Romans 15:8-13

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1. We went through the verses seeing the importance of unity in the church, specifically the unity of Christians from both Jewish & Gentile backgrounds.

A: Throughout chapters 14-15, Paul has been talking about unity & the need to worship together. From your experience, does the common bond of faith in Christ & worshipping the one, true God generate meaningful unity? If so, how? If not, why not? 

B: In v. 8, Paul points to Jesus and how he came to fulfill the promises to the patriarchs. The truth that God is trustworthy is mentioned here & the idea of God keeping His promises is throughout the Bible…why is this truth so important to understand and remember?

C: Pastor Zac used an illustration to point to the need to honor a promise & pressed us to consider what promises we need to resolve to keep or priorities we must resolve to hold tightly. What would be some ways to honor the Lord in your promises & priorities?

D: In v. 9-12, Paul shows that the plan of God included the Gentiles…that this is seen even in the Old Testament. After hearing about the importance of studying the word regularly over the past few weeks, what are some ways you can finish the year strong in terms of studying the Bible? What is a habit you want to start in 2019 in regards to Bible-reading?

E: We heard that what Paul was saying about the Gentiles being a part of God’s rescue plan may not have been popular, but true. We were told on Sunday that, like Paul, “we are not to be pleasers of men, but servants of Christ.” What are examples of being faithful to what’s right & true, rather than caving to the pressure of culture at large?

F: When we arrived at v. 13, we saw the connection between growth & hope: the more we grow in grace, the more intense & deep our hope grows. How does the hope that faith in Christ produces compare to the hope that’s offered by the world?

G: We ended with questions for us to consider, so hopefully you’ve been considering them & are ready to give some answers!

-What are ways you can serve all the more at MBC?

-Are you holding onto bitterness that impedes unity? If so, what steps can be taken to resolve this matter?

-Are you in your Bible daily to remind yourself of the truth & hope we have in Christ?