Grace 3 For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. 4 For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, 5 so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. 6 Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; 7 if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; 8 the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness. Have you ever met someone with an inflated ego? Don’t they just rub you the wrong way? I think many of us find ourselves becoming annoyed with people who have inflated egos because, if we are really honest, we often see something in them that we don’t like about ourselves. We all have one thing in common: we often think we are the most important person in the world. Whether you agree with me or not, I have been around long enough to know that we are a self-absorbed people. Now, I don’t mean to sound like I am berating you; I am simply acknowledging a reality. Paul goes into depth about the importance of not thinking too highly of ourselves, but instead having sober judgment. He then lists a series of different gifts that we find within the body of Christ. His main point in doing this is to show that each of us has a role to play in building up God’s kingdom, but we should never think that our role makes us more important than someone else. This Sunday, I pray that we would continue to be equipped to build up the body of Christ. I pray that we would walk away viewing ourselves with greater humility and sober judgment, while also recognizing the gifts God has graciously given each of us. And ultimately, I pray that we would look to the example Christ set for us in how we should live and conduct ourselves. In Christ, Blake

What shapes the way you think? Where do you find yourself conforming? What percentage of your thoughts are completely original to you? Where do you find yourself becoming what other people expect you to be? As we turn our attention to Romans 12 this week, the apostle Paul coaches us not to conform to the world’s pattern; rather, we are to be transformed. Perhaps you’ve heard it said this way: “Conforming to the world is like removing the screen door to our minds and letting all the bugs fly in.” But when we are transformed, we refuse to comply any influences that compromise our character or the witness of Christ. I’ve heard someone describe it like this: Imagine if I filled up a glass with water, but then added dust and lint from the floor, cigarette butts from an ash tray, and a dried piece of gum from under the table. What if I then asked you to drink it? My guess is that you would refuse. Why? Because you know that it isn’t good for you! But that is what happens when we pollute our minds by taking in worldly influences that muddy the waters instead of clearing them. Paul says that we need to offer our bodies as living sacrifices by no longer conforming to the pattern of this world and being transformed by the renewing of our minds. Just as we put on clean clothing after a shower, so are we to put on Christ and allow Him to dwell in us richly. May we continue to grow as we allow ourselves to be shaped by the heart and mind of Christ. Grace & Peace,  Pastor Aaron

On occasion, Nicole and I (more so Nicole) enjoy the challenge of putting together a 1,000-piece jig­saw puzzle. Other people might get the daily newspaper and do the crossword puzzle or Sudoku. Still others use various phone apps – Wordle anyone? But sometimes our puzzles can end up puzzling us; and this is how it was for the apostle Paul. Throughout Romans 11 Paul has been wrestling with the puzzle of the relationship between Jews and Gentiles. As a Jew, by the grace of God he had come to know Jesus as his Savior. Then as he went about doing his missionary work, many Gentiles came to faith in Jesus as Lord but many of his own Jewish people rejected Jesus. It “Boggled” his mind. Yet this mystery didn’t leave him searching in the darkness. Paul was so confident that God would bring the Jewish people to faith that he broke into song: “Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!”(Romans 11:33) As we will be reminded this week: Theology leads to doxology. My prayer for us is that as we continue to study these deep and difficult things, God will lead us higher into His mercy. Mercy that is deeper than our sin, mercy that none of us can earn or repay, mercy that is wider than our narrow assumptions, and mercy that stretches across generations to reach Jews and Gentiles through Christ Jesus. May our worship be focused this week on the One who is merciful! Grace & Peace,  Pastor Aaron

Have you ever had your plans subverted or thwarted? You had an idea in mind that suddenly became something different? As we study Romans 11:11-24 together this week, Paul reminds us that Israel’s stumbling did not derail God’s plan. Instead, the gospel went out to the Gentiles and showed that God was at work to accomplish His saving purposes. What appeared to be a dead end became another avenue for grace. God is never surprised, defeated, or forced to improvise.  Yet the inclusion of the Gentiles is not a reason for pride. Paul says that Gentile believers are like wild branches grafted into a cultivated olive tree. We don’t support the root; the root supports us. We are only able to stand by faith, we are nourished by promises we did not create, and we are welcomed into a covenant family we did not deserve.  Because of this, we are called to humility and perseverance. We should never look down on those who are presently far from God, because we were once far off ourselves. The God who grafted us in is also able to restore those who have been broken off. No one is beyond the reach of His mercy, and no believer has room to boast.  As we will see, because God’s grace is abundant, we should never treat it casually. We are called to remain in His kindness, trusting Christ, and bearing fruit. The proper response to grace is not arrogance or presumption, but gratitude and dependence upon the One who holds every branch.  I look forward to seeing you this week! Grace & Peace,  Pastor Aaron

Romans 11:1-10 11 I ask, then, has God rejected his people? By no means! For I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham,[a] a member of the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew. Do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he appeals to God against Israel? 3 “Lord, they have killed your prophets, they have demolished your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life.”4 But what is God's reply to him? “I have kept for myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” 5 So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace. 6 But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace… There is no doubt that the nation of Israel has been a topic of conversation throughout history. From God's choosing of Israel in the Old Testament to the present day, Israel continues to be at the center of global attention. This naturally leads us to ask an important question: Has God rejected His people? Even more, how should we think about and pray for the people of Israel? My goal is not to enter into the political discussions surrounding the modern nation of Israel. Rather, I want us to consider the nation God chose as His covenant people in redemptive history, how they fit into the unfolding story of redemption, and what Romans 11 teaches about God's ongoing purposes for them. More important than my own thoughts, however, is what the Apostle Paul teaches. In this passage, Paul emphatically declares that God has not rejected His people. Instead, He has graciously preserved a remnant according to His sovereign grace, while the rest have experienced the hardening Paul describes. Above all, Paul reminds us that salvation—for both Jew and Gentile—comes by grace alone, not by the works of the law. This Sunday, come expectant and come hungry as we continue diving deep into the rich theology of Paul's letter to the Romans. Together, we'll seek to grow in our knowledge of God's Word and be conformed more and more to the image of His Son, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. In Christ, Blake

Every once in a while, Nicole will ask me, “Did you hear me?” Now, as a person about to hit 50, I could probably use an excuse about hearing loss. But the truth is, more often than not, I’m involved in something else or not paying attention. In a similar way, Paul is going to unpacking a similar line of thinking. In our verses for Sunday, Paul is going to quote from a plethora of Old Testament passages. One of them will be Psalm 19, which speaks of the heavens declaring the glory of God. But as we know, not everyone pays attention to the message of creation that points beyond itself to God.   The same happens when missionaries, pastors, or people bring the good news of God’s salvation to others. In those moments, we must always understand that there is a twofold response to the gospel. Some people will respond with belief and acceptance, while others refuse to believe. So the issue isn’t that people didn’t hear. As Paul says, “Did they not hear? Of course!” The real issue is paying attention and responding! As we gather together this week, every single one of us will be confronted with this question: If “God is holding out His hands all day long to a disobedient and obstinate people,” how will I respond? My prayer is that we will respond with genuine worship, grateful living, and the promise of a sure hope for eternal life. I look forward to seeing you in person or online. Grace & Peace,  Pastor Aaron

Have you ever wondered what beautiful feet look like? For most of us, our feet spend the majority of their time in shoes, so you might not think too much about that question. Of course, as I mentioned on Sunday, with so many broken toes, I'm not sure mine qualify! But what about shoes? If you have been in the military, shiny shoes are a part of your service dress. But even as a child who grew up going to church each week, I have lots of memories of my dad (and later myself) shining our Sunday shoes before we went off to service. And even now before I leave the house to preach, I still try most weeks to make sure my shoes have been buffed. But that’s not what Paul is referring to when he talks about beautiful feet bringing good news. Paul quotes a line from Isaiah that has to do with bringing news to people near and far. In ancient times, messengers were sent to the king and to major cities to bring news about battles or attacks from other nations. This meant that the messengers often ran a long way, with their feet getting dirty or bloody. But when the message was good news, those tortured and bleeding feet were considered beautiful. Isaiah used that imagery to describe a messenger who brought the good news of salvation and peace, announcing, “Your God reigns!” (Isaiah 52:7). In our world of bullets and bombs, we need messengers of good news that speak of peace and reconciliation with God and with one another. Because we have good news to bring, that means we have beautiful feet – whether they are physically beautiful or not! But regardless of whether people look at our feet, what they will see is the joy on our faces as we share that Jesus Christ is Lord! I look forward to discovering more about that together as we gather this week. Grace & Peace,  Pastor Aaron

As our nation marks its 250th anniversary, we pause to celebrate with gratitude. We do not give thanks because our country is perfect, nor because our history is without sorrow, or sin, or struggle. We give thanks because, by God’s mercy, we have received blessings that many throughout the world have longed for: freedom of worship, freedom of speech, freedom of conscience, and the opportunity to live, work, gather, and serve in peace. We also remember that these freedoms were not handed to us cheaply. They have been preserved through sacrifice, courage, hardship, and the shedding of blood. Across generations, men and women have served, suffered, and died so that others like us might live in liberty. Such sacrifices should make us humble, grateful, and prayerful.  Yet as Christians, our hope is not ultimately in any nation, government, flag, or earthly kingdom. Our highest allegiance belongs to Jesus Christ, the King of kings and Lord of lords. Yet precisely because we belong to Him, we are called to be faithful citizens: to seek the welfare of our neighbors, to pray for those in authority, to pursue justice and mercy, and to use our freedoms not for selfish gain, but for love of God and love of neighbor.  So today we give thanks for the blessings we have received as a nation, while also asking God to make us wise stewards. May we never confuse patriotism with worship, or liberty with license. May we cherish what is good, repent where repentance is needed, and labor for an America where the highest ideals are upheld.  Above all, we give thanks to God for the greater freedom we have in Jesus Christ: freedom from sin, freedom from condemnation, and freedom to live as children of God. Nations rise and fall, but the kingdom of Christ is everlasting. May our gratitude for earthly freedoms lead us to deeper worship of the One who alone can make us truly free.  Have a wonderful and blessed 4th of July! Grace & Peace,  Pastor Aaron

I am mindful of the times I have spent over a lump of clay (whether on a wheel, or shaping or molding or manipulating it into whatever you desire). There is something about being mindful and dreaming about what it could be in terms of its form and function. At the same time, there is also something beautiful in the hard work and craftsmanship that brings it about. In the end, the piece may be exactly what you envisioned; other times it may take a different shape as it is forming.   As we continue in our sermon series on Romans, chapter 9:19-29 brings us face-to-face with one of the most humbling questions in all of Scripture: Is God forming us, or are we forming ourselves and God is going along with it? Paul answer that with this truth: God is sovereign, and we are not. But if that is the case, Paul anticipates the question many of us might ask: “If God hardens whom He wills, then why does He still hold people accountable?” Do human beings have any real agency? Can we be blamed for rejecting Christ if no one can resist His will?  Paul’s answer is not to solve every mystery to our satisfaction, but to remind us of our place before God. And to make his point, he asks, “Who are you, O man, to answer back to God?” While that may sound sharp, Paul is not shutting down honest wrestling; he is reminding us of everything that he has said prior about election, predestination, calling, justification, and glorification. We are the clay, not the Potter. The clay does not tell the potter what he must make or how he must use what he has made.  As we have been saying, salvation begins with God’s mercy, not human achievement. If God were only just, no one would be saved. But the wonder of Romans 9 is not that God judges sin, but that He shows mercy at all; and that He calls people from both Jews and Gentiles to belong to Him.  And what is the result? Worship! Because the Potter is not cruel or careless, but holy, wise, patient, and merciful, He alone is worthy of our worship. And for all who trust in Christ, we can find our worshipful rest in this: the hands that shape us are the same hands that were pierced for us.  Grace & Peace,  Pastor Aaron

As we began last week, Romans 9:6–18 continues in this difficult section of Scripture unpacking the relationship of Israel to Christ. This is not an easy passage, but one that contains deep comfort. Paul is wrestling with a painful question: if many Israelites have rejected Christ, has God’s Word failed? Yet his answer is clear: “It is not as though God’s word had failed”(Romans 9:6). God has always been faithful to His promises, and His saving purpose has never depended on human effort, or achievement, or background, or status. Paul reminds us that God’s grace is rooted in God’s mercy. As we know, God’s promises came through Isaac, not Ishmael and Jacob, not Esau. It has never been about merit, but about mercy. And so this passage humbles us all because it reminds us that salvation is never something God owes us; it is always His free and gracious gift. As we will see: “It does not, therefore, depend on human desire or effort, but on God’s mercy” (Romans 9:16). While this may be hard to hear, it is also extremely comforting because it reminds us that if our salvation depended on our strength, wisdom, consistency, or spiritual performance, then we would have every reason to fear. But because salvation rests on God’s mercy and purpose, we can rest in Him. So rather than try to understand things perfectly that may be hidden from us, it actually invites us to worship. Why? Because God is sovereign and faithful and merciful and good. And that means that His Word has not failed! His promises still stand, and His mercy is greater than we know. Grace & Peace,  Pastor Aaron

Do you know your purpose in life? Do you really believe you are also sent? Has God called you to his mission? Throughout Scripture, we certainly see the way in which Jesus understood his purpose and calling. When Jesus encountered Zacchaeus and had dinner with him, his purpose was laser-focused: “For the Son of Man came to seek out and to save the lost.” Paul knew it as well. After scaling the heights of God’s love for us in Jesus and reminding us that nothing will separate us from the love of God (Romans 8), his next words almost give us whiplash: “I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my people, those of my own race...” - Romans 9:2-3 Why could things turn so quickly? Because Paul had the heart of a missionary. Most of us get distracted or sidetracked every day from our purposes. But not Jesus...and not Paul. Just as Jesus saw Zaccheus through the crowds in a tree, Jesus sees you and me. And just as Paul saw his people were far from Jesus and desired that they would know Him, Paul encourages us to have the same heart. Do we understand the privileges we have been given? Do we grieve over those who are lost? Do we love those who are far from Christ? Do we long to see the people we know come to Jesus? As we explore these questions together this week, I pray that we will begin to see the people and community around us with the same heart and through the same lens. Let’s keep leaning into our invitational nature! Grace & Peace,  Pastor Aaron