• Read Romans 1:1-15

    In these first 15 verses, we see a lot of information that is essential to understanding the rest of Romans. We see that it is a letter written by Paul, who was one of the first Christian missionaries. We see that it is written to believers of Jesus in Rome, and Paul outlines the essential beliefs about Jesus that he will be teaching in the rest of his letter (verses 1-6).

    Finally, in verses 8-15, Paul expresses his desire to visit the Roman church. He says that he continually prays for them and desires to see them. He specifically mentions desiring to be with them in person so that he can build them up with his gifts and they can build him up with their gifts.

    • What do you think of the essential beliefs about Jesus that Paul outlines in verses 1 through 6?

    • How often do you pray for other people?

    • Who are the people in your life who are built up by your gifts and building you up with their gifts?

  • Read Romans 1:16-32

    In verses 16 and 17, Paul transitions from his introduction to his first criticism in the letter. He says that he is unashamed of the gospel of Jesus (the motive for this letter). He clearly states what the Gospel is: the righteousness of God given through faith to everyone who believes.

    He then addresses the fact that many of the Romans are openly disregarding this invitation to righteousness and seeking their own desires. What Paul describes is that they have turned further and further from God, and sin in their life has become greater and greater. He finishes this chapter by listing a few of the sins that have come to be characteristics of their lives as they have rejected God.

    • In what places, groups, or settings are you tempted to be ashamed of the gospel?

    • Have you noticed a correlation between turning from God and an increase in sin in your own life? Do they often happen at the same time as Paul describes here?

    • Of the sins listed in verses 29 through 31, which ones do you struggle with the most?

  • Read Romans 2:1-11

    In the beginning of chapter 2, Paul teaches the basics of 2 ideas that we will see throughout the book. The first idea is that rebellion against God leads to death in eternity. Being holy and perfect and just, God has no choice but to punish sin. Later in this letter, Paul teaches that Jesus has taken the punishment for our sin if we choose to accept it, but for now, he chooses to emphasize that we are all guilty of sinning against a holy God and deserve to be punished.

    The second idea is that rebellion against God leads to death here on earth. Paul doesn’t limit the consequences of our sin to eternity. In the same way that our sin causes an eternal separation from God, it also separates us from God now, and that separation leads to suffering here on earth.

    • Based on your life, the good and the bad, do you deserve punishment or reward from God?

    • What amount of sin against a holy God makes someone deserve punishment?

    • What ways have you seen your sin lead to suffering here on earth?

  • Read Romans 2:12-29

    To best understand this passage, it’s important to know who Paul was writing to. Romans was written to the believers of Jesus in Rome. This group often put their pride and faith in who they were rather than what Jesus did on the cross. They boasted in things like their nationality, their circumcision, or their knowledge of the law - not the gospel that Paul has been pointing to in these first two chapters.

    Knowing this, it’s easy to understand Paul’s teaching. He is saying that none of those outward signs mean anything without an inward change. Someone can be Jewish by nationality but not accept Jesus as their savior. Someone can be circumcised but put their faith in their actions instead of Jesus. Someone can know the law and still break it. Paul says that trusting in Jesus changes us from the inside out, and that is true salvation. Paul will teach more of what that looks like as we continue reading.

    • What things are you tempted to boast in? What actions or characteristics make you feel “good enough” without Jesus?

    • What is one way that you can practice humility and putting your faith in Jesus’ forgiveness rather than your own righteousness? (Examples: confessing sin, asking for accountability, asking for someone older and wiser to mentor you)

  • Read Romans 3:1-8

    In the first 8 verses of chapter 3, Paul sets up his teaching for the next couple of chapters. He does this by presenting two opposing thoughts, appearing to argue with himself, and it can be confusing! Paul’s first argument is specific to the Jews, God’s chosen people. The objection is that if being God’s chosen people isn’t enough to save them (as we read in chapter 2), then is God’s action of choosing them pointless? Paul answers this objection with a strong no. He says that if nothing else, God’s chosen people were the ones who carried the story of who God is throughout the Old Testament, and their rebellion created an opportunity for God to show His grace.

    In the second half of these verses Paul answers a second objection that is like the first one. We will see this objection repeated throughout Romans. It is that if our sin is an opportunity for God to show us grace, how can we be punished for it? For now, Paul gives a short answer to this question. He says that God, as our creator, has the right to both use our sin for his glory and judge us for it. There will be more on this idea later.

    • Was today’s reading difficult for you to understand? Don’t feel alone. These verses are tough!

    • What did you think about the objections in today’s reading?

    • What did you think about Paul’s answers?

  • Read Romans 3:9-20

    In today’s reading, Paul addresses the sinfulness of man. If you remember some of our earlier reading, this is an idea that Paul hinted at specifically in day 3 and occasionally in other passages. What might be the most interesting thing about this passage is that it is written to the Roman church - Roman Christians! All of these claims about sinful nature are being made about people who are trying to follow Jesus.

    The NLT says it this way: “No one is righteous— not even one. No one is truly wise; no one is seeking God” (verses 10-11). All of this is being said about Christians. The point Paul is making is that all of us are sinful and evil apart from God’s work in our lives.

    • If God’s standard is perfection, what amount of sin against God makes someone deserve punishment?

    • Considering that we have all sinned, do you deserve punishment or reward from God?

    • Is it hard for you to see yourself as evil and broken, in need of a savior? Don’t worry! The letter isn’t over yet. Good news is on the way!

  • Read Romans 3:21-31

    Today, we finally see some good news! Paul says that despite our sinfulness, God has made a way for us to come to him. Since we cannot be righteous, Jesus came and lived a righteous life for us. Then, even though Jesus did not deserve death as a punishment for sin (since he hadn’t sinned), he was crucified. Jesus took the punishment that we deserve. Finally, he rose from the dead, defeating the power of sin forever!

    All we have to do to have relationship with God, is accept Jesus’ death as a payment for our sin. We don’t have to meet a certain standard or live perfect lives. The invitation of the Gospel is not to impress God with our actions but to respond to the action that God has taken on our behalf. When we respond to this gift of grace and salvation, it changes us. It’s no longer about keeping rules; a heart that is changed by the gospel desires to look like Jesus.

    • Have you accepted Jesus’ death on the cross as a payment for your sin?

    • Do you try to impress God with your actions?

    • Pray that God would make the desire of your heart to look like Jesus - not to impress Him or other people.

  • Read Romans 4:1-12

    Paul begins chapter 4 by using Abraham as an example of how we are justified by our faith and not our works. We see that even in the Old Testament this was the case. Our actions of faithfulness to God are simply the result of our faith in Him. True faith in God produces obedience to his commands. However, we are not justified by our obedience but by the faith that inspires it.

    • Do you obey God’s commands?

    • If not, could it be that you have more faith in other things than you do in God? Faith in what you think is best, faith in other people’s approval, or faith in something else?

    • If so, are you obeying God’s commands because of your faith in Him or for some other reason? To maintain you image as a good person, to please others, or for some other reason?

  • Read Romans 4:13-25

    In the second half of chapter 4, Paul teaches us two main ideas. First, in verses 13 through 15, Paul says that every blessing in life is a gracious gift from God. He says that we can’t earn God’s blessing by completing a to-do list. If that were the case, God’s blessing would be more like a contract than a gift. It would depend on our obedience, not God’s grace! This does not contradict the idea that living in sin leads to suffering, and living in obedience leads to contentment in Jesus! It simply means that we cannot earn God’s favor. Even contentment in Jesus through obedience is a gift that God has invited us into through Jesus’ death and resurrection.

    The other idea that Paul teaches here is that because our hope is in God’s faithfulness, not our own, our faith should not waiver based on our circumstances. Paul uses Abraham as an example again. Even though Abraham faced many trials and endured much suffering, his faith in God remained. He knew that the challenges in his life did not change God’s character. The same should be true of us! God always desires to use the challenges in our lives to draw us closer to him - not push us away.

    • Have you ever tried to bargain with God? It looks something like this…” God, if you give me a good grade, or if you show me my future spouse, or if you just _____, then I’ll pray more or tell more people about you or _______.” How does this compare to what we read today?

    • Do you trust God’s faithfulness even when life is difficult?

  • Read Romans 5:1-11

    Paul’s begins chapter 5 by stating that faith in Jesus’ death as a payment for our sin puts us at peace with God. He says that we have been justified. That word justified means that we are made righteous in the eyes of God - that he no longer counts our sins against us. You can think about it this way: because I’ve been justified through Christ, the way God sees me is “just if I’d” never sinned. Then he shares two effects of this justification in the following verses.

    First, he says that this hope gives us the ability to rejoice in trials. We know that God has meet our greatest need, so we can trust that he’s in control as smaller problems come up. He also says that this hope allows us to rejoice in our weakness! God loved us when we were at our absolute worst with nothing to offer him. Knowing that, we can begin looking at our weaknesses as an opportunity for God to show his power!

    • Do you struggle to believe that God can love you because of how messy your life has been? If so, pray that God would help you to see yourself as he does - justified. Just as if you’d never sinned at all.

    • In difficult times, do you trust that God is in control?

    • Do you see your weaknesses as an opportunity for God to show his power?

  • Romans 5:12-21

    Today’s reading is a little bit confusing! I’d encourage you to read it in the Message translation to help you better understand it.

    Paul is teaching a fundamental idea of the Christian faith in these verses. The whole passage is summed up in verses 18 and 19. Simply put, he is teaching that because of the sin of Adam, we are all born into sin. It is a part of our nature, and this separates us from God. However, because of Jesus, we have an invitation back into relationship with God. It is through that relationship that we can be made new (2 Corinthians 5:17), and we can have a new nature that loves God more than we love sin.

    • Has there ever been a time that sin felt more like who you were than just something you did?

    • In your relationship with Jesus, has God lessened the appeal of a certain sin and given you a greater love for Him? Take a moment to thank Him for that.

    • What do you think about the idea that believing in Jesus’s death and resurrection as a payment for your sin not only changes what you believe, but that it changes who you are?

  • Read Romans 6:1-14

    These first 14 verses of Romans 6 are so powerful! Paul teaches that the gospel not only sets us free from the consequences of sin, but it sets us free from the control of sin! He says that we’ve been invited into new life - life God’s way! We no longer have to give into our own selfish desires because we would rather fulfill the desires of the one who saved us!

    This mindset opposes a common idea that was being incorrectly taught at that time. The false teaching was that God’s grace gives us the permission to sin and not be punished for it. Although God’s grace does forgive us of our sins, it does not encourage us to keep sinning. Rather, God’s grace changes our hearts to see life His way as the best way, and life His way is a life without sin! When our hearts have been changed by God’s grace, we no longer have to give into our own selfish desires because we would rather fulfill the desires of the one who saved us!

    • Take a moment to thank God for freeing you from the consequences of your sin.

    • In what ways has God set you free from the control of sin? What sins, addictions, or habits has he set you free from?

    • In what areas are you tempted to believe the lie that God’s grace gives you permission to continue sinning? Pray that God would change your heart to love Him more than you love your earthly desires.

  • Read Romans 6:15-23

    To conclude chapter 6, Paul uses the ideas of slavery and freedom to show the benefits of living life God’s way. He begins by saying that everyone is either a slave to sin or a slave to righteousness, and because of that, everyone is either free from the law or free from sin. He says that we simply have to choose which freedom we want. Our pursuit of sin is often motivated by a desire to be free from “the rules.” We want to do what we want to do! The problem is that freedom from the rules makes us a slave to sin. Paul says that we are slaves to what we obey. If we obey our sinful desires, we become addicted to them, and we lose the freedom to not do them. The same is true of obeying God’s law. If we live in obedience to God’s law, we become free from sin, but then we are stuck with “the rules.

    Paul concludes this chapter by saying that we should decide which freedom to pursue based on the outcome it produces in our lives. He says that being a slave to sin leads to death, but being a slave to God leads to eternal life (verse 23). What Paul is saying is that true freedom is found in “the rules.”

    • Have you ever felt controlled by sin?

    • Have you ever felt controlled by God’s rules?

    • Do you agree with Paul’s statement that living in sin leads to death and living God’s way leads to life?

  • Read Romans 7:1-6

    These verses are a bit confusing, but they are beautiful when we understand them! Paul says that when we believe in Jesus, we die to the law. All this means is that our devotion is no longer to keeping a set of rules; our devotion is to loving and following Jesus. Our love for Jesus is the source of good works in our life - not our obedience to the law.

    • In your life, do you feel more pressure to follow the rules or more excitement to follow Jesus?

    • Why do you do what is right? Out of your love for Jesus or out of your desire to look and feel like a good person?

  • Read Romans 7:7-25

    We read yesterday that we die to the law when we put our faith in Jesus; if that is the case, then is the law evil? Paul answers that question in today’s reading. He says that the law itself is perfectly good and not evil at all. The law simply shows the evil of sin in our lives. Here’s an analogy that might be helpful: driving 100 mph is dangerous. Having speed limits is a good thing that simply reminds us of the dangers of speeding. In the same way, God’s law is a good thing that simply remind us of the dangers of sin.

    Another major idea Paul demonstrates in this passage is how the Spirit of God in us is at war with the sinfulness of our flesh and the world around us. We will see more about this in chapter 8, but for now, just know this: if there are times where God’s word and work in your life seem impossible because of the brokenness of this world, you are not alone! Paul talks about his inability to perfectly follow God’s law even though that is his desire. He talks here about his actions, but we will see later that this is a much bigger idea than just our own sinfulness. Our hearts were made for life God’s way, and living in a broken world makes our hearts long for the day that God will make all things right.

    • How have you seen God’s law show you sin in your life?

    • Do you ever feel like Paul in these verses? As if you are almost unable to do the good that you want to do because of the sin that is in you?

  • Read Romans 8:1-11

    Chapter 8 begins by tying together two ideas that Paul introduced back in chapter 6. He says that when we accept the gospel, God’s spirit lives inside of us, and this is bad news for sin! Paul says that the gospel frees us from the condemnation and control of sin. Being free from condemnation means that God no longer holds our sin against us. Even though there will be consequences of our sin here on earth, our eternal punishment for sin (that we’ve seen over and over that we all deserve) is forgiven! The gospel frees us from eternal condemnation! It also frees us from the control of sin here on earth. As we’ve seen over the past few days, we are all born as a slave to sin. We are controlled by it! Paul says that God’s spirit inside of us has the power to free us from that! His spirit in us is much more capable of living in obedience to God than we ever were without it!

    • Do you trust that Jesus’ death and resurrection has freed you from condemnation and eternal separation from God?

    • How have you experienced God’s spirit helping you live in obedience to Him?

    • How can you be more dependent on His spirit in your day-to-day life?

  • Read Romans 8:12-17

    In verses 12 through 17, Paul talks about our new identity as sons and daughters of God. Since Jesus has paid for our sins, we can be a part of the family of God! By becoming a part of the family, some things change. Two that Paul mentions specifically are that our life is now led by God’s spirit and that we have an eternal inheritance. First, Paul talks about releasing our control of our lives so God can take control. It’s almost as if we are getting out of the driver’s seat and asking the Holy Spirit to take us wherever He wants to go. This can be scary! Paul mentions this as he talks about our inheritance. Our inheritance in this life will likely include some challenges and suffering. However, if we inherit suffering here on earth because Jesus suffered on earth, we will inherit an eternal reward in heaven just as Jesus has gone back to be in the presence of God! Temporary pain in exchange for eternal pleasure - what a great trade!

    • Do you see yourself as a son or daughter of God?

    • In what areas of your life do you struggle to let God get in the driver’s seat?

    • Do you feel like the inheritance promised here is fair? Is it better or worse than what you feel like you deserve?

  • Read Romans 8:18-30

    In the middle of chapter 8, Paul talks about suffering here on earth and our future promise of heaven. He says that our suffering here cannot compare to the eternal joy we will have in heaven. He says that this should be an encouragement during times of suffering in our lives. He does not say, however, that the hope of heaven makes suffering in this life easy. He says that all of creation waits for Jesus’ return where things will be restored. He also says that in our sufferings here, there is an opportunity for God to show his power in our weakness. He says that in suffering, we are forced to be more dependent on God, and those are the moments that we become more like Jesus. Paul even says that all things, good or bad, work out for the good of those who love God! Even in suffering, we’re invited to be more like Jesus - which is the best thing for us!

    • How does it make you feel that Paul promises that our joy in heaven will far exceed any suffering we experience on earth?

    • Have you ever felt a deep grief for the brokenness of the world and a desire for things to be made right?

    • How has God used suffering in your life to make you more like Jesus?

  • Read Romans 8:31-39

    Paul concludes Romans 8 with what feels a little bit like a victory lap. After talking about our new life in Jesus, Paul takes a few verses to celebrate the confidence we have in Jesus. He says things like “we are more than conquerors” and “nothing will be able to separate us from the love of God.” The simple idea of these few verses is that we don’t have to fear anything in this life. God has defeated sin and death and promised us an eternity with Him if we put our faith in Jesus. This is the hope we cling to.

    • What things make you feel most separated from God? Do you believe God’s promise that nothing can separate you from his love?

    • Take 60 seconds to thank God for sending Jesus and saving you from your sin.

  • Read Romans 9:1-33

    In Romans 9, Paul acknowledges that God’s sovereignty can be hard for us to understand. In previous chapters, he’s talked about the comfort that we can find in knowing that God is in control, but in this chapter, he addresses the questions that it can create. Has anything ever happened in your life that made you question why God would let that happen? For most of us, the answer is yes! What Paul is saying here is that it is normal to have those moments. He says that our response is what is important! He highlights two types of responses. First, we have the option to question God’s goodness. When God does things that we disagree with, it’s easy to assume He’s done something wrong! The other option, though, is to trust that He is doing what is best and ask Him to help us understand. This is the correct response because it acknowledges that there is a lack of understanding in us and not a lack of goodness in God.

    • When you don’t understand why things happen in your life, do you assume there’s a lack of God’s goodness or a lack of your understanding?

  • Read Romans 10:1-21

    Paul teaches again today that salvation is only made possible to us through God’s grace. He says that we call out to God, and God does the rest! God forgives us of our sins in the past and works in our hearts to help us be free from sin’s control in the present and future. It is all God working in us!

    Paul also addresses a false teaching that was common at that time. The Jews had always been God’s chosen people, but when Jesus came, he invited Jews and Gentiles (non-Jews) into relationship with Him. For people who had been taught their whole life that their ethnicity gave them a better standing with God, this was hard to understand. It was different than all they had ever been taught. However, it was true! The good news of the gospel is that Jesus came for us all! The Jew and the Gentile, the broken and put together, the rich and the poor - all of us.

    • What things in your life do you need to surrender to God’s control? What have you been trying to make right that you need to surrender to God?

    • If you’ve ever felt like you were too messed up for God, how does it make you feel that Jesus came for all of us?

  • Read Romans 11:1-10

    The beginning of chapter 11 is a continuation of what we read in chapter 10 yesterday. Paul begins this section by asking if God is not faithful because he turned his back on His people, the Jews. Paul’s response is a strong no! He says that the Jews were the ones who turned their backs on God. Paul says that many of the Jews turned from God, but some accepted this new gospel of grace in Jesus. The Jews that continued to trust their family background or their own works for salvation removed themselves from God’s family by ignoring the new law of grace - not works - that we read about in chapter 8. God has been far more gracious and faithful to all of us than we deserve!

    • Throughout the entire Bible, we see that God has been gracious and faithful since the beginning of time. How have you seen God’s grace in your life? How have you seen His faithfulness?

  • Read Romans 11:11-24

    In the middle of Romans 11, Paul highlights how God can use things that confuse us for his glory. He says that the Jews rejecting Jesus and this new gospel opened the door for Gentiles to come into the family of God. He used the hardened heart of the Jews to soften the hearts of the Gentiles.

    Paul then warns us against taking credit for what God is doing. We tend to take credit when things go well! Paul says here, though, that every good thing in our life is made possible by God. It is a privilege that we get to benefit from the good things in life because we do nothing to bring them about!

    • Has God ever used a hardship in someone else’s life to inspire you or bring you closer to Him?

    • Are you ever tempted to take credit for things that are going well in your life?

  • Read Romans 11:25-36

    Paul concludes chapter 11 by reassuring us that God is trustworthy. He explains that God has not shut the door on the Jews. Through Jesus, God shut the door of the law and opened the door of grace (a door that is much easier to enter). Paul says that the Jews were confused at the time of his writing because Jesus had just come and taught a plan for salvation that was contrary to what they had always believed. Paul assures the readers, though, that God has not excluded the Jews, they were just the most confused by this new way of salvation. Paul concludes the chapter by talking about the supremacy of God in verse 36 saying “from Him and through Him and to Him are all things.”

    • Like the Jews, in moments of confusion and not understanding, God is still inviting us to draw near to him. Do you usually draw near to God or separate yourself from Him when you don’t understand Him?

    • What are a few specific situations in your life in which you need to trust that God is in control?

  • Read Romans 12:1-2

    Paul presents a beautiful challenge to all believers in these two verses. He challenges us to be a living sacrifice for God. This simply means that we should surrender all that we are and all that we do (big and small) to God. It is through this surrender that we become more like Jesus. As we invite God to change us and surrender our actions and lives to Him, we become more like Him.

    Paul says that the greatest enemy of this process is the temptation to act like everyone else around us. The greatest enemy of being like Jesus is being like the world. Paul presents them here as opposites. We can’t do both! To live in obedience to God, we must put to death our sinful desires and habits.

    • What day-to-day activities do you need to invite God to be a part of in your life?

    • In what ways are you tempted to be more like the world than like Jesus? Who can you confess that to and ask to keep you accountable?

  • Read Romans 12:3-8

    Today, we see Paul giving practical instruction on how to be a living sacrifice. He says that we all find our meaning in Christ. Nothing that we can accomplish on our own is worth anything, but what God wants to do through us is a piece of an amazing story that He has been writing for thousands of years.

    So, the way we present ourselves as a living sacrifice is to be content to do our part and do it well. By surrendering to God’s purposes in our life, we become a part of something greater than anything we can do on our own. Our job is simple: whatever gifts God has given us, use those to the best of our ability to glorify Him.

    • How does it feel to be a part of God’s story?

    • What gifts has God given you to use for His glory?

  • Read Romans 12:9-21

    To finish up chapter 12, Paul lists some characteristics of the Christian life. He gives us examples of what we’ve been reading the past couple of days: being a living sacrifice and using our lives to glorify God.

    This list is to the point. It simply tells us a few examples of what should be a part of our lives and a few things that shouldn’t. Take a few minutes to read through this passage again. Go sentence by sentence and think about which of these areas you need to grow in.

    • Make a list of the areas you need to grow in.

    • Share this list with someone who can hold you accountable to grow in those areas.

  • Read Romans 13:1-7

    Paul begins chapter 13 by talking about how we should interact with people in authority in our lives. He talks most about people in government, but these principles can also be applied to any relationship in our life where someone has authority like parents, teachers, bosses, government, or even pastors. Paul’s main point is that we should do all we can to obey the people in authority in our lives. If it does not cause us to sin, we should prioritize living in obedience to authority. The main reason Paul gives for this is that God has put people in authority to keep order, and God’s people should live in that order because it reflects God’s character.

    • Who are the people in authority in your life?

    • How can you show them God’s character by seeking to be obedient?

  • Read Romans 13:8-14

    Paul talks about love in the first few verses of this section. He says that all sin against other people can be avoided by loving them instead. When we love others, we become committed to their best interests and keeping them safe. When we love others, we want what is best for them. This motivation keeps us from sinning against them. Paul concludes the chapter by encouraging urgency. He tells the readers not to waste time that they could be following Jesus. He says that we must flee from sin and pursue Jesus with urgency.

    • What are a couple of ways that you treat others that doesn’t show your love for them?

    • On a scale from 1-10, how urgently are you following Jesus?

    • What are a couple of things in your life that keep you from that urgency?

  • Read Romans 14:1-12

    Paul opens chapter 14 by confronting a problem that Christians have struggled with forever. Paul addresses our tendency to disagree over things that we have no business spending our time on. Paul says that we can spend so much time arguing over little things that we can forget that we agree on the biggest, most important things! Paul’s message here is to pursue unity together even when we disagree. Our goal should be to help each other become more like Jesus, and our goal should not be to prove that we are right.

    • Do you find yourself disagreeing with other Christians often?

    • Are you more concerned with helping others be more like Jesus or being right?

  • Read Romans 14:13-23

    At the time Paul wrote Romans, whether you could eat certain food was a big debate! It was debated kind of like alcohol, tattoos, and secular music are debated in our culture. There were people with some intense views on both sides of the debate. Paul uses this issue to teach us two ideas. First, we cannot judge others based on our convictions. While one person may feel that eating meat or getting a tattoo is sinful, another may not. So, judging one another for different opinions is harmful to our unity and love for each other. Paul says that putting these differences aside is made possible by the second idea. The second idea is that following Jesus is not about a bunch of rules. It’s about doing everything you do in faith.

    • How do you respond when you have different beliefs than someone else? With grace or with judgement?

    • What actions or thoughts in your life are motivated by something other than faith?

  • Read Romans 15:1-7

    In the beginning of chapter 15, Paul directs our attention to the way that Jesus used his life to serve others. He was willing to endure any inconvenience if it was best for those around him. Paul, in these verses, invites us to live the same way. If our goal is to be like Christ, we should desire to serve others. We should be willing - even excited - to endure inconveniences if they are for someone else’s good. Jesus was never concerned with his own comfort, only the needs of those who he came to serve. May we, as Jesus followers, live the same way.

    • How many things do you do each day motivated by what you want? When you wake up, what you wear, what you eat, how hard you work in class or work, how you spend your money, etc.

    • How many things do you do each day motivated by what others want and need?

    • Pray that God would give you a desire to sacrificially serve others.

  • Read Romans 15:8-13

    In today’s reading, Paul talks about the hope that we have in Jesus. He says that every person who has trusted in Jesus has the greatest hope in this life and in eternal life. Christians should be the most joyful, hopeful people! We know that God is more powerful than anything that we may fear.

    • Pray that God would fill you with hope.

  • Read Romans 15:14-21

    In these verses, Paul compliments the Romans on the ways that they are being obedient to Christ. He tells them not to take his blunt words in the letter as criticism but as a challenge. He seems to be saying that he has been blunt because he knows they can handle it.

    He also shares with them what God has been doing through his ministry. Paul says that God has been using him to take the message of Jesus to new places. He finishes with what seems like a challenge for the Romans to consider what ways they can push the gospel message forward.

    • How do you receive constructive criticism? Do you get defensive? Are you able to remain humble and teachable?

    • In what ways have you let God use you to take the gospel message forward?

    • Who are the people in your life that need the hope of the good news of Jesus?

  • Read Romans 15:22-33

    To wrap up chapter 15, Paul tells the Romans about his upcoming plans of ministry and asks for their support. He tells them where he’s been preaching and where he is going to preach. He knew that since they were mature in their faith, they would want to know about the ministry he had been doing, and he wanted to let them know how they could support him.

    • How often do you think about sharing the good news of Jesus as a daily part of your life?

    • What ministries do you care about and support?

  • Read Romans 16:1-27

    In chapter 16, Paul concludes with a few personal greetings and a final warning against false teachings. In the greetings, we see many specific people in Rome that Paul cares about, and we see many specific people with Paul doing ministry with Him. In his warning against false teachings, he encourages the Romans to remember the truth of the Gospel and not be confused by believing lies that contradict it.

    • Who are the people in your life right now that you are pouring into and sharing God’s love with?

    • Who are the Christians in your life who are on that mission with you?

    • What lies do you believe that contradict what God’s word teaches?