THE BOOK OF ROMANS

We are unashamed of Jesus! He is the Messiah, the Savior of the world, our Lord, the Redeemer, and our Good Shepherd. Jesus died for our sins and is risen from the grave! Jesus is our living hope. We receive the righteousness of God through His grace. We can’t save ourselves. When we abide with Jesus, we receive His grace in all areas of our lives. We will bear much fruit for His glory. During this series, take time each day to read the Bible, meditate on God’s word, and be filled with the Holy Spirit. Jesus strengthens our faith and provides infinite hope.  As you learn the book of Romans, be intentional to share Scripture with people where you live, work, learn, and play. Ask God to show you the specific person, the one, who needs to hear the good news of God’s word. The Bible is living and active, and one passage can change someone’s day and destiny.

WEEKLY DEVOTIONS

Cultivate the daily habit of spending time with God and receiving from our gracious Heavenly Father. Shift out of achievement mode and enjoy drawing near to our Savior. Linger in His presence. Listen and learn as the Holy Spirit guides you. Be intentional and avoid distractions. You can experience the weekly devotions alone, with family, or with a group of friends. Read the chapter of Scripture, watch the teaching video, answer the reflection questions, and close with prayer. Invite others to participate. Let’s go on this journey together with God!

SCRIPTURE CHALLENGE

It’s time to turn to God and take a deeper dive into the Bible. God’s word is nourishment for our souls. The book of Romans is rich theologically and inspires us to live for Jesus daily in many practical ways. To maximize this series, we strongly encourage you to take these three steps:

1) Read and Meditate: Read the chapter of the week seven times, once every day. For example, in week one, we read Romans chapter 1. Do this seven times during the week. By the end of the week, you will know that chapter and the word will dwell in you richly.
2) Take Notes: Write down what you are learning about Jesus, what He has done, how He wants you to live, and any insights from the Holy Spirit. God wants to both teach you and empower you to be a doer of His word.
3) Pass it Along: The Bible is a gift to receive and give to others. The pages of Scripture are saturated with hope. Share what you are reading with people in your life locally or overseas. You can send a text or email, post on social media, or have a conversation. Be creative. You might want to purchase a study Bible or Life Application Bible for other people who don’t have the Scripture. Discover the blessing of passing God’s word along to others!

Click HERE to watch the accompanying Unashamed video devotional.

WEEK 1: 

Read: Romans Chapter 1

The gospel is the good news that Jesus died for our sins and rose from the grave. The Apostle Paul is writing to the followers of Jesus in Rome on his third missionary journey in the book of Acts, around 57AD. He communicates that we are saved through faith in Christ by the grace of God. He also shares God’s plan with Jews and Gentiles and his desire to visit as well. God’s righteousness is received, not achieved. God’s wrath is real. Because people have suppressed the truth and have chosen arrogance, gossip, idolatry, perversion, and lust instead of the Savior. The wages of sin is death, but there is hope in the Lord and His mercy. We are to be unashamed of the gospel because it is the power of God that rescues and redeems sinners. Jesus is the Messiah, and everyone should hear how to have a relationship with God and spend eternity with Jesus. There’s no reason to be timid about sharing our faith and leading people to the Lord, who is the resurrection and the life.

Hope Point:  The gospel of Jesus Christ is for everyone because He died for our sins and overcame the grave.

Reflection Questions:

1) How does Paul greet the followers of Jesus in Rome? (Romans 1:1-7)
2) What are some of Paul’s deeper longings? (Romans 1:8-15)
3) What does it look like to be bold and unashamed of the gospel? (Romans 1:16-17)
4) What do we learn about the wrath of God? (Romans 1:18-25)
5) What are some specific sins God names in this passage and what is repentance? (Romans 1:26-32)

Who can you share this Scripture with during the upcoming week?

Prayer:

Father God, thank You for sending Your Son Jesus to pay the full price for our sins and defeat death. We are eternally grateful to be in Your family and be with You forever. We turn from sin today and seek You with all of our hearts. Forgive us for being too silent about the gospel. We pray that we will walk in the light and reject what is evil. In Your mighty name we ask this Lord Jesus, amen.

Click HERE for sermon points, scripture used in the sermon, and printable Life Group questions.