1. Does God Really Love Me When I've Done Bad Things?

With this sermon we kick off a brand new sermon series centered around one of the most common spiritual questions: Does God really love me, even when I've done bad things? Many people—Christians included—struggle with feelings of guilt, shame, or inadequacy that distort their view of God's love. Whether it's due to religious trauma, performance-based theology, or underdeveloped faith, these barriers can lead people to believe God only loves the "good" version of them. The pastor emphasizes the need to replace these unhealthy perspectives with the truth found in Scripture: God's love is unconditional and rooted in His character, not our behavior. Turning to Romans 5, the message unpacks the reality that God demonstrated His love for us while we were still sinners. Paul writes that even in our powerlessness, brokenness, and rebellion, Christ died for us. This isn't a hypothetical or symbolic gesture—it's a historical demonstration of divine love. The sermon uses this to challenge the belief that God's love is earned. Instead, love is poured out through grace, which we continually stand in as we walk with Jesus—even amid suffering, struggle, or failure. This grace-based relationship produces hope, character, and a deeper experience of God's love, regardless of past mistakes. To move forward in that love, we will discover practical steps rooted in Scripture: giving allegiance to Jesus, practicing godly repentance, and regularly confessing sin. Through these actions, believers are reminded of their secure standing in Christ—free from condemnation and alive in the Spirit.