Transcript:
Hi friends. It doesn't matter where you live around the globe. The times are tough.
We are living in times of political tension. We are living in times where there's tension within the church and the potential for division. We are living in times where people are searching desperately to understand their identity.
They want to know their purpose for living. We're living at times where truth is at stake. These are times of great turmoil, but they're not new times.
The times today aren't really any different than the times were when the book of Romans was being written. You see, during that time it was a time of great political persecution. It was a time of great tension within the church.
The church was trying to understand how to be one body and not different groups of people. It's a time when people wanted to know who they were and how they fit into the world. It was a time where there was a search for truth.
What is truth? How can we know what truth is? You see, the times we live in today are much like the times when Romans was being written. And so here we are. And if you've wondered how to navigate, what is truth? How should I live? What is my purpose? Why am I here? If you've wondered, why is it so hard to get along with each other? If you've wondered, why does God let wicked people be an authority over us? If you'd wondered why you're struggling with division, now is the best possible time to come study the book of Romans.
You see, sometimes Romans is thought of as this great theological treatise. And that makes it sound interesting and theoretical and maybe even intellectual. And there are great truths in the book of Romans.
But I also want you to know Romans speaks to us today. It addresses our questions today. Romans is going to teach us about God and his love.
Romans is going to teach us about the power of the gospel. Romans is going to infuse hope in us when suffering is great. Romans is going to free us from the need to feel perfect, from some standard of perfection that we cannot meet.
And Romans is going to tell us how to love others well, how to serve others well, and how to glorify God during this time on earth.