a glimpse towards Sunday 5.13.16

Shadows are a curious thing. Little kids can’t seem to comprehend nor run from them. My teenagers lurk in shadows and cause late night screams from terrified siblings. Shadows can be dark and black. Sometimes they are filled with lighter shades of gray. Shadows cause respite from the heat of the Sun. They can also instill fear for what’s looming in impending darkness.

Politics have shadows. Parenting requires an almost daily navigation of shadows. There are shadows within marriage, finances, sports, and musical lyrics.

You should know that God is in the shadows. There is no place void of his powerful presence.

A man walked into a metro city filled with many shadows. This city was an impressive collection of power, prestige, money, philosophy, politics, sexual expressions, sports, architecture, and rigid class distinctions. The shadows of faith and doubt were intertwined within it all. Where was God in all of this? He was in the shadows, and Paul was determined to point this out to the people of Rome.

He came into the cultural setting of Rome with one solution. The Gospel.

Does our culture seem shadowy to you? President Obama is mandating all schools to allow transgender students the use of bathrooms that match their gender identity. At risk is financial aid to schools not complying. There was another brutal police beating yesterday filmed clearly from an overhead helicopter. The FDA is saying food labeled healthy is not because of outdated guidelines from the 90s. See any shadows in our world today?

Are there any shadows in your life? Divorce has decimated too many of my friends lately. Cancer is dogging another. One friend relayed how he just found his biological father on Facebook. This is the same man who signed over his rights as a father when my friend was all of eleven years old. My friend doesn’t know what to do. He’s fearful of more rejection. Shadows. They’re grey, dark, black, illusive, and often hard to comprehend or run from. But… God is in the shadows. You should know that.

We start our new message series in Romans THIS SUNDAY! It’s called “God In The Shadows.” We’re going to walk right into many shadows with one, singular focus. The Gospel.

In fact, this week I urge you to bring a friend with you as we focus clearly, creatively, and practically on the Gospel. IT is power.

Our text is Romans 1:1-17. I’m excited to be teaching. I’m anxious to see you at either our 9 or 11 a.m. gatherings.

Blessings My Friends,

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