Firm Foundation with Bryan Hudson

ROMANS ROAD 21-Day Devotional: Day 8 – ”Reign In Life”

Romans 5:17 For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ. 
Adam, as the progenitor of the human race, is responsible for leaving us a legacy of what we call the “sin nature.” We inherited the desire to sin which resulted in death reigning over humanity. 
Jesus, who is called the “last Adam” (1 Cor. 15:45) has reversed the curse. Jesus empowered us to be able to experience an abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness. 
The outcome of this grace and gift is that through Christ you can reign in life! We do not reign over people, but we can reign over ourselves and our circumstances. 
Because of Jesus, we are no longer victims. We are victors! Reflection Question: How do you “reign in life” through Christ?
Key insight I gained today:
Today’s action item based on insight:

ROMANS ROAD 21-Day Devotional: Day 7 - ”Access Into Grace”

Romans 5:1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God 
Self-righteousness produces no peace, only religious arrogance. Being justified (made righteous) by God produces peace. There is a peace in life that only Jesus Christ can give. Furthermore, faith in God has also provided access into the grace of God. Grace is God’s favor and includes everything He makes available to you. I like to think of God’s grace as His “operational power.” 
Living in the grace of God is like having access to a great warehouse full of provisions that you can use when you need it. The knowledge and reality of possessing God’s grace is both humbling and a cause for rejoicing!Reflection Question: What is grace?
Key insight I gained today:
Today’s action item based on insight:

ROMANS ROAD 21-Day Devotional: Day 6 - ”The Provision of Promise”

Romans 4:16 Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all...20 He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, 21 and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform. 
God promised to give Abraham and his wife a child. That’s not remarkable until you realize that Abraham was 99 years old and his wife Sarah was 90 years old! She was long past the childbearing years, but that did not prevent God from doing what He wanted to do for them and for His own purpose. 
The faith that Abraham showed toward God made him the “Father of Faith” for all of us. God’s grace made provision for Abraham and Sarah. Today, it is our privilege and responsibility to have faith in God... and He provides the faith to believe in Him. 
The hardest thing we have to do is to believe that God can do what He promised! Just like Abraham, we only need to become persuaded that God can do what He said.Reflection Question: What is the “hardest” thing about having faith in God?
Key insight I gained today:
Today’s action item based on insight:

ROMANS ROAD 21-Day Devotional: Day 5 - ”An Act of Love & Grace”

Romans 4:4 What then shall we say that Abraham our father has found according to the flesh? 2 For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. 3 For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” 4 Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt.
Abraham had no basis to boast because without God he could have done nothing...and the same is true for you and me. As stated in a previous lesson, faith in God is the basis for becoming righteous. Righteousness by faith is a gift and impartation of grace from God through Jesus Christ. 
When people think they must work for salvation, they also think God is indebted to them. Example: If I do a job for you, I expect to be paid. If you do a big job for me, and do not charge me, I regard that as an underserved act of love and grace. 
Jesus did the big job of saving us, changing our eternal destiny, and giving us purpose for life! He only wants you to say “thank you” and go out to become a witness to others.Reflection Question: How does less work in our own strength bring more grace from God?
Key insight I gained today:
Today’s action item based on insight:

ROMANS ROAD 21-Day Devotional: Day 4 - ”No Boasting.”

Romans 3:27 Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? No, but by the law of faith. 28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law. One of the sure signs of self-righteousness is bragging about oneself in relation to being a Christian. If someone asked you, “How did you become a believer in Christ,” the answer does not include the good things you have done. The answer is all about what Jesus did for you. We are justified neither by the Old Testament law nor by any other law invented by religion. We are justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law. Jesus made this possible. Reflection Question: What does in mean to be “justified?” Key insight I gained today: Today’s action item based on insight:

ROMANS ROAD 21-Day Devotional | Day 3 - Righteousness Without Religion

Romans 3:20 Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin. 21 But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22 even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.
In a day when people are blessed to receive the free gift of salvation by faith in Jesus, there are still those who believe they have to work for it. Worse, there are others who insist that you must live by their rules and lists of “dos and don’ts.” 
Yes, we have all sinned and come short of God’s glory, but we don’t find the answer to any sin issue by doing any religion or religious practice. God loved us and Jesus gave His live to make salvation, redemption, and righteousness available to all. 
Those who have received Jesus Christ have been made righteous and now desire to follow God. We have been “justified” which means “made righteous.” 
The grace that saved you is the same grace that will motivate you to follow God and be obedient to God’s word.Reflection Question: How is God’s grace at work in your life?
Key insight I gained today:
Today’s action item based on insight:
 

ROMANS ROAD 21 Day Devotional | Day 2 - Your Best Opportunity in Life

DAY 2
 
Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.” 
The message of the Gospel of Christ carries the power to change lives. It is a message of which we should never be ashamed. In fact, the best thing you’ve ever had the opportunity to know and share is the Gospel of Jesus Christ! The Good News of Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection is the power that produced salvation and the hope of our eternal future. 
The Gospel produced righteousness that you could never achieve on your own. It is the gift of God along with the faith that God gave you to believe Him. “Faith to faith” describes your walk of faith from salvation to your daily life. “The just shall live by faith.”Reflection Question: In relation to your faith walk, what do you need to stop talking about and begin talking about?
Key insight I gained today:Today’s action item based on insight:
 
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ROMANS ROAD 21 Day Devotional | Day 1 - The Value of Impartation

DAY 1
 
Romans 1:11 For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift, so that you may be established— 12 that is, that I may be encouraged together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me. 
One of the encouraging truths about our Christian life is that we are never alone. We are not islands unto ourselves. We are neither independent nor dependent. We are interdependent in both helping one another and being self-empowered. 
We have great riches in Christ! We are complete in Him (Col. 2:10), but we also have the blessing of impartation from others. God uses others who can share insights and wisdom with us. Leaders, such as our pastors, help us discover new dimensions of God’s gifting within. Paul expressed his desire to spend time with believers to help them through instruction and training in God’s grace. We need our pastors, spiritual mentors, and fellow believers in the same way. We spend time in personal study and prayer for direct impartation through the Holy Spirit. 
We also benefit greatly from participating in Bible study and other gatherings of believers where we can receive the word and grow stronger in Christ. Reflection Question: Who does God use in your life to impart gifts and grace? 
Key insight I gained today: Today’s action item based on insight:
 
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Firm Foundation Inspiration Minute -- Intro to ”Roman’s Road” Devotional, Starting September 1, 2022

Romans 8:2, For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.
Join me for a daily devotional through selected verses from the Book of Romans. This will not be a thorough study from Romans, but inspirational insights to encourage you.
The text from each lesson from the book will be posted here and at www.BryanHudson.com. You can purchase the print of Kindle edition of the book at www.Amazon.com
Be inspired and encouraged each day beginning Thursday, September 1!

Signs & Standards -- Firm Foundation Inspiration Minute for August 24, 2022

John 2:23, Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in His name when they saw the signs which He did. 24 But Jesus did not commit Himself to them, because He knew all men
Friends are not simply attracted to your “signs.”  (Outward)
Friends are attracted to your “standards.” (Heart)
We live in a celebrity culture. This doesn't mean that there's something bad about recognizing high profile persons. It's more about how people create mindsets centered around famous people.
During Jesus time on the earth, he was certainly a celebrity using today's standards. What we know about celebrities is that many of them are highly talented, highly skilled, and do great work. Professional athletes and great singers come to mind.
The problem with celebrity culture is the superficial mindsets of people who inflate that culture.
In our text, we read that many people believed when they saw the signs Jesus did such as healing people. There were many who were only attracted to the signs, or the outward displays, of God's power. 
As we later learned after Jesus' miracle, or sign, of feeding thousands of people with a few fish and loaves of bread, God's greater purpose was to lead people to a better life in Christ. When people followed Jesus to his next destination, He said to them, "You've come over here because you ate food and were filled." He then said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst." (John 6:35)
Returning to our text, we read that "Jesus did not commit Himself to them, because he know all men." –– People who were superficial sign seekers were not persons to whom Jesus would commit himself.
People who are attracted to signs are poor candidates for becoming disciples of Christ. Genuine disciples, or followers, of Christ are attracted to standards, not only signs. 
It is okay to recognize the talent and skill of celebrity-level people, but don't fail to connect with Christ followers who offer you avenues to high standards and who are willing to directly serve you in the Spirit of Jesus.
God Bless and Be Encouraged!
Bryan Hudson, D.Min.