Romans

Romans 10:5-21

1. Quickly rehearse the details on Charles Blondin’s story. Blondin’s story with his manager demonstrates the three aspects of faith. Which part of faith do you find the most difficult - knowledge, assent or trust?

2. Paul argues that salvation is not far away—not up in heaven, not in the abyss. Why do you think so many people still imagine becoming a Christian is complicated or inaccessible?

3. “The word is very near you.”

   What does this phrase mean? In what way does it feel true (or not)?

4. What is the difference between confessing with your mouth and believing in your heart? Is there any difference?

5. Ben said that believing Jesus is Lord = believing who he is, and believing he was raised = believing what he did.

   Which of those two facets do people today tend to struggle with more? Why?

6. Scripture says “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

   How does that promise challenge our assumptions about who is “most likely” to believe?

7. “What about those who never hear?”

   How would you explain Paul’s chain of logic (sent → preach → hear → believe → call) to someone who asks this today?

8. Ben argued that Paul’s logic is meant to bother us.

   Does the lostness of those who haven’t heard the gospel personally trouble you? Why or why not?

9. As Ben explained, “preaching” doesn’t only mean a Sunday sermon.

   Where are the non-church places in your life where you have a natural preaching platform?

10. Sending is costly. Why is sending so hard and so necessary? What do you think sending should look like for Resurrection Church?

Romans 9:19-10:4

1. When have you wrestled with something you believed was true but couldn’t fully understand? (It could be theological, scientific, or personal.)

2. Summarize the second objection raised by Paul against the doctrine of election.

3. What kinds of emotions or assumptions lie behind that objection? Why does it feel so instinctively fair to ask?

4. How does Paul’s image of the potter and clay (vv. 20–21) shape our posture toward God? What’s the difference between asking God honest questions and answering back to him in defiance?

5. Ben said that mercy “set against a backdrop of wrath” reveals God’s glory like a diamond on black velvet.

   Why do you think contrast matters so much in understanding God’s mercy?

6. Define antimony and give a few examples.

7. How does this concept of antimony help you approach the tension between God’s sovereignty and human responsibility?

8. Paul contrasts Gentiles who found righteousness by faith with Israelites who pursued it by works (vv. 30–32).

   Why do you think moral or religious people can sometimes struggle more with the gospel than those who know they’re broken?

9. What are modern ways people “stumble over Christ”?

   What might it look like to make Jesus the foundation instead of the stone we trip on?

10. Paul laments that Israel had zeal for God but not according to knowledge (10:2).

    How do we see that same pattern today—in ourselves, the church, or other religious movements?

11. How are you doing after the last two weeks in Romans 9? Struggling? Intrigued? Satisfied? Upset? Share where you are at with your group.

Romans 9:1-18

1. John Calvin called predestination a “labyrinth.” Why do you think Paul (and Calvin) insist that we approach this topic with humility?

2. Paul describes his feelings toward unbelieving Israel with “great sorrow and unceasing anguish.” When have you felt similar grief for someone far from God?

3. How can we guard against being smug or indifferent to those who don’t believe?

4. Compare Paul’s grief here with Jesus’ lament over Jerusalem in Luke 19:41–44. How do both examples teach us about God’s heart?

5. What does Paul mean by “not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel”? How does that distinction help answer the question of whether “the Word of God has failed”?

6. How does the idea of “true Israel” (inward and spiritual) challenge the assumption that belonging to God is automatic through heritage or outward religiosity?

7. Read Deuteronomy 10:16 and Romans 2:28–29. What does “circumcision of the heart” mean, and how does it relate to Paul’s idea of true Israel?

8. Why does Paul emphasize that God’s choice of Jacob over Esau happened “before they had done anything good or bad”? How does this challenge the common idea that salvation is based on our moral choices or personality?

9. What is your personal reaction to this teaching on election? Angry? Sad? Confused? Grateful?

10. Paul anticipates the objection, “That’s not fair.” How does he redirect the conversation toward mercy instead of fairness? What difference does it make to view salvation as mercy rather than merit?

Romans 8:18-39

1. Is fall your favourite season? Why or why not? What parts of fall remind you of the end of Romans 8?

2. Paul says creation has been “subjected to futility.” What examples of futility do you see in your everyday life — things that just don’t work the way they should?

3. What does it look like to groan honestly without losing hope?

4. Paul says, “We do not know what to pray for.” Can you share a time when you didn’t know what or how to pray?

5. Romans 8:28 is often quoted but easily misunderstood. How would you explain its meaning in your own words, especially in light of suffering?

6. How does the “Golden Chain of Salvation” (foreknew → predestined → called → justified → glorified) give you assurance when life feels out of control? (If you have extra time, read Genesis 50:15-21 and reflect on that in light of 8:28)

7. Paul asks a series of questions (“Who can be against us?” “Who shall bring a charge?” “Who shall separate us?”). Which of these questions hits home for you right now — fear, worry, guilt, or condemnation?

8. What parts of creation feel like they can impact God’s love for us?

Romans 8:1-17

1. How is “no condemnation” (vs.1) a conclusion to Romans 1-7?

2. What does Paul mean when he says “the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death” (v.2)? (Compare with Galatians 5:1 and John 8:34-46)

3. Verses 3–4 say that God accomplished something the law couldn’t. What did the law fail to do, and what did God do instead?

4. According to verses 5–8, what’s the difference between a mind set on the flesh and one set on the Spirit?

5. Verses 12–13 warn us that living “according to the flesh” leads to death, but that by the Spirit we can “put to death the deeds of the body.” What does it look like to actively “put to death” sin by the Spirit rather than by sheer willpower?

6. In verses 14–17, Paul describes believers as children of God and heirs with Christ. What privileges come with being God’s child? What responsibilities or sufferings also come with that identity?

7. If there is “no condemnation” for those in Christ, how can we live out of that truth — especially when we still struggle with guilt, shame, or ongoing sin?

Romans 7:13-25

1. Can you think of a time when you knew the right thing to do but still found it hard to do it? What does that experience teach you about human nature?

2. What emotions stand out to you in Paul’s words in Romans 7:13-25? What lines or expressions of his can you most relate to?

3. What does Paul mean by saying “I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate” (v. 15)? How does this describe the believer’s experience under grace?

4. How does this passage deepen your understanding of the difference between condemnation and conviction?

5. Paul describes two “laws” at work within him—the law of his mind and the law of sin (vv. 22-23). What are these two forces, and where do you see them at work in your own life?

6. How can we avoid despair in the face of ongoing sin while still taking sin seriously and working to grow in righteousness and holiness?

7. Paul cries out, “Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?” (v. 24). Why is that question key to the whole passage? How does his answer in v. 25 give us hope?

8. Which of the two “cries” (vs.24 or 25) is more difficult for you to believe and lean on?

9. What would it look like for your group or church community to take seriously both the reality of sin and the greater reality of grace?

Fun question: What songs (or books or other media) come to mind when you think of someone wrestling with their own self-destructiveness? (Ben mentioned “my own worst enemy “ by Lit; “Don’t me get me” by Pink and “Anti-hero” by Taylor Swift)

Romans 7:1-13

1. Have you ever had any memorable “campfire” arguments or discussions? Can you recall what Ben’s friends were arguing about in his opening illustration?

2. In Romans 7:1–4 Paul uses marriage as an analogy for our relationship to the law. How does this analogy help you understand what it means to be “dead to the law” and “belong to Christ”? In what way is this analogy confusing?

3. What are some dangers in thinking that keeping the law (or being “good enough”) is the way to be saved?

4. Paul insists in verse 12 that “the law is holy, righteous and good.” How does this challenge the common idea that biblical commands are restrictive or burdensome?

   Can you think of examples where God’s law actually leads to freedom, flourishing, and joy rather than restriction?

   (Or read Psalm 19:7-11 for ideas)

5. Paul says the law not only defines sin but also reveals how deep sin runs (vv.7–8). Have you ever had an experience where a good command or good thing exposed sin in your own heart?

6. Paul describes sin as more than actions — as a power that enslaves and deceives (vv. 8–11). How does this shift the way we think about sin in our lives?

7. If the law shows us how sinful we are and how powerful sin is, how does the cross of Christ provide the solution we need?

8. Where do you feel the weight of sin’s power most strongly in your own life right now?

Romans 6:15-23

1. Bob Dylan sang, “You’re gonna have to serve somebody.” John Lennon countered with “Serve Yourself.” Which perspective do you think people today are more likely to agree with—and why?

2. Paul uses slavery as an analogy. How does understanding Greco-Roman slavery (vs. modern chattel slavery) help us hear his point more clearly?

3. Describe in your own words the question Paul is asking in vs. 15.

4. Paul describes sin’s origin, development, freedom, and end. Define each.

5. What does Paul mean when he says sin leads to “death”? How do we see both present consequences and eternal warnings in this?

6. Ben talked about the compounding effects of sin. Have you ever seen the “compounding” effect of sin in your own life or in someone close to you? (C.S. Lewis quote about compounding sin here)

7. According to Paul, what is the origin of serving God? How is it different from serving sin?

8. How does righteousness and sanctification “compound” in a Christian’s life? Can you think of a time when a small act of obedience or faith led to unexpected growth?

9. Paul says that serving God leads to freedom. How is this different from the “freedom” sin seems to offer

10. What practices (spiritual disciplines, habits, or relationships) help you keep “presenting your members as slaves to righteousness” (v.19)?

11. Discuss the quote the sermon ended with: “You don’t have to obey the 10 commandments to be saved but you do if you want to be free.”