Sermon: Encouragement on the Difficult Way
There is encouragement in:
Lesson 1: having the same _________________ as ________ (Rom 7:14-16, 18-19).
Lesson 2: understanding your ______ ___ (Rom 7:17, 20, Jer 31:33).
Lesson 3: the ________________ (Rom 7:21-23, Rom 8:13-14, Gal 5:16-17).
Lesson 4: our ____________ ________ (Rom 7:24-25, Phil 3:20-21, Rom 8:23).
Family Worship Guide
Memory Verse: Romans 7:24-25a
Day 1: Read Romans 7:14-20 and discuss: why are these verses contested? What reasons do we have to be confident that Paul was speaking of himself as a mature believer, rather than an unbeliever or a new believer? What is the source of Paul's confusion? Does Paul's conflict between what he wills and what he does resemble your life? Why is it encouraging to have the same confusion that Paul did?
Day 2: Read Romans 7:14-23 and discuss: when confused about his sin, why does Paul say, "But now, it is no longer I"? What does it mean to be regenerated? What changes about a person when they have been regenerated by God? What remains the same? What type of struggle against sin is not encouraging? What type of struggle IS encouraging? Why does Paul say, "evil is present with me"? Have you ever felt like you were carried away captive by sin?
Day 3: Read Romans 7:24-25 and discuss: why does scripture often state that we already possess certain blessings, but also promise that we will possess them in the future? How do we know that our inward man is our truest, eternal self? For many reasons, Paul is a hero of the faith, so why does he call himself a "wretched man"? What is it that we are still waiting to be delivered from? |
