Genesis Church Phoenix

Romans 3:1-20 Themes: Humility | Grace | Forgiveness In light of our sinful state, God uses the Law to show us how sinful we have become. When we measure our lives against what God has asked of us, it becomes clear that none of us is righteous. Which means we will need something outside of ourselves to reunite us with God. We will need something (or someone) to save us.

Romans 2:17-29 Themes: God, the Father | Relationship | Life Change Some will try to achieve salvation through religion (the following of the Law). But, as Paul has personally discovered, chasing salvation through religion is an empty pursuit. Not only are we unable to follow the Law perfectly, but God doesn’t expect us to. Instead, His desire is for us to experience a changed life through an intimate, dynamic relationship with Him.

Romans 2:5-16 Themes: Salvation | God’s Holiness | Heaven/Hell While God remains patient and kind to us, there is a day of judgment coming. When that day comes all people will be judged according to what they have done with their lives—including what’s occurred in secret. Those who have surrendered their life to Jesus will be given eternal life. Those who haven’t will experience eternal separation.

As Paul concludes Romans 1, he addresses the various ways our sinful desires have disordered our lives and the world we live in, including our own self-righteousness. In the end, we are all in the same boat and are called to the only response that can lead to freedom and new life.

Romans 1:24-25 One critique of God is, “How could God allow such terrible things to happen in the world?” The truth, however, is that God simply gave us what we wanted. We have chosen sin and the worship of ourselves and the things of this world over Him. Instead of forcing Himself upon us, He lovingly allowed us to simply choose what we wanted most. He gave us over to our hearts’ desires.

Romans 1:16-23 The good news of Jesus can’t be fully understood until we understand the bad news. Yes, the good news tells us how to be made right with God. But, we must first understand that, apart from it, we are not in a right relationship with God. Because of sin, our minds and hearts have become corrupt, leading us to worship the things of this world instead of our Creator. And, no one is exempt from the penalty for our rebellion.

Romans 1:8-15 Before Paul dives into some of the most challenging passages in all of Scripture, he spends a moment to share his heart behind all of it. Paul is known as an apostle, a preacher, and an evangelist. But, at his core, Paul is a pastor. He is a follower of Jesus who loves and leads the people God has put in his care. Paul’s motive for writing Romans is not out of spite or anger or his own ego—it is out of love. This posture is helpful in understanding that everything God speaks to us in Romans is from a place of love—not hatred or spite.

Romans 1:1-7 The book of Romans opens with a typical greeting and introduction from Paul. Paul very intentionally makes it clear who the entire book is about. It’s not about him. It’s not about the church in Rome. It’s not about Jews or Gentiles. It’s about Jesus. Every word Paul will share from chapter 1 to chapter 16 is about Jesus. From the very start, the book encourages anyone who reads it to keep this in view—all of life is about Jesus.

Pastor DJ Uithoven and Heather Gano- One of the first things God does after He creates Adam is create Eve. In doing so, He resolves that is not good for any human to be alone. Only when Adam and Eve are connected to each other does He call it good. We, like them, were created for and need each other. To be fully alive requires us to seek out connection with others who love and follow Jesus.

1 Timothy 6:17-19 / 2 Corinthians 9:6-7,11 As some of the wealthiest people to ever walk the face of the earth, we have been called to not only enjoy what we have been given, but to be increasingly more generous. The good life is not found by hoarding our wealth, but by giving it back to God’s work in the church and to those who need it. To be fully alive requires us to prioritize generosity.

1 Peter 4:10 / John 13:14-17 The church and its mission to reach the world is sustained by the unselfish service of every person who follows Jesus. When we serve selflessly it not only brings hope to those around us but gives us a purpose bigger than ourselves. Only when we serve selflessly in the ways God has gifted us are we able to become fully alive in our faith.

Hebrews 10:24-25 Sunday has always been a big day in the life of the church. It has historically been the day when all the church gathers to worship, remember, and learn from God. It is, in many ways, the centerpiece of the Christian life. Everything flows from it. It is what keeps us grounded, connected, and faithful. And, it is what keep us fully alive as we step into our Monday.

In a world full of controversy and endless frustration, we look to the words of Jesus to remind us that our Love list is incomplete if our enemies aren't on it.

Pastor Jesse Bollinger joins us to continue in our Quotable series. This week we are talking about how Jesus urges us to stop living a life of deception, and instead pursue truth at every opportunity.

Jesus makes a statement in John 14 that has garnered a lot of dialogue and critique over the centuries. It's a bold claim that puts to rest any notion that Jesus is just "one of many" paths to God. But, while His statement is exclusive to Him, it is inclusive to all who will look to Him for salvation. How we understand and apply these words of Jesus is a matter of life and death for us and the world.

Jesus said many things during His time on earth. And though every word He said was important, some of those words have risen to the top of the most quoted. These sayings are brought up often—in conversation, in church, even in our culture. During the month of July, we will be taking a close look at some of those famous sayings with the hope of uncovering the depth of their meaning for our lives.

Kristen Lunceford is closing our Summer Jams series this week with a deep-dive into a three-time Grammy-winning song from 1988 that re-entered the cultural zeitgeist in 2023 and still has a lot of us singing along. If you’ve ever looked around at your circumstances and thought any place would be better than where you are, or if after last week’s message you are fighting the urge to escape whatever “middle moment” God has you in, make it a priority to be at Genesis on Sunday. Bring a friend—and some running shoes if you have them—and get ready to run toward a hopeful, meaningful, purpose-filled future.

Few people experienced a middle moment in life like David in 1 and 2 Samuel. The time between being anointed king and being crowned king would amount to 15 years of pain and struggle and challenge. But, it was in those middle moments that God prepared, changed, and stretched David to become a king after His own heart. The middle moments of life can be the most challenging, but are critical for us to better know and trust God while experiencing the life change that comes through Him. The question is: what will we do with our middle moments?

1 Thes. 5:21 / 1 John 4:1 If you ever feel confused about what is true and what is not, you're not alone. In a world filled with so many superstitions and beliefs, it can often be difficult to determine what to believe. Fortunately, we have been given both the Scriptures and the Spirit to help us discern right from wrong, good from evil, and truth from falsities. Learning how to tap into both will enhance your ability to discern what to believe and what not to believe.

Acts 28:23-31 As the book of Acts comes to a close, it has what seems to be an unfinished ending. There isn't a "happily ever after," nor a tragic ending to Acts. However, it is intentional on Luke's part. Ultimately, the story of Acts is still going. We are now the characters and cast members of the mission of the church around the world. The question is: what part will we now write with our lives?