Meet Bryce Nguyen

There is something about stories that speaks to our hearts wherever we are. Have you ever had this happen to you? Have you ever read a book, listened to someone tell a story, or watched a movie that reminded you of your own life in a profound way? I know I have.

Take The Lion King, for instance! You know the story: Mufasa is a great leader and king of the land where everything is in perfect order. Everyone in the kingdom has a role to play, and it's flourishing. But then there comes a huge conflict; Mufasa is no longer king, and the evil lion Scar lies and manipulates his way into power. Immediately he allows his subjects to do what is right in their own eyes, and the land quickly wastes away. Death, destruction, and suffering cover the land, leaving  no remnant of what it once was. When things could not get any worse, Simba (Mufasa’s son) comes to defeat Scar, bringing peace to the chaos that had consumed the kingdom. The animals now return to the land, and life goes back to the way it was supposed to be from the beginning.

What I love about this story is that it not only relates to me, but it relates to you. This is the story of humanity! At one time, everything was in order, and peace was all we knew. However, sin entered the world, causing death, destruction, and suffering. All of humanity began to do as it pleased, and it only made things worse. And when all life had to offer was death and destruction, Christ Jesus came to our rescue, bringing peace to our chaotic world. By believing in Him and His sacrifice, we relearn what it looks like to walk in right relation with God, just the way it was supposed to be in the beginning.

This is the story of humanity written out in the book of Romans. We can see the book of Romans in four sections: sin, salvation, sovereignty, and service. When we look at Romans, we see where we have come from and where we are going.