The pastor centers the message on Romans 14, emphasizing how Christians should treat one another when differences exist within the faith. He begins by pointing to Paul’s instruction: “Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations.” The pastor explains that believers are called to receive other believers, regardless of where they are in spiritual maturity, rather than pushing them away because they do not align perfectly in opinions or practices. He stresses an important distinction: there are foundational truths that cannot be compromised—especially salvation. A person must have personally trusted Christ, recognizing they are a sinner who needs a Savior, and yielding their life to Jesus Christ with understanding. But outside of core doctrine, Christians will inevitably differ, even among a pastoral staff that agrees on major teachings.

From this, the pastor addresses the problem of believers becoming divisive or dismissive toward other Christians. He highlights Romans 14:4: “Who art thou that judgest another man’s servant?” and explains that the believer being judged is not “your servant,” but God’s servant—and therefore, Christians do not have the right to be harsh, superior, or condemning toward how another believer serves the same Lord. He then clarifies what “judging” should and should not mean. He rejects the popular phrase, “Only God can judge me,” calling it spiritually dangerous when used as a shield against accountability. At the same time, he also rejects being judgmental—the kind of critical spirit that nitpicks preferences or outward matters. Instead, he defines proper judging as discernment: evaluating what is spiritually helpful or harmful. He illustrates this by explaining that although something may not be sinful for everyone, it may still not be beneficial for a specific person. In that sense, believers should learn to discern wisely without condemning others.

The pastor then moves into Romans 14:5—“Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind”—and frames it as a call to settled conviction. He warns Christians not to live off “borrowed opinions,” constantly adopting beliefs based on whichever voice they heard last. He teaches that Christians must be grounded in what they believe, not merely repeating what others believe. In particular, he cautions against placing faith in a pastor instead of in God. He shares a personal memory of being around twelve years old when his pastor moved away; afterward, the church attendance dropped dramatically because many people were following the man, not the Lord. He applies that lesson directly to his congregation: if something happened to him, the church must keep serving God, because a believer’s faith must stand on God’s truth, not on a personality. He links this lack of settled conviction to inconsistent church attendance and spiritual instability. If believers truly believed the realities of God’s Word—along with the urgency of life being short and tomorrow not being guaranteed—there would be a stronger, more consistent urgency to live for the Lord.

He then explains how believers become “fully persuaded”: through Scripture. He reinforces that what matters most is not a preacher’s opinion but the Bible itself, because God strengthens faith through His Word. This leads into Romans 14:6, which he describes as difficult language but a clear principle: motives matter. Whether a person regards a day, or eats or abstains, Paul’s point is that actions must be done unto the Lord—with God-centered purpose, not self-centered gain. The pastor applies this beyond religious practices and into everyday life and relationships. He stresses that believers should not treat people based purely on how they have been treated, because Scripture calls Christians to respond differently than the flesh would want. He also addresses the danger of giving, serving, or doing spiritual acts for selfish reasons—such as giving to get something back, manipulating relationships with gifts, or performing religious actions for personal advantage.

To emphasize this, he critiques “prosperity gospel” thinking, describing it as focused on the individual rather than on God. He illustrates how certain appeals pressure people to give money with promises of guaranteed wealth, highlighting that the motivation becomes personal profit rather than love for God. In contrast, the pastor teaches that God looks beyond the outward act and examines the heart behind it. A person can do religious actions, yet miss the point if the goal is self-exaltation or self-reward.

From there, he expands the application into how believers approach worship and daily life. If Sunday is truly “regarded unto the Lord,” then believers should come to church with intentional purpose. He challenges the congregation to consider promptness as an act of reverence—saying punctuality reflects worship because it communicates priority. He warns against casual attitudes that treat church lightly while treating work obligations seriously. He also insists that coming to church should involve spiritual hunger, not passive attendance, and that singing should be done with understanding: the songs are not for personal preference but for worshipping the Lord. He contrasts the idea of half-hearted participation with the mindset of someone truly hungry for what God has to give. He then broadens the principle beyond Sunday: every day belongs to God, including ordinary weekdays. Whether it is Thursday, Monday, or any other day, the believer should live with purpose because “this is the day the Lord hath made.” He ties this into working diligently—doing everything with full effort because the believer is ultimately serving God, not merely people.

The sermon’s core weight builds toward Romans 14:7—“For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself.”The pastor emphasizes that Christians are not meant to live as isolated islands. People were made for fellowship and community, and a life built on isolation leads to bitterness and misery. He connects this back to the earlier instruction about receiving believers: Christians must care for people because no one is truly self-sufficient. He illustrates the importance of differences within the church by describing how even staff members think and work differently, yet that diversity is necessary. He uses a vivid illustration of sharpening a knife: the sharpening rod is different from the knife in every way, but that difference is exactly what produces sharpness. In the same way, God places believers among people who are not like them—not simply to irritate them, but to remove dullness and bring growth. The pastor applies this to marriage as well, noting how spouses are often very different, and that difference is part of how God shapes and matures people.

Finally, he points to Romans 14:8–9, stressing identity and ownership: whether believers live or die, they belong to the Lord. That truth should reshape how Christians view work, money, family, and private life. The pastor teaches that believers do not ultimately work for a boss—they work for God. They should not treat a paycheck as self-made provision, but as something enabled by God’s strength and ability. They should not treat family as an inconvenience, but as a stewardship entrusted by the Lord. Even when alone, believers should “regard the Lord,” remembering that Christ bore the cross alone and kept people in His heart. He concludes that the Christian life must not treat God as an accessory, but as the defining purpose for living: loving God fully and loving others—especially those who differ—without condemnation, because those relationships may be part of God’s sharpening process.