Fight the Good Fight: Don't Feed the Bears - Romans 7 - September 28, 2025

This sermon explores the paradox of the Christian life, where believers are simultaneously saint and sinner (2:50). Drawing heavily from Romans 7, the message emphasizes that while Christ has secured ultimate victory over sin and death (8:00-8:08), Christians remain in a constant war with indwelling sin (10:29-10:31). The speaker highlights the relatable struggle of wanting to do good but finding evil close at hand, echoing Paul's lament, "Wretched man that I am!" (1:27, 14:48).

Key Takeaways:

You vs. You Reality: Recognize the internal conflict between your renewed spirit and lingering sin nature (20:54).

Don't Feed the Bear: A practical call to action, urging believers to identify and avoid environments, media, or habits that fuel sinful desires (21:02-25:28). This includes abstaining from lustful content, gossip, and other known temptations.

Christ's Empowering Grace: The sermon underscores that the Christian's ability to wage war against sin comes from God's work within them through the Holy Spirit (19:16-19:25). It's not about self-effort but relying on His power (17:45-17:53).

Press On in Faith: Despite inevitable stumbles and failures, believers are exhorted to relentlessly "press on" toward God, pursuing Him in prayer, scripture, and acts of kindness, mercy, and service, rather than giving up (45:27-47:10). This pursuit is rooted in the security of God's unearned love and forgiveness (49:42-50:00).