SERMON SERIES INTRODUCTION

We all want growth. We want to change, break bad habits, and become better people. But here’s the problem: when we rely on our own strength, we either fail miserably or succeed temporarily before sliding back into old patterns. Even when we use Christian principles, if we’re doing it without God’s power, it still doesn’t work. Real, lasting transformation is not about trying harder. It’s about trusting God more.

WHY STUDY THE LETTER OF ROMANS

In this series, we’re walking through Romans chapters 7-9 to understand what it means to grow not through self-effort, but through the Spirit. We’ll discover why self-control without the Spirit leads to frustration, why renewing our minds requires more than just positive thinking, why determination without God’s leadership leads us off course, and why striving harder will never replace trusting deeper.

The letter to the Romans, written by the apostle Paul around 55 AD, is his most significant and thorough explanation of the Gospel. Addressing a church he had never met in a city he had never visited, Paul sought to prepare the Roman believers to become a missionary center for spreading Christianity beyond Jerusalem. At a time when the early Church was divided over whether Gentiles needed to convert to Judaism before following Christ, Paul made it clear that salvation is by faith alone. This letter serves not as a theological handbook but as a passionate confession of faith, elevating the Lordship of Jesus and urging the Roman Church to boldly proclaim the gospel message. Paul’s strategy was to equip them with a complete understanding of the Gospel’s power, declaring that it is “the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16), and emphasizing that Christianity is not just another religion but the transformative work of God’s grace through Jesus Christ.

Why Study Romans 7-9? Romans is one of the most powerful books in the Bible on the contrast between self-effort and God’s grace. In Romans 7, Paul describes the struggle of trying to obey God in his own strength and failing miserably. In Romans 8, he reveals that victory comes not through self-control, but through the Spirit. And in Romans 9, he unpacks how faith, not works, makes us right with God. These chapters show us the futility of self-effort and the power of surrender.