Changed by Grace

Sermon Questions for Romans 3:23-26

We have added numbers to the questions, but if you are pressed for time, look for the top eight to ten questions (marked with a “*”).If you have feedback, please let David Fuquay know at .

SHARING

Pray for our families and the example we are setting. We cannot change the past or how we were raised, but we can move past our own experiences or circumstances into freedom and grace. Pray that we point people (especially our families) to Christ and His grace, rather than to a performance standard they can never live up to. Pray that whatever hurts we’ve experienced will be healed, and whatever hurts we cause can be forgiven.

SCRIPTURE

Crawl:

  1. As we study the book of Romans, what has impacted you the most? Does studying one of the most influential books of the Bible cause you to contemplate God’s Word differently?
  2. *What do you think “most people” need today, a dose of cold reality or a touch of honey? (the idea that you attract more flies with honey than vinegar)
  3. *Has your heart changed in a significant way that you can share or express? (An example might be, I used to never respond to short term mission requests but now I see the value and try to support all I can).

Walk:

  1. In what ways do you realize you have failed miserably with the way we are meant to live? Have you ever tried to live up to someone else’s vision for your life?
  2. When someone messes up, what is it that can change that person? What does it take for a screw-up to get fixed up?
  3. *In your own life, have you had to overcome shame, guilt, and/or anger? In what ways? How were you finally able to move past these obstacles in your life?
  4. *Does using guilt, shame, and anger work in helping someone else change? If not, why are these oftenthe “go to” tactics?

Read Romans 3:22b-24

  1. *If you had to explain grace to someone, how would you do it? Discuss your favorite illustration of grace? Why and how are illustrations, even great illustrations, still inadequate for explaining God’s free gift of salvation?
  2. *What difference has being “freed from the treadmill of performance” made in your life? In what ways is this hard to remember? How do we not slip into Gospel amnesia?
  3. *How has being “set free from the grip of sin” made in your life? Why is it hard to remember that we are redeemed? How can we not slip into Gospel amnesia in this area??
  4. Does Satan constantly remind you of your failures? Do you experience being gripped by your sins, even though you have been declared free? How can you proclaim your freedom? (see Matthew 16:23, Ephesians 6:11, and James 4:7)
  5. *How can you loosen the grip of sin on your life, especially if you are experiencing sin as your master? (See Hebrews 12:2)

Read Romans 3:25-26

  1. How can you help a nonbeliever understand propitiation (Jesus’ absorption of God’s wrath against sin)?
  2. Is discussing God’s wrath and justice against sin a negative when trying to witness? Why should we not shy away from speaking of God’s wrath? Why should we not lead with God’s wrath in most circumstances?[i]
  3. *What does a Christ like reaction to our sin look like? How can we project that attitude towards others?
  4. *When someone shares with us a struggle or sin, how do we not “wink at their sin” or further build upon their guilt and shame? How can we respond in a Christ-like manner?
  5. Are you a person who struggles with guilt? How can Christ take that sense of guilt away?
  6. In what ways does the grace of God need to melt your heart today?
  7. In what ways do you need to freely give since you have freely received?

Run:

  1. Is there an Egypt or a Pharaoh in your life that’s enslaving you? Are you a slave to some habit, like drinking or porn? Are you a slave to the approval of others, so that you’re only happy when you think everyone else is pleased with you? Are you a slave to your temper—you just always lose it and explode at people?

Key Words and Further Study:

“Grace” means a free gift. So this is a double-emphatic way of saying, “I’m talking about something that’s not earned; it’s not deserved; it’s something you receive as a gift”

The word “redeem” means “to set someone free.”

Atonement means we are freed from the wrath of God

SERVICE

There is a great opportunity for a select few people who use these sermon based questions. As we look towards the future of small groups, we are considering have a lay team of volunteers take over the duties of writing the questions and making them available. If you are someone in your group who has some writing skills, a desire to study, and a willingness to spend Friday, Saturday, and/or Sunday writing questions with a team of people, please contact . (Feel free to nominate someone without their knowledge!)

The Somerset Patriots: are looking for host families for the 2013 season. As a host family, you provide a player a "home away from home." By hosting a player, you give that player, who is otherwise many miles away from his home environment and loved ones, a sense of home during the course of a long season. For more information regarding hosting, please contact Patriots Chaplain Chip Nelson at 973-396-7748 or email at .

[i] This is obviously a judgment call prompted by the Holy Spirit. However, I find convincing someone that they are not worthy of eternity, that they deserve punishment for their missing the mark, and that there is holy and righteous God that demands perfection, is not really a necessary as a lead in for today. People understand something is broken in this world and that something is not right within them. They want to hear the solution not be further convinced of the problem that experience every day. When asked we should give a clear biblical answer to questions of justice and wrath but begin with the hope of restoration. Again it depends person to person but many are well away of deserving condemnation.