#1: Not Ashamed
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Romans 1:16-17 ESV
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”
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TAKE IT IN
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Learn why Paul says he is not ashamed of the Gospel
What is the Gospel able to do?
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DIG IT
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In your own words, define the Gospel of Jesus Christ in one sentence.​
What do you think “Righteousness of God” means?
[Go Deep] Paul writes “first to the Jews then to the Greeks.” Is this some sort of favoritism?
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LIVE IT
Do you think there are false accusations about the Gospel or Christian faith in your school community? What are some examples and how do you feel about them?
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What does living unashamed look like for you today?
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#2: Wrath of God
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Romans 1:18-25 ESV
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. 19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.
24 Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, 25 because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.
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TAKE IT IN
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How does humanity know God is real?
If so, why do you think people reject God? What does Paul say?
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DIG IT
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What is the wrath of God? Why do we need to understand it
How does God display his wrath according to this passage?
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LIVE IT
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How would you respond if someone who is new to faith asks you “Why is a good God wrathful?”
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What was your prior understanding of judgment before today? Did it change? If so, how?
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#3: No One is Righteous
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Romans 3:9-20 ESV
9 What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin, 10 as it is written:
“None is righteous, no, not one;
11 no one understands;
no one seeks for God.
12 All have turned aside; together they have become worthless;
no one does good,
not even one.”
13 “Their throat is an open grave;
they use their tongues to deceive.”
“The venom of asps is under their lips.”
14 “Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.”
15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood;
16 in their paths are ruin and misery,
17 and the way of peace they have not known.”
18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”
19 Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. 20 For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.
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TAKE IT IN
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What does Paul mean by “under sin”?
What is the benefit of the law of God according to v.20?
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DIG IT
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How is no one righteous? Why is this fact important?
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Look up Romans 6:23. What is all humanity deserving of?
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[Go Deep] How can we respond to people who argue that the Christian faith is too exclusive?
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LIVE IT
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Do you ever feel like you are less of a sinner than other people? Why or why not?
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All are sinners and we all need Jesus. What does this truth prompt us to do?
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#4: The Righteousness of God Revealed
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Romans 3:21-26 ESV
21 But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it—22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins.26 It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
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TAKE IT IN
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Search the terms below for definitions:
Grace:
Propitiation:
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How was the righteousness of God revealed to us?
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DIG IT
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Why do you think Paul says “For there is no distinction?“ (v.22)
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What does it mean to be justified?
[Go Deep] What is divine forbearance? Why do you think God exercises it?​
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LIVE IT
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Partner Activity: In everyday language, practice how you would explain “Justification by grace received by faith” to a non-Christian friend without churchy words.
#5: Assurance in Faith
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Romans 5:1-5 ESV
1 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
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TAKE IT IN
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What are the benefits of being justified by faith in Christ?
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What do you think hope is? What is the hope of the glory of God?
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DIG IT
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Fill in the blanks according to the passage (5:3-4) and discuss how Christians are able to rejoice in our suffering.
→ → → HOPE
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What do you think Paul meant by “hope does not put us to shame”?
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[Go Deep] Jesus suffered and endured the cross to give us hope. How does that influence the way you see suffering in life?
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LIVE IT
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Do you ever feel hopeless? When? How can Christians battle such feelings?
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Have you or anyone around you had any experience where suffering turned to endurance, maturity, character, or hope? Share freely.
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#6: The Free Gift
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Romans 5:12-21 ESV
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12 Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned— 13 for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. 14 Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come.
15 But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man's trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many. 16 And the free gift is not like the result of that one man's sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification. 17 For if, because of one man's trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.
18 Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. 19 For as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous. 20 Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, 21 so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
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TAKE IT IN
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What is the consequence of the sin/trespass of one man, Adam? How does that affect you?
What is the result of the free gift of one man, Jesus? How does it compare to the result of sin/trespass? How does it nullify one’s condition in sin?
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DIG IT
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Why is the Bible saying the gift that Jesus gave us is free? What was the price for this free gift?
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[Go Deep] What was God's response to abounding and increasing sin reigning in death? What was God's solution?
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LIVE IT
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What was the best gift you’ve given someone? How did the recipient respond? How should we respond to God’s free gift of salvation through Christ?
Have you received the free gift of salvation from Jesus Christ personally?
Where would you place yourself on the faith journey?
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#7: The Triumph
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Romans 8:31-39 ESV
31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? 33 Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36 As it is written,
“For your sake we are being killed all the day long;
we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”
37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
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TAKE IT IN
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When Paul says “God is for us”, how do we know this to be true? Why is this important?
Why do you think Paul references David’s discouragement from Psalm 44:22 in v.36?
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DIG IT
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What do you think "God’s elect" means? What does it mean to bring a charge against them? What is its consequence? (v.33-34)
Romans 8:37 says “We are more than conquerors.” What is it that we have conquered and how did we achieve this?
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LIVE IT
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Share any hindrances in your life that separate you from experiencing the love of God.
What hope does today’s passage offer you personally?
Read aloud and proclaim Romans 8:38-39 together.
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#8: To the Unreached
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Romans 15:14-24 ESV
14 I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another. 15 But on some points I have written to you very boldly by way of reminder, because of the grace given me by God 16 to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. 17 In Christ Jesus, then, I have reason to be proud of my work for God. 18 For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience—by word and deed, 19 by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God—so that from Jerusalem and all the way around to Illyricum I have fulfilled the ministry of the gospel of Christ; 20 and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else's foundation, 21 but as it is written,
“Those who have never been told of him will see,
and those who have never heard will understand.”
22 This is the reason why I have so often been hindered from coming to you. 23 But now, since I no longer have any room for work in these regions, and since I have longed for many years to come to you, 24 I hope to see you in passing as I go to Spain, and to be helped on my journey there by you, once I have enjoyed your company for a while.
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TAKE IT IN
How does Paul describe himself in v.16?
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Why does Paul say he has reasons to be proud? How and where has Paul carried out the ministry of the Gospel of Christ?
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DIG IT
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What is Paul’s holy ambition? Where is this ambition rooted? (v.20-21)
Paul says he longs to come to Rome. What are Paul’s travel plans? (v.25-29)
[Go Deep] In vv.14-15, Paul says he knows that Christians in Rome already are filled with all knowledge and are able to instruct each other. Then why do you think he has explained the Gospel so thoroughly and extensively throughout this letter to the Romans? (Consider the context of the Roman church we learned in the first lesson of this bible study series and v.24)
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LIVE IT
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Do you think you are involved in the Gospel movement? Share your experience in missions or mission support.
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Are there people around you, your school, or the local community who have possibly never heard of the true and whole Gospel before? What are some ways to reach out to them?
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