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ROMANS 8 The Greatest Chapter in the Bible CONTENTS Introduction 2 Upcoming Events.... 3 How to Read Romans 8...... 4 Scripture Memorization.... 5-6 Introduction to Community Group Guide.....7 Community Group Guide...... 17-22 INTRODUCTION What is the greatest chapter of the Bible? Where in the Bible do we hear the crescendo of all Christian theology? What is the mountaintop of doctrine that all true belief builds up toward and flows down from? Smack dab in the middle of Paul s letter to the Christians of Rome, we find the answer to these questions. Romans 8 is the greatest chapter. It takes the power of Jesus Christ s life, death, and resurrection and places it all in our lap with immediate implications rooted in God s eternal plans. It shows us what it actually means to have the Holy Spirit at work in us. Over the next five weeks, we will endeavor to understand just a portion of the glory of God s word in Romans 8 and as we do receive a key to not the only theology of Christianity but the power behind the Christian life. My prayer is that we might all receive the glorious message of Romans 8 and enter into a life of fuller dependence on the grace of God given to us in Jesus and the life-changing work of the Holy Spirit. Grace & Peace, Harvey Turner Reno Church Lead Pastor 2
UPCOMING EVENTS Starting Point - Sunday, January 7th & Sunday, February 4th New to Living Stones or know someone who is? The first Sunday of each month, after each of our worship gatherings we host Starting Point in the Royal Room. This short meeting is the opportunity for those new to Living Stones to hear about the story and mission of our church. Questions? Visit the Connect Desk or email adam@lschurches.com Bible/Theo 102 - Starts January 21st Available to all Covenant Members, this course runs from January 21st and ends March 18th. This semester, we will be looking at the 10 commandments and how it affects our lives. For more information, contact gavin@lschurches.com Covenant Member Annual Meeting - January 24th The time has come to celebrate what God has done in our church for the year, and to look forward to what our church is doing for 2018. Wednesday, January 24th is our annual meeting for all active Covenant Members at our church. Please RSVP on Realm. This meeting is for Covenant Members of Living Stones Sparks only. If for some reason you are not sure whether you are a Covenant Member, please speak with your Community Group Leader, your ministry leader, or a pastor. Childcare is being provided by LS Reno, so please comment on the names and ages of your children. Dinner will be at 6pm. 3
HOW TO READ ROMANS 8 The main theme of Romans seems to be encapsulated by Romans 1:16-17. This book is about the Gospel, the revelation of the righteousness of God by faith. AUTHOR AND PURPOSE The apostle Paul wrote this letter to the Roman church. There seem to be several reasons for this, but most importantly he wishes to introduce himself to the Romans as a faithful preacher of the gospel, what that gospel entails, and to both encourage them in the gospel as well as invite the Roman church to partake in the gospel ministry work of Paul. EASY APPLICATION Romans is packed full of theology, but because it is missing 1st century content and specific problems, it can easily be applied to your every day life as you read it. PICKING UP THE APOSTLES LETTER Remember that as you read this that this is the mid-section of the letter that Paul wrote to the Roman church. Paul follows the most linear, well thought out arguments on Christian faith that can be found in any book written by the apostle. With that, he uses a couple of tools in his writing that are worth paying attention to: Therefore This word links the following sentence to the verse (or verses) before it. Romans 8:1 is a great example of this. The therefore that starts the verse means it is to be read with Romans 7:21-25. Flesh vs. Spirit Paul isn t communicating that the physical body itself is at war with the Holy Spirit. For instance, the word in the original language for flesh and body is different, see verse 23. Paul is instead drawing a contrast to our sinful nature that is present in our life on this planet, vs. the life of the Spirit. WORDS Finally, there will be many words in Romans that you may not know the definition of. Don t be discouraged, and do the work to look up words and discuss them with people!) 4
SCRIPTURE MEMORIZATION For this Discipleship Guide, our church has the privilege to spend a substantial amount of time studying Romans 8, the Greatest Chapter in the Bible. We want this chapter to marinate in our souls; and so we will do weekly memory verses. John Piper has a great article which highlights the benefits and value of memorizing scripture. Community Group Leaders, you may read and share this article with your group members, when you first introduce scripture memorization. Why Memorize Scripture? By John Piper In our Christian walk, memorizing scripture is a fundamental way we can grow in our spiritual formation. In memorizing scripture, your prayer life will be strengthened. Your witnessing will be sharper and much more effective.your attitudes and outlook will begin to change Your mind will become alert and observant. Your confidence and assurance will be enhanced. One of the reasons Martin Luther came to his great discovery in the Bible of justification by faith alone was that in his early years in the Augustinian monastery he was influenced to love Scripture by Johann Staupitz. Luther devoured the Bible in a day when people earned doctorates in theology without even reading the Bible. Luther said that his fellow professor, Andreas Karlstadt, did not even own a Bible when he earned his doctor of theology degree, nor did he until many years later (Richard Bucher, Martin Luther s Love for the Bible). Luther knew so much of the Bible from memory that when the Lord opened his eyes to see the truth of justification in Romans 1:17, he said, Thereupon I ran through the Scriptures from memory, in order to confirm what he had found. So here are a few reasons why so many have viewed Scripture memorization as so essential to the Christian life. 1. Conformity to Christ Paul wrote that we all,... beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another (2 Corinthians 3:18). If we would be changed into Christlikeness, we must steadily see him. This happens in the word. The Lord revealed himself to Samuel at Shiloh by the word of the Lord (1 Samuel 3:21). Bible memorization has the effect of making our gaze on Jesus steadier and clearer. 2. Daily Triumph over Sin How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word.... I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you (Psalm 119:9, 11). Paul said that we must by the Spirit... put to death the [sinful] deeds of the body (Romans 8:13). The one piece of armor used to kill is the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God (Ephesians 6:17). As sin lures the body into sinful action, we call to mind a Christ-revealing word of Scripture and slay the temptation with the superior worth and beauty of Christ over what sin offers. 5
3. Daily Triumph over Satan When Jesus was tempted by Satan in the wilderness, he recited Scripture from memory and put Satan to flight (Matthew 4:1 11). 4. Comfort and Counsel for People You Love The times when people need you to give them comfort and counsel do not always coincide with the times you have your Bible handy. Not only that, the very word of God spoken spontaneously from your heart has unusual power. Proverbs 25:11 says, A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver. That is a beautiful way of saying, When the heart full of God s love can draw on the mind full of God s word, timely blessings flow from the mouth. 5. Communicating the Gospel to Unbelievers Opportunities to share the gospel come when we do not have the Bible in hand. Actual verses of the Bible have their own penetrating power. And when they come from our heart, as well as from the Book, the witness is given that they are precious enough to learn. We should all be able to sum up the gospel under four main headings: 1) God s holiness/law/glory; 2) man s sin/rebellion/disobedience; 3) Christ s death for sinners; 4) the free gift of life by faith. Learn a verse or two relating to each of these, and be ready in season and out of season to share them. 6. Communion with God in the Enjoyment of His Person and Ways The way we commune with (that is, fellowship with) God is by meditating on his attributes and expressing to him our thanks and admiration and love, and seeking his help to live a life that reflects the value of these attributes. Therefore, storing texts in our minds about God helps us relate to him as he really is. For example, imagine being able to call this to mind through the day: The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. He will not always chide, nor will he keep his anger forever. He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him. (Psalm 103:8 13) I used the word enjoyment intentionally when I said, communion with God in the enjoyment of his person and ways. Most of us are emotionally crippled all of us, really. We do not experience God in the fullness of our emotional potential. How will that change? One way is to memorize the emotional expressions of the Bible and speak them to the Lord and to each other until they become part of who we are. For example, in Psalm 103:1, we say, Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! That is not a natural expression for many people. But if we memorize this and other emotional expressions from the Bible, and say them often, asking the Lord to make the emotion real in our hearts, we can actually grow into that emotion and expression. It will become part of who we are. We will be less emotionally crippled and more able to render proper praise and thanks to God. There are other reasons for memorizing Scripture. I hope you find them in the actual practice. 6
Introduction to the Community Group Guide The majority of the Sparks Community Groups are off until after January 28th. However, this guide can still be used as a personal devotion. The following sections are for Community Group Discussion and Personal Reading. Here s a breakdown of each section. Worship - Every group discussion opens with a time of worship. Each prayer prompt focuses on praising and thanking God for what he has done, that is themed after the text for the week. Memory Verse - There is a memory verse assigned for each week. Memorize it ahead of time, and if your group does it together, spend time quoting the verse to each other! Discussion - Discussion time is when the group reads and discusses the text. There are four types of questions that will be asked: Icebreaker - Questions meant to direct attention to the text. Observation - Anything that the group notices in the text can be brought up and discussed. In fact, our hope is that it would! Textual - Questions that arise from the text specifically that may not have been brought up during observations. Application - How the message of the text applies to us practically and personally. Closing Prayer - Prayers for each others lives, for the city, our church, and a time to reflect and pray that God would move in our lives in the way that we have seen in the text. This table of contents is organized with Sunday as the beginning of each week. Week of 1/8 - pg. 8 Week of 1/15 - pg. 9 Week of 1/22 - pg. 10 Week of 1/29 - pg. 11 Week of 2/5 - pg. 12 7
COMMUNITY GROUP GUIDE Week 1 NO CONDEMNATION Romans 8:1-4 WORSHIP: Read Ezekiel 36:25-27. Spend a few moments praising God for giving us His Holy Spirit! MEMORY VERSE: This week s memory verse: Romans 8:1. There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Community Group Leaders, please read and discuss the John Piper article on Why Memorize Scripture?, aloud with your group this week, which is located on (page 4) of the Discipleship Guide. TEXT: Romans 8:1-4: - What are obvious observations in the text? What do the words and phrases, In Christ, Spirit, and Flesh mean? Don t spend too much time on this question! - According to verses 1-4, what all has God done? What is the good news? - What does verse 2 mean when it talks about the law of the spirit vs. the law of the flesh? APPLICATION: 1. Do you consider your Christian life to be one lived in Jesus or in Union with Christ? 2. For your personal faith, what does it mean that there is no condemnation in Christ Jesus? Why is there condemnation outside of Christ vs. in Christ? 3. Your fellow brothers and sisters who follow Christ have received no condemnation from God. Are there any that you condemn with your thoughts and feelings, when even God does not? 4. How does being in Jesus give us the benefits of perfect law keeping? How does Jesus remove our condemnation? 5. Because of God s great love for you, how can you reciprocate his love? (we ll talk about this more next week.) PRAYER: Praise God for the work he has done in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Confess the things in your life that you need to bring before God that make you feel condemned. Pray for the people in your life who you feel deserve condemnation and repent. Thank God that because we have Jesus that there is no condemnation. 8
Week 2 MIND SET Romans 8:5-17 WORSHIP: Read 1 Corinthians 15:1-8 and celebrate the physical resurrection of Jesus! MEMORY VERSE: Recite last week s memory verse: Romans 8:1 How did last week s verse bless, challenge, or help you grow? This week s memory verse: Romans 8:5 TEXT: Romans 8:5-17: - What are obvious observations in the text? - What does the text mean when it says setting the mind on the flesh v. setting the mind on the spirit? - Why do we have an obligation to live by the Spirit according to this text? - Who are sons of God (v 14)? What is the significance of this title? 1 APPLICATION: 1. How does the text define us as those who are now in Christ? Do you find yourself seeking the things of the spirit, or the things of the flesh? What are the privileges of being an adopted son of God? 2. Read Galatians 5:16-26. Are there things here that you need to repent of in group? What fruit of the spirit do you see in your life? Based on this section of Romans, why is this important? 3. The Holy Spirit and resurrection of Christ is the power and basis of our future hope of our true identity becoming our actualized identity. How important is the historical resurrection of Jesus to Christian life? Read 1 Corinthians 15:14-19 4. If you are adopted by God, and are part of his family, how does this influence your life? 5. Being an heir of God and co-heir of Christ means you represent His kingdom. How do you see yourself being a representative of the kingdom of God on this earth? PRAYER: One of the privileges of sonship is that the Spirit enables us to cry, Abba, Father. Abba means Papa (Romans 8:15). Pray to God as your Father now. Enjoy this intimacy with him. 1 In Roman Society, the adopted son was a legal term given to someone who has inherited full legal status as a son and inheritor, and is an heir of the family. 9
Week 3 GROANING & LONGING Romans 8:18-27 WORSHIP: Read Psalm 8 as a group and praise God for his love! MEMORY VERSE: Recite last week s memory verse: Romans 8:5 How did last week s verse bless, challenge, or help you grow? This week s verse: Romans 8:15 TEXT: Romans 8:18-27 - What are obvious observations in the text? - Where do you see the Holy Spirit in this passage? - What might Paul mean by all of creation groaning in the pains of childbirth? APPLICATION: What are some of your favorite parts of creation? How do you see creation affected by sin? How can mankind be good stewards of the planet, as an heir of the kingdom of God? What are some things in our world that will be affected by sin until Christ returns? What does a redeemed creation look like? What does it mean to have the first fruits of the Spirit? How do you see the Holy Spirit changing your life now, and what are you still looking forward to? What does it look like to persevere with faith and hope? How is this difficult in your own life? Why does it matter that the Holy Spirit intercedes on your behalf? PRAYER: Are there issues in your life that you don t know how to pray for? Bring them before God now, trusting the Spirit to take your thoughts and emotions and to pray on your behalf. Ask for an eager patience about the new creation. 10
Week 4 PREDESTINED Romans 8:28-30 WORSHIP: Read Psalm 138 together and pray through it as a group. How does it bring you to worship? MEMORY VERSE (5 minutes): Recite last week s memory verse: Romans 8:15 How did last week s verse bless, challenge, or help you grow? This week s memory verse: Romans 8:28 TEXT: Romans 8:28-30 - What are obvious observations in the text? - What is the purpose and will of God? (verses 27 and 28) - Look at v. 28. How have you seen this play out in your own life? - There are some beautiful truths here about our identity in Christ, and our salvation. Define each of these words and talk about them in your group: Foreknown, Predestined, conformed to the image of Jesus, called, justified, glorified. APPLICATION: Paul here isn t saying that our life will be perfect but that God is working all things for good for those called to his purpose. 1.For your own faith, how do these truths affect the way that you see God s love for you? 2. Can this passage be a motivator for you to share the gospel? (if those who are in Christ are foreknown, predestined, called, conformed to the image of Christ, justified, and glorified, then won t the gospel message see people meet Jesus regardless of what you think your skill level or qualification to share it is?) 3. If you are foreknown and predestined, then who was the first mover in your walk with Jesus? You or God? Are there other scriptures that support this? PRAYER: Use each clause in each verse we ve looked at to fuel your thanks to God for what he has done, is doing, and will do, for you. 11
Week 5 GOD IS LOVE Romans 8:31-39 WORSHIP: Read Psalm 139:1-16 3 times with a minute of silence in between each one. Close in prayer. MEMORY VERSE (5 minutes): Recite last week s memory verse: Romans 8:28 How did last week s verse bless, challenge, or help you grow? This week s memory verses: Romans 8:38-39 TEXT: Romans 8:31-39 - What are obvious observations in the text? - What do you learn about Christ from this passage? - If you have time, compare 8:36-37 with Psalm 44:17-26. How often have your prayers echoed what you see in this psalm? - How does Christ help us have a fuller understanding of the love of God, than even the authors of this psalm had when they wrote it? APPLICATION: 1. Look at verses 31 and 32. Where in your life do you sense you have an attitude of "God owes me", and where do you see a grateful heart for God's kindness? 2. Look at verses 33 through 38. What circumstances, listed here, arise in your life that makes you think God is no longer near you? How does this scripture give you comfort personally? 3. If someone is "in Christ Jesus", can they lose their salvation? (Look carefully at 8:38-39 before answering this). 4. This is the end of what many consider to be one of the most encouraging passages in the whole bible. How has your understanding of God changed in reading it? How has the memory verses affected your relationship with God, and how can you keep this practice going? PRAYER: Based on our discussion and the things we are learning and the way God has opened our eyes to his love and truth, let s spend some time praying and acknowledging God goodness. Read the passage multiple times while praying. 12
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