Friday, November 16, 2012

Opening: When you were young, who caused you to change your behavior by their powerful influence?

Scripture: Read Romans 8:1-17.

Connect the Text with Your Life:

• Another Roman’s Road Scripture here: Romans 8:1. Memorize this verse today.  
• There are some that say that everyone in the world is a child of God. Is that what the Scripture says? Reread verse 14. Would you count yourself a member of His family? Why?  
• Αββα is an Aramaic word for “father.” In the Gemara (a Rabbinical commentary on the Mishna, the traditional teaching of the Jews), it is stated that slaves were forbidden to address the head of the family by this title. Αββα is the word framed by the lips of infants, and signifies unreasoning trust. Contemporary equivalents might be “Daddy” or “Papa.” How does it make you feel that you can call God “Papa?”

Prayer Focus: That we would have complete assurance through the Holy Spirit that we are children of God.

Thursday, November 15, 2012

Opening: What New Year’s resolution have you started with good intentions, only to have it fizzle out?

Scripture: Read Romans 7:7-25.

Connect the Text with Your Life:

• This passage is not confusing when you mentally imagine some life improvement you are trying to achieve: lose weight, stop smoking, be a more loving and generous person, etc.  
• In like of Paul’s own struggles, how does it make you feel about your own?  
• What is the struggle in your spiritual life right now?

Prayer Focus: That our answer to everything in life – good and bad – will always be Jesus Christ (see verse 25).

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Opening: Have you ever had a bad habit that you were eventually able to break? How did you do it? Did it take a long time or did you break “cold turkey?”

Scripture: Read Romans 7:1-6.

Connect the Text with Your Life:

• Another day talking about sin. Today, Paul uses a different metaphor: death. And this is a difficult passage. The basic thought of the passage is founded on the legal maxim that death cancels all contracts. He could still have put the thing quite simply. He could have said that we were married to the law; that the law was killed by the work of Christ; and that now we are free to be married to God. But, quite suddenly, he puts it the other way, and, in his suddenly changed picture, it is we who die to the law. How can that be? By baptism we share in the death of Christ. That means that, having died, we are discharged from all obligations to the law and become free to marry again. This time we marry, not the law, but Christ. When that happens, Christian obedience becomes, not an externally imposed obedience to some written code of laws, but an inner allegiance of the spirit to Jesus Christ.[1]  
• When Paul talks about being “released” from the obligations of the law, is he discouraging  religious living or spiritual disciplines?

Prayer Focus: That we would “serve God, not in the old way of obeying the letter of the law, but in the new way of living in the Spirit.”[2]

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[1] Barclay's Daily Study Bible, Romans 7:1-6

[2] Romans 7:6 (NLT)

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Opening: Who was your first “boss”? Was this person easy to work for or a slave driver?

Scripture: Read Romans 6:15-23.

Connect the Text with Your Life:

• Paul continues his discourse on the affect of sin, this time introducing a new term: “slave.” Much of our concept and impressions of slavery come from our country’s history. Slavery was common place in Paul’s day, yet he tells his readers to be slaves of God (see verse 22) and righteous living (see verse 16). What does that mean historically and culturally? What does it mean to you?  
• To "wholeheartedly obey" (verse 17) means to give yourself fully to God, to love him "with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind" (see Matthew 22:37). And yet so often our efforts to know and obey God's commands can best be described as "halfhearted." How do you rate your heart's obedience?[1]  
• We have yet another step on “The Romans Road:” verse 23. This verse usually follows Romans 3:23 in this simple, yet powerful explanation of the Gospel. Memorize Romans 6:23 along with 3:23. We will encounter a few more as we continue to walk through Romans together.

Prayer Focus: That we would choose our master(s) wisely.

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[1] Life Application Study Bible, Romans 6:17

Monday, November 12, 2012

Opening: What is the closest you have come to losing your life?

Scripture: Read Romans 6:1-14.

Connect the Text with Your Life:

• Sounds like Paul is arguing with someone from the 21^st Century. “Keep on doing whatever it is you want to do; God will still forgive you.” Have you ever seen this in someone’s life? In your own? Where does this mindset lead? How about in the Christian? How does it reflect upon Christ and the church?  
• What part of your “old self” still hangs around? How does the knowledge of your death to sin affect your struggle with sin, or how can it?

Prayer Focus: That we would consider ourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus (see verse 11).