Pastor Goforth

Friends – John 15:15-16

September 2nd, 2025
“I do not call you servants anymore because a servant doesn’t know what his master is doing. I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything I have heard from my Father. You did not choose me, but I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce fruit and that your fruit should remain, so that whatever you ask in my name, he will give you.” (CSB)

So much in these two verses. Being a “friend of God” is something that has consumed me since I was a teenager. The idea of Abraham as a “friend of God”, close to him, a co-laborer, part of the plan, was something that got my attention early. It is more than a feeling, but a calling, a responsibility, a position.

Jesus says, “I do not call you servants anymore” – They had grown… but it was known and expected by God. They went from seekers, to followers, to believers, to servants, and now friends.

Why does he call them friends? Because…
- He revealed his purpose and plans
- “I chose you” – before they progressed, he had a plan. eklegomai = select of one or more alternatives. He decided to choose them. He did not have to, but he did… and then…
- “I appointed you” – tithemi = put, place, lay, appoint, assign.
- “to go… and produce fruit… that should remain
- So that… whatever you ask… anything I want? no… in my name – that is in his character. his purpose, for his glory
The transition to “friend” carries with it a passion FOR the friendship. Friendship is no longer about ME, but about the purpose of the relationship

A friend of Christ is…
- grateful to be chosen,
- feels a responsibility from the assignment…
- must Know and then Go… Henry Blackaby says, “you can’t stay where you are and go with God”
- Produce sustainable work
- Then… “whatever you ask”… the fact of an “ask” reveals the internal desire. The “ask” reveals heart, passion, purpose. Whatever your desires are – a friend has the desire to please the object of our friendship.
- in my name – according to his revealed will, which is revealed from the Father. According to his position as son. According to his purpose. For his glory. Part of the work of the Spirit in our lives is to reveal, confirm, convict us of the will of God, and then empower us to move in that appointed task
- THEN… he (the Father) will give you. If I’m asking and God is not giving, then either the time is wrong, or it is not according to the nature, purpose, position, and posterity of Jesus the Son.
We could spend a LONG time here, but that’s for another time…

George Washington said, “True Friendship is a plant of slow growth”

Thomas Aquinas said, “There is nothing on this earth to be more prized than true friendship.”

On a different and erroneous level, Jim Morrison said, “a friend is someone who gives you total freedom to be yourself”.

Yeah, that SOUNDS good, but what if who I am is wrong, deadly, and dangerous? True Friendship is committed to the Advancement of the Friend. I want to be a “Friend of Christ” for his glory, his purpose.

So, one other quote of interest…

Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “the glory of friendship is not the outstretched hand, not the kindly smile, nor the joy of companionship, it is the Spiritual Inspiration that comes when you discover that someone else believes in you and is willing to trust you with a friendship.”

Jesus has called us “friends”… oh my, I want to live up to that…
The Bloody Path Luke 18:31

August 5th, 2025

Then he took the Twelve aside and told them, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem. Everything that is written through the prophets about the Son of Man will be accomplished. 32 For he will be handed over to the Gentiles, and he will be mocked, insulted, spit on; 33 and after they flog him, they will kill him, and he will rise on the third day.” CSB(2020)

This is not exactly a great recruitment speech, but it is often true. It was the path for Christ, but also is what the disciples experienced. Remember Jesus said, “don’t be surprised if the world hates you… it hated me first” (John 15:18)

As I often do, I took a circuitous path as I looked at this message Christ had for his disciples. I look at the scripture laid, and the context of the words.

Isaiah 53 is a beautifully clear prophesy of the coming suffering sacrificial Savior, the Lamb who would be struck down, afflicted, pierced, crushed for us. In the previous verses at the end of Isaiah 52, verse 14 says, “his appearance was so disfigured that he did not look like a man.” Verse 13 though says, “see my servant will be successful, he will be raised and lifted up and greatly exalted”

We like the idea of success, raised, lifted, exalted… but before the throne was the cross, raised and lifted up. Before the crown was a crown of thorns.
Jesus DID say, we must “deny self and follow me”. The disciples spent their lives following him, all but John died a martyr’s death, and even he had plenty of trials for his long life of following.

Let me try and take you where I went from Luke 18:31, which began with the word, “THEN“… Back at Luke 18:18 we have the story of that “Rich Young Ruler”, who asked, “what must I DO to inherit Eternal Life?” He had been good at doing… but Jesus questioned where his love was… “you lack one thing… sell all… give to the poor… treasure in heaven… then follow me”. And it says he “became extremely sad because he was rich.“

v24 seeing that he became sad… Jesus said, ‘how hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the Kingdom‘

v27 what is impossible with man is possible with God

Stay with me Now…

v28 Peter said, “look, we have left what we had and followed you”

and in v30 Jesus told them not to worry because if they left anything for him they would receive, “many times more… and eternal life”.

THEN…

v31 THEN he took this Twelve aside…

Having experienced that interaction with the rich ruler… one who wanted answers, but went away sad… Jesus pulled the Twelve aside, as he often did, for teaching moments.

Every servant of Christ has to wrestle with our perception and expectations of what it will be like to follow Jesus… the Reality is often a Bloody Path.

Those 12 Disciples thought the Kingdom was Coming ON Earth, right then… and what did they want? They wanted to “sit next to Jesus”, get in on some ruling, some authority, be exalted.

The Rich Man asked, what must I do… and Jesus said, Follow Me

The Disciples asked “can we sit next to you”… and Jesus said, Follow Me

But the reality of following him is often much more than we imagined, the cost is greater, it cuts to the heart of where we are. The difference in the Rich man and the Disciples was that he left, and they kept coming after him. That’s a good thing.

Jesus tells them the cost… handed over… mocked… insulted… spit on… flogged… killed…

What did Isaiah say… despised… rejected… crushed… wounded…

What Jesus was teaching the seeker, and the followers was… “Give Up what you love the most, and follow me”. Know that you WILL Rise, be Lifted Up, be Successful, be Exalted… in DUE time, in an Eternal Place.

Oh I need to stop… but one of those prophetic passages that Jesus was referencing when he said, everything written by the prophets… was Psalm 22. Go read that Psalm and see the images that are what Jesus experienced, but also what many who come after Jesus will experience… but the “why” is found at the end of the song… “…the next generation will be told about the Lord. They will come and declare his righteousness to a people yet to be born they will declare what he has done” Psalm 22:30-31
What’s God Asking for From Me?

July 30th, 2025

When we read scriptural accounts, it is important to know to whom God is speaking, what he is saying, but always ask, “what is this saying to me?” We…
What’s God Asking for From Me?
Revelation 1:7 –

July 30th, 2025
Look, he is coming in the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn for him. So it is to be. Amen

Just a short thought from reading yesterday.
- Look – turn your focus, lift your head, Look. I like the old school word, “Behold” – this isn’t a glance, but STOP… and LOOK. whatever you are facing today, Look at this…
- He IS coming. Know the Certainty the Jesus is coming. That is a Future reality and a Present confidence. Know this.
- With the Clouds… So many references to clouds in the Bible. Of course they often represent Judgment… but also Fanfare. And then I think of the time to come in Revelation 19. He comes with Justice and with the hosts of Heaven, including those of us who are the Redeemed. We will be part of the Cloud that returns WITH him. Life horses stirring up clouds of dust. We will just be part of the cloud. No one notices us…
- But Every Eye will see him. The Blind, the blinded, those refusing to look, the Hopeful, all will see, perceive attend..
- EVEN those… don’t worry about “those” – you have a list of “those”… their time will come… even those who have rejected, persecuted, raged against… even those
- Every nation and people group… all will mourn… either gratefully or regretfully. Zechariah 12:10 says that the people group who rejected him, will mourn the one they pierced. Again, some will mourn in repentance… and others will mourn as they reject him still, but time is too late
- So… I love to use the word “So” in sermons, it’s like “therefore” – because he is coming in the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him… all will mourn… So…
- It IS to Be… Amen – Amen means “so be it” and so this final word is forwards and backwards – it IS to BE… So Be It – can we say that now… Yes Lord, It IS to be… So Be it. It will be and all God’s people said “Amen”
What Must Die for Glory to Shine? Isaiah 6:1

July 15th, 2025
Isaiah lived with a good and faithful king, Uzziah, who perhaps was even a relative. He was his hero… hope… the highest. Late in his life, Uzziah had tried to supersede the ways of God and dealt with sickness and seclusion and then died.

I think it is significant that Isaiah 6:1 says in the YEAR that King Uzziah died… When exactly in the that year? How long did Isaiah deal with the loss, seeking the Lord, looking for answers? We don’t know, but it devasted him for sure, and in that year… I saw the Lord…

The place of our hope, the highest thing in our lives, our hero, must die for us to truly SEE the Lord.

“saw” = ra’ah – to see understand, spy, reveal, look at – NASB says access, appear, become aware

It is amazing how things get in the way of “seeing” the Lord. They could be “good” or “bad”, but things get in the way of us seeing the Lord.

If you get everything you want, what do you have?

This passage of Isaiah’s true awakening to God is one of the most significant in scripture. He saw God in majesty, sovereignty, holiness, and immensity. He saw HIMSELF insignificant, unholy, and he confessed his sin and need for God.

I could spend a long time in 6:1-8, but that’s not for now. Today, my question is “what / who must die for me to see the Lord?”

If you go back to chapter 5, there is a “Song of the Vineyard”. The Lord speaks of his love for his people. It talks of the process and purpose of planting, cultivating, and protecting his people.

V2 says he expected it to yield good grapes… but it yielded worthless grapes.

V4 what more could I have done

V5 I will remove the hedge, tear down the wall… 6 make it a wasteland… 7 expected justice but saw injustice… expected righteousness, but heard cries of despair

As I read this chapter, my mind goes in many directions… but remember the question is “What must DIE for us to SEE the Lord?”

Then notice verses 8-10 and I’ll go back to the question…

V8 … woe to those who add house to house… field to field until there is no room and you are LEFT ALONE in the Land

Sometimes we are so busy building that we “gain” and yet lose everything we wanted. I remember Jesus saying, what does it profit a man to gain the world and lose his soul? What good is it to get the whole neighborhood if no one lives there but me?

V9 houses will become desolate

And then v10 is the reverse of the principles of the harvest. Instead of reaping MORE than you sow, they sow and reap exponentially less.

Let me encourage you to go and read the rest of the Song of the Vineyard in Isaiah 5. Singing of the Lord… Everything we are doing, when we lose sight of the Lord, is failing to produce what we desired and intended.

V20 woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness, substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.

v21 woe to those who consider themselves wise and judge themselves clever…

v24b …they have rejected the instruction of the Lord of Armies… despised the word of the Holy One of Israel

And this song ends as the Lord is calling distant lands to come to his vineyard to desolate them and start over…

And then…

6:1 in the year King Uzziah DIED… I SAW the Lord… high… exalted… on the throne

What needs to die so you can see the Lord? This is a very personal question.

Stop right now and Seek the Lord… Say…
- “Lord, you are God, Lord of Heaven’s Armies, Holy and Righteous
- Forgive me for raising other things above you
- Lord, I lay down everything else, that I may See YOU, see myself as I am, and FOLLOW You”
Easy? No, Difficult!

July 8th, 2025

“If this were EASY, everybody would be doing it.” That is a quote offered by many, I say it often, it is attributed to many, but isn’t directly from one person. “Jimmy Dugan” in “A League of Their Own” said it, but it wasn’t original to him. The sentiment and understanding is important.

Oswald Chambers said, “we have to remember that all noble things are difficult… the Christian life is gloriously difficult, but the difficulty does not make us faint or cave in, it rouses us up to overcome.”

I set my sights/heart four years ago on running a marathon – not because it was easy, but BECAUSE it was Hard. I put in the miles, dealt with a myriad of pains and challenges, then went and did it. I Ran a Marathon! I was 58 years old. People would say, “I heard you are a marathoner.” I said, “no I ran a marathon.” But about a month later, I had booked for number TWO. Now I have done Three, now I say, “I RUN marathons”, because it’s easy? Nope – it is still very hard.

I had a stroke 6 weeks ago, and guess what, it’s hard(er) to run, but Lord willing… I will run #4. Last week I signed up for 2026 Ventura “Mountains2Beach”

Jesus said in Matthew 7:13-14 “Enter through the narrow gate… how narrow is the gate and difficult the road that leads to life, and few find it.”

Training for running marathons, for me, involves not as much prep as some people, but it is still about 800 miles a year, and I run about eight other races of varying lengths throughout the year, 5k, 4mi, 7k, 5mi, 10k, and 1/2 marathons are all part of the path.

Jesus says in Matthew 7, “every good tree produces good fruit… many will say, ‘Lord, Lord’, but only the one who does the will of my Father will enter Heaven.”

When I register for a race, my name gets on the list, I get a number. When I check in, I get a shirt, but the MEDAL comes when I FINISH.

Chambers, about this passage, says, “Do we SO appreciate the marvelous salvation of Jesus Christ THAT we ARE our Utmost for his Highest.”

Praise God we don’t have to complete the “Race” to Receive Salvation… Jesus paid it all — Yet…

… do we SO appreciate our salvation THAT we ARE all we can be… Our Utmost for his Highest?

I want to hear “well done, good and faithful servant.” – that’s the “medal” I seek. I can’t earn my salvation, but I want him to feel like his sacrifice was worth it for me. I want to give everything, my all, my best, as a sign of my deep appreciation, gratitude, for his Highest Gift of Grace.

Chambers says, “we are not to be milksops… but have a strong family likeness to Jesus Christ.”

Our Savior, who was heading to the cross to die for my sin, said, “take up your cross and follow me”.

Again quoting Chambers, “His salvation is a glad thing, but it also tests us for all we are worth.”

Let’s GO, if you call yourself a “Follower of Jesus”, don’t use that title unless we are willing to DO it.

*today I quote extensively from Oswald Chamber’s most famous writings “My Utmost for His Highest” – Yesterday, July 7, is the devotion which has the “namesake” quote in it. Chambers died at a young 43. His wife, Biddy Chambers, used to take shorthand notes when he spoke, and she compiled the devotional book that is read by countless millions every day. I have used it for more than 40 years and strongly recommend it
What Shines? Matthew 513-16

July 1st, 2025
Humble, merciful, pure in heart, peacemakers, rejoicing in hard times… that’s the kind of people we see as Jesus begins this message… then he says, You are the salt… you are the light. My question, are you tasty, are you visible, do you attract or repel?

Salt without desirable flavor, “it’s no good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled”. If you are light… what do you reveal? “Let your light shine before others so that they may see… and give glory to your Father.”

Nothing radical, or revolutionary here right? You decide. Often people say, “We are under Grace now, not The Law.” Ok, but that doesn’t release us, but rather binds us to deeper things. Jesus says, “I did not come to Abolish the Law, but to fulfill.” And then, “whoever breaks one of the least… and teaches others to do the same will be called ‘the least’… but whoever DOES and teaches theses… will be called ‘great’ in the Kingdom.”

Point? (warning oversimplification alert) Much of the rest of Jesus’ sermon is not releasing us from but taking us to a greater level of living.
- Hateful thoughts / unjust anger is like internal murder – SHINE the Right Light
- Failure to settle disagreements quickly and honorably – SALTLESS gritty sand – useless
- Impure thoughts – we are already walking an adulterous path – Light is shining that within and without
- Unfulfilled Promises, Fake commitment – Taste Terrible and don’t Point to Jesus. What’s the light? Where’s the flavor?
- Go the Second Mile, show faithfulness and give more than is demanded – again we are talking Light and Flavor.
- Love your Enemies, Pray for Persecutors – Just like the Sun Shines on everyone, our light should shine on anyone/everyone. Salt tastes good on every tongue that tastes it. The reward is in the giving and the shining, not in choosing the Recipient.
My questions for myself today are
- to whom do I shine?
- from whom do I desire a reward?
- am I tasty or tasteless?
- Is everything I do to Please the Father and Portray the Love of God?
If I can give to the Father this way… he repays in His time, and there may be a personal return of people in heaven thus my investment resulted in Eternal Dividends

What’s Shining? Let Your Light So Shine…
Embrace The Unremarkable

June 24th, 2025
Isaiah 53:2-3; 10-12

Let me say at the beginning that we are reading “Jesus stuff” here, and we can’t do what he did, even if we try, we still cannot accomplish what he did… However, Philippians 2 teaches us to “let this mind be in you… Adopt this same attitude as that of Christ”

So, I come back to Isaiah 53 – God did this whole thing much differently than we would. I’ll be the first to say that all my life, I’ve wanted to do “great things” for God. That very definer though has been my struggle, “great” things. Let me say then, that the greatest thing we can do is to hear him, his call, his plan, and say, “YES”.

I included a picture of me running, because I do it a lot now, but I’m nothing special as a runner, just that I do it. My times aren’t remarkable, my finishes aren’t special, just that I do it. I will be the first to admit that I am a quite “unremarkable” person. I’m not big, not strong, not wealthy, I’m not a person who looks like much. I have struggled with that all my life. I spent a lot of time and energy trying to “become” something, and do something, but that’s ok because it keeps me moving forward.

Yet, I also struggle with not “being”. I always looked too young, so I acted older. I looked incapable, so I tried harder, and on and on. A lot of anquish comes with those struggles.

Yet Jesus – Creator of all things, eternal, omnipotent, omniscient, he “emptied himself” – he “laid aside his glory”, Paul said.

So Isaiah 53 says of the Messiah to come, “he grew up… like a young plant… like a root out of a dry ground. He didn’t have an impressive form (toar=handsome) or majesty (hadak = an ornament, honor, splendor) that we should look at him, no appearance that we should desire him.

Jesus could have come as a dashing “movie star” type… but he came unremarkably… we wouldn’t have given him a second look. He wasn’t handsome, he wasn’t splendid or honorable in appearance, no unremarkable.

v3 “He was despised and rejected, a man of suffering who KNEW what sickness was” – interestingly that word yada – “knew” is in the passive tense… he didn’t just do it, he experienced it. “he was like someone people turned away from… we did not value (chasab = to think or account).

You know growing up, I’m certain that he often heard “that’s just Jesus, he’s nothing remarkable”. Why do I say that, because his own brothers and sisters said those things, and the people of Nazareth said, “isn’t that the carpenter’s son”.

So the question then comes for us as we serve God, do we need to “BE somebody” to be used by God. Or, is what matters that we are from somebody, have something, for somebody?

Embrace the unremarkable, FOR the remarkable mission, with an eternal remarkable message, for the Glory of the One who is Worthy and Remarkable.

You read through Isaiah 53 and see in this passage what Jesus did in spite of it all.

v10 Yet the Lord was pleased to crush him severely… he will see his seed and prolong his days and by his hand, the Lord’s pleasure will be accomplished.

Perhaps if Jesus HAD BEEN remarkable in appearance he never could / would have died for us.

v11 After – not before or during but, After his anguish, he will see light and be satisfied.‘ That “satisfaction” means to drink until quenched. That is embracing the unremarkable and doing the eternal with all glory focused OUT.

v12 Therefore I will GIVE him… he will RECEIVE… because he willingly SUBMITTED… and was COUNTED…

Yes, I left out the specifics in there because they are part of Jesus’ call… our results will be different, but let this ATTITUDE be the same
- Empty Self
- Be Yourself, even unremarkable
- Seek to accomplish what pleases the Lord and
- We will Receive… as we Submit… and be Counted faithful…
- And Find Satisfaction
- After this
Philippians 2:13-15 It is God who is working in you both to will and to work according to his good purpose. Do everything without grumbling and arguing, so that you might be blameless and pure, children of God who are faultless… Shine Like Stars in the World

Embrace the Unremarkable
Lay down his life for his Friend

June 17th, 2025
ton philos – The Friend

I have preached many times from John 21 about the interaction between Peter and Jesus as he is calling him again to service. Peter had denied Christ three times before his crucifixion. He felt like a failure and was perhaps considering forgetting it all and going back to fishing.

You probably know that Jesus asked Peter, Do you love me? He used the word agapao. (unconditional God-like love. Peter answered less confidently, but honestly, you know that I phileo (love) you. That word means “love” but it is more conditional, more “like” than “love”. We would say that’s a step below agapao.

Jesus asks again – agapao? Peter answers the same, phileo.

Then, the Third Time, Jesus changes his word to match Peter’s and says, “do you phileo me?” Peter answers, “you know everything, you know I phileo you”

Agape is a God kind of perfect love, we strive for it, but Phileo is a friendship.

All three times, Jesus then tells Peter, feed my sheep/lambs. God can use us where we are, but more than that he wants to…

Go back to the night before his crucifixion:

Jesus is walking after the Passover meal toward the Garden of Gethsemane to pray, and talking with The Twelve in John 15
- I am The Vine… you are the branches
- Abide in me… apart from me you can do nothing
- As the Father agapao (loved) me I have agapao you
- then… agapao one another
- v13 no greater agape than to lay down your life “ton philos” (the Friends)
Being one who has phileo for Christ is not coming short of expectations, but falling in line with his desires for us. The greatest love, agape, comes out of commitment to being ton philos – the Friend.

v14 you are my philos if you DO (poieo = to make / fashion) what I command

They have come a long way in their walk with Christ from hearing him, to following him, to believing him, to serving him, and now…

v15 I don’t call you servants anymore… I have called you friends (philos)

v16 you didn’t choose me, I chose you, and appointed you to produce lasting fruit

As I read these verses this morning I immediately thought of John 21… Jesus was telling Peter, “you won’t always get agape correctly, but I didn’t call you to be perfect, I called you to be MY FRIEND.”

He was saying, “Peter I knew you before I called you, before you answered, before success or failure, good days or bad. I chose you to be MY FRIEND. Do and Shape what I have said, and the agape will come along the way.

If there is a marker one day to say something about me, maybe just a tag on a bench at a golf course, I want it to be:
- the Friend of God – Ton Philos
What Connects me with the Love of God? – Romans 8:35

May 21st, 2025

Romans 8 is beautiful! v12 says we are not obligated to the flesh, to live according to it – our obligation was released by faith in the finished work of Christ at the cross. I CAN sin, but I’m not bound to it any longer.

v15 – we’ve received a Spirit of adoption… 16 the Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God 17 … (we are) co-heirs with Christ.

This world is hard and suffering is real, but so is our inheritance. We were born sinners, under condemnation, but IN Christ, we gain more than just being an heir – kleronomoi – but immediately Paul strengthens his statement to co-heirs – SYNkleronomoi = co-inheritor.

I’m mindful of John 10 Jesus saying that no one can take us from his hand, nor from the Father’s hand.

So the connection to the Love of God is deeper than emotion or feeling, but there is a legal commitment, knowledge, and purpose of God.

v23 – The Spirit, elsewhere is called a deposit, but here is called a firstfruit – God gave him to us as a taste of a greater harvest / inheritance that is to come – aparchen = firstfruit or first piece.

My bride often makes cupcakes. When she does, she brings me one, the first one, it’s just a taste, but I know that a whole plate is in the other room. The Spirit is a first piece, first taste, first fruit… of what God has for me in the other room

v25 – we hope for what we do not see

v26-27 – the Spirit helps us pray right and intercedes for us

v28 – then we all quote – all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. Too Often one of two things happens here. 1) we stop right there on that verse alone 2) we read the next verses without connecting them to this verse. God has a connection based on legal obligation, his knowledge of who we are, and his purpose in adopting us.

v29 – for those he proginosko (knew beforehand) – those God knew beforehand would become his adopted sons (children) – How do we become his adopted sons? John 1:12 – to as many as received him… believed in his name… gave the right to become the children of God. “To all” – hosoi = whatever, as many as, how much, inasmuch, those whom – “THOSE” – he – proorizo = predetermined, foreordained, predestined – to WHAT? to be conformed to the image of his Son.

God knew I would receive, believe, and become his child, with full rights and become a Co-Heir WITH Christ – So,

v30 he called… justified… glorified me. All of that action is “past tense” from antecedent history, that I would be a son that shares in the inheritance of Christ.

v31 what then are we to say about those things? – Oh we are going somewhere here – what then are we to stay… if God is for us, who can be against us?

Oh I Might SHOUT HERE!

v32 he who did not spare his own son… will he not also grant everything?

* All of this Connects us to the Love of God

In ancient Hebrew Law, you could not disinherit an Adopted Child. We have been Adopted, knowing we would believe, receive, and become his children – He knows that while I may not appear as much right now, He is Conforming me to the image of Christ, so that Christ is the Firstborn of MANY Sons – That’s his Purpose – SO

v35 – WHO – Greek word is tis – a pronoun interrogative meaning it asks a question. tis = who? what? which? why? – So, “who, what, which, why, how can we be separated from the love of Christ? Can affliction or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? Make a List – can it?

v37 NO – in all things we are MORE than conquerors through him who Loved US… It’s not that I loved HIM, but that he LOVED ME…

It’s not just emotionally, but willfully, purposefully, legally, with full knowledge of me and what he is doing in me.

<–SHOUT GOES HERE–>

v38 for I am pitho – persuaded, assured, confident, convinced… neither death nor life, angels nor rulers, nor present nor future, nor powers, height, depth, not ANY other created thing… will be ABLE (dynamai = have power) to separate us from the Love of God that is IN Christ Jesus our Lord

Come On NOW…

Are you IN Christ? Then you are IN the Love of God

if you are NOT in Christ, you CAN be… as many as, to all that… That’s YOU… ANY you

Alright, Alright, I can STAND on that