Good News! Digesting the book of Romans

Good morning!!!

Question of the Day:


READ: When was the last time you felt peace filled? Why?

Paul the Minister to the Gentiles

14 I myself am convinced, my brothers and sisters, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with knowledge and competent to instruct one another. 15 Yet I have written you quite boldly on some points to remind you of them again, because of the grace God gave me 16 to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles. He gave me the priestly duty of proclaiming the gospel of God, so that the Gentiles might become an offering acceptable to God, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.

17 Therefore I glory in Christ Jesus in my service to God. 18 I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me in leading the Gentiles to obey God by what I have said and done— 19 by the power of signs and wonders, through the power of the Spirit of God. So from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum, I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ. 20 It has always been my ambition to preach the gospel where Christ was not known, so that I would not be building on someone else’s foundation. 21 Rather, as it is written:

“Those who were not told about him will see,
    and those who have not heard will understand.”[g]

22 This is why I have often been hindered from coming to you.

Have you ever had someone give you instruction or advice you knew was good but you didn't want to accept?  Do you think it is possible that some from Rome weren't excited about this letter from Paul.  That perhaps they thought they were doing OK.  

How does God speak to us?

1. His word: Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path. Psalms 119:105

2. The Holy Spirit: In the same way the Spirit also joins to help in our weakness, because we do not know what to pray for as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with unspoken groanings.  Romans 8:26 

3. Through others?

Why is this so hard to take sometimes?  

There are some things to look out for.  

1. Make sure what they are telling you lines up with scripture.

2. Take what is told or asked of you to God in prayer.

3. Let the Holy Spirit convict you.

Paul’s Plan to Visit Rome

23 But now that there is no more place for me to work in these regions, and since I have been longing for many years to visit you, 24 I plan to do so when I go to Spain. I hope to see you while passing through and to have you assist me on my journey there, after I have enjoyed your company for a while. 25 Now, however, I am on my way to Jerusalem in the service of the Lord’s people there. 26 For Macedonia and Achaia were pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the Lord’s people in Jerusalem. 27 They were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in the Jews’ spiritual blessings, they owe it to the Jews to share with them their material blessings. 28 So after I have completed this task and have made sure that they have received this contribution, I will go to Spain and visit you on the way. 29 I know that when I come to you, I will come in the full measure of the blessing of Christ.

30 I urge you, brothers and sisters, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me.31 Pray that I may be kept safe from the unbelievers in Judea and that the contribution I take to Jerusalem may be favorably received by the Lord’s people there, 32 so that I may come to you with joy, by God’s will,and in your company be refreshed. 33 The God of peace be with you all. Amen.

We need to be struggling together in prayer! 

Pray for each other!

Pray for our Pastor!

Pray for our Sabbath School teachers!

Pray for our Deaconesses and Deacons!

Pray for the visitors and new members!

Paul was a driven worker for Christ.  Going all over the place, constantly working!  Constantly sharing what the Holy Spirit was asking him to share!  You know he became weary.  Tired.  Exhausted.  

Coming to be with like believers who were also working  and working with him could and should be a place to replenish and refresh.  

Are you a safe place to go and be refreshed for the missionaries around you?

Do you have a safe place to go and refresh?

I have talked a lot in class about going to spend time with Mike and Lynn Ortel.  What a refreshing place that was.  Mostly because it was a God saturated place.  A place where He reigned.  Where His goodness dominated the conversation!  It is a place where His goodness was soaked up everyday!  It is a place where His goodness was in the walks we took, the conversations, and the sharing.

Do you have a place like that where you can go? Or are you a place like that for others.

This week will you....

1. Be willing to let the Holy Spirit speak to you through others?

2. Pray for each other!

3. Be a place of peace for someone or find a place of peace for you, which ever is needed!