May 5, 2024
Included | Romans 15:1-13
Unlikely Friends
Paul never recovered from God's invitation to the Gentiles.
Like some of us, perhaps, he felt that some people should be excluded because of where they were born or how badly they had behaved.
More than included, Paul instructs that former ‘outsiders’ should be treated as precious insiders - even better than we would treat ourselves. What would it look like if love came to town?
Songs for this week: Spotify
- Do you have a friend you never thought would be your friend? Tell that story.
- How could a strong Christian ‘bear with the failings’ of a weak Christian? Give an example.
- The Scriptures often teach us about endurance and provide us with encouragement. What passages have recently inspired you in your faith journey?
- Hope features loudly in this passage. How do you explain your hope to someone who doesn’t yet believe?
- As you look at our world, who would be the least likely to become friends with each other? Take time to pray for that impossible friendship.
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Recent Sermons
James 5:13-20 - A life of faith is a life of prayer. It’s also a life lived with others. When we follow Jesus, we belong to Him and to one another as brothers and sisters. As a family, we care for one another in weakness, confess our sins to each other, and gently confront one another.
James 4:6-10 -James knows that the heart of the Christian message is grace. God gives us good that we couldn’t ever deserve. The truth is that we earn and deserve justice and punishment. Thankfully, Jesus took both of those for us and gave us the good he deserved. As powerful as grace is, there is one thing that can re
James 3:1-18 -James is at it again! He has a real concern for the words that Christians use on themselves, with each other and with the world. Our tongues (James' favourite image for our words) can cause such destruction, and they are nearly impossible to control.
James 2:14-26 -James continues to press deep into the muscles and tissues of our faith. Is your faith doing what it was designed to do? Just like you might go to the doctor for a physical check-up, James offers a self-administered faith check-up in this passage. Where do you see signs of life in your faith?
James 1:19-27 - James is direct: angry words, thoughtless words, and religious words don’t have a place in a life of faith. Our words don’t work … but God’s word does! Our job is simply to cooperate with his word.
James 1:1-8 - James gets right down to business! For everyone not currently soaking in a hot tub, suffering is a first order of business. In just a few verses, James explains how trials can grow maturity, how wisdom helps the journey, and how to avoid wasting a suffering experience.
