April 22 2026 

Good morning one and all  and be prepared to be gently challenged but ultimately at peace with everyone - providing that is if you take on board what Paul is saying to us today as we sail through Chapter 14 of his letter to the Romans. As it is Wednesday please let me remind and invite you to join our small housegroup from 09:30-11:00 and also to our Chill ‘n’ Chat coffee time at Centenary Baptist Church 12:30-2:30. You are more than welcome to join us at either or both venues. 

And so let us turn to  Paul’s message, Romans Chapter 14… (I apologise for the second week running if I disturbed your sleep by accidentally posting in the middle of the night!)

This passage is very close to my heart and is a huge tenet of my personal faith and how I view my fellow Christians (and this means you!!!) Paul tells us not to judge others, he uses the difference between vegetarians and omnivores (those who eat meat as well as veg). One person’s faith allows them to eat every food while another may consider some food to be ‘unclean’. Which point of view is correct, which is wrong? Where do you stand? What do you think of me, who eats meat and veg (except courgettes ) whichever side of the fence you are it isn’t right to condemn the other for God has accepted them equally. So that’s fairly easy isn’t it? Unite the vegetarian with the non-vegetarian, God loves us equally. Let’s ‘up the anti’ then - how about those who regard one day of the week more special than the others? Some of us regard Sunday as special and go to church (dare I say ‘religiously’?). Do we think that we are setting an example to those who only attend ‘Songs of Praise’ or are only to be seen at Friday ‘Praise & Prayer’ or even only come to church at Christmas? Of course you don’t pass judgement, although secretly we might sometimes do just that. It is my belief, which I hold very dear, that whatever we do and wherever we are and at whatever time we do it then if we are doing it in the name of the Lord then it is for God alone to judge, not us. We can hold an opinion though I feel that is just us trying to justify our own ‘shortcomings’.

‘If we live, we live to the Lord and if we die we die to the Lord, so whether we live or die we belong to the Lord’.

Please, please read this very short chapter, Let’s stop passing judgement on one another, let’s not put stumbling blocks in the way of another’s Christian journey. We should be looking out for our own stumbling blocks. Paul puts it much more succinctly than I can, I want to just quote the whole chapter here this morning, it really says it all. God is working in all of us, let us not destroy the work of God by imposing our own judgements and opinions over His. As someone famous (Jesus) once said “Love one another, as I have loved you” it will make the world a better place for us all. God bless you and please read this chapter, it won’t take more than 6 minutes and it may change your life - it has certainly changed mine - one day I hope to be able to tell you how. (teaser alert!)

I end as I began, have a great morning and I ask God to bless this day for you