Embracing Authenticity Through Romans

Dear First Pres SLO Family,

Grace and peace to you in the name of Jesus the Messiah, whose life and ministry teaches us so much about who and how we’re meant to be.

If you’ve been at church these last two Sundays, you’ve heard a couple of messages that will prepare us for Paul’s Letter to the Romans. First we talked about Paul himself—about his life and background, and how his deep faith in God allowed him to see Jesus as the fulfillment of God’s promises.

Then this past Sunday we talked about Rome—about the way the city became the home to a diverse church that grew into a worldwide movement. The point was that each of us are tied to places, where we’re from and where we’ve been, and that those places become a part of the way we share the gospel of Jesus.

Now we’re on to the 8th chapter of Romans. It’s such a rich and meaningful part of our Bible—it gets at the heart of so much of the Christian message. N.T. Wright said this about the chapter: “It’s about the call to become genuine human beings through being filled with God’s own life.”

All of us who follow Jesus can relate to the desire for a more authentic and meaningful life. That’s what Romans 8 introduces for us. We’ll see so much of that as we move through the chapter together.

For now, let me invite you to read the chapter for yourselves this week. For all of its practical truth, it’s still a 2000-year-old text, written in a different language and culture—its meaning isn’t always clear when we read it for the first time. Still, I encourage you to read the chapter and listen for what the Spirit is teaching you there. We’ll unpack some of the depth together on Sunday mornings.

Blessings to you and yours,

Pastor John