Hope Church continues our new series of Podcasts "Hope in the Word". Today we look at Romans 3:1-8 and people share what they learn from this passage and their experiences. Nigel prays and Bob reads the passage.

Hope Church continues our new series of Podcasts "Hope in the Word". Today we look at Romans 2:12-29 and people share what they learn from this passage and their experiences. Bob prays and Faith reads the passage.

12 For all who have sinned vwithout the law will also perishwithout the law, and all who have sinned under the law will bejudged by the law. 13 For wit is not the hearers of the law who arerighteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified.14 For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, xby nature do whatthe law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they donot have the law. 15 They show that the work of the law is ywrittenon their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, andtheir conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them 16 zon thatday when, aaccording to my gospel, God judges bthe secrets of mencby Christ Jesus.

17 But if you call yourself a Jew and drely on the law and boast inGod 18 and know his will and approve what is excellent, becauseyou are instructed from the law; 19 and if you are sure that youyourself are ea guide to the blind, a light to those who are indarkness, 20 an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of children,having in the law fthe embodiment of gknowledge and truth—21 hyou then who teach others, do you not teach yourself? Whileyou preach against stealing, do you steal? 22 You who say that onemust not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You whoabhor idols, do you irob temples? 23 You who jboast in the lawkdishonor God by breaking the law. 24 For, las it is written, “Thename of God is blasphemed mamong the Gentiles because of you.”

25 For circumcision indeed is of value nif you obey the law, but ifyou break the law, your circumcision becomes uncircumcision.26 So, if oa man who is uncircumcised keeps pthe precepts of thelaw, will not his uncircumcision be regarded2 as circumcision?27 Then he who is physically3 uncircumcised but keeps the lawqwill condemn you who have rthe written code4 and circumcisionbut break the law. 28 For sno one is a Jew twho is merely oneoutwardly, nor is circumcision outward and physical. 29 But a Jewis one uinwardly, and vcircumcision is a matter of the heart, by theSpirit, not by the letter. wHis praise is not from man but from God.

Hope Church continues our new series of Podcasts "Hope in the Word". Today we look at Romans 2:1-11 and people share what they learn from this passage and their experiences. Nigel Prays and Bob reads the passage.

Romans 2:1–11

God’s Righteous Judgment

[1] Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things. [2] We know that the judgment of God rightly falls on those who practice such things. [3] Do you suppose, O man—you who judge those who practice such things and yet do them yourself—that you will escape the judgment of God? [4] Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? [5] But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.

[6] He will render to each one according to his works: [7] to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; [8] but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury. [9] There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek, [10] but glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek. [11] For God shows no partiality. (ESV)

Hope Church continues our new series of Podcasts "Hope in the Word". Today we look at Romans 1:26-32 and people share what they learn from this passage and their experiences. Bob Prays and Dawn reads the passage.

Romans 1:24–32

[24] Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, [25] because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.

[26] For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; [27] and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.

[28] And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. [29] They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, [30] slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, [31] foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. [32] Though they know God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them. (ESV)

Hope Church continues our new series of Podcasts "Hope in the Word". Today we look at Romans 1:16-25 and people share what they learn from this passage and their experiences. Faith Prays and Bob reads the passage.

Romans 1:16–25

The Righteous Shall Live by Faith

[16] For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. [17] For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”

God’s Wrath on Unrighteousness

[18] For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. [19] For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. [20] For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. [21] For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. [22] Claiming to be wise, they became fools, [23] and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.

[24] Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, [25] because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen. (ESV)

Hope Church continues our new series of Podcasts "Hope in the Word". Today we look at Romans 1:8-15 and people share what they learn from this passage and their experiences. Bob Prays and Faith reads the passage.

Romans 1:8–15

Longing to Go to Rome

[8] First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is proclaimed in all the world. [9] For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I mention you [10] always in my prayers, asking that somehow by God’s will I may now at last succeed in coming to you. [11] For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you—[12] that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine. [13] I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that I have often intended to come to you (but thus far have been prevented), in order that I may reap some harvest among you as well as among the rest of the Gentiles. [14] I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish. [15] So I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome. (ESV)

Hope Church continues our new series of Podcasts "Hope in the Word". Today we look at Romans 1:1-7 and people share what they learn from this passage and their experiences. Faith Prays and David reads the passage.

Romans 1:1–7

Greeting

[1] Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, [2] which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, [3] concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh [4] and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, [5] through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations, [6] including you who are called to belong to Jesus Christ,

[7] To all those in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints:

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. (ESV)

To day we revisit our episode with the greatest number of downloads. It deals with Pauls amazing visit to Ephesus and the people trying to unsuccessfully copy him for their own ends. It seems strange that this is the highest download for an episode but may point to many of the struggles in life today.