Most people read the first chapter of Paul’s letter to the Romans as a prescription of the problem of sin. No one is without excuse because God has disclosed God’s laws and commandments in the order of creation. The way to God is Jesus, and that is it. The challenge, however, is that the first […]
Grace, God’s gift to us in Jesus Christ, is not something we earn. Grace is a complete and utter gift. Nothing we do earns God’s love for us, rather, we are caught up in God’s love. As such, the only thing that can change the love of God for us is our participation or reception […]
Paul believed the Kingdom of God was both present and a future hope. When tragic events like the shooting in Las Vegas happen, we cry out with “sighs too deep for words.” Even though we question God during difficult times, Paul reminds us that God’s story is always a story of love. The question, then, […]
Paul’s two profound and straightforward keys to the Gospel. Nothing can Separate us from God’s Love. Paul makes his understanding of the Gospel clear in his letter to the Romans. The heart of his understanding is located in chapters 5-8. He says, “While we were weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.” […]
Join us as we begin our Romans sermon series. Explore the book of Romans with us throughout the fall. ‘sRomans chapter 5 heart of the Apostle Paul’s argument to the people in Rome. Paul’s personal experience grounds his entire understanding of the Gospel. God met and transformed Paul, or formerly known as Saul, when he […]
Many people explain Jesus’ parable of the mustard seed as a metaphor of something small growing into something beautiful. Anyone who knew about gardening in ancient Israel would know, however, that the mustard plant is an intrusive weed. In Jesus’ parable, Jesus describes the uncontrollable and sometimes undesirable growth of the Kingdom of God. So many times we […]
Jesus is clear, the Kingdom of God is not for the rich, the well-to-do or the accomplished, His Kingdom is for the weak, the vulnerable and the poor in spirit. When we think about the lasting impact of our ‘ohana, our family, it has to be directed towards those who will inherit the Kingdom of God. As […]
As much as we hear about Christian family values throughout our culture, Jesus, throughout his ministry, challenges the ‘focus on the family’ mindset. Jesus urges us to see our family as more than our nuclear family. In the Gospel of Matthew 12:46-50 Jesus says his mother and brothers are those who do God’s will. In Hawaii […]
There is no questioning that we are fearful of the ‘other,’ the person on the other side of whatever spectrum we create–conservative or liberal, citizen or undocumented immigrant, Christian or radical Muslim. A common assumption is that our lasting impact and our legacy we leave behind is with those who are similar to us. The […]
The story of Israel is one of a people continually trying to control their own destiny. In Samuel, Israel asks Samuel for a king, even though God has made God’s guidance on the matter clear. They, however, thought it was more important to have the same sort of protection, security and power as the other nations […]