There's a little voice inside all of our heads that likes to speak up when we're in the midst of trouble and hard times.

And this voice likes to say something along these lines: "If God really loved me, and if God really had his eye on me, and if God is all-powerful as he claims to be, then why wouldn't he prevent all these troubles and...

It can be easy to be led astray by people's passion and sincerity. When we see people who have a lot of zeal for their faith and their religion, we naturally want to applaud that kind of heartfelt devotion.

Paul saw this heartfelt devotion when he looked at the Jews. In fact, he knew this zeal from the inside-out. Because Paul himself...

Every now and then we come across abandoned buildings. Have you ever noticed that sense of loneliness associated with an empty, desolate, deserted building? It's difficult not to think of it as a place that was once busy and bustling, and filled with people, relationships, purpose and love.

It's not so very different with people.

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In writing the Romans, Paul made it clear that a Christ-follower is no longer under the control of sin. Jesus has emancipated them from the power and authority of sin. It cannot master them any longer.

But the apostle also made it clear that this is not the same as saying that they have been removed entirely from the reach of sin. While...

Baptism is a death. We don't often look at it this way, because we like to focus on the "new life" aspect of baptism. Rightfully so!

But we shouldn't miss what Paul tells us here in Romans chapter 6. Paul states that we were buried with Christ through baptism. And he tells us this in answering a...