The Big Problem: Our Position Before a Perfect God | Women and Faith | Stephanie Schwartz

Main message: Humanity was created in God's image for relationship with Him, but sin has shattered that relationship and placed us in a guilty, hopeless position before a holy God — we cannot fix this ourselves and must recognize our need for God's remedy (the gospel to be presented next time).

Key points:

• Humans are uniquely made in God's image (intellect, emotion, will) and were created for perfect relationship with Him.
• Adam and Eve's disobedience introduced guilt and a shattered image; sin (hamartia = "missing the mark") describes our failure to meet God's standard.
• Sin includes both doing wrong (commission) and failing to do right (omission); it causes separation from God because He is holy and cannot be in relation with sin.
• From God's perspective no one is righteous; human goodness cannot bridge the chasm — guilt is both a felt and legal position and the wages of sin is death.
• We have nothing in ourselves that can remove this guilt; the sermon calls listeners to admit their need and prepare to receive God's remedy (the gospel) in the next session.

Scriptures mentioned: Genesis 1, Genesis 2–3, Genesis 9, Exodus 20, Leviticus 11:44, Habakkuk 1:13, Isaiah 59:2, 1 John 1:8, Romans 3:10, Romans 3:23, Romans 5:10, Romans 6:23, James 2:10, Revelation 20