Who’s Your One: Romans 12, Gospel Love, Service, and Witness

Watch on YouTube

What does it mean for a church to love without masks, serve with purpose, and reach the world with hope? Senior Pastor David Rose walks us through Romans 12 to call us to a faith that’s lived honestly and practically, in deep love, patient endurance, and under the power of the Spirit. If you’re searching for identity, belonging, or purpose, the answer is found in Christ and His people living out the gospel together.

Key Takeaways

  • God calls us to authentic love. (vv9-10)
  • God calls us to disciplined living. (vv11-21)
  • God conquers evil through our good. (v21; John 3-4)

Further Study

  1. How does “Christ in you, the hope of glory” shape your sense of identity and purpose? Compare this with Romans 8:9–11 and Galatians 2:20. Where are you tempted to ground your worth in changing circumstances instead of Christ?
  2. In Colossians 1:28, Paul describes discipleship as shared work aimed at maturity in Christ. How does this connect with Ephesians 4:11–16? Who are you helping grow, and who is helping you?
  3. Paul labors by God’s strength, not his own. How does Colossians 1:29 compare with John 15:5? Where are you relying on effort instead of dependence?
  4. In Romans 12:9, Paul commands sincere love. How does this line up with John 13:34–35 and 1 Peter 1:22? Where are you tempted to appear loving without actually loving?
  5. In Romans 12:14–21, Paul calls believers to bless, endure, and refuse revenge. How do these commands echo Christ’s teaching in Matthew 5 and His example in 1 Peter 2:21–24? What would obedience look like for you this week?
  6. Take a minute to read John 4:28–30, 39. The woman at the well shares what she knows, even before her story feels complete. What step can you take to speak honestly about what Christ has done in your life?

The Gospel

If you have questions about what it means to be a Christian, we would love to talk with you about it.

Reach out

God created us for relationship with Him, but every one of us has turned away from Him to what the Bible calls sin. Left to ourselves, we’re lost, headed for judgment, and unable to fix what’s broken inside us (“all of us have sin that condemns us”). Religion, good intentions, or church membership can’t rescue us. As Pastor David put it, “It’s only in coming to Jesus that condemnation is removed and we are saved and brought into his family.” We need a new birth, a new heart, something only God can bring.

That’s where Christ steps in. He is the Son of God, fully God and fully man. He lived the perfect life we couldn’t live, loved with real love (Romans 12:9), and offered Himself as the once-for-all sacrifice on the cross. He died for our sins, stood under the wrath and justice we deserved, and rose again, conquering death and evil with good (Romans 12:21; see also John 3:16-18). Now, anyone, no matter your story, can receive forgiveness, freedom, and a new identity in Christ simply by trusting in Him.

This offer is for anyone willing to turn from self to Christ. The woman at the well and Nicodemus, opposite in every way, each heard the same invitation: come to Jesus, trust what He’s done, and find real life.

What does all of this mean for you?

  • You’re more lost than you realize, but more loved than you could ever dare hope.
  • Christ did everything necessary to save you. It isn’t about cleaning yourself up; it’s about resting in what He’s finished.
  • When you trust Him, you’re brought into God’s family, given the Spirit, and sent to love, serve, and tell others, not to earn God’s acceptance, but because He’s already given it.
  • If you sense your need, don’t wait. Call out to Him in your own words. Confess your sin, trust Him alone to save, and surrender your story to His. And if you’re still wrestling, reach out to talk with someone, and keep searching. Christ invites you, just as you are.