
Hosted by First Presbyterian Church Colorado Springs · EN

The “Roman Road” offers a helpful way to explain the gospel, but our ultimate confidence is in the Holy Spirit, who guides and empowers believers. As followers of Christ, we are called to live out our faith and share the hope we have in Jesus. Above all, let us remain steadfast in prayer as we seek to follow Him faithfully. Speaker: Tim McConnell

This is a good place to remember the “Roman Road.” (Romans 3:23; 5:8; 6:23; 8:1; 10:9). This is a way to remember what God has done through Jesus to bring us salvation, and a wonderful method of sharing the Gospel with others. These verses are absolutely defining for the people of God. If you believe in your heart and confess with your lips—that means taking the Gospel in and trusting Jesus, but also speaking to someone verbally—you are saved. Something happens when we speak what we believe. Speaker: Tim McConnell

These are verses we rely on to understand the sovereignty of God over salvation. Ultimately salvation belongs to the Lord, and God will save who he saves and we need to learn to be okay with that and not put ourselves in the judgment seat over God’s actions. In the Reformed Tradition this is the doctrine of predestination. Paul is not laying down a definite program, but encouraging us to broaden our view of God’s saving grace. What if? While we are quick to define and dismiss the “other,” Jesus said the other was part of the plan. 'I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.’ John 10:16 Speaker: Tim McConnell

Who is the church? Who are the people of God? In Paul’s ministry he regularly confronted those who assumed the definition was racial. We are quick to divide along racial lines assuming that those like us are alike better than those who are not like us. But this is not the basis for defining the people of God. It has always been bigger than that. God’s salvation is way beyond racial lines. We are not primarily white, black, latino, asian, etc… We are defined as those who trust in the promises of God—that is, in Jesus. Speaker: Mateen Elass

On Pentecost, we are reminded that the Holy Spirit is within us. We are not just in a relationship with God, but God is inside of us and that means we are inside of God (Father, Son and Holy Spirit). How does that make the external threats appear to you, knowing that internal is the Spirit of the Living God? If God is for us, who can be against us? Pray for a full knowledge (intellectual and emotional) of the all-conquering love of Jesus you have within you and for you today. Speaker: Tim McConnell

Who your parents are makes a big difference in your life. If you are in Christ, you are a child of the living God. The Holy Spirit teaches your spirit to cry Abba because God is your Father. Kids of royalty grow up knowing there is an inheritance and a kingdom to be handed on to them in time. What about children of God? Knowing what is coming, we can endure the travails of life in our times. Suffering looks different when you have a future secured in God (v. 18). We can have enduring hope—like a mother who hopes for the good of her child--enduring hope that the Day of the Lord is coming. Speaker: Tim McConnell

Though we are living life in the flesh, we are spiritual beings. We are not physical beings having a spiritual experience so much as spiritual beings having a physical experience. We pray to live into the spiritual life we have in Jesus. Do we have any idea what it means to have the same power that raised Jesus from the dead living inside of us? Pray for awareness and confidence in the resurrection life. We are a resurrection people and we can live resurrection lives today. Speaker: Greg Hartnett

If I could have peace inside me, it wouldn’t matter much what is happening all around me. Rudyard Kipling’s famous poem “If” begins: “If you can keep your head when all about you; Are losing theirs and blaming it on you.” Inner peace is a stasis that can get you through many toils. But I am at war within myself. Paul is at war within himself. Sin is at war with Spirit. I can’t understand my own actions. We are fractured inside. Our deeds fail to match our intentions which fail to match the holy life Christ inspires in us by His Spirit. The life of prayer is where we get things sorted out. Practicing prayer allows the Lord to work in our lives to bring wholeness and integrity. The truth is we are habituated to sin while longing to be free to the Spirit. Pray for inner peace, wholeness and integrity. Speaker: Tim McConnell

There are two types of freedom: freedom from and freedom for. Christ has set us free. We are liberated from sin’s binding power. St. Augustine outlined four stages of humanity: able to sin; not able not to sin; able not to sin; and finally (in Heaven) not able to sin. We are as believers “able not to sin.” We are free from the penalty for sin and we are free from slavery to it. But we enslave ourselves nonetheless. Our freedom from was bought so we would have freedom for—freedom for serving Jesus and loving others. We pray for freedom from sin so we can be free for the beautiful life won by Christ. Speaker: Tim McConnell

How now then shall we live? What manner of life befits a person saved by the grace of God in Jesus Christ who is dead to sin and alive to Christ? Today we read the names of saints. Yes, saints, if they believed in Jesus. What we believe and hope and trust they know and see and celebrate. Jesus has won. What sin deserves is death. Not just a body running out of steam and breathing its last, but divorce from God Almighty, separation from God for eternity. Some of us are dead already; far from God. That’s what the loving father said about his prodigal son in Luke 15, “he was dead; but is now alive.” Some of us were dead; but if you put your faith in Christ, the free gift is eternal life. No more slavery to sin. Freedom’s gift is freely given. Jesus Christ paid the price. Speaker: John Goodale