 Receive + Communion with God
Read Romans 10:12 Romans 10:12 - There is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Spend some time in prayer giving God glory, honor, and thanks. Relate + Community with others What stuck with you from Sunday’s teaching? Why? Can you name some groups you belong to in order to feel different from others? Does belong to the group ever make you feel superior to those outside the group? What is the difference between being “special” and being “superior”? How did having “the Law” (the very words of God) make the Jews special? How was it an advantage? How was it not an advantage? How is Israel’s relationship with the Law like the church’s relationship with the Bible in terms of being special, or superior? Read Romans 2:13-15 (MSG) - “When outsiders who have never heard of God’s law follow it more or less by instinct, they confirm its truth by their obedience. They show that God’s law is not something alien, imposed on us from without, but woven into the very fabric of our creation. There is something deep within them that echoes God’s yes and no, right and wrong.” What is this saying about what God is up to with all people, even those beyond our faith group? When we think of Romans 3:23 (“All have sinned and fall short of God’s glory.”) in terms of individual salvation, it is still true. But Paul was writing in terms of “both” - both groups (Jews/Gentiles) are in the same boat. How does this shift the application of this truth to how we might live? A Key Idea from this teaching is that there is no difference between Gentiles and Jews (or between any groups) when it comes to access and standing before God. God has a plan to reach and redeem us. And Jesus is the way God is going to do this. Romans 10:9: “If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” Respond + Commission to action Read Romans. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+1&version=NIV Download the YouVersion Bible App if you have a smartphone. Read Romans, or have the App read it to you! Begin seeing others as creatures of God. Other groups. Enemies. Neighbors. God is up to something and has not given up on any of us. Pray for them. Serve them. Love them in practical ways so you can get in on what God is up to and stay close to
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 Receive + Communion with God
Read Romans 11:1-2; 11-15 from the Message: 11:1-2 - Does this mean, then, that God is so fed up with Israel that he’ll have nothing more to do with them? Hardly. Remember that I, the one writing these things, am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham out of the tribe of Benjamin. You can’t get much more Semitic than that! So we’re not talking about repudiation. God has been too long involved with Israel, has too much invested, to simply wash his hands of them. 11:11-12- The next question is, “Are they down for the count? Are they out of this for good?” And the answer is a clear-cut No. Ironically when they walked out, they left the door open and the outsiders walked in. But the next thing you know, the Jews were starting to wonder if perhaps they had walked out on a good thing. Now, if their leaving triggered this worldwide coming of non-Jewish outsiders to God’s kingdom, just imagine the effect of their coming back! What a homecoming! Romans 11:13-15 - But I don’t want to go on about them. It’s you, the outsiders, that I’m concerned with now. Because my personal assignment is focused on the so-called outsiders, I make as much of this as I can when I’m among my Israelite kin, the so-called insiders, hoping they’ll realize what they’re missing and want to get in on what God is doing. If their falling out initiated this worldwide coming together, their recovery is going to set off something even better: mass homecoming! If the first thing the Jews did, even though it was wrong for them, turned out for your good, just think what’s going to happen when they get it right! Spend some time in prayer giving God glory, honor, and thanks. Relate + Community with others What stuck with you from Sunday’s teaching? Why? Why is it helpful to know the original audience of a book of the Bible? What does it mean that the Bible is not written to us, but that it is written for us? What do you think GK Chesterton’s line, “The great dividing line in life is not between believers and unbelievers, but between those who take life seriously and those who are indifferent.” In what ways is this true or helpful? Remember how often Paul speaks with the word “all!” In what ways might it matter that Romans is not written to individuals, but to groups of people? Briefly remember the historical context of the Romans letter. Who where the Gentiles and Jews? What had happened to the Jews and what was happening by the time Romans was written? (See Acts 18:1 for history). Is it surprising how Paul emphasized Gentile and Jewish hospitality toward one another? What do you think of the statement, “It may turn out that no one is saved alone. But our future is tied up with one another, and how we treat and welcome one another into the company of Jesus.”? What are some lines we have drawn in our personal lives that may leave other on the outside looking in? (with friends, family, groups of people)? What could we do to receive Paul’s heart by creating ‘homecomings’ in our relationships, welcoming others into faith, into the company of the church? Respond + Commission to action Begin reading Romans. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+1&version=NIV Download the YouVersion Bible App if you have a smartphone. Read Romans, or have the App read it to you! Make a homecoming in your life. Welcome a neighbor, a friend, a co-worker into your company with the grace of Jesus. Let them know you accept them, that they are loved, that you want good things for them.  Receive + Communion with God
Read Romans 1:16 1 Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God— 2 the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures 3 regarding his Son, who as to his earthly life was a descendant of David, 4 and who through the Spirit of holiness was appointed the Son of God in power by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord. 5 Through him we received grace and apostleship to call all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith for his name’s sake. 6 And you also are among those Gentiles who are called to belong to Jesus Christ. 7 To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be his holy people: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. 8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being reported all over the world. 9 God, whom I serve in my spirit in preaching the gospel of his Son, is my witness how constantly I remember you 10 in my prayers at all times; and I pray that now at last by God’s will the way may be opened for me to come to you. 11 I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong— 12 that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith. 13 I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that I planned many times to come to you (but have been prevented from doing so until now) in order that I might have a harvest among you, just as I have had among the other Gentiles. 14 I am obligated both to Greeks and non-Greeks, both to the wise and the foolish. 15 That is why I am so eager to preach the gospel also to you who are in Rome. 16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. 17 For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.” Spend some time in prayer giving God glory, honor, and thanks. Relate + Community with others What stuck with you from Sunday’s teaching? Why? Why is it helpful to know who Paul is and what his sense of mission was in order to understand his writing? What do you think of Paul’s experience of pain? e.g. Romans 9:2 - “I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart.” Can a faithful Christian still experience suffering and anguish? Why might this be important to understand? (See also 2 Timothy 4:6 and 2 Corinthians 1:8-10) Soteriology is the study of salvation. Ecclesiology is the study of the church. How are these different? Does it matter which one frames the other? What do you think of the idea that Paul’s framework was ecclesiology before soteriology? What do you think of the assertion that Paul did not accomplish his core mission of having a united church? Would Paul be invited to speak at leadership conferences today? Ego is how we think about who we are - the groups and attachments we have that we use to define our identity. What are some of the groups you identify with? What do you think of the idea that Paul is contending for us to find our identity in something larger and more permanent? (See Colossians 3:1-17) How is Paul’s persistent joy connected to the death of Ego? Respond + Commission to action Begin reading Romans. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+1&version=NIV Download the YouVersion Bible App if you have a smartphone. Read Romans, or have the App read it to you! See your group this week as a collection of Egos - people from different groups, different ways of thinking, different personalities, etc… who are called together to root their life in Christ, to be made one. Pray for others in your group, for their pain and joy. Receive + Communion with God
Some Key Scriptures to read and reflect on. What impressions or pictures come into focus as you encounter the idea of a ‘soul’ in these verses? Psalm 107:8-9 - ““Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind, for he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.” Genesis 2:7 - ”The LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.” Mark 14:34 - “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow.” Psalm 103 - “Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits…” Psalm 131:2 - “But I have calmed and quieted my soul.” Matthew 10:28 - ““Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” Matthew 16:26 - "What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? For what can a man give in return for his soul?” Relate + Community with others What stuck with you from Sunday’s teaching? Why? The components of a human person are the will, the mind, the body, and social context. The soul is what integrates and ‘runs’ these aspects of a person. Briefly reflect on what these parts are and any insights or experiences you have when these are well-ordered or dis-ordered. Reflect on these two statements: Unhealthy souls grow rushed, weary, and shallow, and souls can only find rest in God. Your soul can be all right when everything in your world is all wrong. Respond + Commission to action Share about the kind of Group experience you think would be helpful for nurturing healthy souls. How can our Group’s four practices of life-giving prayer, life-giving truth, life-giving relationships, and life-giving impact help us have healthy souls? |
ReverbEach week, you are invited to use the Reverb discussion guide with family, friends, or a small group for further Scripture readings, questions to ponder, or practices to engage. Archives
December 2018
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