June 24, 2010
Romans 8
Pastor Paul Glenn
I grew up with four sisters. (Yes, you can feel sorry for me.) In those days, it was perfectly acceptable to give them grief, but I wasn’t going to let anyone else do that.
In healthy families, everyone closes ranks to help and protect when a member is persecuted, in danger, threatened, or even hungry without resources.
If through salvation we are adopted as God’s children and Jesus’ siblings, then we have to know that God’s love is not going to leave us in our most desperate circumstances. Romans 8:35 tells us that there is no situation - trouble, hardship, persecution, famine, nakedness, danger or threat - that can separate us from Christ’s love. Verses 38-39 add that there is no external force - death, terrestrial beings, authorities, time/space or any creation - that can separate us either.
In difficult situations, our greatest need is to know that we are not alone. Settle this matter once and for all: God loves you and will walk with you through all of life’s challenges.
Did you know? For Pastor Paul, the ideal vacation is to find a place to” un-tether” from distracting demands of life and focus on the joy of spending time with family. He reports that a cruise ship or an island helps to do that.
