Episodios

  • Romans 6:1-14

    Romans 6:1-14
    Nov 17 2025
    Romans 6:1-14Senior Pastor Alex KennedyThis section of Paul's letter moves us from justification to sanctification. In the first two verses, Paul's answer to his critics is that God's grace not only forgives sins, but also delivers us from sinning. Grace not only justifies, but also sanctifies us by uniting us to Christ. The moment you become a Christian, you are no longer under the "reign" of sin.To read more, go to: https://carmelbaptist.org/carmel-sermon/romans-61-14/

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    44 m
  • Romans 5:12-21

    Romans 5:12-21
    Nov 11 2025
    Romans 5:12-21Senior Pastor Alex KennedyLast week, while studying Rom 5:1-11, we saw that theology (justification) has tangible impacts on our lives. This includes peace with God and joy/hope in suffering.
    As we continue on in verses 12-21, Paul shows how Adam's life sets up the gospel. Adam chose to reject God's authority and command to avoid the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Because of Adam's choice, death flows to all people. Even though we were not there with Adam, God considers Adam's choice to be ours. This is the Doctrine of Original Sin. Even though it doesn't feel "fair" to be lumped in with Adam, God knows we would have made the same choice.
    In verse 13, Paul is not saying that the people who lived and died before the Mosaic Law never had any guilt of their own, because they had the law of God written on their heart (2:12-15). Instead, Paul is pointing out that guilt and responsibility have increased with the knowledge and awareness of the law. In other words, the law did not create sin in us; it just revealed it.
    Both Adam and Jesus Christ are "heads" of the human race. Everyone is either "in Adam" or "in Christ". It is wonderful news that God deals with us through a representative head because Adam was a pattern of the One to come.
    Verse 15 says "But the free gift is not like the trespass". The first Adam was selfish, but the Second Adam is sacrificial.
    The results are opposite as well. Adam represents death and condemnation, while Christ brings life and justification!
    We were condemned through the actions of a representative who did what any of us in his situation would have done; but now we are saved through a representative who did what none of us could have done. What Christ has done for us is not just to exchange death's kingdom for the kingdom of life, while leaving us in the position of subjects. Instead, He delivers us from the rule of death so radically as to enable us to change places with it and rule over it, or reign in life. We become those who reign, sharing the kingship of Christ, with even death under our feet now.
    Verse 20 says, "Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more," Paul points out that when the formal law came through Moses, sin got more visible and it became worse, because now ignorance was no form of defense. He is teaching that the law proves that it is not a lack of knowledge which prevents us from obeying God and keeping His standards, but a lack of willingness and ability.
    We do not need to put in more effort. We need a rescue.
    At the cross, grace overwhelms sin and life triumphs over death. The first Adam is not the last word for humanity. The second Adam is!
    Questions to Consider:
    1. Why is it important to understand the Doctrine of Original Sin?
    2. How have you seen sin bring brokenness to the world around you?
    3. What did Jesus, the second Adam, do differently from Adam?
    4. How does knowing that God's grace is greater than your sin impact your day-to-day life?


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    41 m
  • Romans 5:1-11

    Romans 5:1-11
    Nov 3 2025
    Romans 5:1-11Senior Pastor Alex KennedyIn Chapter 5, Paul begins to talk not only about the process of salvation, but the results of salvation. Paul's "therefore" to start this portion is to connect back to chapter 4 that salvation is not by works, ordinances, or by law obedience.
    We have been justified by faith (v1), so that:

    We can have "peace with God" - This is not the same as the peace OF God (Phil 4:7). Peace WITH God means that the hostilities between God and us are now over. We each formerly said, "I am king of my world and can do whatever I want", but if we trust His ways and ask Him to be "Lord of my life", then the war is over immediately.


    We have obtained access by this grace in which we stand - In Christ, we are ushered into the royal throne room, and we remain there. Justification is not merely the removal of hostility, but goes farther in that it brings relationship.


    We rejoice in hope of the glory of God - Christian hope is not a hopeful wish - it is hope-filled certainty. The more we experience our peace with Him and the access we have with the Father, the more we want to see Him face-to-face.


    In Christ we have been freed from our past; we are free in the present to enjoy personal relationship with God; and we will one day in the future most certainly experience the freedom of life lived in the full and awesome presence of God's glory.


    We rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance - In our suffering we are walking the path of Jesus. We look through the suffering to our certainties. Suffering can be productive if we respond to it positively, and not with anger or bitterness. (1 Peter 1:6-7).

    Suffering kickstarts our faith, and Paul goes on to show where suffering leads:Suffering produces endurance - the ability to keep going without any benefits.Endurance produces character - someone who has been tested and has passed the test.Character produces hope - Hope is only as good as its object. Jesus is our hope. "Just as our faith can only lead to salvation if it is faith in God, our hoe will not disappoint us because it is the hope of God's love poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit." (Rom 5:5)
    Paul goes on to say (vs 6-8) that you can know objectively and beyond all doubt that God loves you - even if your feelings or the appearance of your life circumstances might be prompting you to wonder.
    If God has already done the difficult thing, can we not trust Him to do the comparatively simple thing of completing the task? (the resurrection proves His power) If God has accomplished our justification at the cost of Christ's blood, He will save His justified people from His final wrath!Joy is the great marker of the justified person. It is unique to Christianity because it does not depend on your circumstances or your performance.Questions to Consider:
    1. How does having peace with God change the way you live each day?
    2. What is an example of suffering in your life (a hard time), and how did God grow you through that time?
    3. Rom 5:8 brings so much hope. Why is it important that Jesus died for us "while we were still sinners"?

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    32 m
  • Romans 4:16-25

    Romans 4:16-25
    Oct 29 2025
    Romans 4:16-25 Worship Pastor Justin TaylorTo be a son or daughter of Abraham is a reason to praise the Lord! To be saved is to be saved into a family; and as Romans 4:16 says, "Abraham is the father of us all."The Gentiles inclusion into the Covenant family of God (by faith) was one of the most controversial ideas within the New Testament Church. Paul's letter to the Romans was full of this reality, and it is the sub-text of the entire book. The idea that God could accept the Gentiles was not controversial, but they were seen as a people who had limited access to temple life, limited requirements under the Law, and limited fellowship with other Jews. If you really wanted full participation in the covenant family of God, you had to convert to Judaism by accepting circumcision. But Paul is showing the people that Gentiles are includes as Gentiles. This wasn't by conversion to Judaism, as marked by circumcision; but by faith in Jesus, as marked by Baptism.(Acts 10:45, Eph 3:4-6, Acts 22:22)Paul addresses this whole concept of Gentile inclusion through the lens of the patriarch of the Jewish faith...Abraham. (Rom 4:16-17)Abraham is our father if we share his faith(we believe what Abraham believed).
    What did Abraham believe? (Rom 4:18-22):
    • Abraham believed God would give him children as numerous as the stars (Gen 15:4-6) - Abraham believed God would, and we believe He did because we are the stars that were promised to Abraham! Being saved means being saved into a family. You have a Father, a firstborn Brother, and many brothers and sisters. (Heb 11:39-40)
    • Abraham believed God called his family for a purpose (Gen 12:1-3) - God blessed Abraham to be a blessing, but He called him because He loves the nations - and He wants to bless them as well. (Gen 18:17-18; 22:17-17; 26:4; 28:14) Abraham believed that God loves the nations and wants to bless them. And if we share Abraham's faith, we must believe that too. We have been saved into a family whose calling is to bless the nations.
    • Abraham believed in Resurrection (Romans 4:17-19) - Because of his faith, his circumstances, and his actions, we know that Abraham believed in resurrection. He was old (100 at the time), and his wife Sarah was barren and old. Once they did have Isaac, Abraham was told to sacrifice his son. He was willing to do that because he had faith that God would provide. God provided a lamb then, and God later provided The Lamb, Jesus. (Rom 4:20-25) We have been saved into a resurrection family, and when we believe in resurrection, we are actually sharing in the faith of Abraham; who believed it all along.
    How does this affect us today? Galatians 5:6 says, "For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love." This love is not only towards individuals, but between all groups of people - even the groups we do not agree with.
    to read more, go to: https://carmelbaptist.org/carmel-sermon/romans-416-25/

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    40 m
  • Romans 4:1-17

    Romans 4:1-17
    Oct 20 2025
    Romans 4:1-17Student Teaching Pastor Jason SalyerIn Romans 4:1-5, Paul writes about how Abraham believed and was declared righteous by God. Remember that the idea of righteousness is more than the absence of wrong or even guilt. It is a positive good, meaning that God not only declares us innocent, but also righteous. It is conforming to a norm and standard given by God and a faithfulness to a relationship. We are not righteous in ourselves, but God credits us righteousness by grace through faith. This section of Romans makes it clear that righteousness is credited (imputed) to us in Christ, not infused by us through works.
    In verses 4-8, we see that we do not receive blessing, or salvation, from God because we have earned it as a wage. The better we understand the depth of our sin and the righteous standard of a holy God, the more grateful we are for the mercy and grace we have received. In the Psalm quoted (Psalm 32:1-2), David speaks of those who are blessed, not as those who are justified through works, but as those are cleansed by God, which we receive through forgiveness in Christ
    In verses 9-12, Paul returns to the example of Abraham to show the order of faith and works. Abraham believed and was justified by God, but he also acted on that belief in many moments throughout his life. To believe is not to earn but to receive. The gospel is about receiving what is freely given by God, and not seeing our works as a means of earning our merit before God. In other words, we work "from" His approval, not "for" His approval. Faith can be considered a transfer of trust, from looking to myself or the world around me to a complete dependency on the finished work of Jesus on my behalf.
    In verses 13-17, we find where believing leads to belonging. When we look in faith to the promises of God in Christ, we enter a relationship with God and with His people. We can find security in the certainty that His promises will not fail. We are evidence of that in the hearing and receiving of this gospel as those who, among all nations (people groups) that would be blessed through the offspring of Abraham, Jesus Christ. This was always the plan!
    You do not have to prove yourself.You do not have to find yourself.You do not have to worry about what Jesus Christ thinks about you.He has saved you, and He loves you more than you can fathom. The promises of God do not let go of you.
    Questions to Consider:
    1. How does this passage keep our hearts from undervaluing the grace and forgiveness we receive from God?
    2. How does this passage show us that believing is about receiving more than earning?
    3. Where do you need to turn away from finding your sense of identity and self worth through achievement or affirmation from others and look to Jesus?


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    39 m
  • Romans 3:27-31

    Romans 3:27-31
    Oct 13 2025

    Romans 3:27-31Senior Pastor Alex KennedyLast week we focused on the humbling truth that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Each and every one of us have missed the mark and fallen short of God’s standard. But the great news is that those who place their hope in Christ as Savior “are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” (Romans 3:24). Remember, justification is that legal term meaning we are declared not guilty by God!
    In our passage today, Paul continues this thought with an important question, “Then what becomes of our boasting (v. 27)?”If we’re honest, we all have a tendency to boast. Pastor Alex reminded us that boasting is an outward expression of an inner problem: pride. Let’s remember, this is not a new problem. In fact, we can trace boasting (and pride) all the way back to the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve convinced themselves that they knew better than God and chose to go their own way rather than following and trusting Him. The reality is boasting is incompatible with the truth of the gospel… that we are justified by God’s grace as a gift (3:24). Elsewhere Paul reminds, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9). If salvation were possible through the Law or any means of our own doing, then we would be able to boast in something we could earn. But the only response to salvation as a gift of God is a posture of gratitude and thankfulness to Him. Let’s remember who authored the book of Romans. If anyone would have had a right to boast in his accomplishments, lineage, education, and religious pedigree it would have been Paul. And yet, Paul considered all these things “rubbish” (literally garbage) compared to knowing Christ Jesus (see Philippians 3:5-11)!In addition to running completely counter to the truth of the gospel that salvation is a gift of God by grace alone through faith alone, boasting affects our everyday lives in several ways. First, boasting causes division. When we think better of ourselves because of anything – our race, our social status, or our achievements – it automatically divides and separates us from others. In addition to division, boasting can also reveal itself as anxiety in our lives. When the things that we boast about are threatened – i.e. our marriage, our kids, or our livelihood – we are vulnerable to fear and anxiety. Questions to Consider:
    1. First and foremost, is there anything in which you are tempted to boast as the grounds of your confidence or self-worth? As Paul reminds us in Galatians 3:14, “Far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Ask God to expose anything that feeds the lie of self-sufficiency.
    2. Ask God to expose anything that gives you a heart of pride. Ask God to remove any sense of false security about things we might be tempted to boast about in our own strength.
    3. Ask God to reveal anything that gives you a sense of shame. If you haven’t done so already, confess those things to God, ask His forgiveness, and then thank God for that forgiveness He freely offers (1 John 1:9).
    4. If you’ve never put your trust in Christ alone as your Savior and would like to know more about what a relationship with Him looks like, we’re here to help. Send us an email at questions@carmelbaptist.org and someone from our team will reach out to you.

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    35 m
  • Romans 3:21-26

    Romans 3:21-26
    Oct 6 2025
    Romans 3:21-26Senior Pastor Alex KennedyThis passage is thought to be one of the most important paragraphs ever written. Paul has just spent the last two chapters explaining the purpose and insufficiency of the law, and now he starts with, "But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law". "For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God" means that all have, are, and will always fall short of God's glory. God is the standard, and we all fall short.To read more, please go to: https://carmelbaptist.org/carmel-sermon/romans-321-26/

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    33 m
  • Romans 3:1-20

    Romans 3:1-20
    Sep 29 2025
    Romans 3:1-20Senior Pastor Alex KennedyPaul continues his letter in Chapter 3 by handling Jewish objections to his teaching by using a diatribe, which means he set up a dialogue with his critics by posing questions and then answering them.
    Objection 1 - "Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the value circumcision?" (v1) In other words, "If my Jewishness doesn't save me and circumcision is no guarantee, then what advantage is there to being a Jew and having the sign of circumcision?"
    For us today, it could be stated, "What advantage then is there in being baptized? Is there any advantage to being a member of Carmel Baptist Church?"Answer 1 - "Much in every way. To begin with, the Jews were entrusted with the oracles of God (The Old Testament)." God gave His Truth to the Jews instead of to another people group. They were entrusted with it. (Romans 9:4-5)Objection 2 - "What if some were unfaithful? Does their faithlessness nullify the faithfulness of God?" (v3)Answer 2 - "By no means! Let God be true though every one were a liar" (v4)"God is faithful to all His words - the ones that threaten judgment for disobedience as well as to the ones that promise blessing." If, then, Paul implies, God judges Israel for her sins, He is still faithful, true, and just."
    But this same faithfulness that also involved punishment for disobedience was conveniently forgotten.
    Objection 3 - "But if our unrighteousness serves to show the righteousness of God, what shall we say? That God is unrighteous to inflict wrath on us?" (v5)In other words, if my badness makes God look good, then how can God judge me for my badness? I'm a bad person. You're saying we're all bad, but all we're doing is making God look really good...
    Answer 4 - "By no means! or then how could God judge the world?" (v6-8)Sinning like crazy so we will know grace like never before is bizarre thinking. There are no victimless sins. Every choice to do wrong harms someone. Sin grieves the heart of God, and it is an affront to His character. Sin separates the Creator from the creation He loves so dearly.Verses 10-12 show us we are worthless in terms of our spiritual good, but not in terms of our human worth. All humans are always valuable because the image of God cannot be erased, but it is marred by sin. Sin isn't something we just do, it is something that affects every part of us - our mind, our will, our speech, our relationships. Like a disease, it's spread through the whole system. (v 13-18)The law wasn't given to justify us, but to silence us because it removes all boasting and exposes the depth of our guilt. The purpose of the law wasn't to correct sin, but to reveal it.We must let the law do its work, and then run to Jesus Christ. He is the way, the Truth, and the life. God is going to change us, but it's not going to be by the law. (Romans 1:16)

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    33 m