Lesson 9 – Romans 12:1-21; 14:1-9

Lesson 9 

A Little Service, Please - Romans 12:1-21; 14:1-9

Today’s Verse: Romans 12:9-10 Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good. Be kindly affectioned to one another with brotherly love; in honor preferring one another

Sneak Peek:

Rita has been in the business of helping people for over three decades now. She organizes garage sales, volunteers in soup kitchens, gives to the poor, and just
always steps in to lend a hand when the need arises. Through this, Rita
can boldly say she has experienced God’s favor in her life and in her
family. Her husband, Bob, however, does not believe in helping people.
He believes that people who are in need brought about the unfortunate
situation on themselves, and should take care of those situations
themselves. Rita has said and done all she can to convince her husband
otherwise, all to no avail

      What can you tell Bob that will change his views on service to people?

-          We express the love of Christ by showing love to people and helping to meet their needs. It is our duty to lend a hand. It is not our business how they came about their problems.

      List out ways by which you can lend out a helping hand to people in your church and community. Apply some this week.

-                Giving money

-          Smiling at them

-          Giving a hug

-          Praying for them

-          Listening to them

What Do I See?

Read the entire passage for today Romans 12:1-21; 14:1-9. Write down your Lesson Topic any key ideas you see.

My Title – Be Your Brother’s Keeper!

My Themes

1.      Members of the Body of Christ

2.      Love without dissimulation

3.      Blessings on enemies

4.      Like-mindedness

5.      Living unto God

Fun Box

What’s the kindest thing you’ve done so far?

-          Err, I don’t know. I guess God weighs good deeds differently than we do

What Can I Infer?

1.      How can we present our bodies as living sacrifices to God?

-          By yielding completely to Him and remembering that our bodies are His Temple

2.      Is there any difference in God’s good, acceptable, and perfect will? Explain.

-          I think God’s good will is what is acceptable by Him and it’s what is perfect for an individual. So, NO, I don’t think there is a difference.

[I may be wrong. Other opinions are welcomed]

3.      Identify seven spiritual gifts listed in 12:4-8. (Ref. 1 Corinthians 12 & 14)

-          Prophecy

-          Ministry

-          Teaching

-          Exhortation

-          Giving

-          Ruling

-          Showing of Mercy

4.      How did Paul say we should deal with our fellow brother/sister in Christ? 12:9-21

-          Basically, obey the golden rule when dealing with others. And even more, think of others more highly that yourself.

My Summary: In one sentence, summarize Paul’s main point in this passage

-          Honor God; and while doing that, honor others.

What Do I Do?

Each week, it is important we apply lessons learned from Bible Study into our lives as Christians.

Self-Assessment

1.      What are some potentially divisive differences in values you have observed in your church or among your friends?

-          Opinions about legal rights for individuals in same-sex relationships

-          Christians’ place in wars

-          Christians’ place in politics

2.      What are some values Christians hold as personal convictions that are not clearly supported by Scripture?

-          For me, it’s OK for countries to engage in war as long as it protects their own people

3.      How can differences of opinion or values (a) benefit (b) separate and destroy the body of Christ?

-          If handled well, we can appreciate God for how different people are, and it can help us to be more tolerant of everyone.

-          If not handled well, it can bring conflicts in Christian gatherings, and drag the name of Christ in the mud

4.      In what area do you need to be careful about wrongly condemning others?

-          Wrongly? Mine is not wrongful condemnation… But I admit, it is not in my place to condemn them. And by them, I mean “transgender(s)”… I don’t know anyone who has changed their sex, and I pray that I never meet anyone of those in my lifetime. It is mind-boggling.

Weekly Self-Assessment Action Plan

1. Practice tolerance

2. Give lots of hugs

3. Smile at a lot of random people

4. Do less talking; more listening

5. Pray for God’s blessing upon as many people as possible