For those who are reading the WB, we will be reading one of the riches books in the Bible. The book of Roman is a deep and wonderful book about God's salvation plan to the world. The book brings to life the sin, salvation, and service aspects of the plan of salvation. There is a small interlude about the burden of the Israelites on Paul's heart. It is very easy to use only the book of Romans while giving the plan of salvation to someone. Write the following verses in the front of Romans. If someone asks you about your faith take him/her through the verses one by one and talk about each one. It will present the basics of the gospel.
The Roman Road:
| Romans 3:23 | Our need (sin) |
| Romans 6:23 | Our condition (consequences of sin) |
| Romans 5:8 | Our Remedy (Christ die for us) |
| Romans 10:9-10 | Our confession (receive Jesus as our Lord and Savior) |
| Romans 8:1-2 | Our condition (we have no condemnation and are free from sin) |
| Romans 8:16 | Our assurance (we can know we belong to God) |
The last day we will begin reading again in the Old Testament. We will go to the book of Ezra. This is the story of the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem. It is also the beginning of the return from exile of the Nation of Judah.
Have a wonderful week of reading!
WEEK 29 OF THE WB:DAY ONE, JULY 16 - ROMANS 1-3
Chapter 1
Note: Chapters 1:1-3:20 talk about how great our sin and misery is. As one reads, it is a stark reminder that we are all in need of a savior.
Who wrote this book and with what credentials did he write?
What does the opening section say about Jesus?
Why is Paul thankful for the people?
What does Paul do for the people?
What can we learn from those two things?
Note: Verses 16-17 are often called the key verse in Romans. Why are we not to be ashamed of the gospel?
How should those verses challenge us?
According to the end of this chapter why is God's wrath against mankind?
What are the consequences for not worshipping, trusting, and following God?
What warning is there in these verses for you?
Chapter 2
After reading through the first 16 verses, what are the principles by which God judges each of us?
To whom does God give eternal life?
According to verse 16, what is Jesus role in our judgement?
What do verses 28-29 mean for the reader?
What does that mean for us today?
Chapter 3
NOTE: the Jews were the holders of the Word of God in that time, as are the "Church-goers" today. Therefore some of the arguments, promises, and warnings for the Jews are applicable to the "Church-goer" today. There are people who are religious but seem to fall short in accepting the full truth of God's words as some of the Jews of that day were.
How is God faithful even in light of mankind's sin?
What is the condition of mankind?
To whom is everyone accountable according to verse 19?
What are benefits of the law (Help: verse 20, 31)?
So how can a person be "right before God" (righteousness)?
Have you, by faith, been made right with God? If not would you take the time to pray for that right now?
DAY TWO, JULY 17 - ROMANS 4-5
Chapter 4
Note: Chapter 3:21-5:21 talk about salvation.
What is the role of faith on our salvation?
Was that any different in the OT?
Why can our salvation be guaranteed according to verse 16?
What hope and comfort does that give to you?
Why did Jesus have to die and be raised again?
What does that mean to you?
DAY THREE, JULY 18 - ROMANS 6-8
Chapter 6
Chapters 6-8 talk about our progress of maturing on our faith, of becoming more Christ-like. Many people who used Christianese call that "Sanctification." These chapters talk about our life after we have become a Christian.
After we are a Christian and have received God's grace, is sin such an issue? Why or why not?
What are we dead to and what are we alive to?
What is a practical way to deny sin's control over you and live in grace?
As a Christian, to what have you been freed from and to what have you become a slave to?
According to verse 23, what leads to death and what leads to eternal life?
Where are you headed?
Chapter 7
Note: This chapter is a hard to understand chapter and often discussed by theologians. But remember we are talking about the sanctification process (maturing in our Christian walk). Our sinful human nature has been to let sin reign in our bodies and we are in the process of changing that now that we are Christians. We can become frustrated and discouraged with ourselves as we seem to seesaw back and forth (the seesawing should become less as we grow in our Christian walk and character).
What practical example does Paul give about how we have died to sin and law, and now living in Christ and the Spirit?
In verses 7-13 Paul gives a number of purposes and benefits to the law. See how many you can name.
Note: Many people in today's world don't think they are very bad in comparison to the rest of the world and therefore see no need for salvation. But to really understand and appreciate our salvation we must be humbled by the fact that we are sinful.
After reading verses 14-23, have you ever felt like that?
Can you think of times that you really wanted to do the right thing but didn't?
According to verse 25, what is the only way to work on breaking that cycle?
Chapter 8
What great comfort is there to the Christian in the opening verse of this chapter?
Why don't we have condemnation?
How do we grow in our Christian faith?
What power is there to help us do that according to verse 11?
What hope and encouragement do you find in these verses?
According to verse 26-27, how does the Holy Spirit help us pray?
How does the end of the chapter help you with your life right now?
DAY FOUR, JULY 19 - ROMANS 9-11
Chapter 9
Note: Chapters 9-11 are a bit of an interlude in the flow of the book of Romans. It talks about Paul's burden for the people of Israel, and why God has sent people specifically to the Gentiles due to the attitude of the Jews. This chapter is a hard chapter in many ways to stomach. We don't want to recognize that justice is the standard. We forget that our sin deserves justice. God's justice and our sin demands that we turn to him. We should rejoice when God's extends mercy in place of justice to many. Instead many of us want to demand that God over look his justice and presume that mercy is the standard.
How deep is Paul's burden for his fellow Jews who are not following Christ?
How deep is your burden for the lost in the world today?
According to verse 16 who is in the family of God?
Why does God extend mercy?
According to verse 32, if salvation wasn't given by God's mercy and pursued by faith, how would people think they received it?
Chapter 10
Why weren't many of the Jews at that time saved?
How is that like today with many religious people?
According to verses 9-10 what must a person do to be saved?
What is our responsibility to those who are not yet saved?
Does our obedience depend on their response?
Chapter 11
Has God completely turned his back on the Jews?
How does God expect all people, including the Jews, to come to him?
What should be our attitude towards the gift of salvation in our lives and why?
How have you felt humbled by God's mercy in your life through the reading of Romans?
What assurance do you receive from reading verse 29?
DAY FIVE, JULY 20 - ROMANS 12-14
Chapter 12
Note: The last chapters of Romans are practical applications to the first 11 chapters in Romans. It is the section on how we should serve God. You will note that service comes at the end. We don't do good works to earn salvation that is only a free gift from God through faith. We serve out of gratitude for what he has done for us, to be a witness to others, build of the kingdom of God, and give Him glory.
What are we to offer to God?
What are we not to do according to verse 2?
What part of our body is the most helpful in not conforming to the world? Why do you think that will help us not conform?
Why do you think the principles found in verse one and two help us know the will of God?
What are some of the things in this chapter that we can do out of gratitude for our salvation and in loving service to God?
Chapter 13
How are we to treat authority and why?
How is submitting to authority a way to serve God out of gratitude and help build the kingdom of God?
How are we to love others?
What do you think it means to "clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ?"
How can you do that in your daily life?
Chapter 14
What are some of the examples of how to respect other people's practices that Paul gave?
What might be other issues that we need to respect other people today so as not to weaken his/her faith or the witness of those looking on?
What comfort do you get from verses 7-8?
In what way have you been a stumbling block to anothers?
How are you trying to bring peace and edification to the church?
DAY SIX, JULY 21 - ROMANS 15-16
Chapter 15
How are you looking out for the good of your neighbor?
Read verse 13. Think of someone for whom you can pray that verse for this week.
What encouragement does Paul give to the Gentile Christians in Roman in verses 14-22?
What part of that can you take to heart?
Note: This book is probably written during Paul's stay in Greece. See Acts 20 for a refresher. After Paul took the money to Jerusalem what happened to him. How does Paul get to Roman and why?
Chapter 16
Read through the list of personal greeting. Do any of the names sound familiar? What interested you about the people or commentary?
What warnings and promises come at the end of the chapter?
What did you learn from the book of Romans?
DAY SEVEN, JULY 22 - EZRA 1-3
Chapter 1
What are the historical "markers" that tell us when this book was written?
Note: History tells us that this was 538 BC.
What did Cyrus say that God told him to do?
Where did the supplies come from for this to happen?
Where did the people come from who would do the building?
What are you willing to give to the building of God's work?
Chapter 2
How many returned to Judah?
What do you think it would have been like to travel back to your old country after being exiled for 70 years?
What do you think the atmosphere was like?
How do you feel when you return back to the presence of God after being gone for a while?
Chapter 3
What did the people build before they began on the temple?
Why do you think they did it in that order?
Do you need to be cleansed before God for anything in your life?
How confident were the people in their new surroundings?
What are your priorities even in times of fear?
With what are you building your foundation?
To whom do you give the credit and praise?
How have you wept over things that have been done to deface the things of God and the minimizing of His glory?
| DAY ONE | July-16 | I THESSALONIANS 3 |
| DAY TWO | July-17 | I THESSALONIANS 4 |
| DAY THREE | July-18 | I THESSALONIANS 5 |
| DAY FOUR | July-19 | II THESSALONIANS 1 |
| DAY FIVE | July-20 | II THESSALONIANS 2 |
| DAY SIX | July-21 | II THESSALONIANS 3 |
| DAY SEVEN | July-22 | I TIMOTHY 1 |
Always begin your time of God with prayer. Ask him for understanding and insights. You can pick out a verse, thought or feeling from the passage and think on it (mediate) on it all day. Meditating on God's word means to digest it, put it into your mind, think on it, and concentrate in different ways on the passage.
Some ways you can do this is:
1. Put yourself into the scene.
2. Emphasize different words in the verse.
3. Paraphrase the passage in your own words.
4. Pray the passage back to God if it is a prayer, song, poem, etc (personalize it).
5. Use SPACE PETS acrostic to ask some standard questions.
S - Sins to confess? Do I need to make restitution?
P - Promises to claim? Have I met the conditions(s)?
A - Attitudes to change? Am I willing?
C - Commands to obey? Even if I don't feel like it?
E - Examples to follow? One to copy or avoid?
P - Prayers to pray? Is there something I need to tell God?
E - Errors to avoid?
T - Truths about God or the Bible I need to believe?
Adapted from 12 Dynamic Bible Study Methods (Chapter 1) by Richard Warren and William A. Shell.