February 5, 2024
Included | Romans 5:1-11
Poured His Love
One of the modern struggles for those who trust Jesus is what to do with suffering. How can a loving God allow suffering? That question did not trouble Paul in the least.He knew that suffering, at least for now, is a universal human experience. The real question for Paul was: How does the cross of Christ redeem suffering? He dives into that and, not surprisingly, it gives him one more reason to talk about the fantastic love of God expressed in the death of Jesus.
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- What has your experience of suffering been? How did you navigate your soul through that?
- Paul details that suffering produces perseverance, perseverance produces character, and character produces hope. Has that been your experience?
- The passage talks about boasting 3 times (in v.3 “glory” should be translated “boast”). What does Paul mean by boasting? Could ‘boasting’ change your life for good?
- “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Explain why this is the most amazing, dizzying claim a human has ever made: Almighty God dies for ungrateful humans. Has this truth settled into your soul?
- God’s enemies have become God’s friends (v10). Does your life represent that? Who in your life is an enemy of God’s? Take time to pray for that person
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Recent Sermons
Colossians 2:8-12 - Paul warns the Colossian church not to trade the freedom found in Christ for religion or spiritual experiences. Jesus is more than enough.
Colossians 2:1-7-The way forward for the first Christians wasn't always easy. False teachers brought confusion and deception, prompting Paul to point believers back to the truth. Just as the best way to spot a counterfeit is to know the genuine article, the best way to recognize false teaching is to know Jesus.
Colossians 1:24-29-Suffering is one of life's hardest realities. We might expect that following Jesus would mean less pain, but Jesus himself suffered and made it clear that his followers would too. The good news is that our suffering is never lost on God and is never in vain.
Colossians 1:21-23 - Paul contrasts two powerful words—alienated and reconciled—to tell our story. Discover how Jesus did the work of reconciliation and why that is the heart of the Gospel.
Colossians 1:15-20 -Colossians centers on Jesus—the Creator of all things, the Sustainer of life, and the Redeemer who restores creation through love.
Colossians 1:9-14 - Paul prays not for comfort, but for deeper faith—knowing God’s will, living for Jesus, and receiving strength to persevere with hope.
