Gripped by the Gospel
“GRIPPED BY THE GOSPEL.”
Rev. Robert T. Woodyard
First Christian Reformed Church
July 12, 2026, 10:30 AM
Scripture Texts: Romans 1:1-4, 15-17; 16:25-27
Introduction.
Four years ago when we started this journey into Paul’s letter to the church in Rome, I shared how daunting it seemed to me. Romans is called the Mt. Everest of the books in the Bible and preaching it seemed to me like climbing Mt. Everest. I shared that I waited forty years to preach this great letter.
Over these past four years I have come across several pastors who waited long into their ministries to preach Romans. Paul himself preached the Gospel twenty years before writing this masterpiece of a summary of the Gospel.
Even though we are coming to the end of our sermon series on this book, may we never come to the end of our reading of this letter and of our being influenced by it. I urge you to read it again and again.
This morning I want to conclude with a strong urgent plea to read the book of Romans. You can read it in about an hour and a half. Or listen to it on your phone. My friend Tim Bayly listened to the audio version while mowing his yard every week for a couple of years before preaching it.