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In Romans 9, the Apostle Paul wrote about his desire for his family—his fellow Israelites—to be saved from an eternity of paying the just penalty for their sin. But they were missing the key component—Jesus, The Messiah who ends all self-righteous pursuits by offering His righteousness as a gift.

This is important to understand as we work our way through Romans 9, 10, and 11 as Paul deals directly with the past, present, and future of his family—the Jewish people. He loves his own people enough to be willing to be cursed if that meant they could be saved. And while Paul acknowledges their zeal and enthusiasm to honor God, it won't bring about righteousness by following the law.

That’s because everyone has sinned and has fallen short of God’s holy standard. Everyone—whether Jew or Gentile—needs salvation. The only source of salvation offered to all of humanity is found in a flawless, sinless, substitutionary sacrifice who can take our place—Jesus, The Messiah.

Watch our study from Romans 9:6-13 as we discovered the importance of receiving Jesus and whom God has chosen to give His great gift of salvation.

Join us for worship this Sunday at 10am!

We look forward to worshiping with you this Sunday.

Sunday Morning Prayer

9:15-9:45am, Upper Room (2nd Floor)

Gather for a time of prayer before our service on Sunday in the Upper Room (2nd floor). Come pray for Pastor Dom, the service, our church family, our city and other pastors in this city, leaders of our country, and the persecuted Church.

Bring your children! This is where they can learn how to pray with the body.

Jr. & Sr. High Youth Group

TONIGHT (11/2) 6:30-8:00pm

We’ll meet this evening 6:30-8:00pm at the church. Come with your Bible, notebook, and having read/studied James 2:1-13.

Also a reminder to parents to please be as prompt as possible with pick-up when our study ends at 8:00pm. Thank you!

Stay Connected! Visit refuge.mn/youth for a calendar of events & info about how to join our messaging group in the Refuge app.

Free Bible Study Resources

Our ministry is very simple ministry. Every Sunday morning, we go through the Bible chapter by chapter, and verse by verse. We pick up where we left off from the week before.

We work though the word this way so that you can study ahead. It gives you an opportunity to read and study the portion during the week that we’ll be going though on a Sunday. Then on Sundays, you’ll get that much more out of our time together.

We encourage everyone to have some sort of intentional effort to read through the entirety of the scriptures on your own (Three and One is a great way to do this).

Read through the Bible. Talk to Jesus before (and after) you study. Look at what the text says, consider what it means, and find ways to apply what you’ve read to your life. Ask God to help you walk it out by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Then join us on Sundays to study a small portion of the Scriptures.

Check out our Bible study resource page with links to some wonderful Bible teachers, free online resources to help study, and a short & simple break-down of the inductive Bible study method.

Be Encouraged

“As it is written, “Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated.””
– Romans 9:13

In Romans 9:13, Paul quotes a verse from Malachi as an illustration of the futility of working for God’s favor rather than simply receiving God’s favor. You might have an intense difficultly with what God says—“Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated.” But if we were to think through this statement in light of all that we have gone through in Romans so far—in light of the holiness of God and His standard of absolute perfection—our difficulty would not be with the fact that God said, “Esau I have hated,” but rather with the fact that God said, “Jacob I have loved.”

The gift of God’s favor has nothing to do with earning or deserving. It has everything to do with God’s merciful choice. Since we cannot merit God’s love and since we have all fallen short of God’s holy standard, it should be logical that God would be in opposition to Esau. It seems entirely illogical that God would love Jacob…that God would love us. But that is God’s merciful choice! He mercifully chooses and calls those who don’t deserve His favor.

Now, you might be wondering if God has chosen you. It’s a good question, but one that shouldn’t lead you to analysis paralysis. Simply choose Him—and you’ll find out that He has chosen you! God sovereignly saves by election, choosing according to foreknowledge from before the very foundations of the world. AND we have the free will—invitation and responsibility—to choose Him. He gives salvation as a free gift to whosoever will come to Him, believing and receiving by faith what His one and only Son has done.

Have you chosen God? Have you accepted the free gift of salvation that’s offered through Jesus? Today is the day of salvation—simply confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead. The Bible says that if you do this, you will be saved (Romans 10:9). Ask God for forgiveness. Believe that Jesus died for your sin and that God raised Him to life. Trust Him as your Savior and follow Him as the Lord of your life.