faith and works

Good morning friends,
First, I'd like to remind you that as part of our Vacation Bible School series on Wednesday evenings from 6:30-9 we are hoping to have a portion for adults as well. It would be great to have interested adults take part tonight; the kids have been having a great time.

Paul's point today is that God calls some surprising people to follow and sometimes the people we expect to hear the word don't listen. Part of the problem is that those who grow up with a knowledge of God sometimes fall into the trap of thinking we can earn our salvation through our deeds or by belonging to the right church. In reality coming to God is about our faith in God's grace; it has nothing to do with earning God's love. Our calling is to accept God's love and to live that love for others.

Blessings on your day,
Sam

Romans 9:25-33

25As indeed he says in Hosea, “Those who were not my people I will call ‘my people,’ and her who was not beloved I will call ‘beloved.’” 26“And in the very place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’ there they shall be called children of the living God.” 27And Isaiah cries out concerning Israel, “Though the number of the children of Israel were like the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them will be saved; 28for the Lord will execute his sentence on the earth quickly and decisively.” 29And as Isaiah predicted, “If the Lord of hosts had not left survivors to us, we would have fared like Sodom and been made like Gomorrah.”


30What then are we to say? Gentiles, who did not strive for righteousness, have attained it, that is, righteousness through faith; 31but Israel, who did strive for the righteousness that is based on the law, did not succeed in fulfilling that law. 32Why not? Because they did not strive for it on the basis of faith, but as if it were based on works. They have stumbled over the stumbling stone, 33as it is written, “See, I am laying in Zion a stone that will make people stumble, a rock that will make them fall, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”