Wawasee Bible Sermon Audio

In Chapter 5 of Romans, Paul’s focus begins to pivot from our righteousness coming through faith to how we should respond and live in light of that truth. He starts off Romans 5 saying, “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith…” marking his shift in focus. We should live with joy, hope, and purpose in light of our justification. Saving faith ignites today’s joy and tomorrow’s hope, turns pain into purpose, and roots it all in Jesus!

Paul continues using Abraham as an example of someone saved by faith, not works, in Romans 4:13-25. True faith, though not earned by effort, produces obedience—not perfection, but a changed trajectory. Abraham serves as an example of this kind of faith: believing God’s promises despite plenty of reasons for doubt, trusting that God keeps every promise he makes. Because of his faith, righteousness was credited to Abraham, just as it is to anyone who believes in Jesus Christ. We’re made right with God by faith—not effort, it’s how it worked for Abraham and it’s how it works for us.

Somewhere along the line, people got this crazy idea that salvation is something we can work for or earn. The problem is, that idea distorts both the nature of grace and the nature of our sin. In Romans 4, Paul emphasizes that if salvation came by our efforts, it would make God a debtor rather than a gracious given. Looking at both the examples of Abraham and David, Paul makes the case that perfect righteousness can never be earned. Rather, it's a gift that God credits to any who would believe his promises in Jesus Christ. Salvation has always been about believing God, not impressing Him. Do you find yourself believing it’s all up to you—or can you rest in the one who already said, “It is finished”?

It can be a shock to realize that "good" people don't make it to heaven... only perfect people do. God's standard is perfection! Jesus says we must be perfect, just as the Father is perfect. That makes every one of us doomed, left on our own. Thankfully, while not one is perfect, and we all fall short—perfect is a gift. God gives "perfect" as a gift for those who will receive it by faith in Jesus. All of your sin and failure gets debited to Jesus, and all of his perfect righteousness gets credited to you if you'd put your faith in his death, burial, and resurrection. Are you trying to measure up on your own, or have you received the gift that makes you right with God?

As continue in Romans, Paul confronts us with the truth that outward strength, religious ritual, and even sound theology collapse without an inwardly transformed heart. God's standard is perfection, not comparison, and neither moral effort nor religious devotion or right doctrine can bridge the gap between sinful humanity and God's holiness. Knowledge and ritual are valuable only when paired with obedience born of genuine faith. True transformation comes not from trying harder, but from receiving the perfect righteousness of Jesus and letting him make the heart new. The evidence of this is your obedience, because "if your faith hasn't changed you, it probably hasn't saved you."

As Paul continues in his letter to the Roman church, he moves from the brokenness of culture to the brokenness in every human heart—including our own. The “window” of Romans 1:18-32 is replaced with a mirror in chapter 2. It’s not just about what’s wrong with the world—it’s about what’s wrong with us. If we’re not careful to look in the mirror and repent of our own sin, we can quickly become self-righteous and just as unrighteous as those we might condemn. Paul reminds us that God’s standard is perfection—something none of us can meet on our own. The good news is that perfect is a gift through Jesus. God’s kindness isn’t a stamp of approval on our sin; it’s meant to lead us to repentance. Before we can effectively bring the good news to a broken world outside the window, we must first look in the mirror—confessing our own sin and letting the Gospel transform us.

As Paul launches into the core of his letter, he spends a good deal of time laying out the human condition. In other words, he unpacks the bad news that makes the good news of the Gospel so incredibly good. In Romans 1:18-32, Paul unloads the way humanity spirals away from God. The pattern is this: they exchange one thing for another, and God gives them over to it. First, they exchange worshiping God for worshiping idols, and God gives them over (lets them willingly slide into) sinful desires and sexual sin. Then they spiral deeper, exchanging truth for a lie, and God gives them over further to unnatural sexual expression. The final levels of the spiral down involve humanity exchanging knowing God for a debased mind, whereas God gives them over to unrighteousness and the approval of evil. That very bottom is relational brokenness—and we see it all over in our culture. In chapter 1, Paul is giving us a view out the “window” into our culture, but then he pulls out a “mirror” in chapter 2, where we’re forced to confront the same sin and suppression of God’s truth in our own lives. As humanity suppresses God's truth, it spirals toward relational brokenness… Will we (as Jesus’s church) reflect the same brokenness? Or will repent and share the Gospel in love? Before we can effectively bring the good news to the brokenness outside our window, we need to look in the mirror and deal with our own brokenness.

We begin a new series through the New Testament book of Romans. Romans was a letter written by the Apostle Paul to Christians in Rome with hopes of visiting them and partnering with them to extend the Gospel to Spain. Romans is unique among Paul's letters because he'd never been to Rome and had no part in planting the church there. In many ways, Romans was Paul's "missionary introduction letter" to the church there. He lays out Christian theology with exquisite detail, making Romans one of the most important theological documents ever written. But he also addresses some of the cultural issues happening in Rome and the Roman church—especially some tension between Jewish and Gentile Christians. Pastor Josh lays out the contextual backgound to Romans, then works through Paul's introduction (the first 17 verses). We've been set apart to help all people flourish through faith in Jesus Christ!

Did you know God has been dreaming about you? He has dreams not only for the good he's specifically called you to do, but also for who you'd become. This week, we explore the final of the four roles of our "Dream Disciple" at Wawasee. God calls each of us to be a Legacy Builder. It's never too late to build a legacy. The reality is, we all will leave one for good or ill. What unique gifting or experience has the Lord given to you? Where (or how) are you currently investing that gift for God's glory and the good of others? A Legacy Builder—rooted in Jesus's grace—multiplies the Gospel by investing their faith, themselves, and their stuff, (3) cultivating a legacy that lasts forever.

Did you know God has been dreaming about you? He has dreams not only for the good he's specifically called you to do, but also for who you'd become. This week, we explore the third of four roles of our "Dream Disciple" at Wawasee. God has sent each of us a Ready Storyteller. God has determined the times and places in which we live, so that we might help others move toward Jesus by "proclaiming the excellencies of him who called [us] out of darkness into his marvelous light!" A Ready Storyteller lives sent—ready to share their story and make God obvious! (Note: Prior to what is recorded in this message, Josh mentioned that much of what he shared was influenced by and borrowed from a message at EFCA One in June 2025 by Pastor Quintin Stieff. Part of that message plays at the end of this sermon.)

Did you know God has been dreaming about you? He has dreams not only for the good he's specifically called you to do, but also for who you'd become. This week, we explore the second of four roles of our "Dream Disciple" at Wawasee. God longs for each of us to be a Courageous Connector—to take relational risks, be honest about personal struggles, and foster community with humility and love. Drawing from Philippians 2, where Jesus empties himself and models perfect humility, the challenge becomes clear: forge unity in the church by humbly prioritizing others and creating belonging like Jesus.

Did you know God has been dreaming about you? He has dreams not only for the good he's specifically called you to do, but also for who you'd become—and it starts with understanding your identity in Christ as a Secure Son/Daughter. If you're a follower of Jesus, you can live with great security. Living each day increasingly confident in being a loved child of God—resting in grace, not striving to achieve approval. Ephesians 2:1-10 is just one example where we see in Scripture that a Secure Son/Daughter knows who they were, who God says they are, and how to live with nothing to prove and no one to impress. If you've ever felt the weight of proving yourself or questioned your worth, what might change if you truly believed that God already loves and delights in you?

This week Brett Gleason preaches from Matthew 6:9-13. In Matthew 6, Jesus teaches that prayer is an intimate yet reverent conversation with God—more about relationship than ritual. The Lord’s Prayer models this balance, beginning with God’s priorities—his name, kingdom, and will—then turning to our needs for provision, forgiveness, and guidance. “Our Father in heaven” holds both his nearness and majesty, inviting us to pray with trust and humility, knowing we are heard and loved as his children.

Pastor Dave preaches the second half of the Great Commandment from Matthew 22:39-40. True treasure isn’t always material—it can be chipped ashtrays or crude crafts kept for love of the maker. Likewise, every person bears God’s signature and is valuable because he created them. Love for others is inseparable from love for God, even when people are hard to like. Agape love goes beyond feelings; it’s a self-sacrificial choice to lay down self and love as Christ loves us. Scripture commands this love because it reflects God’s heart and overflows from a life transformed by grace. Choosing to love, forgive, and bless others—especially when it’s hard—brings freedom and deeper communion with God. Who are you being called to love today, not out of convenience, but in joyful obedience to the one who loves perfectly?

This week, Pastor Dave Winters preaches from Matthew 22:35-38—the first half of "The Great Commandment". Love is often used casually, but Scripture calls us to its highest form—agape, the unconditional, self-giving love God shows humanity. The greatest commandment is to love God with all our heart, soul, and mind—a love that is personal, exclusive, and rooted in gratitude, not guilt or ritual. It’s not about approaching God transactionally or through checklist spirituality, but embracing him as my God, centering life and worship on him daily. This means being with God, not just doing for him—knowing his love personally and responding with an authentic, all-consuming love. We nurture this through prayer, confession, Sabbath rhythms, and natural conversation about him. If this is the foremost command, the question is: how are we loving him today—uniquely and fully?

This week our guest is Pastor Knute Larson, who says that no other passage of Scripture helped him with hope as much as Psalm 73. Psalm 73 wrestles with the age-old question of why the wicked prosper while the righteous suffer, ultimately revealing that God’s justice is eternal, not always immediate. True hope comes only through Christ, whose death and resurrection secure our present help and eternal future.

God used Jephthah—an outcast born of a prostitute—to deliver Israel, showing how he empowers flawed people for great purposes. Jephthah’s faith and leadership set him apart, as did his strength. Not just physical strength, but deep theological understanding. Though he made a controversial vow, it appears he honored it in obedience without violating God's law, possibly dedicating his daughter to lifelong service rather than offering a physical sacrifice. This narrative draws attention to how God refines and uses the imperfect—those with scars, mistakes, and unlikely origins—as instruments.

In Matthew 9:36, Jesus sees the crowds with great compassion... as "sheep without a shepherd." This week Roberto Paz preaches from this verse while sharing his story of how Jesus had great compassion on him and used even the brokenness around him to shape his life.What would it mean to recognize the people around you as "sheep without a shepherd"—and respond with the same compassion that found you?

Joseph's story—and the book of Genesis itself—wraps up with two important vignettes. The first is Joseph's father, Jacob, blessing his sons in his final days and marking them as part of God's covenant family, building a legacy that would far outlive him. In those final days of Jacob, we also get a glimpse of God's sovereignty. God is in complete control of everything and always knows what’s best, even when we don’t understand. The second vignette comes in chapter 50 when Joseph reiterates his forgiveness of his brothers. In both events, we see that we can trust God's sovereign plan and extend grace as people who are blessed by God to bless others, and forgiven by Jesus to forgive others.

When life takes a devastating turn and circumstances seem impossible to understand, there's comfort in remembering that God sees the full picture even when we don't. This is the story of Joseph, whose life was filled with betrayal, injustice, and long periods of confusion and waiting. Still, Joseph eventually came to recognize that what probably seemed like senseless suffering had actually been used by God to preserve a nation of people and demonstrate his providence. The more we walk with Jesus the more we become adept at recognizing God's hand and taking risks to follow him—for God's glory, others' good, and our joy!