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
Exodus 33:12-23 - The book of Exodus unfolds the growing friendship between God and Moses, one conversation at a time. Moses’ honest exchange with God is a picture of how we can talk with God, too.
Exodus 19:3-8 -God is seeking a community to join Him in His mission to bless and save the world. Israel was out of Egypt, where their purpose had been clear: make bricks! What was their purpose now? At the foot of Mount Sinai, before they take another step, God has a proposal.
Exodus 16:2-16 - The story of our roots continues. As the drama fades into daily routine, the real questions begin—Can we trust God for what we need each day? How much control do we really have?
Exodus 14:5-13 -The story of God’s rescue is not without drama! God’s people left Egypt only to come against a new opponent, the Red Sea! They were trapped between an angry Pharaoh and, at least as bad, an angry Sea. They cried out, expressed their terror, and God made a way. Of course, it did involve them moving their
Exodus 12:1-14 - The story of Exodus is the story of Jesus. The God we get to know in Exodus is the God who comes to us in the person of Jesus: a God who judges, who saves, and who renews.
Exodus 3:1-14 - The rescue begins. God looks for a person to lead the way—not someone perfect, but someone willing. In Exodus, God calls Moses through a burning bush and rekindles a relationship that had been years in the making.
