On Mother's Day, we looked at Hannah and saw her connection to God. On this Father's Day we are looking at her husband Elkanah, and we will see how he shows love for his family in his words, through his works and this is a result of a life that is built on worshipping God.

After Paul has talked about the "good news" we have in the gospel (Rom. 1:1-17), he now turns his attention to the reason why we need to hear this "good news" and what we see in this section is a downward spiral. From the lofty heights of knowing the God of creation, we descended to worshiping the birds, beasts and bugs that he created, and worst still, we put ourselves in his place. This is sin and this is what we need to be saved from. The first step for everyone is to recognise the position they are in.

As we start a new series on the letter to the Romans, we see Paul giving his credentials to the church in Rome and stating why he is writing. He is a Servant, an Apostle, a Preacher and a Missionary of the Gospel, the Good News of Jesus. As we study this letter I pray that the Gospel would take root in our lives and then flow out to others.

Setting Aside is the spiritual principle that we apply to saving. When we set aside our finances it; relieves anxiety, empowers our calling, prepares us for life's storms, fights against instant gratification and fosters generosity.

In a world that wants us to find happiness by gaining more and more possessions, Jesus wants to speak to us about the importance of living simply. When we live simply we gain; contentment outside of our possessions, a new perspective on what our real needs are, we become free from debt so we can invest in God's kingdom and we learn to live by faith.