What does shovelling dirt, excellence in asphalt, loading wheelbarrows, holding Stop-Go signs and cups of coffee have to do with boasting in Jesus Christ? Listen to this message from Ross and Casper to find out.

We come to the end of Romans and after the high peaks of doctrine, the work of the Gospel and our condition before God we have 48 verses of personal greetings and instructions. Ross likens this to a good coffee with the foamy introduction, full of anticipation, the longer flavoursome body and the remains in the bottom of the cup. Rom 15:14-32

Our attitude to these valedictory verses is that they don’t rank as highly as the rest of the epistle, but we find that there is gold to be discovered in the dregs. The scriptures are all God’s word and are profitable for teaching and correction unto righteousness. The value we get from the concluding verses is that it adds a human perspective to the message Paul is sharing and for that reason it makes the passage immediately useful and encouraging.

The reading is shared by Ross and Casper. Casper gives a powerful and encouraging message on why we should boast in the Lord Jesus and not in our own achievements. He explains where we find our true worth and meaning. If anyone is lacking self esteem and feeling of worth, then it is found in acknowledging the greatness and wisdom of God who loved us so much that he surrendered his Son’s life for our salvation. We are created in God’s image and we are so valuable in God’s sight that Christ was willing to die for our sake. When we affirm God’s true worth, we affirm God’s authority to declare us righteous in Christ. By boasting only in Christ then our position in Him is made even more sure.