SUNDAY (LIVE) - September 13, 2026 | UNASHAMED: Romans 3:1-18 - Under Sin

Sep 13, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: When Mile 18 Exposes Our Shortcut Theology

The marathon’s mile 18 reveals the difference between excitement and endurance. God’s Word isn’t a magic potion guaranteeing smooth outcomes, but a steady flame that requires engagement. Like kindling stacked around a child’s soul, Scripture’s truth waits for the Spirit’s spark. It diagnoses our brokenness but demands obedience to heal. A Bible in the pocket only shields if its words shape the heart. [38:37]

“For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”
(Hebrews 4:12, ESV)

Reflection: Where have you treated Scripture like a lucky charm rather than a mirror? What pain are you avoiding that God’s Word might be revealing?

Day 2: Crooked Lines and the God Who Needs No Help

Joseph’s brothers sold him, but God didn’t need their sin to save nations. Divine sovereignty turns evil’s chaos into redemption’s canvas without requiring darkness to paint. Like a judge dismissing reckless drivers, God condemns sin while weaving grace through rebellion. Our worst choices become His tools, not His tutors. [53:59]

“As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.”
(Genesis 50:20, ESV)

Reflection: What past hurt still tempts you to believe God needed evil to shape you? How might His sufficiency rewrite that story?

Day 3: Throats Like Open Graves and the Fear We Chase

Potty talk and clenched fists flow from hearts fearing everything but God. When awe of Him fades, we deify comfort, reputation, or control. Like babies raging for midnight bottles, we scream at life’s delays. Yet the Shepherd’s table waits in the valley where shadows lose their teeth. [01:00:45]

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever!”
(Psalm 111:10, ESV)

Reflection: What midnight cry dominates your heart? How would fearing God rearrange that demand’s urgency?

Day 4: Stillness After the Rebuke and the Faith That Sleeps

Jesus slept not from indifference, but from perfect trust. Storms reveal whose voice we’ve internalized—the panic of perishing or the peace of “we’re crossing over.” Faith isn’t the absence of waves but the presence of the One who strolls their crests. Every “why are you afraid?” invites deeper knowing. [01:06:28]

“And he said to them, ‘Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?’ And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, ‘Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?’”
(Mark 4:40-41, ESV)

Reflection: What storm have you been narrating as abandonment? How would Jesus’ posture in your boat change the story?

Day 5: The Table Set Where Enemies Watch

Communion declares that what we fear most—rejection, lack, death—becomes bread for the journey. The Shepherd’s “no want” isn’t about full barns but full hearts. When awe of God centers us, even losses morph into feast preparations. The cup overflows not because storms cease, but because fear does. [01:10:22]

“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.”
(Psalm 23:5, ESV)

Reflection: What enemy-taunt silences your joy? How might this meal transform their jeers into mere background noise?

Sermon Summary

Paul answers the objection that God’s word somehow “didn’t work” because Israel received the Scriptures and still sinned. God’s word gave the Jews a gigantic advantage: wisdom, guardrails, and truth that stood thousands of years ahead of its time. Scripture, however, is not a magic potion, lucky charm, or Bible roulette game. God’s word works when people read it, receive its diagnosis, and obey the solution it gives.

Scripture functions like an MRI, CAT scan, or X-ray. The law exposes what is broken, but a diagnosis does not heal somebody who refuses the cure. God’s word cannot be blamed when a person hears it, ignores it, and keeps running toward destruction. The kindling of Scripture can remain in a person’s soul for years, until the Spirit lights it up in a hard and desperate season.

Paul also destroys the idea that good results justify bad actions. God may use a lie, a tragedy, or a crooked situation for his glory, but God does not require evil to accomplish his plan. The aseity of God means that God is totally self-sufficient and needs nothing outside himself to fulfill his purposes. Joseph’s brothers did real evil, even though God used their rebellion to save many lives. God can draw straight with crooked lines, but God does not need crooked lines.

Paul then lands the big point of Romans 1 through 3: Jews and Greeks alike are under sin. The repeated “all” and “none” leave no room for self-righteous exceptions. Humanity’s temperament, talk, walk, and history all testify that something is deeply broken. The open grave of the throat, the deceitful tongue, the swift feet, and the ruined path reveal a race that does not naturally seek God or peace.

Paul locates the root beneath all that fruit: “There is no fear of God before their eyes.” Every dominant fear reveals a rival god. Money, children, approval, pleasure, security, and reputation become cruel masters when they occupy the center. The fear of God, by contrast, is right thinking about God’s character, awe, power, and faithfulness.

Jesus exposes this contrast in the stormy boat. The disciples fear that they will perish and that Jesus does not care, while Jesus calls them back to faith in what they already know about him. Psalm 23 answers the restless wants beneath human fear: the Lord is the Shepherd, and those who drink deeply of God himself find every other fear put in its right spot.

Key Takeaways

1. God’s Word is not a charm Scripture is not protection because it sits in a pocket, appears on a shelf, or gets opened at random. Scripture exposes what is wrong and calls for actual repentance and obedience. God’s word becomes life-giving when its truth is trusted and applied, not merely possessed. [40:14]
2. God draws straight with crooked lines God is powerful enough to bring grace and good out of evil that he did not cause. Evil remains evil, even when God overrules it for his purposes. Human rebellion never earns credit for the good God brings from its wreckage. [54:22]
3. All humanity stands under sin Paul does not leave room for the morally impressive, religiously informed, or naturally sweet exception. Sin reaches temperament, speech, actions, and the human inability to make peace. The diagnosis is severe because the need for Christ is universal. [57:20]
4. Fear reveals the ruling god The thing most feared often exposes the thing most valued and protected. Money, approval, relationships, and children can become little gods when losing them becomes unbearable. The fear of God puts every lesser fear back in its proper place. [63:45]
5. Faith answers fear in the storm Jesus does not deny the reality of the storm, but he confronts the disciples’ conclusion that he does not care. Faith applies God’s proven character to the present terror. The Shepherd’s presence turns threats that seem destructive into occasions for deeper trust.

## [68:03]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[32:01] - Why Running “Didn’t Work”
[34:18] - Did God’s Word Fail?
[35:41] - The Advantage of God’s Word
[38:37] - Scripture Is Not a Magic Potion
[41:47] - Scripture as Diagnosis and Cure
[43:51] - Good Results Do Not Justify Evil
[49:44] - God Does Not Need Evil
[51:46] - Joseph and Crooked Lines
[55:08] - All Are Under Sin
[57:20] - Humanity’s Temperament, Talk, and Walk
[62:23] - The Root: No Fear of God
[65:11] - Jesus Calms the Storm
[68:03] - Faith Puts Fear in Its Place
[69:02] - The Lord Is the Shepherd

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Romans 3:1–18

Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the value of circumcision? [35:31]
Much in every way. To begin with, the Jews were entrusted with the oracles of God. [35:39]
What if some were unfaithful? Does their faithlessness nullify the faithfulness of God? [35:51]
By no means! Let God be true though every one were a liar, as it is written, “That you may be justified in your words, and prevail when you are judged.” [36:01]
But if our unrighteousness serves to show the righteousness of God, what shall we say? That God is unrighteous to inflict wrath on us? (I speak in a human way.) [43:59]
By no means! For then how could God judge the world? [44:16]
But if through my lie God’s truth abounds to his glory, why am I still being condemned as a sinner? [44:19]
And why not do evil that good may come?—as some people slanderously charge us with saying. Their condemnation is just. [44:29]
What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin, [55:15]
as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one;” [57:16]
“No one understands; no one seeks for God.” [57:20]
“All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.” [57:26]
“Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive.” [57:36]
“The venom of asps is under their lips.” [57:43]
“Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.” [57:47]
“Their feet are swift to shed blood;” [57:50]
“In their paths are ruin and misery, and the way of peace they have not known.” [57:50]
“There is no fear of God before their eyes.” [58:01]

Mark 4:35–41

On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” [01:05:21]
And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him. [01:05:30]
And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. [01:05:40]
But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” [01:05:49]
And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. [01:06:01]
He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” [01:06:13]
And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?” [01:06:21]

Psalm 23:1

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. [01:09:22]

Observation questions

According to Romans 3:1–4, what real advantage did Israel have, even though many Israelites were unfaithful? [36:27]
What words and body parts does Paul use in Romans 3:10–18 to describe the brokenness of humanity’s temperament, speech, and actions? [58:40]
What accusation do the disciples make against Jesus in the storm, and how does Jesus answer them? [01:06:53]
In Psalm 23:1, what does David connect with having the Lord as his Shepherd? [01:09:33]

Interpretation questions

Romans 3 says that Israel’s unfaithfulness does not cancel God’s faithfulness. How does this help someone distinguish between God’s Word failing and a person refusing to receive and obey it? [43:31]
Why does Paul reject the argument, “My sin produced something good, so why am I guilty?” What would happen in everyday life if good outcomes excused lies, compromise, or harmful choices? [54:22]
Romans 3:18 places “no fear of God” beneath humanity’s sinful words and actions. How can fear of money, approval, security, children, or reputation lead a person toward choices they know are wrong? [01:04:04]
In Mark 4, the storm was real, but the disciples also concluded that Jesus did not care. Why is remembering Jesus’ character different from pretending that painful circumstances are not serious? [01:08:09]

Application questions

Is there a way you have treated Scripture more like a lucky charm than a word to read, understand, trust, and obey? What could it look like to respond to one clear command or truth this week? [40:22]
God’s Word exposes what is broken like an X-ray or MRI, but a diagnosis must be followed by the cure. Is there an area where you already know what needs to change—perhaps your speech, habits, relationships, honesty, or thought life? What is one obedient next step? [41:47]
God can bring good from evil, but evil remains evil and never becomes an excuse for sin. Is there a temptation to excuse a wrong choice because it seems to bring a helpful result? What would honest repentance look like instead? [54:24]
Paul’s words leave no room for self-righteous exceptions: all are under sin. When do you find yourself comparing yourself favorably to others rather than admitting your own need for Jesus? [55:35]
What fear has been taking up the most space in your mind lately—finances, health, a relationship, your children, approval, failure, or something else? What might that fear reveal about what you are trying to protect or control? [01:03:05]
In a present “storm,” are you tempted to think, “Jesus does not care that I am perishing”? What truths about Jesus’ faithfulness, power, and presence do you need to bring into that fear this week? [01:07:03]
“The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.” What lesser want has been driving your anxiety or choices? How might trusting the Shepherd put that want in its proper place? [01:09:43]

Sermon Clips

38s

#GodCanRedeem

“Or to put it super simply, God can draw straight with crooked lines. And I'm so happy he does. But God doesn't require crooked lines. But God can draw straight with crooked lines. That's the good news about the power of God that he can take sin. He can take a mic warranty in his sinfulness and his stupidity, and he can use it for his glory. He is great enough to do that. But that doesn't give me an excuse to do evil. That doesn't give me an excuse to sin. Because Mike Warnkey, if you know his testimony, has gigantic star scars from that in his life. His life is a train wreck. Sin still had its effect on him.”

26s

#FearOfGodFirst

“If the fear of God is not the center, something else will. And fear of God is simple. It's right thinking about the character and nature of God. It's the awe and wonder of him. And when we have the fear of God, it puts every other fear in its right spot. But when we've lost the fear of God, something else will take its spot. That's what happens. And then you get this list right here.”

38s

#GodWorksThroughEvil

“It means god is great enough powerful enough to take evil that he's not does not cause and does not need and use it for his good. God could've made Joseph prime minister of Egypt through a wholly good way. He didn't need the 10 brothers sin to do that. God could've done it a million other ways, but God is able to do it despite a moral creature's rebellion, even through evil that he has not caused. That's what God is able to do.”

37s

#ScriptureDiagnoses

“Scripture, especially in this section when it refers to the law, the Torah, here's what it's saying. Scripture is like an MRI or a CAT scan or an X-ray that it exposes what's broken. It exposes what's wrong in me. New testament, then you get in the New Testament, it'll even give you a solution to it. But a diagnosis, does does an X-ray heal you? No. Does an MRI heal you? Nope. It just tells you you've got a problem.”

34s

#ReadObeyTransform

“Can I get mad at the doctor? That stupid doctor, man. I should've never gone to him. He didn't help me at all, man. And he cost me an arm and a leg. I should've just Googled and done AI. I didn't need a doctor. No. You'd say that's just stupid. You didn't follow the solution and the diagnosis. That's what's happening right here. That's what's happening. God's word is powerful, but it's not a magic potion. We have to read it and obey it. That's how it actually affects you.”

32s

#WhoIsYourGod

“Who would you sin for? That'll tell you. Tell me who my god is. Who'd you sleep with? Who would you right? Who would you do things you know you should not do, but you're gonna do it because you wanna you do not wanna leave them or lose them. Whose approval would you do anything to maintain? Who would you do drugs for? Even though you don't wanna do drugs, but you'll do them because, well, she's there or he's there. That's telling you about your real fear. You could look at verses 10 through 17 as, who would you sin for because you've got the wrong fear right now?”

52s

#WhereIsYourFaith

“What is Jesus' reply to these 12 disciples? Does he slap them and say, snap out of it? he say, the only fear we have to fear is fear itself? Nope. What does he say? Where's your faith? Where's your faith? That's what he says. Are you kidding? Haven't you been with me long enough now? Be a couple years. Haven't you watched me raise the dead? Haven't you seen me feed 5,000 people with a kids lunchable? Like, come on. Where's your faith? Have I ever broke a promise to you? Have I told you something that did not come to pass? Where's your faith? Why aren't you using it right now? Apply it.”

33s

#NoneRighteousNotOne

“That's been the point. Starting in Romans chapter one verse 18 and going all the way to here, it's been the point. The pagan, the self righteous, judgmental, graceless jerk, the law abider, the utilitarian, the good, the bad, the ugly, the lucky, the unlucky, the male, the female. Every person on in history, on in every city, on every continent is a sinner. That's his point.”

20s

#StackKindlingFaith

“But the bible's not some kind of magic thing that if you get your kids to read the Bible, then they're gonna turn out perfectly. That's not God's word. The way I look at God's word, especially with kids, is this. It's kindling. And as parents, our job is to stack kindling around the souls of our kids, and that's God's word.”

32s

#NoFearOfGod

“Why is world history that way? Why why do we gravitate to that kind of talk? Why is our temperament that way? I think maybe it's the last verse. It says, there is no fear of God That's the root the rest of the fruit. Everything else in there is just the fruit. Our going astray, none doing right, none, that violence, misery, it's all because there's no fear of God.”

40s

#StormsTestFaith

“You guys know this story. Jesus says, 12 disciples, let's get in the boat. Let's go across. We're going across this lake. Storm hits. He is asleep. They become afraid. And immediately, they believe this when their fear is this. We're going to die, and Jesus doesn't care about us. You ever felt like that in a storm? This is gonna kill me. This is gonna ruin me, and God must not care about me. That's the conclusion in the storm.”

50s

#HumanityIsBroken

“This is God and his evaluation of mankind. We get quotes from Psalm five, Psalm 10, Psalm 14, Psalm one forty, Psalm 36, Isaiah 59. Just say, biblical theology. Nine times all or none is used. It's universally, mankind is nasty. Verses 10 through 12 is our temperament. We are born this way. Like, the basis of all humanity is there's none righteous, no, not one. None does good. It's we inherited evil from our great great great great grandparents, Adam and Eve. It is the foundation of our life before Christ. We're evil.”

39s

#GodGetsTheGlory

“So the 10 brothers could then say, look what we did. Hallelujah us. If it wasn't for us, Joseph would have never been made prime minister, and we would all be dead right now. Look at how great we are. No way. There's still dirtbags that did evil, and all the glory has to go to god. Okay? God doesn't need that. God didn't need the 10 brothers doing their evil to accomplish his goal.”

37s

#IdolsRuleUs

“They always have a power over us. So if money is my god, then guess what? It'll rule me. And I'll compromise to make money. I'll do whatever is necessary to make sure that I make money because my god rules me. If fear of my kids going south and doing something silly or stupid, if if that's my god, look out. My kids are my god. If being cool and being accepted is my god, then look out. I mean, okay. I'm gonna do whatever I need to do to make sure that I'm cool and I stay in the cool click or right. Peer pressure, the most powerful force on earth. That's the problem.”

38s

#NotBibleRoulette

“I said, only way it's gonna help you is not by being in your chest pocket. It's if you're reading it and obeying what it says. That's the only way you're gonna be helped by it. But there's this idea that starts to grow around God's word that it's like a lucky charm somehow. And maybe you've done this before. I call it bible roulette. You're wanting a word from the Lord. So you just, like, open your Bible to a random passage, and you just put your finger down, and you read what it says. Ever done that? That's treating God's word like a magic formula, like some kind of lucky charm.”

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