All too often, church leaders go on offending, even sinning without anyone saying anything until it is far too late...What should you do when a pastor or elder offends, whether they outright sin against you, or merely give you the impression that they don't seem to care about you?

But what is accomplished was the proclaiming of the excellencies of him who called us out of darkness into his marvelous light.  The gospel of the risen Savior was heard and seen, displayed by his body loving one another and welcoming the stranger. 

Later in Luke 17:22-37, Jesus gives us a picture of his kingdom taking effect during everyday, ordinary life. This text has a view of both an 'end times', but also the present time. He will return one day, but even now, as we live our ordinary lives, he is changing hearts.

When given to sin, our meditation when we are alone "on our beds", will be assailed by plans to carry out the "gratification of the flesh".  Most likely, we are not planning a murder or a bank robbery, but the aim is the same, the self-righteous "me-centered" orientation of planned intentions.

If you asked me how I liked growing up cross-culturally, I would always say, “I LOVED IT!”  And I do.  And I did even then.  But what I didn’t realize until years later was the grief processing that always comes with living an ex-pat life.  

Jehovah's Witnesses deny the deity of Christ, saying that he was not fully God. This is because they do not believe that Jesus is one with the Father according to orthodox Christian belief in the Holy Trinity. Instead, they believe that he is a created being. This belief comes, in part, through a faulty understanding of Colossians 2:15

Paul describes the growth trajectory of believers in a church by using the figurative language of being knit together in love .  Paul wants his struggle on behalf of the believers in Colossae to have a uniting, binding, interweaving effect on them.

…to continue telling others why Jesus is precious to him and why God has placed you 'here, now'.  Because our joy in the gospel is communal, the more we share the gospel, the more joy we'll experience in Christ.

We've all had those moments where something is lost in translation between our native language and the native language of another person. Having a guide that speaks the language, knows the culture, and can help you through is really helpful.

Have you ever had a friend say something so surprising that you asked, "Who have you been talking to?" Somehow the friend knows a secret or has gained a perspective that sounds like someone or something other than themselves.

"There is no excuse not to know what the Bible says these days."  May we give ourselves to knowing God's Word for our enjoyment of him and to give him glory.

In your walk with Jesus, what fundamentals bring fluid function to your faith?…In my life, I continue to run into gaps in my knowledge and practice that have made obedience to Jesus extra challenging.

Rome International Church held its first service eight years ago this week. The church was planted and led by pastor Brian Kirby who had recently moved from Paris, France, where he had pastored Emmanuel International Church for many years. We are so grateful for the Lord's sustaining hand in fulfilling his promise to build his church.

God's grace given to sinful man in the person of Jesus Christ is the essential center of the gospel. However, as we'll discover this coming Sunday, that isn't the end of the gospel. The gospel is true, but the truth leads to action.

On Sunday, we followed the Word of God together! It was time for us to "put what remained into order." (Titus 1:5)…Eldership is meaningful and crucial to the ongoing spiritual growth of the local body. I'll let the apostle Paul take it from here.

Over the past two years we have watched as the Lord has led men, women and families to us who desire to grow in their knowledge and love of the Lord.  With the growing number of disciples, the need for leadership has increased.

In anticipation of the new year, allow me to present our 2023 Bible reading plan.

The light of the visible gospel, displayed in the community of believers and proclaimed to the world, cannot be hidden. 

Christmas time can often feel this way.  So overwhelmed in every life 'department' that any escape can sound really attractive.  Even descending into a slump of depression or self-focused, self-righteous pity party.

Let's talk about sermons... should we take notes?  If we do, what should we do with them?