9Bible reference:  Acts 20:24; Romans 7:23-8:6; Romans 8:1; Romans 9:14 A man once said, there are two dogs inside.  The one you feed the most wins. Original sin makes our bodies dead.   Paul tells us that he struggles,  he's carried around a 'dead' body.   He's complaining about the sinful nature that attacks us.  He's about serving Jesus Christ.   He says, what a wretched man I am; he wants to be rid of the sin nature that is a burden to the saved soul.  Yet Paul comforts himself with three things: - a righteousness deep within him - the Law of God written in him by the Holy Spirit (Romans 7:16);that he delights in the Law of God in the inward man (Romans 7:22)  All who are born again,  delight in the law of the Lord.  2 Corinthians 4:16 - his great comfort lay in Jesus Christ  Whether we believe it or not,  we are winning.  We still live in this world and the pressures of the flesh attack us.   Paul still breaks out in praise.  Daily,  not just at church, 

Bible reference:  Acts 20:24; Romans 6:1-23 Do we want to live a life of victory or a life of defeat? Our works will not save us; once we are saved, he wants us to be a masterpiece. Live for what the Lord has given you.  All too often we've been taught that Church comes first.  But first is relationship with God and then family, etc and then we'll see the church grow. Ministry is not singing,  etc.   Ministry is reconciliation with Jesus Christ. We need to live out our mission.   We tell people about the Lord, and the Lord gives the harvest.   The better we prepare the soil, the greater the harvest. The purpose of our life: to be in reconciled relationship with Christ. Galatians 2:20 It's no longer I that lives but Christ who lives in me! We are dead to sin's control.   We need to run our relationships with authority,  not with control.   In Eden, when sin entered,  the authority was given to Satan.   Jesus died on the cross and took back the authority. Who h

Bible reference:  Matthew 22:34-40; Matthew 28:18-20 Last week- Salvation comes when we put our faith in Jesus Christ.   Works before salvation is for ourselves; after salvation for Jesus Christ. In Matthew 28:18-20, we are all called to make disciples (not believers).  We are to also baptize them,  teach them everything Jesus has commanded us. 1.  Love the Lord our God with allour heart, mind and soul- worship. Why did Jesus Christ come?  To reveal the Father. 2.  Love your neighbor as yourself - ministry. The early church loved each other and cared for each other,  people wanted in. 3.  Win disciples. 4.  Baptize disciples 5.  Teach disciples Exodus 20:1-8 Marriage.   God says "I am your God,  and you will have no other god before me". Read book of Ephesians,(grafted into  Abraham's line). A man should say to his bride,  no other man, just him. Same for woman; her husband to have no other woman to be in his thoughts but his wife. God and Israel are in a ma

Bible Reference:  Romans 4:1-25 We put our faith in Jesus Christ.   He is the person who makes us right before God.  Abraham was declared right when he put his faith in God to put him right.   Abraham became the person from whom the Messiah would come. From David's declaration God makes you right.   You are right because God says so.  Righteous works do not make people right.  Circumcision was given to Abraham after he believed.   The Law was given to show us that we have a need to be made right.  The promise of being right depends on God's grace. Romans 4:16-24 Romans Chapter 16 We must be careful to not fall into the trap of trying to do good works to make us right.   We must just come back to God.  He makes us right. Romans 5:1-5 A lot of times we hear God will bless,  bless, bless you.  We tend to think we get, get, get.  This produces selfishness.   But Paul said he was blessed even when he was stoned, shipwrecked.   Paul had peace with God in whatever circumstance

Nehemiah understood the importance of the work he was under taking and was not distracted by those trying to trap him... Sanballat and Geshem sent me this message: “Come, let us meet together in one of the villages on the plain of Ono.” But they were scheming to harm me; so I sent messengers to them with this reply: “I am carrying on a great project and cannot go down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and go down to you?” Four times they sent me the same message, and each time I gave them the same answer. Nehemiah 6:2‭-‬4 NIV https://bible.com/bible/111/neh.6.2-4.NIV