Potters House Fellowship

06/03/2026

This week's prayer sheet:

06/03/2026

Women’s Bible Study tonight at 6!

“Teaching the Word changes lives eternally. For once the meaning of scripture has been revealed and discovered it cannot be denied. There is no substitute for expository teaching” - Harold Cox

Continuing Romans Chapter 1 verse 5-7.

05/31/2026

Thought you would like to see a photo of someone on our prayer sheet to help you pray for her. Karen Fuls is her mother and a friend of mine.

05/31/2026

CCLI-LIC. PHF Service. We are glad you are joining us today!

05/30/2026

Prayer Request:
Please pray that Scott Alcorn gets an appointment at Vanderbilt Medical Center as soon as possible for further cancer treatment. It appears that he has no further options in East TN. But that is no problem for our God! 🙏😁

05/28/2026

Women’s Bible Study through Romans

An exposition of Romans 1:2–4 …Which reveals the gospel is a message with a history centered on a specific Person, rather than human philosophy or humanism .

This is so important - the gospel is about a specific person- He must be defined in His Humanity and in His deity for a complete presentation of the gospel.

But In our verses today, Paul moves from introducing his own identity to providing a definition of the "gospel of God."

- Read the verses 2-4

Notice Paul reveals 4 things about the gospel.

- Its Pedigree - Promised beforehand in the Old Testament
- Its Person - Jesus Christ the Son
- His Humanity - born of Seed of David in the flesh
- His deithy - Son of God in power - by the resurrection.
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Now let’s look more closely:
1. The Pedigree of the Gospel (Verse 2)
"...which He promised beforehand through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures"

One of The problems religious people had with the gospel in the day it was given was - they thought it was a betrayal of Judaism. An erasing of the law.

The same problem would exist today if people were told they had to denounce or repent of worshiping other Gods and spirits. For the most part they will not. They will add Christ yet refuse to repent of counting on other false Gods including self.

But notice what Jesus said in Matthew 5:17.

Look at the clarity given to us in Hebrews 1:1 and 2.

If you recall The prophets spoke clearly of a New Covenant (Jeremiah 31:25 through 27, Ezekiel 36:25 through 27, Hebrews 8:6 through 13.)

And they spoke of the Messiah whose sacrifice would make the new covenant possible (Isiah 9:6-7, and Isaiah 53: one through 12. )

- *but the religious sect did not recognize Jesus as the person of the new covenant or its fulfillment.

And they missed the pedigree of the gospel.

{So Paul defends the gospel against accusations that it is a theological novelty or a betrayal of Judaism.
Declaring, It was promised by God. }

* Notice it’s Ancient Authority: The gospel was not a sudden "Plan B" conceived by the early Church. It was "promised beforehand" through centuries of prophetic writings.
*
* Notice the gospels Scriptural Continuity: By grounding his message directly in the Hebrew Bible (the "Holy Scriptures"), Paul argues that the New Covenant is the legitimate, long-anticipated climax of God’s covenant history, stretching from the first promise of rescue in Genesis 3:15 through the later prophets - to the present.

2. Now notice The Focus of the Gospel: A Divine Person (Verse 3a)

- Most often it’s not what you hear. Most often you hear a little Jesus and a lot about us.

But Paul said of the gospel… is
"...regarding His Son..."
Paul narrows the entire scope of the gospel down to a single subject. Jesus Christ Gods Son

* When Paul said, regarding Gods Son, Paul was declaring the gospel is Christocentric,
* {Jesus Center: The gospel is about a Person.}

* Consider 2nd Cor 5:21 as it steps into the work of God through Jesus….read it and broke it down for the ladies.
*
* So To share the gospel is to share the identity of Jesus. His humanity and His deity. - his work

~Note of interest - the Christocentric methodology when it comes to salvation has been changed over the years by religious leaders. Not knocking it.
It started when the alter call in the late 1700s and was systematically popularized in the 1820s and 1830s during the Second Great Awakening. - a little deeper explanation~

Before this period, the practice did not exist in the early church.

Instead, people moved by the Holy Spirit would simply tell a minister, I’m saved and desire to be baptized. If they weren’t sure what to do they would seek spiritual counsel outside of the worship service. Because the worship service was about discipleship. That was the original focus of pastors and the church in the early church. - discipleship. Salvations took place in spiritually organic manner most often outside of corporate fellowship. Pastors pastored people teaching the whole council of God and evangelist spread the gospel.

Story of Billy Graham and his later conclusions.

Continuing our text,
Big three 3. Third, notice The Paradoxical Nature of the Person (Verses 3b–4)
Paul employs a deliberate parallel structure to define the two natures of Jesus Christ—His absolute humanity and His absolute deity.

- in regard to His humanity and life on earth - Jesus is a descendant of David.

- In regard to His deity through the Spirit of holiness He is the Son of God in power.

- In regard to His flesh, (kata sarka) it represented His localized, temporal human existence which He had to take on for death.

- In regard to His deity - according to the -spirit of holiness, Kata pneuma hagiOsynes) represents His eternal spiritual realm.

- In regard to His flesh- the proof- He is of the seed of David. This fulfilled the legal and genetic requirements for the Messiah to hold royal blood sitting on Israel’s throne..

- In regard to His deity (The resurrection from the dead) did not make him Gods Son, but rather declared or vindicated him out loud as the son of God in absolute cosmic power.

4. Last in our text we have The Final Proclamation (Verse 4b)
"...Jesus Christ our Lord."

Paul culminates his definition by stringing together these four monumental titles:
“(Jesus Christ our Lord) 4 explain

* Jesus: His earthly name, highlighting His saving work as a man ("He will save His people from their sins").

* Christ: His official title (Messiah), meaning the "Anointed One."

* Our: His relational position, signifying that he belongs to the community of believers.

* Lord: His cosmic position - Kyrios- In the Roman Empire, saying "Jesus is Lord" was politically treasonous because the empire demanded that citizens declare "Caesar is Lord." Paul boldly announces that supreme sovereignty belongs to Christ alone.

Thoughts + Personal Application +
If the gospel is entirely about Jesus Christ, it reorients how we view Christian maturity:

Question: How do you evaluate your relationship with God? Looking at yourself or looking at Jesus Christ?

* The object of faith: True faith does not look inward at the strength of our own belief or even our lives, but outward at the historical reliability of Christ's being God the Son, His humanity, His deity, and His resurrection
*
* Remember His Resurrection Power: The same Spirit that physically raised Jesus from the dead is the agent of holiness living inside the believer today to overcome sin and assures salvation not because of what we have done but because of what He has done at Calvary to satisfy the wrath of God.

Next week verses 5-6

05/26/2026

Women! Join us for our second week into the comprehensive study of Romans. This week we will continue where we left off by diving in to chapter 1 verses 2, 3 and 4. Dinner provided at 6 pm with Bible study following. We try to wrap it up by 7:45. Grab a friend and join us for a blessing. We can’t wait to see you!

05/25/2026

05/24/2026

05/21/2026

Women's bible study notes from May 20th.

Thursday, May 21, 2026

Title: Exposition of Romans 1:1 for the Women’s Ministry at the Potters House (Wednesday May 20th)

Opening:
Paul, born 961 miles from Bethlehem in Tarsis (additional details given). Compared lives and purpose of Jesus and Paul with additional information regarding Paul from non canonized historical writings regarding; parents, trade, exposure to culture, and education.

An exposition of Romans 1:1 reveals the ultimate framework for Christian identity, divine authority, and the core purpose of biblical ministry.

The verse reads: "Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God".

Notice the Apostle Paul three-part structural definition of his life and ministry, balancing ultimate submission with divinely delegated authority.

So Paul had a three fold Identity. So lets look at that identity.
His first identity was:
One of Submission - a bondservant of Christ
Two of Authority - He was called as an Apostle
Three of Mission and Purpose - Set apart for the gospel.

1st lets look at Submission: "A Bondservant of Jesus Christ"
Paul begins not with his credentials, but with his absolute submission. The Greek word used here is doulos, which is more accurately translated as "slave" or "bondservant."

Notice Pauls Relinquished Autonomy: In the Greco-Roman world, a slave had no legal rights, no personal property, and no self-determined agenda. Paul declares that his life is entirely owned by another; he has been bought with a price.

And notice the Old Testament Prestige: Conversely, in the Hebrew tradition, "Servant of the Lord" (Ebed Yahweh) was a title of immense honor given only to foundational spiritual leaders like Moses, Joshua, and David. By claiming this title, Paul places himself in the line of God's faithful, covenant-carrying messengers.

2nd look at Pauls Authority: "Called to be an Apostle"
Immediately after humbling himself as a slave, Paul asserts his divine authority.

Notice Pauls Divine Initiative: Paul did not elect himself to this position, nor did he choose it as a career track. The word "called" highlights that his status was entirely initiated by God on the road to Damascus.

Next, notice Pauls Delegated Authority: An "apostle" (apostolos) is "one who is sent out" with the fully delegated authority of the sender.

When Paul spoke or wrote in his apostolic capacity, his words carried the same weight as Christ Himself.

This established the foundation for the church to accept the Book of Romans as the literal, authoritative Word of God rather than human philosophy. This is why his writings are canonized in the Bible. He had Devine Authority and he had Delegated Authority.

3rd look at Pauls Mission: "Separated to the Gospel of God"

Paul closes his self-description by narrowing down his exact life purpose.

The Ultimate Paradox: The Greek word for "separated" or "set apart" is, aphorizmenos which shares a linguistic root with "Pharisee."

-Before his conversion, Paul was a Pharisee, separated from Gentiles and sinners to keep the strict letter of the law. Now, Christ has revolutionized his life, separating him unto the global proclamation of grace.

Notice The Origin of the Message: The focus of his separation is the "gospel of God." the word "gospel" (euangelion) literally means "good news." - Such as the king is having a party for his son, for his wife and so on. It was an announcement, a herald, like the USA Today, New your Times headline.

Critically, Paul specifies that it is the gospel of God—God is the author, the architect, and the source of this news. It is not a human invention; it is a divine message of rescue promised across history.

To begin rapping up todays text wee need to look at the Personal Application

Romans 1:1 serves as a mirror for any believer looking to align their life with God's design. It challenges us to ask three foundational questions:

Am I living as a servant, yielding my personal rights and agenda to Jesus

Am I resting in my calling, trusting that God equips and authorizes me for what He asks?

Am I set apart, or is my life indistinguishable from the priorities of the culture around me?

Discussion:

Individuals were introduced to resources for study and online tools like blueletterbible.com and Legacybible online.

Questions about translations.
A "direct equivalent" translation relies on "formal equivalence" (word-for-word translation), prioritizing original Greek and Hebrew syntax over modern flow.

While no translation is strictly 100% word-for-word, the standard benchmark translations for direct accuracy include the New American Standard Bible (NASB), The King James (KJV), The New King James (NKJV) and the English Standard Version (ESV).

Understanding how direct equivalent (or formal) translations compare can help pinpoint your study needs: