All In

Steven Parker · August 30, 2026 · 43 min

There is a phrase that has echoed through church walls for generations, one that many believers have read, memorized, and perhaps quietly wrestled with. It comes from Romans 1:16, where the Apostle Paul declares that he is not ashamed of the gospel, describing it as the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes. Most of us nod along when we hear it. But if we are honest, many of us carry a quiet weight when we read those words, a nagging sense that we are somehow falling short. That weight deserves a closer look. Because the meaning behind the word "ashamed" in these passages may be something entirely different from what most of us have assumed.