Central Assembly
Romans 5-8: GOSPEL POWER - In All Things God Works - Dr. Jim Bradford - August 10, 2025
Romans 5-8: GOSPEL POWER - In All Things God Works - Dr. Jim Bradford - August 10, 2025
Locations & Times
Central Assembly
1301 N Boonville Ave, Springfield, MO 65802, USA
Sunday 10:30 AM
"in all things God works for the good"
What this is not...
• Everything that happens to us is God’s will.
• Everything that happens to us will eventually work itself out.
• Everything that happens to us will ultimately work to our happiness.
• Everything that happens to us is God’s will.
• Everything that happens to us will eventually work itself out.
• Everything that happens to us will ultimately work to our happiness.
SO WHAT IS "THE GOOD" THAT GOD IS WORKING IN US?
God ‘foreknew’ that he would have a people.
His people are ‘predestined’ to become like Christ.
Our ‘good’ is God actively shaping us into Christ’s image.
His people are ‘predestined’ to become like Christ.
Our ‘good’ is God actively shaping us into Christ’s image.
Ken Gire, Shaped by the Cross (adapted)
“Lorenzo Dominguez once summarized the dilemma and unpredictability of [artists] working with stone. He said, 'The stone wants to be stone; the artist wants it to be art.'
The same dilemma exists for those of us who are the work of God's hands. In an attempt to free the image of Christ that's within us, God begins chipping away everything that isn't Jesus. The stone of our lives either submits to the chipping or it resists.
If it submits, features of the Savior begin to emerge from our life. If it submits long enough, the Savior himself emerges. If, however, it resists, and continues to resist, there will come a day when God will let the stone be stone.”
“Lorenzo Dominguez once summarized the dilemma and unpredictability of [artists] working with stone. He said, 'The stone wants to be stone; the artist wants it to be art.'
The same dilemma exists for those of us who are the work of God's hands. In an attempt to free the image of Christ that's within us, God begins chipping away everything that isn't Jesus. The stone of our lives either submits to the chipping or it resists.
If it submits, features of the Savior begin to emerge from our life. If it submits long enough, the Savior himself emerges. If, however, it resists, and continues to resist, there will come a day when God will let the stone be stone.”
HOW DOES HE DO THIS?
CALLED -- He calls us to himself
JUSTIFIED -- He makes us right with himself
GLORIFIED -- He gives us life and purpose in himself
JUSTIFIED -- He makes us right with himself
GLORIFIED -- He gives us life and purpose in himself
OUR CHALLENGE... ‘all things’ ⇒ ‘God works’
• Practice the pathway of gratefulness and worship.
• Fill your heart with the truth of God’s purposes for you.
• Pay more attention to what is happening in you than what is happening to you.
• Don’t be passive in exercising faith and trusting in God’s help.
• Let the harder times build character, grit, and maturity in you
• Practice the pathway of gratefulness and worship.
• Fill your heart with the truth of God’s purposes for you.
• Pay more attention to what is happening in you than what is happening to you.
• Don’t be passive in exercising faith and trusting in God’s help.
• Let the harder times build character, grit, and maturity in you