In Romans 12, Paul looks at the Gospel and then exhorts us as to how we should live in the light of what Christ has done. He urges us to give up control over our lives and become “living sacrifices” for God. Unfortunately, the problem with a living sacrifice is that it keeps moving off the altar. Unless we stare deeply at Christ’s sacrifice on our behalf, we will never trust God enough to become the living sacrifices that he calls us to be.

God’s law is an expression of his character, not an arbitrary set of rules. Since we are made in his image, following his law leads to our flourishing. Yet, none of us can follow the law. We desire idols more than we desire God. This is why we need Jesus. He is the only one who ever kept the law perfectly. When we believe in him we get credit for his perfect obedience. With Jesus, we can obey the law without fear since we rest in his record, not our own.

Many people think that if you believe in a literal second coming of Christ, then you won’t care about improving this world at all. Yet, the Bible teaches the exact opposite. It is because Christians believe in a coming age without sin and injustice that they eagerly work in this world to bring about glimpses of the world to come. This belief influences everything a Christian does—including their work. Christians must not segregate their faith from their work, but must wrestle with the challenge of glorifying God in their vocations.

The premise of Christian marriage is that two people are filled with the Holy Spirit and are committed to serving one another. Wives are to grant husbands leadership in the marriage. Husbands are to use that leadership not for their own selfish desires but to sacrificially serve their wives. The purpose of Christian marriage is not for individual self-fulfillment, but to work for the growth and sanctification of the spouse. Lastly, Christian marriage is not an end in itself, but a pointer to Jesus Christ, the ultimate spouse who will never let us down.

Everyone has a war within themselves. We all want to live according to a high moral code, but none of us can meet the demands of our moral code. The reason for this is that inside of ourselves there is a desire for evil as well as a desire for good. Therefore, none of us can win the battle. But the battle changes when we become a Christian. The deepest parts of ourselves change so that for the first time our most inner being delights in the law of God. We move from a battle we cannot win to a battle we cannot lose.

A Christian is not a person free from sorrow. On the contrary, when a person becomes a Christian, God softens that person’s heart so that they become even more vulnerable to the world’s pains. Yet, a Christian is someone who has a deep joy that can never be taken away. Sorrow is temporary, but a Christian’s joy is permanent.

Additional scriptural references made in this sermon are: Psalm 30:5; Proverbs 8; John 1:1; Zephaniah 3:17; Hebrews 12:2; Ezekiel 36:26; Job 1:22; 1 Peter 1:6; Romans 5:3-5; 1 Thessalonians 4:13.

The Bible depicts demonic powers vying against God and attacking His creation and His people. This means that every Christian needs to understand the strategies of the devil in order to resist him. Satan is fundamentally a liar. He lies to us about God and attempts to persuade us to worship anything rather than God. However, ultimately satan is vulnerable. He cannot withstand the truth of God.

Modern people are often uncomfortable when the Bible speaks of God’s jealousy. Yet, God’s jealousy is intimately related to God’s love towards us. The relationship that God calls us to is not merely one of subjects obeying a king. Rather, God calls us into a marriage relationship with Him, and His jealousy is spousal. God seeks a relationship with us that is characterized by priority, fidelity, and intimacy.

A panel of three traders discusses the particular challenges of living out their Christian walk in the trading world, giving a Christian perspective on working in Finance.

Only in Christianity is the world intentionally created by God. The world is not created by accident and then ruled by God. Therefore, all of God's creation — including wealth — should be enjoyed. However, if our worldly wealth becomes our identity, we will remain in unfulfilling jobs; we will overwork to gain financial prestige; and we may become emotionally bipolar. This kind of wealth-based identity causes us to dangerously seal off work life from personal life.